Heavy Horse Archer

The Heavy Horse Archer is mounted archer unit in Age of Empires that can be trained at the Archery Range once the Iron Age is reached. It is an upgrade of the Horse Archer and is highly effective given its cost. The upgrade increases the attack by 1 point, provides an additional 30 hit points, and slightly increases speed to make the unit the fastest in the game.

Strategy Edit

All cavalry archers are designed for guerilla warfare due to their supreme agility and can outrun most attacks dealt by enemy units. As a result, they excel at hit and run attacks and can repeat the process until the enemy is eliminated. Heavy Horse Archers also have the strongest human-based ranged attack in the game and are the fasted land units other than cheat units.

They have few counters, but among them is the Palmyran Camel Rider. The Camel Rider, who's a counter for all cavalry in general, also gets a 25% increase in speed as Palmyrans which makes them able to catch up and properly deal with Heavy Horse Archers.

Availability Edit

Unit availability
Available	Unavailable
Hittites Macedonians Palmyrans Persians Shang Sumerians Yamato	Assyrians Babylonians Carthaginians Choson Egyptians Greeks Minoans Phoenicians Romans

Upgrades Edit

Tool Age Edit

Leather Armor Archers increases armor by 2.
Woodworking increases range by 1.

Bronze Age Edit

Scale Armor Archers increases armor by 2.
Artisanship increases range by 1.
Nobility increases hit points by 15%.

Iron Age Edit

Alchemy increases attack by 1.
Ballistics increases accuracy.
Chain Mail Archers increases armor by 2.
Craftsmanship increases range by 1.

Archery Range Tree

Tool Age

Archery Range

Bowman

Bronze Age

Improved Bowman

Chariot Archer

Composite Bowman

Iron Age

Horse Archer

Elephant Archer

Heavy Horse Archer

Civilization bonusesEdit

Yamato: Heavy Horse Archers are 25% cheaper, costing 37 food and 52 gold.
Hittites: Heavy Horse Archers deal +1 damage.
Macedonians: Heavy Horse Archers are four times more resistant against enemy conversion.

History Edit

“In a few armies of the late ancient period the Horse Archer was equipped with helmet and limited body armor. This made the archer less vulnerable to arrows himself. The Heavy Horse Archer could get closer to the enemy and do more damage with bow fire with less risk to himself. Heavy Horse Archers were not a common unit, however. They were difficult to train, except for those cultures who were horse archers by common practice. Body armor for archers was a luxury that most armies could not afford.”
—Age of Empires manual

Changelog Edit

Age of Empires

Heavy Horse Archers have 2 pierce armor.
Yamato Heavy Horse Archers move 20% slower.

The Rise of Rome

Yamato Heavy Horse Archers now move at normal speed.

Definitive Edition

Heavy Horse Archers now have 1 pierce armor (down from 2).

Age of Empires
Units in Age of Empires
Priest · Villager · Trade Boat · Merchant Ship · Fishing Boat · Fishing Ship · Light Transport · Heavy Transport
Infantry	Clubman · Axeman · Short Swordsman · Broad Swordsman · Long Swordsmen · Legion · Hoplite · Phalanx · Centurion
Archers	Bowman · Improved Bowman · Composite Bowman · Chariot Archer · Elephant Archer · Horse Archer · Heavy Horse Archer
Cavalry	Scout · Cavalry · Heavy Cavalry · Cataphract · Chariot · War Elephant
Siege	Stone Thrower · Catapult · Heavy Catapult · Ballista · Helepolis
Navy	Scout Ship · War Galley · Trireme · Catapult Trireme · Juggernaught
The Rise of Rome
Armored Elephant · Camel Rider · Fire Galley · Scythe Chariot · Slinger
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