Civilization V Customisation Wiki

The Lancer is a Mounted unit available in the Renaissance Era.

Overview[]

Lancers were the cavalrymen of the Renaissance era. In an era of the increasing use of cannon and other gunpowder-based weaponry speed and maneuverability trumped armor, which was increasingly useless against the modern projectile weapons, so the Lancers abandoned much of the heavy plate mail of their knightly predecessors, retaining only the metal breastplate, if that. Even as weaponry improved, the lance remained a terrifyingly effective weapon in the hands of trained horsemen. As late as the Napoleonic Wars the French believed that the lance was a superior cavalry weapon to the sword. In the 19th century both would be supplanted by the carbine rifle, of course.

Strategy[]

The Lancer is a mixed purpose unit: it's more powerful than the Knight or the Pikeman and it can better perform most of their functions. Thanks to its long spear it is also a dedicated anti-cavalry unit, deadly with its speed and ability to catch retreating enemy cavalry after their hit-and-run attacks.

However, the Lancer is strictly an offensive unit; the same spear that allows it to perform powerful charges when attacking is too unwieldy for defense and nets the unit a combat penalty when defending. It can also be quickly destroyed by ranged units. Use it wisely.

Unique Unit Replacements[]

Icon Unit Civilization Abilities
LSMughalLancer
MughalUnitAlphaAtlas
Ahadis
The Mughals (Shah Jahan)
  • Earns two Promotions per Level
BannermanIconWiki
Bannerman The Manchu (Nurhaci)
  • Is a ranged unit
  • May Indirect Fire
  • May attack twice when beginning a turn adjacent to two or more units of the same Banner
Batascavalry
Batas Cavalry Yakutia (Tygyn Darkhan) (Hiram)
  • Starts with the Charge promotion
BlackMouth
Black Mouth Three Affiliated Tribes (Four Bears)
  • 2 Movement (vs 4)
  • Does not require Horses
  • While Fortified, enemy units adjacent to this unit take 10 damage at the beginning of a turn
BatlleUnit
Blandengue Uruguay (José Batlle)
  • Begins with the Amphibious promotion
  • May construct Forts and Pastures
  • While at war, receives +5% Combat Strength for every city the enemy owns in excess of its owner.
CharlesUnit
Cavalier Britain (Charles II)
  • Starts with extra Experience when trained in a city celebrating a We Love the King Day
  • Provides 50 Gold upon earning a promotion
  • Upgrades to Cavalry (Uhlan with EE)
MC Chambul 256
Chambul Crimea (Haci I Giray)
  • Ignores terrain costs
  • Earns experience 50% faster
C15QajarUU
Cherik Horseman The Qajars (Naser al-Din)
  • -15 Production Cost (170 v. 185).
  • Doesn't receive XP from Buildings or Policies; this is instead converted into Golden Age Points.
  • Starts with +10 XP for every Pasture worked by its training city.
  • While produced, Pastures in its training city yield +1 Production.
Chevauleger
Chevau-Léger France (Napoleon)(with France (Louis XIV) installed)
  • +2 Movement (6 vs 4)
  • +33% Attack Strength when below 50% Health
IconPNG Chongzu
Flag chongzu
Chongzu
Northern Yuan (Mandukhai)
  • Unlocked at Gunpowder
  • No penalty against Cities
  • Gains Experience at double rate
  • May be expended in a friendly city, contributing Production based on its Experience towards whatever Unit is currently being trained
IconPNG DogSoldier
Flag dogsoldier
Dog Soldier
The Cheyenne (Woqini)
  • +25% Combat Strength against Gun Units
  • Gains Experience from pillaging tile improvements
  • May not pillage roads, but may use enemy roads
Exped
Expeditionary California (Ide/Muir)
  • Is a Recon unit
  • Ignores terrain cost
  • +1 Sight, +1 additional Sight while Embarked
  • -1 Movement (total 3)
  • -20%  Combat Strength (20 vs 25)
  • Unlocked at Gunpowder
EcuadorMorenoUU
Granaderos Ecuador (Moreno)
  • +30% Combat Strength while fighting in the Capital; bonus falls off as the unit gets farther away.
  • +30% Combat Strength when fighting in Friendly Lands if trained at a time when all cities are either Connected to the Capital or share the Capital's religion.
AriHadendoaNomadIcon
Hadendoa Nomad Mahdist State (Muhammad Ahmad)
  • 2 Movement (vs 4)
  • Does not require Horses.
  • +25% Combat Strength vs Gunpowder units instead of Mounted units.
  • May duplicate when earning a promotion.
FinnishCavalry-0
Hakkapeliitta-0
Hakkapeliitta
Sweden (Gustavus Adolphus)
  • Transfers movement to stacked Great Generals
  • +15% combat bonus when stacked with a Great General
Hartschier
Unitflag hartschier
