# More Intuitive Counter-Skirmishers and Dismounting Units

**URL:** <https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/more-intuitive-counter-skirmishers-and-dismounting-units/224226>\
**Category:** III - Discussion\
**Created:** [February 7, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/more-intuitive-counter-skirmishers-and-dismounting-units/224226 "2023-02-07T14:33:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 5

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**Author:** ![M00Z1LLA](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/m00z1lla/32/104042_2.png) [@M00Z1LLA](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/M00Z1LLA)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 3:50am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/more-intuitive-counter-skirmishers-and-dismounting-units/224226/5 "2023-06-21T03:50:58Z")

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For the love of God, please stop doubling down on this horrible concept! You can’t just add add “counter” before the name of a regular unit and expect it to mean something. On top of that, the names suck and have no basis in reality. It’s such complete nonsense that everyone reading the patch notes is asking; “What are these unnamed mystery units?”

 ![Screenshot (213)](https://forums.ageofempires.com/uploads/default/original/3X/e/0/e00ba65e8e7f1d06c6cae52c8b3b32d6fc807577.jpeg)

Once again the counter-skirmisher blends right in with many other skirm units.

![Screenshot (210)](https://forums.ageofempires.com/uploads/default/original/3X/0/d/0dce1a358ceb00d11b3965a835890b432101e8af.png) ![Screenshot (211)](https://forums.ageofempires.com/uploads/default/original/3X/e/8/e8cbda0364447e58cbbe16042dabf5d4e89b3350.png)

Recruiting Buddhist Kalmyks and Muslim Bashkirs from a church tech is a little strange, and making them cards instead does make more sense. But you can’t just replace them with nonsense.

Here are a few suggestions for something based on actual history:

_Lifeguard Jaegers_ → [_Pan-Slavism_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Slavism)

Ships some Pandurs and Hajduks (both counter light infantry). The Russians were constantly seeking more influence in the Balkans and often cited protecting their fellow Orthodox Christians as a reason for intervening in the region.

_St. Petersburg Dragoons_ → _[Hospitaller Refuge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_tradition_of_the_Knights_Hospitaller)_

Ships some Hospitallers and possibly other Maltese units (maybe even a Fixed Gun?). The Tsar took in the remnants of the order after Napoleon conquered Malta so protection of this religious order is a great fit for a church tech.

Other possible techs could be based on prominent units like [Leib Guards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Imperial_Guard), the [Preobrazhensky Regiment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preobrazhensky_Life_Guards_Regiment), or the [Semyonovsky Regiment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semyonovsky_Life_Guards_Regiment). There are many “unique” units that served in the Russian army like Uhlans, Cruiassiers, etc that could be shipped by a tech like this.

Or to keep with the religious theme for a church tech, there was a multitude of weird religious movements happening in Russia during the game’s timeframe like the [Khlysts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khlysts), Skoptsy, and [Doukhobors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doukhobors#). The Doukhobors got exiled to Canada and were notable for their women pulling plows when draft animals weren’t available, so a tech based on them could give a farming bonus.

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