| “ | Slow and heavy cavalry. | ” |
| —Age of Empires II description | ||
The Battle Elephant is a cavalry unit in Age of Empires II HD: Rise of the Rajas that can be trained at the Stable once the Castle Age is reached. It is a slow yet very powerful and resilient cavalry unit, in some way similar to the War Elephant, but weaker and cheaper. It is considered a regional unit as it is only available to the Southeast Asian civilizations (Burmese, Khmer, Malay and Vietnamese), as well as the Bengalis and Dravidians. All civilizations that have access to Battle Elephants have special bonuses and/or technologies that benefit them. Battle Elephants deal 25% trample damage.
Tactics[]
Battle Elephants are an exceptionally powerful and expensive unit, but are paired with even more exceptional weaknesses.
In terms of strengths, Battle Elephants have exceedingly good stats; with high hit points, damage, and trample damage, they can beat almost any melee unit cost-effectively, especially in the early Castle Age. In addition, they are produced in only 24 seconds from Stables. A single Stable can produce 280% the hit points via Battle Elephants as opposed to Knights, allowing a defending player to significantly outproduce an attacker, even with limited production buildings. Due to the combination of these factors, Battle Elephants can be swapped into remarkably quickly if necessary, either for defense, or a surprise attack from a sneaky Stable.
However, Battle Elephants have even more potent weaknesses. They are very slow, making them unable to force engagements, and leaving them to take unfavorable fights. They tend to benefit less from the same upgrades compared to other units, resulting in their power dropping much more rapidly as the game progresses. For example, Knights gain 20% hit points from Bloodlines, while Battle Elephants gain just 8%. They also take double damage from Spearmen, and due to their high cost and power, make exceedingly tempting targets for Monks, which is further worsened by elephant civilizations' near-universal lack of Heresy.
Due to these many weaknesses, Knights are often preferred when available, at least for more general use in the Castle Age. Exceptions are certain particular situations, or civilizations with very powerful bonuses, such as the Malay.
One major situation where Battle Elephants tend to be better than Knights is where a player is rushing out an army, as they have a lower training time and have a higher cost/unit (except for the Malay). This means a player can convert resources into units much more quickly. Additionally, the slow speed of the Battle Elephant is much less of a downside when they are created or ungarrisoned much closer to enemy units and buildings. Common cases where rushing out units as fast as possible is especially important are when making forward buildings, sneaking villagers before walls come up, when defending from heavy aggression, and in landings on water maps.
Each civilization has their own potent bonuses for their Battle Elephants:
Bengalis[]
Bengali Battle Elephants take -25% bonus damage, are more resistant to conversion, and attack 20% faster with Paiks. As such, Pikemen and Monks are less effective. They are also more effective in melee combat and taking down buildings. Since Bengali Elephants are more resilient against their counters, Bengalis are more encouraged to rush with them. However, since the Bengalis have very confined tactics due to lacking military tree, the Elephant rush (including the Battle Elephant and/or Elephant Archer) and Ratha rush are the only two effective military choices for the Bengalis in the Castle Age.
It is possible for the Bengalis to make a triple elephant attack with the Armored Elephant, Battle Elephant, and Elephant Archer, though it costs a lot and is mostly seen in the very late game.
Burmese[]
Burmese Battle Elephants have +1/+1 armor since Dynasties of India. Both Burmese unique technologies benefit their Battle Elephants, too: Howdah gives them +1/+1 armor (for a total of +2/+2 armor in combination with their civilization bonus) and Manipur Cavalry gives +4 attack bonus against archers. Burmese Battle Elephants are a strong option against archers, while being respectable against melee units too. A Crossbowman only deals 2 damage per hit to a Burmese Battle Elephant if both players have all Castle Age Blacksmith technologies researched. The Burmese Battle Elephant can Crossbowmen with only 3 hits when Manipur Cavalry is researched, even without any Blacksmith attack technologies researched. They can kill generic Crossbowmen with 2 hits when fully upgraded if the Crossbowmen lack any armor upgrades.
