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This article is about the unit in Age of Empires. For the similar unit in Age of Mythology, see Chariot Archer (Age of Mythology).

A powerful archery unit that combines the speed and mobility of the Chariot and the attack strength of the Improved Bowman.
—In-game description in the Definitive Edition

The Chariot Archer is a powerful archer unit in Age of Empires. It combines the speed and mobility of the Chariot and the attack strength of the Improved Bowman. The Wheel technology is a prerequisite to train any chariot unit.

Civilizations[]

Aoede chariot archer available Available Aoede chariot archer unavailable Unavailable
x indicates that the civilization can fully upgrade their Chariot Archers, i.e. gets Nobility, Alchemy, Craftsmanship, Conscription and Chain Mail Archers.
+ indicates that the civilization has at least one civilization bonus that benefits the combat strength of their Chariot Archers.

Gameplay[]

The Chariot Archer is a popular Bronze Age unit because of its combined speed, strength, range of attack, and the fact that it costs no gold, which makes it a so-called trash unit. Its speed allows it to fly right past towers and catch Villagers quickly. It possesses 7 range, allowing it to find exposed units or for reconnaissance. As it is fast and has good range, it is strong in numbers.

The Chariot Archer also dealt triple damage against Priests and was highly resistant to conversion before update 38862.

Comparison among civilizations[]

Civilization Palmyran AOE DE ROR icon Palmyrans
Sumerian AOE DE ROR icon Sumerians
Assyrian AOE DE ROR icon Assyrians Babylonian AOE DE ROR icon Babylonians Egyptian AOE DE ROR icon Egyptians Lac Viet AOE DE ROR icon Lac Viet Hittite AOE DE ROR icon Hittites Phoenician AOE DE ROR icon Phoenicians Shang AOE DE ROR icon Shang
Hit Points 80 70 80 107 80 80 80 80
Attack 4+1 4+1 4+1 4+1 4+1 4+2 4+1 4
Range 7+2 7+3 7+3 7+3 7+3 7+3 7+3 7+3
Training Time 32 32 32 32 25.6 32 32 40
Armor 0+6/0 0+6/0 0+6/0+1 0+6/0 0+8/0 0+6/0 0+4/0 0+6/0
Extras +33% rate of fire +2 Line of Sight

Further statistics[]

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Infantry, Villagers, Priests
Weak vs. Cavalry, siege units
Upgrades
Hit points NobilityIcon Nobility (+15%)
Attack Alchemy Alchemy (+1)
Range Woodworking Woodworking (+1)
Artisanship Artisanship (+1)
Craftsmanship Craftsmanship (+1)
Accuracy Ballistics Ballistics (hit moving targets)
Armor Leatherarmorarchersicon Leather Armor Archers (+2/+0)
Scalearmorarchersicon Scale Armor Archers (+2/+0)
Chainmailarchersicon Chain Mail Archers (+2/+0)
Creation speed RoR Conscription Conscription (+25%)

Civilization bonuses[]

  • Assyrian AOE DE ROR icon Assyrians: Chariot Archers fire 22%/33% faster in the Bronze/Iron Age.
  • Babylonian AOE DE ROR icon Babylonians: Wheel is 30% cheaper. Chariot Archers have +1 pierce armor.*
  • Egyptian AOE DE ROR icon Egyptians: Chariot Archers have +33% hit points.
  • Hittite AOE DE ROR icon Hittites: Wheel is 50% cheaper and faster to research. Chariot Archers have +1 attack.
  • Lac Viet AOE DE ROR icon Lac Viet: Chariot Archers are trained 25% faster and have +2 armor.

Team bonuses[]

Changelog[]

ReturnRome-AoEIcon Age of Empires[]

  • Chariot Archers have +7 damage vs. Priests, ×8 conversion resistance, and 6 frame delay.
  • Assyrian AOE DE ROR icon Assyrians: Chariot Archers fire 36% faster (but stated 40%).

Age of Empires Definitive Edition icon Definitive Edition[]

  • Chariot Archers have +8 damage vs. Priests and 27 frame delay. After update 9, Chariot Archers no longer do bonus damage vs. Priests.
  • With update 38862, Chariot Archers have ×2 conversion resistance.
  • Assyrians: Chariot Archers fire 33% faster (but stated 25%).

AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of Rome[]

  • Team bonuses added:
    • Palmyran AOE DE ROR icon Palmyrans: Researching technologies that benefit Chariot Archers is 30% faster.
    • Phoenician AOE DE ROR icon Phoenicians: Chariot Archers have +2 Line of Sight.
  • Assyrians: With update 93001, Chariot Archers fire 22%/33% faster in the Bronze/Iron Age.

History[]

Around 1700 BC, two existing technologies of military consequence, the chariot and the bow, were merged to create a fearsome new military weapon the chariot archer. Armored archers carried in fast chariots dominated the battlefields of the civilized world for the next 500 years and remained useful for some time after that. In the open ground of the settled plains and river valleys, the chariot archer was devastating due to its speed, mass, and firepower. Chariot archers were typified by the Egyptian nobility and pharaohs of the New Kingdom, 1552-1069 BC, who prided themselves on their archery. The first recorded battle of history, Megiddo in 1460 BC, was fought with chariots carrying archers.

The chariot archer was the dominating battlefield weapon from China to Greece from about 1600 to 1200 BC, according to the historical and archaeological record. The long reign of chariot armies was due to several factors, including most importantly the placement of a composite bow archer in the basket with the driver and using the chariot as a mobile firing platform. The fast-firing chariot archer was devastating against slow, poorly armored infantry in the open areas of the civilized cultures. The glorious vision of elite archers from the nobility fighting from their expensive chariots and wheeling around the battlefields at will pervaded all civilized cultures of the time.

Gallery[]

Tech tree[]

Archery Range
Requires
AOEDE Barracks icon Barracks
Stone Age Icon (DE)
Tool Age Icon (DE)
Bronze Age Icon (DE)
Iron Age Icon (DE)
Aoede bowman available
Aoede improved bowman available
Requires
Aoe improved bow icon Improved Bow
Composite Bowman
Chariot Archer
Requires
Wheelicon Wheel
Horse Archer Aoede heavy horse archer available
Elephant Archer


Units in Age of Empires
CivilianReturnofrome female villager icon Villager · Returnofrome trade cart icon Trade Cart
OtherAoE2 DE priest icon Priest · Slinger-0 Slinger · Returnofrome artifact icon Artifact
Civilian ship1 Fishing Boat Fishing Boat · 2 Fishing Ship Fishing Ship
3 Trade Boat Trade Boat · 4 Merchant Ship Merchant Ship
5 Light Transport Light Transport · 6 Heavy Transport Heavy Transport
InfantryClubman Clubman · AxemanAoEDE Axeman
Short Swordsman Short Swordsman · Broad Swordsman Broad Swordsman · AoE nuRoR Long Swordsman icon Long Swordsmen · Returnofrome legionary icon Legionary
HopliteDE Hoplite · AoE nuRoR Phalangite icon Phalangite · Returnofrome centurion icon Centurion
ArcherBowman aoe1de Bowman
Improved Bowman22 Improved Bowman · Composite Bowman Composite Bowman
Chariot Archer111 Chariot Archer
Horse Archer Horse Archer · Returnofrome heavy horse archer icon Heavy Horse Archer
EAICON DE Elephant Archer
CavalryScout-0 Scout
ChariotDE Chariot · ScytheDE Scythe Chariot
Cavalry111 Cavalry · Returnofrome heavy cavalry icon Heavy Cavalry · Returnofrome cataphract icon Cataphract
War ElephantDE War Elephant · Returnofrome armored elephant icon Armored Elephant
Camel RiderDE Camel Rider
SiegeStone ThrowerDE Stone Thrower · CatapultDE Catapult · Returnofrome heavy catapult icon Heavy Catapult
BallistaDE Ballista · Returnofrome helepolis icon Helepolis
War Ship7 Scout Ship Scout Ship · 8 War Galley War Galley · 9 Trireme Trireme
Catapult Trireme Catapult Trireme · Returnofrome juggernaut icon Juggernaut
10 Fire Galley Fire Galley
Scenario Editor-only units
Short Swordsman Chieftain · Donkey caravan aoe2DE Donkey · Clubman Explorer · Returnofrome heavy cavalry icon General · AoE2 DE priest icon High Priest · Returnofrome horse icon Horse · HeavyCavalryDE Mercenary (removed) · Penguin aoe2DE Penguin · AoE2 DE priest icon Pharaoh · 5 Light Transport Raft · Returnofrome artifact icon War Chest
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