Paladín

thumb|160px Paladins are some of the strongest and, though not cheap, most effective units and a large group can easily destroy any ill-prepared town or army. In one-on-one combat, Paladins can slay Halberdiers, but lose in cost efficiency by a wide margin; and lose to Heavy Camel Riders in both population efficiency and cost efficiency. Paladins are susceptible to enemy Monks because of their high gold cost. Siege weapons are ineffective against Paladins in most situations, but if cautiously used, Onagers can deal a great amount of damage. However, if used against ordinary infantry, archers, siege units, and unsuspecting towns, Paladins dominate the field. Still, Paladins should always be used with caution as flaws in the implementation of these units can prove very costly. Paladins are significantly superior to generic Cavaliers, boasting +40 hit points, +2 melee attack (while attacking slightly slower), and +1 pierce armor. Against archers, in particular, the durability boost is very appreciated. However, the enormous upgrade cost () means that researching the upgrade is a massive investment, and should only be researched if the Paladin is going to be used as the backbone of the army. === Prominent civilizations === thumb Despite lacking Bloodlines, the Franks have some of the strongest Paladins in the game due to their civilization bonus which grants them +20% HP (note that they lack Bloodlines, so they end up with +12 hit points), giving them a useful boost in their durability. They also have the most easily massed and upgraded Paladin once Chivalry is researched, which increases the work rate of Stables by 40%. The Huns have the second fastest training and upgrading time as a result of their team bonus which makes their Stables work 20% faster, which affects them from the start of the game, while Chivalry needs a Castle and extra resources to be effective. Despite lacking Husbandry, the Cumans have the fastest Paladin in the game, due to their civilization bonus granting them +15% movement speed, allowing them to chase down enemies and disengage from fights easily, as well as being extremely useful to raid and disrupt the enemy economy. The Teutons also lack Husbandry, but have the Paladin best-suited for prolonged melee, thanks to their civilization bonus that provides +2 armor, which enables them to survive one more hit from Halberdiers and against low-attack units like Hussars. The team bonus also makes them more resistant to conversion. The Lithuanians have the potential for the highest damage output for their Paladins by collecting four Relics, since each Relic collected increases their attack by one. However, since they lack Blast Furnace, it would be only +2 over regular civilizations, with the first two Relics negating the lack of said technology. With four Relics collected, they match Teuton Paladins, which have +2/0 armor, in a duel, while having faster movement speed. However, not collecting Relics should not be seen as a problem, since the Lithuanians have another heavy cavalry unit which excels in melee combat, while the Paladins can handle archers. The Burgundians also lack Bloodlines, but since their upgrade is 50% cheaper, they have the fastest appearance for Paladin. Also, the Cavalier upgrade is available in the Castle Age, meaning less time to upgrade, since most players will upgrade it during the Castle Age. The Cavalier upgrade is also cheaper. And unlike the other civilizations with strong Paladins, the Burgundians can use them in 1v1 more easily. In team games, their Paladins are very powerful in the early Imperial Age, but become weaker when the opponents finish the upgrade. === Comparison table === The following table lists only those civilizations which have better than generic Paladins. The Magyars, and Spanish have generic Paladins. The Burgundians, Byzantines, and Celts have below average Paladins with no attribute being better than generic ones. { Civilization Hit points Melee attack 14+4 14+4 Armor 2+3/3+4 /3+4 Speed 1.485 Training time 22.56 22.56 Extras }