Since the Burmese have no concrete answer to ranged units due to abysmal Skirmishers and lacking other forms of anti-archer units, their Battle Elephants may be a delay and protect their common used unit - Arambai - to deal with.
Dravidians[]
Dravidian Battle Elephants can be confusing. While they lack Bloodlines, Husbandry, Plate Barding Armor, and the Elite Battle Elephant upgrade, they have Medical Corps, which allows them to regenerate 30 hit points per minute, and Wootz Steel, which enables them to ignore enemy armor. With so many missing and unique upgrades, this makes them a particularly tricky unit to judge by intuition.
In the Castle Age, while they have less hit points, their regeneration can more than make up the difference, often regenerating more than 20 hit points in a given fight, and healing them between fights, which can make them surprisingly potent in a defensive role. Even in the Imperial Age, they can trade cost-effectively with standard Paladins after Wootz Steel has been researched, and offer superior performance to Champions in that role, though not better than Halberdiers. However, they are less durable than every other civilization's Elite Battle Elephants and move slower as well, and while they can still work in niche cases, they should be used judiciously.
Khmer[]
Khmer Battle Elephants move 10% faster and get +3 attack from Tusk Swords. This probably makes the Khmer Battle Elephants the most rounded Elephants, being good against melee units and buildings due to the latter, and foot archers due to the former. Since Tusk Swords is already available in the Castle Age, Battle Elephants can reach 17 attack there, a value that makes Battle Elephants very dangerous offensive tools. It is possible for the Khmer to perform a "Battle Elephant rush". Thanks to the Khmer good food economy, civilization bonus, and unique technology, they have the strongest Battle Elephants throughout the game.
The Khmer can also add their excellent Scorpions to aid their Elephants against most units.
Malay[]
The Malay have cheaper Battle Elephants, costing -30% in the Castle Age (77 food, 49 gold) and -40% in the Imperial Age (66 food, 42 gold). This, combined with their civilization bonus that makes them Age up with relative ease, enables them to get the Battle Elephants out on the field astonishingly quickly. Combined with archers to deal with Pikemen and Monks, an early Castle Age visit of a dozen of them can prove very unpleasant to any ill-prepared town. Later on, they become much less dangerous, lacking Chain Barding Armor. The lack of Bloodlines is unpleasant, but much less significant. As they become even cheaper in the Imperial Age, they are still ready to be used against melee units, especially considering that the Malay are the only civilization with access to Battle Elephants who have Heresy. The Malay can also perform a Battle Elephant rush, but cannot sustain it due to missing upgrades and lack of economy bonuses.
However, the Malay Battle Elephants have more resistance against ranged attack than Cavaliers, with even cheaper price. The Malay can still utilize them as their own meatshield. Fully upgraded, Malay Elite Battle Elephants and Elite Boyars have the same survivability against Arbalesters. The Malay Battle Elephant can be seen as the "Leitis" of Elephants, crushing every thing in melee combat (thanks to cheaper cost), but dying to archers unlike others.
Vietnamese[]
The Vietnamese Battle Elephants are the most tanky of them all as they get another 100 hit points out of the Chatras technology. They get all relevant upgrades except Blast Furnace, which neither hurts Elephants in general, nor is it a problem for Vietnamese ones which are meant to be a meatshield for their excellent archers. The Vietnamese are the only Elephant civilization whose Elephants play a supportive role, and also with the best foot archers. The combination of Battle Elephants + Rattan Archers is very hard to deal with.
