Age of Empires II/Hidden or unused units, objects etc.

There are lots of units/buildings/objects that technically exist, but that are hidden in the Scenario Editor by default.

Advanced Heavy Crossbowman

A technical unit appearing that can fire arrows at its target. When it attacks, it changes appearance. When it dies, it appears in its attacking form. It uses the Skirmisher icon as its icon, and it has defined stats.

The AI is able to use the unit as intended.

Junk

A technical Ship-type unit identical in appearance to Trade Boat from the first game, Age of Empires. When it is destroyed, it simply disappears, and will completely disappear after some seconds. For some reason, it can attack, although it turns invisible while doing so because it lacks the required sprites (Vanalker name for attack: ATCK593). The AI will attack most ships (as Junk). Its icon is simply a Relic. It is able to trade (with gold) but will only move to the other player's Dock. It tries to technically receive one gold (which is successful), but always releases it. When it sinks, it is possible to hear a death sound.

Berserk

A technical unit which shares its name with the used Berserk. Like Advanced Heavy Crossbowman, the unit does not always appear in its standing form.

Relic Cart

A technical unit appearing as a Relic. When it is walking, it appears as Piece of the True Cross in the player's color. If a unit of another player passes by, the Relic Cart may be converted to that player.

Halberdman

A technical unit that only appears in The Age of Kings. In its standing form, it poses like the Pikeman. When it is walking, it appears as a Phalanx from the original game. In the expansion, the graphics were replaced by Halberdier ones, and so did the unit itself.

Heavy Swordsman

A technical unit with graphics from Age of Empires. Sometimes, the unit will be invisible because of how the frames are set up.

Sea Tower

A tower that can be placed on water. Once an enemy unit comes within its range, it will start firing arrows.

Unlike its relatives Sea Wall and Sea Gate, it has its own help description:

Build <b> Sea Tower<b> (<cost>) Automatically attacks enemy units and buildings within range. <hp> <attack> <armor> <piercearmor> <range>

Sea Wall

While it IS used, it is hidden by default in the Scenario Editor.

Sea Gate

While it IS used, it is hidden by default in the Scenario Editor. Like the regular gates, there are multiple objects (with different properties) that share the same name.

TWAL

A Wall-type technical building. Can be placed out just like regular walls. Gates can be placed on it without any problems, though it does not have a such one of its appearance.

VMDL

A dual Cheat/Villager-type technical unit. Name stands for Villager Male Dave Lewis (named after David Lewis, an Ensemble Studios employee). Is able to use villager actions, but cannot finish the construction of a building. You can spawn a VMDL in your home base (as defined by the game) by typing i love the monkey head in the chat box.

COBRA

Main article: Age of Empires II/COBRA

A dual Cheat/Siege-type technical unit. Since it is a siege weapon, a villager has to repair it. Has 500 hit points, and explodes upon death. You can spawn a COBRA in your home base (as defined by the game) by typing how do you turn this on in the chat box.

OUTLW

A Wild-type technical unit. An Archer with 15 hit points that will attack if a player unit comes too close. Its icon is the one of Forage Bush.

The name is "outlaw" without the a.

FISH5

A Fish-type technical object. Despawns once a game begins.

FLDOG

A Bird-type technical object. A flying object using the wolf graphics.

Port

A Dock-type technical building. Can only be placed on water alongside a coastline on either west or east. Though it claims that it can garrison up to 10 units, it is not possible.

PMANG

A packed Mangonel. It does not work properly in-game.

Unpacking it works as expected. Attacking or doing anything else on the other hand... is not recommended. The unit attempts to turn into object 0, which is only executed successfully if only one action is done. If the player attempts to do too many actions at the same time, the game crashes. The game crash may extend to Windows by temporarily changing the display settings (for example, if the game is being played on a Windows XP computer, the icons will either have different colors or use the old icon).

PTWC

Name	Meaning
PTWC	Packed Town World Center or Packed Town Center

Only Gaia can use it. Adding the unpacking ability to the unit reveals how it may have worked: you right click on a unit to attack it. Once close enough, do it again and it should unpack itself into a Town Center. Does unpacking into a main building sound familiar? If you have played Red Alert 2, then yes. The icon is that of the Town Center.

It has a sound entry called PTWC.wav, but no sound is assigned.

OMTBO

A Ship-type technical unit.

STRBO

A Ship-type technical unit. Visually the same as Junk, but changes to a rowing boat when moving. Is able to both attack and trade.

If traded to Age of Chivalry: Hegemony Version 1.73b, it will become Rowing Boat.

ABGAL/BDGAL

A dual Ship/Monk-type technical unit.