Tarkan

The Tarkan and its upgraded version the Elite Tarkan is the unique unit of the Huns in the Conquerors Expansion in Age of Empires II.

Overview
In combat, Tarkans are best categorized as medium cavalry, something of a middle-ground between Light Cavalry and Knights, considering their hitpoints, armor and attack. But the Tarkan's real speciality is destroying buildings, rather than melee combat. As such Tarkans are effective against most ranged units, light cavalry, and buildings. They are very effective raiders due to this. In groups they can raze buildings quickly and as cavalry they can escape before an enemy can send in a counter-attack. They have decent pierce armor so can take down defensive structures effectively as well. In combat they are effective against archers due to their classification as cavalry. They are quite durable for raiders and can survive pitched battles.

Tarkans are classified as medium cavalry and therefore come up short versus infantry, heavy cavalry and camelry. Another subtle disadvantage they have is their long winding attack animation. As an example, while a Tarkan should be able to defeat a Cataphract on paper (having an advantage of 20 HP, one less armour point negated by one attack point more), they are actually beaten by Catapharacts by a narrow margin.

The Forgotten Changes

 * Tarkan (non-elite) +10 HP
 * Tarkan (non-elite) gets +1 attack.
 * The new Hun Castle Age unique  technology Marauders allows to create Tarkans at Stables.

History
''The use of the stirrup by the Huns gave them a technological advantage against other armies when they advanced toward the west in the 3rd century. They could set themselves in their stirrups and charge into a target with a lance. The impact of the lance point transferred the force of the combined moving man and horse, thanks to the stirrup. With rare exceptions (notably Alexander’s Companion cavalry) horsemen prior to this had rarely been effective with a lance or spear. The appearance of thousands of barbarian cavalry using spears so effectively forced dramatic change in warfare at the end of antiquity. The Roman legions were forced to put more emphasis on cavalry in support of their legions and eventually hire barbarian horsemen as mercenaries. Heroes of Hunnic, and later Mongolian, armies were known as Tarkans.''

''The best of the Hunnic light horsemen were Elite Tarkan warriors. They rode hard, hit with surprise, and could withdraw as quickly if the situation was not advantageous. The mobility of the Elite Tarkan warriors made them devastating raiders, but their light cavalry status put them at a disadvantage against heavily armored horsemen in close combat.''