Comparison among civilizations[]
| Civilization |  Bengalis
|
 Burmese
|
 Dravidians
|
 Khmer
|
 Malay
|
 Vietnamese
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | 110 food, 70 gold | 110 food, 70 gold | 110 food, 70 gold | 110 food, 70 gold | 77 food, 49 gold | 110 food, 70 gold |
| Hit Points | 270 | 270 | 250 | 270 | 250 | 370 |
| Attack | 12+2 | 12+2 | 12+2 | 12+5 | 12+2 | 12+2 |
| Rate of Fire | 1.666 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Armor | 1+2/2+2 | 1+3/2+3 | 1+2/2+2 | 1+2/2+2 | 1+1/2+1 | 1+2/2+2 |
| Movement Speed | 0.968 | 0.968 | 0.88 | 1.0648 | 0.968 | 0.968 |
| Extras | Resistant to conversion -25% bonus damage |
 Faith (+4 min, +4 max) is 50% cheaper+4 attack against archers |
Regenerate 0.5 HP/s Cannot upgrade to Elite |
 Heresy (die upon getting converted)
|
 Conscription is free
|
Further statistics[]
| Unit strengths and weaknesses | |
|---|---|
| Strong vs. | Most melee units, buildings, resistant to most foot archers |
| Weak vs. | Pikemen, Kamayuks, Genoese Crossbowmen, Mamelukes, Cavalry Archers, Monks, War Elephants, Scorpions, Flaming Camels |
| Upgrades | |
| Hit points |  Bloodlines (+20) Chatras (+100, Vietnamese only)
|
| Attack |  Forging (+1) Iron Casting (+1) Blast Furnace (+2) Tusk Swords (+3, Khmer only) Manipur Cavalry (+4 against archers, Burmese only) Wootz Steel (attack ignores armor, Dravidians only)
|
| Armor |  Scale Barding Armor (+1/+1) Chain Barding Armor (+1/+1) Plate Barding Armor (+1/+2) Howdah (+1/+1, Burmese only)
|
| Conversion resistance |  Devotion (+1 min, +1 max) Faith (+4 min, +4 max) Heresy (die upon getting converted) (Malay only)
|
| Attack speed | Paiks (+20%, Bengalis only)
|
| Movement speed |  Husbandry (+10%)
|
| Creation speed | Conscription (+33%)
|
| Other | Medical Corps (regenerate 30 HP per minute, Dravidians only)
|
| Upgrade |  Elite Battle Elephant
|
Civilization bonuses[]
- Bengalis: Battle Elephants take -25% bonus damage, are more resistant to conversion, and deal +2 attack against Skirmishers.
- Burmese: Researching Devotion and Faith is 50% cheaper. Battle Elephants have +1/+1 armor.
- Khmer: Battle Elephants are 10% faster.
- Malay: Battle Elephants are 30% cheaper in the Castle Age, and 40% cheaper in the Imperial Age.
- Vietnamese: Conscription is free.
Team bonuses[]
- Bulgarians: Researching cavalry armor and attack upgrades at the Blacksmith is 80% faster.
- Gurjaras: Battle Elephants are created 25% faster.
- Huns: Battle Elephants are created and upgraded 20% faster. Researching Bloodlines and Husbandry is 20% faster.
- Lithuanians: Researching Heresy, Devotion, and Faith is 20% faster.
- Portuguese: Upgrades that benefit Battle Elephants are researched 25% faster.
- Teutons: Battle Elephants are more resistant to conversion.
Changelog[]
Rise of the Rajas[]
- Battle Elephants train in 28 seconds.
- Battle Elephants deal 50% trample damage.
- Battle Elephants have 7 bonus damage against buildings and stone defenses.
- Battle Elephants cost 120 food, 70 gold.
- Initially, Battle Elephants have a blast radius of 0.5. With patch 5.7, the radius is 0.4.
- Initially, the Elite Battle Elephant research costs 800 food, 500 gold and takes 80 seconds to research. With patch 5.7, the research costs 1200 food, 900 gold and takes 100 seconds.
- Burmese: Initially, Howdah increases the armor of Battle Elephants by +1/+2. With patch 5.7, the effect of Howdah is lowered to +1/+1.
- Burmese: Initially, Manipur Cavalry gives Battle Elephants +6 attack against buildings. With patch 5.3, the bonus is spread over the two building classes (building and standard building) equally.
- Khmer: Battle Elephants move 15% faster.
