Cheat unit

A cheat unit is a unit that can only be obtained through typing a cheat code in the in-game chat bar. Note that, in most of the games, the cheat codes are not case sensitive. Every game in the Age of Empires series has cheat units. However, since Age of Empires III, some cheat units are available in the Scenario Editor, providing an alternative way of obtaining cheat units aside from typing their respective cheat codes.

Cheat units typically have extraordinary traits, such as great longevity, attacking power, or speed, so they can easily overwhelm ordinary units. Some cheat units are capable of wiping out entire armies single-handedly. This is why, in online play, cheat codes and thus cheat units are usually disabled.

All cheat units as well as the cheats that must be entered in order to spawn them can be found here.

Trivia

• The Laser Trooper from Age of Empires reappears in Age of Empires II as the Photonman and in Age of Empires IV as the Photon Man.
• Both Age of Empires and Age of Empires II have a sports car cheat unit.
• Age of Empires II and Age of Mythology both have a dog cheat unit.
• The Lazer Bear from Age of Mythology reappears as the Lazerbear in Age of Empires III. The Flying Purple Hippo also reappears as the Flying Purple Tapir.
• Age of Empires III has the most cheat units, not counting regular units spawned by cheat codes, numbering fifteen. Age of Empires IV has the least, at just one.
• According to Sandy Petersen, cheat units were made in the last weeks of a game's finalization because the artists were done with their work and were primarily helping with playtesting or doing concept art for the next game. Artists would come up with designs for cheat units and work with a programmer or designer to get stats for it, and some team members would even be surprised to see them after the game released since they only were created at the very end of development.