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This article is about the unit in Age of Empires II. For similar units in other games of the series, see Ram.

Anti-building siege weapon. Resistant to most ranged attacks.
Age of Empires II description

The Battering Ram is a non-ranged siege unit in Age of Empires II that can be trained at the Siege Workshop. It has a huge attack bonus against buildings and is nearly impervious to arrow fire. It also is effective against Trebuchets, but vulnerable to melee damage. A Battering Ram can garrison up to six foot soldiers (infantry, archers) or Villagers. Garrisoned infantry units improve the speed and attack against buildings. It is available to every civilization except Bengalis, Dravidians, Gurjaras, and Hindustanis, which get the Armored Elephant instead.

Tactics[]

Battering Rams have -3 melee armor, making them highly vulnerable to units with melee attacks. Even a generic Villager can destroy a Battering Ram, which is useful in case of an emergency. The best ways to destroy them are with Mangonels or cavalry. However, their high pierce armor and hit points give them incredible durability against pierce attacks. It is sometimes useful to add a few Battering Rams to soak up enemy archer fire to protect the main force.

Battering Rams can cause enormous damage to structures if left ignored. In the Castle Age, they are the best anti-building unit available. However, Castles deal enough damage to them to the point where they require a dedicated and invested push. Although they can attack units, the damage they do is negligible outside of siege units.

Infantry, foot archers, and Villagers can garrison themselves into Battering Rams, with infantry also increasing their speed and damage against buildings (+0.05/+10 per unit respectively). The presence of units garrisoned inside a ram is denoted by a flag on top of the ram (like Transport Ships). A Battering Ram may load up to six units. Garrisoning units will protect them from enemy fire, though the practicality is weighed down by the fact that Battering Rams can soak up arrow fire.

Rams also protect allied units behind them from arrow fire from enemy fortifications (but not from projectiles of enemy units or ships). Therefore, a ram attacking a Castle even with Murder Holes can be safely repaired by a Villager for longer service. A Georgian tower with Svan Towers is able to hit the Villager, as it does pass-through damage.

Further statistics[]

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Buildings, Archers, Gunpowder units, Trebuchets
Weak vs. Mangudai, Mangonels, melee units especially Magyar Huszars, Villagers
Upgrades
Hit points UniqueTechImperialDE Furor Celtica (+40%, Celts only)
Attack SiegeEngineersDE Siege Engineers (+20% attack against buildings)
UniqueTechImperialDE Torsion Engines (+1 blast radius, Ethiopians only)
Armor UniqueTechCastle-DE Ironclad (+4/+0, Teutons only)
Speed UniqueTechImperialDE Drill (+50%, Mongols only)
Line of Sight SiegeEngineersDE Siege Engineers (+1)
Conversion defense Devotion icon AoE2DE Devotion (+1 min, +1 max)
FaithDE Faith (+4 min, +4 max)
HeresyDE Heresy (die upon getting converted)
UniqueTechCastle-DE First Crusade (+4 min, +4 max, Sicilians only)
Upgrades CappedRamDE Capped Ram

Civilization bonuses[]

  • CivIcon-Aztecs Aztecs: Battering Rams are created 11% faster.
  • CivIcon-Burmese Burmese: Researching Devotion and Faith is 50% cheaper.
  • CivIcon-Bulgarians Bulgarians: Upgrading to Capped Ram costs -50%.
  • CivIcon-Celts Celts: Battering Rams attack 25% faster. Battering Rams can convert herdable animals even if enemy units are next to them.
  • CivIcon-Chinese Chinese: Technologies that benefit Battering Rams are 15% cheaper.
  • CivIcon-Cumans Cumans: Battering Rams are available in the Feudal Age; Capped Ram upgrade available in the Castle Age.
  • CivIcon-Georgians Georgians: Battering Rams receive -20% damage (-40% instead of -25%) when fighting from higher elevation.
  • CivIcon-Portuguese Portuguese: Battering Rams cost -20% gold.
  • CivIcon-Slavs Slavs: Battering Rams are 15% cheaper.
  • CivIcon-Spanish Spanish: Researching technologies that benefit Battering Rams provides 20 gold each.
  • CivIcon-Tatars Tatars: Battering Rams deal +20% damage (+50% instead of +25%) from elevations.

