Yoruba Wrestling
Yoruba Wrestling is an Exploration Age technology available through a Trading Post or Tambo on a Yoruba kingdom, or at the Hausa University with the Yoruba Alliance. It modifies the health degeneration of short-duration units rather than increasing their ordinary hit points: they lose health more slowly and stop at a quarter of maximum health.
Research profile
- Research location
- Trading Post or Tambo on a Yoruba kingdom; University (Hausa with the Yoruba Alliance)
- Research time
- 40 seconds
- Food cost
- 300
- Wood cost
- 300
- Effect
- Militiaman, Bashibozuk, Minuteman, Warrior, Irregular, Sentry, Levied Spearman, Levied Bowman, Levied Gunner, and Yoruba Eso Rider hit point degeneration rate -25% and stops at 25% hit points or lower
Effect & research conditions
Research takes 40 seconds and costs 300 Food, 300 Wood and 540 Influence for African civilizations. The 25% reduction in hit-point degeneration applies to Militiamen, Bashibozuks, Minutemen, Warriors, Irregulars, Sentries, Levied Spearmen, Levied Bowmen, Levied Gunners and Yoruba Eso Riders. Their degeneration stops once they reach 25% of maximum hit points. This does not make them immune to enemy damage.
Research condition
The African Royals; Exploration Age; Trading Post or Tambo on a Yoruba kingdom, or Hausa University with the Yoruba Alliance; 40 seconds; 300 Food, 300 Wood and 540 Influence for African civilizations; listed short-duration units lose hit points 25% more slowly and stop degenerating at 25% health.
When to research
Research it when the army relies on units that normally lose health over time and the longer usable window is worth the cost. The floor prevents their own degeneration from dropping them below 25% health, but opponents can still kill them. It is particularly relevant to sustained use of Yoruba Eso Riders and other listed temporary troops; ordinary units outside the list receive no benefit.
A health floor is not damage resistance
Yoruba Wrestling affects hit-point degeneration over time. Once a covered unit reaches 25% of its maximum health, this degeneration stops; incoming attacks can still reduce its health and defeat it. The distinction matters when using these troops in combat: the technology extends their temporary window but does not make them durable against counters.
The listed unit categories are specific
The effect names Militiamen, Bashibozuks, Minutemen, Warriors, Irregulars, Sentries, Levied Spearmen, Levied Bowmen, Levied Gunners and Yoruba Eso Riders. It is not a universal rule for every Native or African unit. Hausa access also requires the Yoruba Alliance and University, while the settlement route uses a Trading Post or Tambo on a Yoruba kingdom.