- Malay: Initially, Battle Elephants are 20% cheaper. With patch 5.3, the bonus is increased to 25%. With patch 5.7, the bonus is increased to 30%.
- Vietnamese: Initially, Chatras gives Battle Elephants +30 HP. With patch 5.7, the bonus is increased to +50.
Definitive Edition[]
- With update 34699, Battle Elephants train in 24 seconds.
- With update 39284, Battle Elephants deal 25% trample damage.
- With update 42848, Battle Elephants have 4 bonus damage against buildings and stone defenses.
- Burmese: With update 37650, Manipur Cavalry gives Battle Elephants +6 attack against standard buildings and no damage against buildings.
- Khmer: With update 42848, Battle Elephants move 10% faster.
Lords of the West[]
- Malay: With update 47820, Battle Elephants are 30%/40% cheaper in the Castle/Imperial Age.
Dawn of the Dukes[]
- Burmese: With update 51737, Howdah is restored to its initial effect at +1/+2 armor. With update 56005, Manipur Cavalry gives Battle Elephants +5 attack against archers instead of attack bonus vs buildings.
- Vietnamese: With update 54480, Chatras gives Battle Elephants +100 HP.
Dynasties of India[]
- Burmese: With update 61321, Howdah is reverted back to +1/+1 armor. Battle Elephants gain +1/+1 armor as a civilization bonus.
- With update 73855, Battle Elephants costs 110 food, 70 gold.
- Bengalis: With update 81058, Battle Elephants get +2 attack against Skirmishers.
Return of Rome[]
- With update 87863, Battle Elephants' Line of Sight increased from 4 to 7 and Elite Battle Elephant research cost decreased from 1,200 food, 900 gold to 1,100 food, 700 gold. Manipur Cavalry and Howdah Ages interchanged.
The Mountain Royals[]
- With update 95810, Battle Elephant base movement speed increased from 0.85 to 0.88.
Trivia[]
- Available to six civilizations and spanning three architecture sets (South Asian, Southeast Asian, and East Asian), the Battle Elephant is the most widely available Elephant unit in Age of Empires II.
- After update 37650 of the Definitive Edition, elephant heads will appear peeking out of Transport Ships loaded with 10 Battle Elephants or other elephant units.
- The Dravidians have objectively the worst Battle Elephants. They fulfill no purpose, and are the only ones lacking Husbandry and the Elite upgrade.
- Ironically, the Dravidians historically developed one of the most powerful Elephant troops. In the Chola Dynasty, they not only utilized many Elephants in their main military, but also used the Sri Lankan subspecies which are more suited for battle. This is done primarily to reflect their historical reference in the Chinese text Great Tang Records on the Western Regions which describes the Indian states during the Kannauj Tripartite Struggles, that "the Pratiharas of Kannauj were famous for their cavalry, the Bengal army was feared on account of its Elephants and the Deccan forces effectively employed the infantry corps." This can be seen in the cavalry-, elephant-, and infantry-focused designs of the Gurjaras, Bengalis, and Dravidians, respectively.
- Balancing Battle Elephants is tough, since making them better in 1vs1 open maps, can make them overpowered in team game closed maps.
- The Khmer are the best example of this. They had 15% movement speed bonus, which helped them keep up with foot archers even without Husbandry, 33% cheaper Tusk Swords than the current price, and 16 base attack for Elite Battle Elephants before the Definitive Edition. They were the sole reason to bring down Elite's attack from 16 to 14. However, despite the attack nerf, the new Khmer farming bonus made the Battle Elephant play extremely strong. That led to reducing the blast attack from 50% to 25%, reducing the attack bonus vs buildings, as well as the Khmer receiving their own nerfs.
- The Burmese and Dravidians are the only civilizations with both unique technologies affecting Elephants.
- The Dravidians and Vietnamese are the only civilizations with no civilization bonus affecting Elephants directly.
- The Malay are the only civilization with no unique technology affecting Elephants.
Gallery[]