Team bonuses[]

Changelog[]

AoE2-DLCicon-0 The Age of Kings[]

  • No units can be garrisoned inside rams.
  • The upgrade to the Capped Ram costs 300 food, 250 gold.

AoE2-DLCicon-1 The Conquerors[]

AoE2-DLCicon-2 The Forgotten[]

AoEIIDE icon Definitive Edition[]

AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of India[]

AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of Rome[]

  • With update 87863, Battering Ram move speed increased from 0.5 to 0.6 and garrison capacity increased from 4 to 6.

Trivia[]

  • With 2, Battering Rams have the weakest melee attack in the game (excluding units dealing both melee and pierce damage).
  • With -3, the rams have the lowest melee armor of all units.
  • In addition to all infantry and foot archer units (and such-classed Hero units), Battering Rams can also be garrisoned with Villagers. Further, they can be garrisoned with unique Scenario Editor units Photonman and Penguin. They can never be garrisoned with Petards, Saboteurs, Kings or Queens (or similar Hero units), Monks (and other Monk-like units), Merchants, or animal units like Hunting Wolves or Furious the Monkey Boy.
  • A Battering Ram can only deal 1 damage to a Villager with every attack (1 per 5 seconds), Villagers can cause 6 damage to a Battering Ram, due to the fact rams have -3 Melee Armour and a Villager has 3 base melee attack. Villagers have 40 hit points with Loom, which means both a Villager and a Battering Ram need 40 attacks to defeat the other, but as the Villager attacks about 2.5x faster, they will win.

History[]

The most direct way to attack a stone wall or other stone fortification was to knock it down with a battering ram. The typical ram was a stout log mounted on wheels or suspended from a frame so it could swing forward and backward. The frame was brought up to the wall or gate to be battered and then men heaving in unison repeatedly slammed the ram head into the target. The battering ram frame required a roof of some sort to protect the crew from above. This was often covered with wet animal hides to retard fire. Given enough time, any obstruction could be knocked down, opening a breach for assault.

Gallery[]

