Flemish Militia unit icon - Age of Empires 2

Flemish Militia

Infantry
Food30
Gold25
Hit Points40
Attack5
Melee Armor1
Pierce Armor1
Train Time14s
Speed0.94

Base values, before Blacksmith upgrades. The Blacksmith raises attack and armour for infantry, cavalry and archers — Blast Furnace, for instance, gives "+2 Attack for infantry & cavalry". Late in a game, the real numbers are higher.

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Evolution

The coach's briefing

The Flemish Militia is a 'Heavy-Duty Multi-Tool'. It fights like a Swordsman but has bonus damage against Cavalry like a Spearman. Unique Feature: It upgrades automatically when you advance Ages (Feudal -> Castle -> Imperial), no manual tech needed. Be careful: it wears the 'Spearman' armor class, meaning Skirmishers deal bonus damage to it.

STRONG AGAINST

You win these trades cost-effectively.

Light Cavalry
Light Cavalry
Knight
Knight
Eagle Warrior
Eagle Warrior

WEAK AGAINST

Avoid these fights or bring support.

Arbalester
Arbalester
Skirmisher
Skirmisher
Hand Cannoneer
Hand Cannoneer
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Strategic Analysis

Tactical Identity

The **Versatile Anti-Cavalry**. A hybrid unit that scales automatically, allowing for smooth transitions without expensive upgrade costs.

Tactical Playbook

No Upgrades Needed

Their stats improve automatically upon reaching Castle/Imperial Age. You save resources on 'Man-at-Arms' or 'Pikeman' techs.

Hybrid Defense

In Feudal, they beat Scouts (bonus damage) and trade well vs other melee units. In Imp, they gain unblockable bonus damage vs Cavalry.

The Revolution

The Imperial Tech 'Flemish Revolution' instantly converts ALL villagers into Militia. Use this as a game-ending all-in button.

Critical Point

Weak to **Archers & Skirmishers**. Unlike Champions, they have the Spearman armor class, taking massive bonus damage from Skirmishers and Archers.

Understanding The Stats

A unit that evolves with you. Good base stats that scale, balanced by a specific vulnerability to anti-spear attacks.

Auto-Scaling

+Stats/Age

Feudal (Base) -> Castle (+10 HP, +3 Atk) -> Imp (+5 HP, +3 Atk, +1 Bonus).

Hybrid Armor

Spear Class

Possesses the Spearman Armor Class. This is their Achilles heel vs Skirmishers.

Imperial Tech

Revolution

Unique Tech allows instant conversion of economy into military. High risk, high reward.

Coach's Tip

Your auto-scaling is your biggest strength - no upgrade costs! Time your attacks right after aging up to catch enemies off guard with your free power spike.

Mechanics & Bonuses

Attack Bonuses

TargetBonus Dmg
Cavalry+6
Camel+4
Ship+4

Armor Classes

Infantry

Takes bonus damage from Hand Cannoneers, Slingers, and anti-infantry unique units.

Unique Unit

Vulnerable to units with bonus damage vs this class.

Civilizations

Bourguignons

* 1 civilizations have access to this unit.

AoE Coach analysis

Context & meta

Flemish Militia is the Burgundian unique anti-cavalry Infantry. The base data lists 40 HP, 5 attack, 1 melee armor, 1 pierce armor, 0.94 speed, 5 line of sight, and a 30 food/25 gold cost with 14 seconds of training. It carries +6 attack against Cavalry, so its job is written into the numbers before any upgrade is added. The official help states the matchup cleanly: strong versus Mounted Units and weak versus Ranged Soldiers. It is a compact Spearman-class body that punishes a cavalry answer but needs ranged support when the opponent changes the question.

History & balance

The unit is tied to the Burgundian economic-and-cavalry identity, which is why it should not be read as a normal Militia upgrade. Burgundian economic upgrades arrive one age earlier and cost 40% less food, Stable technologies cost 50% less, and the civilization has Flemish Revolution, which transforms all existing Villagers into Flemish Militia. That technology can turn an economy into a sudden infantry mass, but the official unit role does not change: the bodies still want to meet Mounted Units. The history of the unit is therefore a tension between a flexible economic conversion and a very specific battlefield job.

In pro play

Use Flemish Militia as the part of the army that makes cavalry dives expensive. A line with the +6 anti-Cavalry attack can hold the path to villagers or buy time for a second composition, but it should not be asked to chase ranged armies across the map. Their 0.94 speed and 40 HP reward a clear defensive job: guard a resource, protect a siege unit, or pin cavalry while your own ranged damage works. Flemish Revolution is a different decision—turning Villagers into Militia changes the economy immediately—so queue or research it only when the military swing has a target and the remaining economy can still function.

How to counter it

The classic mistake is sending cavalry into Flemish Militia because it looks like ordinary Infantry. The official help gives the categories: strong vs. Mounted Units; weak vs. Ranged Soldiers. Use real class bonuses: the game gives Elite Skirmishers +4 against Spearman, Hand Cannoneers +10 against Infantry, and Slingers +4 against Infantry. Range punishes a 40-HP body with 1 pierce armor, while the cavalry bonus explains the failed charge. Focus Militia before it reaches your economy; do not let conversion create a surround. If this matchup keeps costing you units and you do not know what to produce or when, AoE Coach reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.