War Elephant (Age of Empires II)

The War Elephant is a unique cavalry unit available for the Persians in Age of Empires II.

Tactics
The War Elephant and its upgraded version the Elite War Elephant is a unit unique to the Persians and is effective against enemy buildings, cavalry and basically everything else. War Elephants are available in the Castle once the Castle Age is reached and can be upgraded to Elite status during the Imperial Age. They are by far the most powerful land unit in the game, able to inflict massive damage and can take far more damage than even their closest contenders.

Although War Elephants are tough and durable, they move slowly and are vulnerable to units that deal damage at long range. As a cavalry unit these units are vulnerable to enemy Pikemen/Spearmen, who have an extra bonus against war elephants, though it will take a larger group to take them down. Their slow speed also makes them vulnerable to cavalry archers, though it will take a while for archers to kill them. Mamelukes, with their high speed and anti-cavalry bonus, are an effective method of fighting War Elephants. Because they move slowly and have a melee attack, siege weapons can be effective; Scorpions and Heavy Scorpions particularly do +6 and +8 to War Elephants respectively also Mangonels are effective against them. They can be easily converted by enemy monks, so they should always be deployed with a ranged or a Light Cavalry escort.

However, if the specific units required to counter them are dealt with, the war elephants are virtually unbeatable. War Elephants may be upgraded to an elite version that deals trample damage. This, coupled with their high durability, makes them excellent for pitched battles. It also aids them in knocking down buildings and defenses which they are virtually immune to.

Team bonuses

 * A team containing Teutons: War Elephants are more resistant to conversion.

History
''The last civilization in the Middle East to employ war elephants was Persia, who got their elephants from India. The war elephant was a powerful complement to an army, especially against troops with no experience against them. They were very difficult to kill, but remained difficult to control also. If they could be directed into an enemy formation, the enemy troops almost always fell back in disarray.''