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The Deer is a huntable animal in Return of Rome, Age of Empires II, Age of Mythology, Age of Empires III, and Age of Empires IV.

Age of Empires[]

This section is most likely incomplete and may need expansion. You can help by adding to it.

Deer were introduced once Age of Empires game mode was launched in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Return of Rome.

Age of Empires II[]

Deer sprite aoe2

In Age of Empires II, the Deer contains 140 food.

Deer run away when hunted and take two arrows to be killed. They come in packs of at least three. They are comparable in every aspect to the Gazelles in Age of Empires and were apparently edited from them.

It is advisable to either push them towards a Town Center or Mill with a military unit or build a Mill nearby and hunt them with at least two Villagers in order to save time.

Before researching Hand Cart and/or Wheelbarrow, the optimal number of Villagers to hunt Deer with is between 3 and 4. 3 Villagers gather most of the food from a Deer carcass, before returning to collect the rest, while 4 Villagers gather all the food from a Deer (not counting food lost from decay). 3 Villagers are more efficient if they are ordered to redirect to a fresh Deer after one trip; four gain more total food, but ultimately gather fewer resources over time because they aren't returning to a drop off point with maximum resources each trip.

Trivia[]

  • All Deer in the game have antlers, but only males have them in real life and only for some months of the year because they shed and grow them annually.
  • Although Deer are docile by default, they can be made to attack by using a trigger in the Scenario Editor. This is evidenced by a bug in the Vinlandsaga scenario that is caused when a Deer unwittingly walks into the tile previously occupied by Ornlu the Wolf. The "attacking" sprite of the Deer looks like a feeding Gazelle that shakes quickly, and causes only 1 damage after several seconds of attack.
  • Though in-game Deer are not meant to be of a particular species, the antler shape most closely resembles the Virginia deer (Odocoileus virginianus), which is actually American. Virginia deer are also spotted as fawns but rarely as adults.
  • Deer are present in all maps except African, where they are replaced by Zebras and Ostriches. This is consistent with the worldwide distribution of deer species.

Gallery[]

Age of Mythology[]

Villagers can hunt wild animals for Food.
—In-game description

This animal can be hunted.
—In-game description

The Deer in Age of Mythology appears in herds, wandering the map in Greek territories. It appears in two varieties, a female and a male (with antlers). They are replaced by Gazelles on Egyptian maps, and Elk and Caribou on Norse maps.

The species represented is probably the roe deer (as suggested by its history section), but the male's antlers actually resemble more the Virginia deer.

History[]

Scientific name -- Capreolus capreolus
Size -- about 60 lbs.
Diet -- buds, leaves, ferns, grasses

"Deer" is used as a generic term for any hoofed animal with antlers, but also refers to specifc species within that group. Like all species within the group, except caribou, only male deer have antlers. The European or Western roe deer is a small deer native to Scandinavia and Russia. They live in small groups and are seasonally territorial.
—In-game help section

Trivia[]

  • Although the History section states that the roe deer is native to Scandinavia and Russia, it can in fact be found across most of Europe, including most parts of Greece and Anatolia.

Gallery[]

Age of Empires III[]

Medium herbivore.
—In-game description

In Age of Empires III, the Deer, this time appearing to be a white-tailed deer, has 20 hit points and can be taken down with two shots, or one with Blunderbuss. Its meat content is boosted to 400 food, making it a more appealing food source than e.g. the Berry Bush.

Gathering rates[]

Resource Source Gathering rate
per second per minute
All resources Shrine 0.0665 3.99
Food Hacienda 0.166667 10.00002
Wood 0.25 15
Coin 0.113334 6.80004

Home City Cards[]

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Deer
Some cards are highlighted with:
Green TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
Europeans
Card Description Age
Hudson Bay Company Delivers 16 Deer; villager auto gather 0.15 coin whilst gathering from hunted and herded animals, and 0.015 coin whilst gathering from other resources
Haudenosaunee
Card Description Age
Forest Mother Delivers 9 Deer
Mexicans
Card Description Age
Pacific Pearl Delivers 16 Deer and 1 Fishing Ground containing 10,000 food
Baja California Territory Delivers 3 Settlers; Haciendas attract nearby hunted animals to improve its work rate
United States
Card Description Age
TEAM Lewis & Clark Expedition Delivers 1 Collection of Books (100 XP); reveals all treasures, resources, Trade Routes, and Native settlements, and enemy units' positions for 20 seconds

History[]

Scientific Name: Odocoileus virginianus
Approx. Size: 120 lb. (hind); 220 lb. (stag)
Diet: Buds, leaves, ferns, grasses

"Deer" is used as a generic term for any hoofed animal with antlers, but also refers to a specific species within that group. Like all of these species, except caribou, only male deer have antlers. The white-tailed deer is found from southern Canada to as far south as Panama. They live in small groups and are seasonally territorial.

