| abstract | - Arab Infantry are light melee infantry usually armed with swords and are utilised primarily by the Moors and the Saracens in the early game. While those who can afford the large amounts of metal and food required will prefer to maintain a large retinue of spearmen instead, there are others who may not have access to mines or will not have sufficient food to raise such armies, and will have to turn to these units. In the Castle Age, Arab Infantry automatically upgrade to Swordsmen, placing the two Muslim factions on par with their Christian foes. Arab Infantry are not equipped with metallic armour, but instead bear a leather shield and body armour. While this means that they are somewhat vulnerable to melee attacks, this actually lends them more mobility in combat, and their preferred weapon, a sword, also can be used well in a defensive stance with a shield as opposed to a spear, whose reach means that its users must be somewhat exposed when charging with their weapons levelled. Thus, shield bearers are ideal anti-archer units, and if so required can be created in large numbers in order to overwhelm your foe. Also, their agility on the field also means that shield bearers are far less subceptible to arrow fire - they can easily close the gap between them and archers, before they are overwhelmed completely when charging enemy positions.
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