Settler
This is your basic work unit for all but one of the civilizations. They are very weak and have low damage against all enemy types. Do not do what the stupid computer does, do not let your settlers wander around the map exploring, all it will take is a couple of soldiers to kill them, killing a wandering settler is like shooting a fish in a barrel, if you must have your settler explore or wander far away from your town center, send a couple of soldiers with them.

Coureur
The Coureur is unique to the French Civilization and does the same thing as the settler, but is has more life and does more damage. Don’t get you hopes up yet, it is only a little bit more powerful, Coureurs are still easy to kill, again like with the Settlers if you must allow them to wander off send some soldiers with them to protect them.

Settler Wagon
The Settler Wagon is a civilian unit unique to German civilization, it has more hit points and gathers resources faster but it is not a better fighter, treat it the same way you treat Settlers and Coureurs.

Covered Wagon
This is simply a wagon that can be converted into a town center. Again I must stress this, don’t follow stupid examples set by the computer, if you get a covered wagon don’t establish your new town center twenty feet from your enemies base, put it close to your other town center.

Envoy
This is a unit unique to the Dutch civilization. This unit is very good at scouting, but has no attack, so don’t send off on his own, keep him with the explorer, otherwise he just makes himself a very easy and fun moving target to shoot.

Priest
This units only job is to heal injured units, I myself do not use this unit very often, and if you have a well equipped army you won’t need a priest. But if you want to play on the safe side and your troops are not fully upgraded you might want to bring along a priest. But keep your priests well guarded, they are slow moving and have low hit points.

Missionary
This unit is unique to the Spanish civilization. It fills the same functions as a priest but it moves faster because it is on a horse. Just because it is faster doesn’t mean the Missionary can’t be killed easily, same rules apply, keep it well guarded.

Imam
This unit is unique to the Ottoman civilization. It fills the same functions as the Priest and the Missionary. It is still the same as them, keep it well guarded.

Surgeon
The Surgeon does the same thing as a Priest, Missionary and Imam put together, but he just heals units a whole lot faster. He also has the ability to build Field Hospitals, which can heal whole groups of units just by having them stand next to the Hospital.

Hot Air Balloon
This unit is only available from your home city, it provided a huge line of sight and is very good at exploring. It is vulnerable to ranged units, so keep it away from your enemies’ town centers.