Trivia[]

  • Although the History section names Panama as the southern limit of its distribution, the Virginia Deer can also be found in northern South America, from French Guiana to some parts of Peru.

Gallery[]

Age of Empires IV[]

Villagers are able to gather Food from Deer by hunting them. Deer flee a short distance when approached.
Age of Empires IV description for Huntable Deer

Huntable Deer contain 350 food and have a gather rate of 0.825 food per second. They usually spawn in 'large' groups of seven, with two groups per player, but can also spawn in 'small', 'medium', and 'extra large' groups of three, five, and ten respectively with a differing number of overall groups. Deer packs can appear farther away from the Capital Town Center, and as such can be considered a higher risk food source, but also a higher reward due to their faster gather rate. The risk can be mitigated by researching Professional Scouts, which allows Scouts to kill Deer in one shot and move the carcass wherever they want. Deer will also run from any unit in the direction opposite that which they are approached. They will flee 1.5 tiles whenever any unit comes within 1 tile of them, with a random cooldown period of 14 to 20 seconds. Because, unlike Boars, they are not 'leashed' to a particular area and can continue running in one direction indefinitely, this allows them to be 'pushed' by military units to move them closer to a drop-off site and make gathering from them more efficient. However, trying to push them a significant distance is not realistically feasible due to their long flee cooldown time, so this strategy is best used to push Deer next to a nearby Mill or other drop-off site. Another strategy to maximize gather efficiency is to build a Town Center on top of a pack of Deer. The Deer will automatically move out of the way of the building's footprint, at which point they can be killed to prevent them from moving away further, leaving them right on the edge of the building. Because carcasses do not rot in Age of Empires IV, this does not decrease the total amount of food available, and it also does not matter which unit kills the Deer.

The Rus have the only currently available means of spawning Deer regularly, through their High Trade House landmark.

Deer resemble red deer (Cervus elaphus) in body and antler shape, but have a brighter spotted coat akin to fallow deer (Dama dama).

Changelog[]

  • Originally, Deer fled 2.5 tiles when startled by units, with a cooldown of 1 to 8 seconds between movements, and military units could startle Deer from 1.75 tiles away. With update 14.0.4963, they now flee 1.5 tiles, with a cooldown of 14 to 20 seconds, and military units startle them from 1 tile away (the same as Scouts and Villagers).

Gallery[]