Units in Age of Empires II
CivilianMaleVillDE Villager · Tradecart aoe2DE Trade Cart · FishingShipDE Fishing Ship · Trade cog aoe2DE Trade Cog · King eu aoe2DE King
ReligiousMonk aoe2DE Monk
InfantryMilitiaDE Militia · Manatarms aoe2DE Man-at-Arms · Longswordsman aoe2DE Long Swordsman · Twohanded aoe2DE Two-Handed Swordsman · Champion aoe2DE Champion
Spearman aoe2DE Spearman · Aoe2-infantry-2-pikeman Pikeman · Halberdier aoe2DE Halberdier
Eaglescout aoe2DE Eagle Scout · Eaglewarrior aoe2DE Eagle Warrior · EliteEaglewarrior aoe2DE Elite Eagle Warrior
ArcherArcher aoe2DE Archer · Crossbowman aoe2DE Crossbowman · Arbalester aoe2DE Arbalester
Skirmisher aoe2DE Skirmisher · Elite skirmisher aoe2DE Elite Skirmisher
Hand cannoneer aoe2DE Hand Cannoneer
Cavalryarcher aoe2DE Cavalry Archer · Heavycavalryarcher aoe2de Heavy Cavalry Archer
Aoe2de DOI elephant archer icon Elephant Archer · ElephantArcherIcon-DE Elite Elephant Archer
CavalryScoutcavalry aoe2DE Scout Cavalry · Lightcavalry aoe2DE Light Cavalry · Hussar aoe2DE Hussar
Knight aoe2DE Knight · Cavalier aoe2DE Cavalier · Paladin aoe2DE Paladin
Camelrider aoe2DE Camel Rider · Aoe2 heavycamelriderDE Heavy Camel Rider
Battle elephant aoe2DE Battle Elephant · Elite battle elephant aoe2DE Elite Battle Elephant
Steppelancericon Steppe Lancer · Elitesteppelancericon Elite Steppe Lancer
Xolotlicon Xolotl Warrior
AoE2DE Armored Elephant icon Armored Elephant · AoE2DE Siege Elephant icon Siege Elephant
SiegeBattering ram aoe2DE Battering Ram · Capped ram aoe2DE Capped Ram · Siege ram aoe2DE Siege Ram
Mangonel aoe2DE Mangonel · Onager aoe2DE Onager · Siege onager aoe2DE Siege Onager
Scorpion aoe2DE Scorpion · Heavyscorpion aoe2DE Heavy Scorpion
Bombard cannon aoe2DE Bombard Cannon
Trebuchet aoe2DE Trebuchet
Petard aoe2DE Petard
Siegetower aoe2DE Siege Tower
War shipTransportship aoe2DE Transport Ship · Galley aoe2DE Galley · War galley aoe2DE War Galley · Galleon aoe2DE Galleon
Fire galley aoe2DE Fire Galley · Fireship aoe2DE Fire Ship · Fastfireship aoe2DE Fast Fire Ship
Demoraft aoe2DE Demolition Raft · Demoship aoe2DE Demolition Ship · Heavydemoship aoe2de Heavy Demolition Ship
Cannon galleon aoe2DE Cannon Galleon · Elite cannon galleon aoe2de Elite Cannon Galleon
AoE2 Dromon Dromon
Unique
ReligiousMissionaryIcon-DE Missionary · AoE2 WarriorPriest Warrior Priest
InfantryBerserkIcon-DE Berserk · Aoe2de Chakram Chakram Thrower · CondottieroIcon-DE Condottiero · Aoe2-icon-flemish-militia Flemish Militia · GbetoIcon-DE Gbeto · Aoe2de Ghulam Ghulam · HuskarlIcon-DE Huskarl · JaguarWarriorIcon-DE Jaguar Warrior · KamayukIcon-DE Kamayuk · Karambitwarrioricon-DE Karambit Warrior · AoE2 DE Legionary new icon Legionary · Aoe2-icon--obuch Obuch · SamuraiIcon-DE Samurai · Aoe2-icon-serjeant Serjeant · Shotelwarrioricon-DE Shotel Warrior · TeutonicKnightIcon-DE Teutonic Knight · ThrowingAxemanIcon-DE Throwing Axeman · Aoe2de Urumi Urumi Swordsman · AoE2 WarriorPriest Warrior Priest · WoadRaiderIcon-DE Woad Raider
ArcherArambaiicon-DE Arambai · CamelArcherIcon-DE Camel Archer · ChukoNuIcon-DE Chu Ko Nu · AoE2 CompositeBowman Composite Bowman · ConquistadorIcon-DE Conquistador · GenitourIcon-DE Genitour · GenoeseCrossbowmanIcon-DE Genoese Crossbowman · Imperialskirmishericon-DE Imperial Skirmisher · JanissaryIcon-DE Janissary · Kipchakicon Kipchak · LongbowmanIcon-DE Longbowman · MangudaiIcon-DE Mangudai · PlumedArcherIcon-DE Plumed Archer · Aoe2de ratha ranged Ranged Ratha · Rattanarchericon-DE Rattan Archer · SlingerIcon-DE Slinger · WarWagonIcon-DE War Wagon
CavalryBallistaelephanticon-DE Ballista Elephant · BoyarIcon-DE Boyar · Aoe2de camel scout Camel Scout · CataphractIcon-DE Cataphract · Aoe2de roman unique centurion icon Centurion · Aoe2-icon-coustillier Coustillier · Flaming camel icon Flaming Camel · ImperialCamelRiderIcon-DE Imperial Camel Rider · Keshikicon Keshik · Konnikicon Konnik · Leitisicon Leitis · MagyarHuszarIcon-DE Magyar Huszar · MamelukeIcon-DE Mameluke · AoE2 Monaspa Monaspa · Aoe2de ratha melee Melee Ratha · AoE2 Savar Savar · Aoe2de shrivamsha rider Shrivamsha Rider · TarkanIcon-DE Tarkan · WarElephantIcon-DE War Elephant · Aoe2-icon-winged-hussar Winged Hussar
SiegeAoe2-icon--houfnice Houfnice · Aoe2-icon-hussite-wagon Hussite Wagon · OrganGunIcon-DE Organ Gun
War shipCaravelIcon-DE Caravel · LongboatIcon-DE Longboat · Aoe2de Thirisadai Thirisadai · TurtleShipIcon-DE Turtle Ship
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