Hartschier
Bavaria (Ludwig II)
  • Cannot attack.
  • +50% Defense when beginning its turn on a Schloss, increased to 100% if building a World Wonder.
  • Cannot be upgraded.
  • Does not obsolete.
Huampelen
Huampelen Araucanía and Patagonia (Orélie I)
  • No bonus vs Cavalry
  • Cannot move after attacking
  • Ignores enemy flanking bonuses
  • Nearby friendly units receive a Combat bonus when flanking and vs Fortified units
  • When garrisoned, -25% enemy Spy stealing rate
Husaresdejunin
Unitflag husares
Húsares de Junín
Perú (Ramón Castilla)
  • +50% combat strength vs Fortified units
  • +15% combat strength when flanking
Ironside
Unitflag ironside
Ironside
The Protectorate (Oliver Cromwell)
  • +20%  Combat Strength (30 vs 25)
  • Starts with the Great Generals II promotion
  • Upgrades to Cavalry
DJ SanadaUUIcon
Jumonji Cavalry Sanada (Sanada Yukimura)
  • Ignores Zone of Control.
  • Yields Great Writer points for each enemy unit it starts adjacent to, and Great General points for each owned unit it starts adjacent to.
KakaramIcon Full
Kakaram The Shuar (Kirruba)
  • Less movement (2 vs 4) and isn't mounted, but gets the Woodsman promotion.
  • Alied units generate 33% more experience when starting their turn next to a Kakaram, +50% if said unit is also a Kakaram.
Kosynier
Kosynier Poland-Lithuania (Tadeusz Kosciuszko)
  • Does not require Horses.
  • -2 Movement.
  • May repair pillaged improvements.
  • Has a chance to convert enemy units to your side while adjacent to an enemy Siege unit.
  • After researching Metallurgy, Workers may upgrade to Kosyniers while at War.
JWWLanceiroNegro
Lanceiro Negro Rio Grande (Bento Gonçalves)
  • Once available, declaring war may spawn friendly Lanceiros Negros.
  • Gains +1 Combat Strength for every Lanceiro Negro owned.
  • Dies upon making peace with your last enemy, granting +10 Golden Age points and +10 Production in all cities.
Llanero
Unitflag llanero
Llanero
Gran Colombia (Simón Bolivar)
  • +10% combat strength in open terrain
  • Can transfer its movement to Libertadors
BurmaLancer
AlphaBurma32
Manipuri Cassay Horseman
Burma (Anawrahta Minsaw) (DJSHenninger)
  • +50% Flanking Bonus
  • Starts with Woodsman Promotion
  • -33% Defence
Pindari
Unitflag pindari
Pindari
Maratha (Shivaji)
  • +25% Combat Strength vs Gunpowder units
Qizilbash
Unitflag qizilbash
Qizilbash
The Safavids (Abbas I)
  • +1 Faith, Culture, and Gold per turn in enemy territory
RedBandIcon
Red Band The Murrinh-Patha (Nemarluk)
  • Less movement, unmounted.
  • Earns experience when starting adjacent to 2 or more enemy units.
  • While Garrisoned, carries over food after growth relative to their level.
LsReiter
FlagReiter
Reiter
Holy Roman Empire (Elected Emperor) (LastSword)
  • A possible renaissance UU of HRE through election
  • upgrade into cavalry
  • if being attacked, the next turn start will perform an extra ranged attack.
SichCossack
HetmanateUnitAlphaAtlasSich
Sich Cossack
Hetmanate (Bohdan Khmelnytsky)
  • Ignores Zone of Control
  • Can use enemy Roads
  • -2 Combat Strength
Sipahi
Sipahi-0
Sipahi
The Ottomans (Suleiman)
  • +1 Sight and +1 Movement
  • No movement cost to pillage
Stradiot Icon
Stradiot Albania (Skanderbeg)
  • Twice as strong during the first combat engagement, after which the Stradiot gains +30% Defense. Promoting a Stradiot will allow it to perform more effectively again.
  • +2 Combat Strength (instead of 25)
  • 150 Production (instead of 185)
  • Upgrades to Cavalry
DJKazakhsUU
Tolu-Batyr The Kazakhs (Ablai Khan) (DuskJockey)
  • Heals +10 HP while fortified.
  • Begins with Drill I.
Tumen
Unitflag tumen
Tumen
The Timurids (Timur)
  • Earns Gold from kills and attacking cities
  • Only -25% vs Cities
  • No Horses required
DzungarUU1
Ulan Zalata The Dzungars (Galdan Khan)
  • Spawns with the Heavy Charge promotion.
  • +1 Movement when starting the turn on a hill or adjacent to a mountain.
  • Can upgrade into Cavarly.
MerinaUU
Voninnahitra Merina (Radama I)
  • Unlike the Lancer, behaving like a gunpowder unit rather than an anti-cavalry unit.
  • Upgrades to Great War Infantry.
  • Ignores difficult terrain.
  • Has additional strength.
  • Does not require Horses.
Wajinga
Wajinga Tanzania (Mwinyi)
  • Is not a Mounted unit, and does not require Horses
  • Provides Culture from killing enemy Units
  • Starts with the Vandagandaga promotion, granting +1 attack per turn in Rough terrain
  • Upgrades to Cavalry (without EE)
Wingedhussar
Wingedhussar-1
Winged Hussar
Poland (Casimir III)