Animals in Age of Empires
Until Definitive Edition
Huntables Gazelle · Elephant
Predators Alligator · Lion · Crocodile
Marine creatures Shore Fish · Tuna · Salmon · Whale
Animal Kings Lion (Alpha) · Crocodile (Alpha) · Gazelle (Alpha) · Elephant (Alpha)
Other Lion (tame)
Decorative Bird · Dragon
Cut Horse · Goat
Including Return of Rome
Huntable Deer · Ibex · Iron Boar · Javelina · Ostrich · Rhinoceros · Wild Boar · Zebra
Herdable Cow · Goat · Goose · Llama · Pig · Sheep · Turkey · Water Buffalo
Predator Bear · Dire Wolf · Jaguar · Komodo Dragon · Rabid Wolf · Snow Leopard · Tiger · Wolf
Civilian Bactrian Camel · Camel · Donkey · Horse
Military animals Alfred the Alpaca · Furious the Monkey Boy · Penguin
Decorative Stormy Dog · Wild Bactrian Camel · Wild Camel · Wild Horse
Marine animals Box Turtles · Dolphin · Dorado · Marlin · Perch · Snapper
Animals in Age of Empires II
Herdable animals Chicken · Cow · Goat · Goose · Llama · Pig · Sheep · Turkey · Water Buffalo
Timid huntables Argali · Deer · Gazelle · Ibex · Mouflon · Ostrich · Wild Chicken · Zebra
Aggressive huntables Elephant · Iron Boar · Javelina · Rhinoceros · Wild Boar
Predators Arabian Wolf · Black Bear · Brown Bear · Crocodile · Dire Wolf · Grey Wolf · Jaguar · Komodo Dragon · Lion · Polar Bear · Rabid Wolf · Snow Leopard · Tiger
Marine animals Box Turtles · Dolphin · Dorado · Marlin · Oysters · Perch · Salmon · Shore Fish · Snapper · Tuna
Civilian animals Bactrian Camel · Camel · Donkey · Horse
Military animals Alfred the Alpaca · Furious the Monkey Boy · Penguin
Hero animals Hunting Wolf · Ornlu the Wolf
Decorative animals Bird · Stormy Dog · Wild Bactrian Camel · Monkey · Penguin · Wild Camel · Wild Horse
Animals (non-myth units) in Age of Mythology
Herdable animals Cow · Goat · Pig · Yak*
Timid huntables Baboon · Caribou · Chicken · Crowned Crane · Deer · Duck* · Elk · Gazelle · Giraffe · Golden Pheasant · Monkey · Red Crowned Crane · Spotted Deer · Zebra
Aggressive huntables Aurochs · Black Bear · Boar · Elephant · Hippopotamus · Ram* · Rhinoceros · Walrus · Water Buffalo
Predators Arctic Wolf · Crocodile · Bear · Hyena · Lion · Lizard* · Panda Bear* · Polar Bear · Serpent (Predator) · Tiger* · Wolf
Military animalsAnimal of Set · Golden Lion · Relic Monkey
Fish Herring · Mahi-mahi · Perch · Salmon
Decorative animalsBird ( Eagle* · Hawk · Parrot* · Flying Red Crowned Crane · Vulture) · Panda · Hawksbill Turtle · Orca · Shark · Whale
Scenario Editor-exclusive animals Alfred · Dog · Giant Duck-Billed Platypus · Golden Fleece (also herdable) · Horse · Reindeer
Cheat animals Chicken Exploding
Cut animalsAnchovies · Camel · Musk Ox · Nubian Goat · Shore Fish · Unicorn
Animals in Age of Empires III
Land
Herdables Cow · Goat · Llama · Sacred Cow · Sanga Cattle · Sheep · Water Buffalo · Yak · Zebu Cattle · Big Benny
Huntables Bighorn Sheep · Bison · Capybara · Caribou · Deer · Elephant · Elk · Gazelle · Giant Salamander · Giraffe · Guanaco · Ibex · Marco Polo Sheep · Moose · Musk Deer · Musk Ox · Nilgai · Ostrich · Pronghorn · Rhea · Saiga · Serow · Tapir · Turkey · Zebra
Treasure guardians Alligator · Baboon · Black Bear · Black Panther · Beast · Beast of Gévaudan · Brown Bear · Cougar · Coyote · Crocodile · Elephant · Ethiopian Wolf · Grizzly Bear · Hippo · Honey Badger · Hyena · Jaguar · Leopard · Lion · Lion-Tailed Macaque · Mad Dog · Monitor Lizard · Orangutan · Panda · Polar Bear · Rhino · Snow Leopard · Snow Monkey · Tibetan Macaque · Tiger · Warthog
Unknown-exclusive Cash Cow · Wood Cattle
Military Dog · Intrepid Turkey Scout · Lamb of the Creator · Tengri Wolf
Water
Treasure guardians Alligator · Hippo · Great White Shark · Orca · White Tiger · Wild Boar · Wolf
Fish Bass · Carp · Catfish · Cod · Mahi-mahi · Mola Mola · Salmon · Sardines · Squid · Tarpon · Tuna
Whales Beluga Whale · Humpback Whale · Minke Whale
Air
Bird · Bird (unit)
Animals in Age of Empires IV
Herdable animals Herdable Sheep · Cattle (Malians only)
Timid huntables Huntable Deer
Aggressive huntables Huntable Boar
Predators Wolf
Fish Fish · Shoreline Fish
Cut animalsBear · Crocodile · Fox · Zebra