Streltsy are the Russian meat-shield and anti-infantry unit. They are weak, but cheap infantry, making them useful for rushing opponents in the Commerce Age, however, the Streltsy are weaker than other infantry units (they are the weakest and cheapest infantry). The player can get the original cost if Streltsy are trained from Forts or Galleons. Streltsy are cost-effective, and even more after using cards that upgrade them.
Streltsy maintain effectiveness through all ages in the game when properly upgraded with the "New Order Regiments" and "Strelet Combat" Home City Cards. They can be further upgraded at the Arsenal with Counter Infantry Rifling, and even further with the use of Advanced Arsenal. They combine well with Cavalry Archers, which are effective against both cavalry and artillery, essentially covering one another's weaknesses. Massing Streltsy is easy, with both large shipments and batch training, and can be used to grind down an enemy's economy by sheer cost effectiveness.
Streltsy are useful to outnumber enemies and take down heavy infantry. Streltsy are also easy to mass, since each queue will train a group of 10 Streltsy. It is advised to add the cards that upgrade the Streltsy in the player's deck, though they still remain weak when compared to other light infantry. But once they are properly upgraded with all the cards, arsenal upgrades, and barracks upgrades, the player will end up with a very cost-effective anti-infantry unit (Skirmisher). Streltsy are very good in team games, as civilizations that can boost Streltsy (TEAM cards) will make them even more powerful. A Strelet costs 36% less resources than a Rekrut, meaning two Rekruts are essentially equal to three Streltsy. Streltsy, when buffed, deal 23 damage and have 3x multipliers to heavy infantry. Streltsy are a good choice against nations that rely on gunpowder heavy infantry, but they are extremely susceptible to cavalry or artillery-based strategies/civilizations.
If the player picks The Adventurer for aging up into the Fortress Age with the Russians, the player will receive 17 Streltsy.
Upgrades Streltsy to Imperial (+50% hit points and attack, +2 Line of Sight and range); requires Guard Streltsy
Civilization differences[]
The Swedes can get Streltsy after revolting to Finland trough the "Strelet Horde" Home City Card, which spawns 5 Streltsy from each Blockhouse. These Streltsy do not suffer hit points and attack penalties, and are automatically upgraded to Veteran and Guard levels (total +50% hit points and attack). This does not allow the Swedes to train Streltsy.
With update 13.58326, Streltsy have 6 hand damage, a ×2.5 ranged multiplier against light cavalry and ranged shock infantry, ×0.6 vs. cavalry and ×0.5 vs. shock infantry.
Even though historically Streltsy got meager payments from the cash-strapped Russian government, and therefore must farm and trade to supplement their income, Streltsy were not at all ubiquitous and on many occasions, proved themselves to be very efficient fighters, quite unlike their in-game depiction as weak, cheap, and easily massable rookies.
The Strelet does not have any attack voice.
Despite being a Skirmisher-type unit, Streltsy have a movement (marching) animation that is unique to Musketeer-type units.
The weapon that the Strelet uses for hand attacks is the bardiche, which is the same weapon used by the Boyar in Age of Empires II. However, in his portrait and in his art in the history portrait, the Strelet is holding a conventional axe.
History[]
Note:The in-game text still uses Strelet and Strelets for the singular and plural forms, rather than Strelets and Streltsy.
“
Strelets (technically "streltsy" in Russian, because "strelets" is singular) were a Russian light infantry formed in the mid-sixteenth century by Tsar Ivan IV, and were Russia's first permanent standing infantry. They received a salary, a plot of land, and allotments of food and drink. This pay was rather meager, and strelets often found it necessary to supplement their income. An elite group of mounted strelets were the tsar's bodyguard and passed service to the tsar to their sons. The only way a man could become a member of this elite body was by birth.
The word strelet is derived from the Russian word for arrow, strela, and while it once referred to archers, over time it came to refer to the Russian ranged infantry in general. Strelets carried heavy, unwieldy firearms, sabers, and two-handed axes. These axes had a sharp point that could be shoved into the ground to provide a rest for cumbersome strelet muskets.
”
—In-game compendium section
Gallery[]
The Strelet's history portrait
An in-game Strelet
Veteran Strelet
Guard and Imperial Strelet
Streltsy in melee mode, using the bardiche.
In-game Strelet in the Definitive Edition
In-game Veteran Strelet in the Definitive Edition
In-game Guard/Imperial Strelet in the Definitive Edition