This article is about the unit in Age of Empires IV. For other uses, see Camel Rider. |
“ | Highly mobile and durable melee unit effective against all cavalry. | ” |
—Age of Empires IV description |
The Camel Rider is a unique light melee cavalry unit available to the Abbasid Dynasty in Age of Empires IV. It can be trained at the Stable starting in the Castle Age. It possesses an aura that reduces the damage of nearby enemy Cavalry units by 20%.
The Camel Rider is also available to the Byzantines as a mercenary unit.
Abilities[]
- Camel Unease (passive): Enemy horse-riding cavalry within a 5-tile radius deal 20% less damage.
- Camel Support (passive, requires unlock): Allied infantry units within a 5-tile radius receive +2 melee and ranged armor.
Tactics[]
Camel Riders are among the strongest individual units available, although their power comes at a high cost and slow train time. Compared to the Lancer, a Camel Rider has more hit points, and when fully upgraded has similar melee armor and a higher speed. Despite their faster Rate of Fire, their overall base DPS is still notably less than that of a Lancer, though still above a Man-at-Arms. They also do not possess a charge attack. Camel Riders also benefit from being light cavalry, meaning they do not take extra damage from Crossbowmen.
Camel Riders specialize in taking down cavalry, against whom they take less damage and deal significant bonus damage. When upgraded, they have the ability to outrun any unit besides the Horseman, Ghazi Raider, and Yuan Raider. Even though their Camel Unease ability does not apply to elephants, Camel Riders can still perform well against Tower Elephants, but War Elephants remain a significant threat due to their bonus against cavalry.
While Spearman can be considered a counter, Camel Riders have significant speed to avoid engagements, and can be paired with Camel Archers or upgraded Composite Bows Archers who have an attack bonus against Spearmen. Enemy Archers can also be dangerous if massed, since while the Camel Rider does have some ranged armor when upgraded, it is not as high as that of a Lancer or Horseman. This can be compensated by pairing camel units with Horsemen or Mangonels. However, if facing lower amounts of Archers, Camel Riders on their own make a respectable counter to the common Archer/Lancer pairing.
For tactics applying to all units with the Camel Unease debuff, see Camel Unease.
Unit comparison[]
Horseman | Camel Rider | Knight | |
---|---|---|---|
Cost | 100 food, 20 wood | 160 food, 30 wood, 30 gold | 140 food, 100 gold |
Training Time | 22.5 s | 35 s | 35 s |
Attack | 9 (Regular) 11 (Veteran) 13 (Elite) |
--- 14 (Regular) 16 (Elite) |
19 (Early) 24 (Regular) 29 (Elite) |
Other attack properties | Attack bonus vs ranged: +9 (Regular) +11 (Veteran) +13 (Elite) Attack bonus vs siege: +10 |
Attack bonus vs cavalry: --- +14 (Regular) +16 (Elite) Attack bonus vs siege: +10 |
Charge attack: +10 (Early) +12 (Regular) +14 (Elite) |
Rate of Fire | 1.75 seconds | 1.1235 seconds | 1.5 seconds |
Hit points | 125 (Regular) 155 (Veteran) 180 (Elite) |
--- 270 (Regular) 320 (Elite) |
190 (Early) 230 (Regular) 270 (Elite) |
Melee armor | 0 | 0 | 3 (Early) 4 (Regular) 5 (Elite) |
Ranged armor | 2 (Regular) 3 (Veteran) 4 (Elite) |
0 | 3 (Early) 4 (Regular) 5 (Elite) |
Movement speed | 1.875 tiles/s | 1.625 tiles/s 1.87 with Camel Handling |
1.63 tiles/s |
Further statistics[]
Strengths and weaknesses | |
---|---|
Strong vs. | Horse-riding cavalry, Crossbowmen |
Weak vs. | Spearmen |
Conditional matchups | Archers |
Technologies | |
---|---|
Hit points | Biology (+30%) |
Attack | Bloomery (+1) Decarbonization (+1) Damascus Steel (+1) |
Armor | Fitted Leatherwork (+1 melee) Insulated Helm (+1 melee) Master Smiths (+1 melee) Camel Rider Shields (+3 melee) Camel Rider Barding (+2 melee/ranged) Iron Undermesh (+1 ranged) Wedge Rivets (+1 ranged) Angled Surfaces (+1 ranged) |
Movement speed | Camel Handling (+15%) |
Creation speed | Military Academy (+33%) |
Ability | Camel Support (+2 melee/ranged armor to nearby infantry) |
Aura and ability enhancements | |
---|---|
Creation speed | Golden Age Tier 3 (+20%) |
Mercenary Camel Rider[]
The Byzantines can purchase Mercenary Camel Riders with Olive Oil from the Mercenary House after researching the Silk Road Mercenary and Veteran Contracts. Once unlocked, they can train automatically from the Golden Horn Tower. In addition to the generic upgrades, they benefit from the following Byzantine unique bonuses:
Upgrades | |
---|---|
Regeneration | Triumph (+2 hp/s while active) Pilgrim Flask (25 hp/s for 6 seconds, requires Cistern of the First Hill) |
Attack | Triumph (+4 while active) Improved Torch (+25% torch attack, requires Trapezites) |
Armor | Foreign Engineering Company (+5 melee, +3 ranged, grants Camel Rider Shields and Camel Rider Barding) |
Movement speed | Naval Deployment (+50% speed for 12 seconds after unloading from a Transport Ship) Triumph (+10% while active) Foreign Engineering Company (+15%, grants Camel Handling) |
Creation speed | Conscriptio Influence (+20% per Cistern water level) Trade Post (+50%) |
Ability | Foreign Engineering Company (Grants Camel Support ability) |
Dialogue lines[]
- Main article: /Dialogue lines
Changelog[]
- Originally, the elite upgrade took 90 seconds. With update 8324, it takes 60 seconds.
- Originally, Camel Riders dealt +10 bonus torch damage vs siege. With patch 11009, it was increased to +20. With Season Two Update 17718, Camel Riders attack siege engines with their melee attack which was granted +10 bonus damage vs siege.
- Originally, Camel Riders had 9 attack and +18 bonus attack vs. cavalry, while Elite Camel Riders had 10 attack and +20 bonus attack vs. cavalry. With the Season One Update, Camel Riders have 14 attack and +14 bonus attack vs. cavalry, while Elite Camel Riders have 16 attack and +16 bonus attack vs. cavalry.
- Originally, Camel Riders cost 180 food, 60 gold. With the Season Five update, they cost 160 food, 30 wood, 30 gold. With patch 11.1.1201, they cost 130 food, 45 wood, 45 gold.
- Originally, Mercenary Camel Riders received gold from the Expilatores upgrade when killing Villagers. This was changed with the Season Seven Update.
Trivia[]
- Dialogue files suggest that in an early development build, the Abbasid Dynasty could create Camel Riders in the Feudal Age.