Poland-Lithuania (Sigismund II)

Poland (John III Sobieksi)

  • Vanilla/Sigismund II
    • +1 Movement
    • +3 Combat Strength
    • Starts with the Shock I promotion
    • Forces attackers to retreat if it receives more damage
  • John III Sobieski
    • +1 Movement
    • +3 Combat Strength
    • Gains additional Combat Strength for each Movement point expended (+1, +1, +2, +4)
      • Note that Heavy Charge, and the ability to enter Rival Territory, are provided by the UA
IconPNG YanLifida
Flag yanlifida
Yan Lifida
Sokoto (Usman dan Fodio)
  • Generates Faith from kills
  • Earns Great Generals 50% faster
Yaso Icon
Yaso The Khoshuts (Güshi Khan)
  • At the start of your turn, adjacent Mounted Units have their City Attack penalty inverted.
  • Cities captured near a Yaso convert to your religion.
Zuya
SiouxUnitAlphaAtlas
Zuya Wicasa
The Sioux (Sitting Bull) (LastSword)
  • -30% Production Cost (130 vs. 185)
  • Upgrades to Cavalry
Unit Types [edit]
Ancient Era
ArcherChariot ArcherScoutSpearmanTriremeWarrior
Classical Era
Composite BowmanCatapultHorsemanSwordsman
Medieval Era
CrossbowmanGalleassKnightLandsknechtLongswordsmanPikemanTrebuchet
Renaissance Era
CannonCaravelFrigateLancerMusketmanPrivateer
Industrial Era
ArtilleryCavalryGatling GunIroncladRifleman
Modern Era
Anti-Aircraft GunBattleshipCarrierDestroyerGreat War BomberGreat War InfantryInfantryLandshipMachine GunSubmarineTriplane
Atomic Era
Anti-Tank GunAtomic BombBazookaBomberFighterHelicopter GunshipMarineMobile SAMParatrooperRocket ArtilleryTank
Information Era
Giant Death RobotGuided MissileJet FighterMechanized InfantryMissile CruiserModern ArmorNuclear MissileNuclear SubmarineStealth BomberXCOM Squad
Civilian Units
ArchaeologistCaravanCargo ShipInquisitorMissionarySettlerWork BoatWorker
Great People
Great AdmiralGreat ArtistGreat EngineerGreat GeneralGreat MerchantGreat MusicianGreat ProphetGreat ScientistGreat Writer
CarrackCruiserCuirassierExplorerField GunGalleonLine InfantryShip of the LineSkirmisherSurveyorUhlan