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This article is about the unit in Age of Empires. For the unit class, see Cavalry. |
| “ | Horseman armed with a sword. Inflicts extra damage against infantry. | ” |
| —In-game description in the Definitive Edition | ||
The Cavalry is a heavy cavalry unit in Age of Empires available in the Bronze Age at the Stable. It is available to all civilizations except the Egyptians and Sumerians.
Cavalry can be upgraded in the Iron Age to Heavy Cavalry and later to Cataphract.
Gameplay[]
The stats can be upgraded from the technologies found in the Storage Pit and they also benefit from the Nobility upgrade, which increases the hit points from 150 to 172.
Cavalry deal +5 damage against Light infantry. Their fast speed, good pierce armor, and high hit points let them chase Villagers, archers, Stone Throwers, and Slingers. Hence, they are a good base for an early raiding army, and the go-to units for countering ranged units. Despite their bonus against the Short Swordsman line, they are not cost effective against them due to being three times more expensive. However, they are quite effective in terms of population space, in particular if the enemy has not researched Logistics yet.
Cavalry quickly become obsolete with Iron Age technologies, and do not deal attack bonus against Academy units, being countered by them instead.
Further statistics[]
| Unit strengths and weaknesses | |
|---|---|
| Strong vs. | Archers, siege units, Slingers |
| Weak vs. | Infantry, War Elephants, Camel Riders, Priests |
| Upgrades | |
| Hit points |  Nobility (+15%)
|
| Attack |  Toolworking (+2) Metalworking (+2) Metallurgy (+3)
|
| Armor |  Leather Armor Cavalry (+2/+0) Scale Armor Cavalry (+2/+0) Chain Mail Cavalry (+2/+0)
|
| Creation speed |  Conscription (+25%)
|
| Upgrades |  Heavy Cavalry
|
Civilization bonuses[]
Lac Viet: Cavalry are trained 25% faster.- Macedonians: Cavalry have +2 Line of Sight and are four times more resistant to conversion.
- Shang: Cavalry attack 10% faster.*
- Yamato: Cavalry cost -15%. Upgrading Cavalry to Heavy Cavalry costs -30%.*
Team bonuses[]
- Palmyrans: Heavy Cavalry upgrade and technologies that benefit Cavalry are researched 30% faster.
- Persians: Cavalry are created 20% faster.
Changelog[]
Age of Empires[]
- Cavalry have 1.5 reload time.
Definitive Edition[]
- With update 9, Cavalry get +1 pierce armor.
Return of Rome[]
- Upon release, Cavalry had 1.3 reload time. With update 87863, they have 1.5 reload time again.
- Shang: Cavalry attack 10% faster.
- Yamato: Upgrading Cavalry to Heavy Cavalry costs -30%.
- Team bonuses added:
- Palmyrans: Technologies benefiting Cavalry are researched 30% faster.
- Persians: Cavalry are trained 20% faster.
History[]
| “ | Horses were domesticated around 4000 BC for use as work animals. They first appeared in the Middle East around 2000 BC but were kept only as expensive pets. Gradually they were found useful in the civilized world as draft animals, but were rarely ridden. The concept of cavalry was introduced to the Assyrians from the plains of Russia during the dark age that followed the catastrophe of 1200 BC. The Assyrians added cavalry to their armies in order to fight the barbarians on the plains to their north. Israelite king Solomon was renowned for his large cavalry force. It eventually became clear that cavalry was more efficient than chariots. Two men, each on his own horse, were more useful than two men in a chariot that could be disabled with increasing ease. Cavalry was cheaper to maintain than chariotry and could enter more difficult terrain, but was no less fast and intimidating to infantry. | ” |
Gallery[]
Video[]
Tech tree[]
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| Units in Age of Empires | |
|---|---|
| Civilian |  Villager ·  Trade Cart |
| Other |  Priest ·  Slinger ·  Artifact |
| Civilian ship |  Fishing Boat ·  Fishing Ship Trade Boat ·  Merchant Ship |
| Infantry |  Clubman ·  Axeman Short Swordsman ·  Broad Swordsman ·  Long Swordsmen ·  Legionary Hoplite ·  Phalangite ·  Centurion |
| Archer |  Bowman Improved Bowman ·  Composite Bowman Chariot Archer Horse Archer ·  Heavy Horse Archer Elephant Archer |
| Cavalry |  Scout Chariot ·  Scythe Chariot Cavalry ·  Heavy Cavalry ·  Cataphract War Elephant ·  Armored Elephant Camel Rider |
| Siege |  Stone Thrower ·  Catapult ·  Heavy Catapult Ballista ·  Helepolis |
| War Ship |  Scout Ship ·  War Galley ·  Trireme Catapult Trireme ·  Juggernaut Fire Galley Light Transport ·  Heavy Transport |
| Scenario Editor-only units | |
Chieftain ·  Donkey · Explorer · General · High Priest ·  Horse ·  Mercenary (removed) ·  Penguin · Pharaoh · Raft · War Chest | |