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Used to transport villagers, military units, and Artifacts across water.
—In-game description in the Definitive Edition

The Light Transport is a unit in Age of Empires that carries land units across water. It is able to carry five units (every unit counts as one, be it a Villager or Heavy Catapult).

Gameplay[]

Light Transports have no attack and may need to be escorted by military ships. They are best used in groups, and with expensive units spread out, so that if one is lost, it is less likely to be the one with five Heavy Catapults or Centurions. Boats are also twice as resistant to conversion than land units.

They can be upgraded to the Heavy Transport in the Iron Age with doubled capacity, faster speed and hitpoints.

Civilization bonuses[]

  • Carthaginian AOE DE ROR icon Carthaginians: Light Transports have +25% speed.
  • Greek AOE DE ROR icon Greeks: Light Transports have +20% speed.
  • Macedonian AOE DE ROR icon Macedonians: Light Transports have +2 Line of Sight and are four times more resistant to conversion.
  • Minoan AOE DE ROR icon Minoans: Light Transports cost -20%/-25%/-30% in the Tool/Bronze/Iron Age.
  • Yamato AOE DE ROR icon Yamato: Light Transports have +15%/+20%/+25% hit points in the Tool/Bronze/Iron Age.

Team bonuses[]

  • Palmyran AOE DE ROR icon Palmyrans: Upgrading Light Transports to Heavy Transports and researching technologies that benefit Fishing Boats are 30% faster.

Changelog[]

Age of Empires[]

  • Light Transports take 75 seconds to upgrade.
  • Minoan AOE DE ROR icon Minoans: Light Transports cost -30%.
  • Yamato AOE DE ROR icon Yamato: Light Transports have +30% hit points.

Definitive Edition[]

  • Light Transports take 180 seconds to upgrade.
  • Yamato AOE DE ROR icon Yamato: Upon release, Light Transports have +25% hit points. With update 38862, they have +20% hit points.

Return of Rome[]

  • Palmyran AOE DE ROR icon Palmyrans (team bonus): Technologies benefiting Light Transports are researched 30% faster.
  • Minoan AOE DE ROR icon Minoans: With update 99311, Light Transports cost -20%/-25%/-30% in the Tool/Bronze/Iron Age.
  • Yamato AOE DE ROR icon Yamato: With update 99311, Light Transports have +15%/+20%/+25% hit points in the Tool/Bronze/Iron Age.

History[]

The earliest use of boats in war were primarily to carry men across rivers, lakes, or seas to raid and plunder. They were lightly armored but were armed with ranged weapons carried by the passengers. The most suitable boat for this purpose was built as a compromise between speed and capacity. Raiders did not want to spend long periods in boats making a crossing and needed to surprise their enemies. The boat also had to carry a reasonable number of raiders and have room for any booty to be brought back. The fastest boats of ancient times were galleys powered by sails when possible but mainly by oars. The Greek penteconter with 50 oars was a common transport for troops. In most cases, the crew of oarsmen became raiders when they reached their destination.
—The Age of Empires manual

Gallery[]

Dock
Stone Age Icon (DE)
Tool Age Icon (DE)
Bronze Age Icon (DE)
Iron Age Icon (DE)
Fishing Boat
Fishing Ship
Aoede light transport available Aoede heavy transport available
Scout Ship War Galley
Trireme
Aoede trade boat available Aoede merchant ship available
Aoede catapult trireme available
Requires
Catapult Trireme technology Catapult Trireme
Juggernaut
Fire Galley
Requires
AoE War Galley upgrade War Galley


Units in Age of Empires
CivilianReturnofrome female villager icon Villager · Returnofrome trade cart icon Trade Cart
OtherAoE2 DE priest icon Priest · Slinger-0 Slinger · Returnofrome artifact icon Artifact
Civilian ship1 Fishing Boat Fishing Boat · 2 Fishing Ship Fishing Ship
3 Trade Boat Trade Boat · 4 Merchant Ship Merchant Ship
5 Light Transport Light Transport · 6 Heavy Transport Heavy Transport
InfantryClubman Clubman · AxemanAoEDE Axeman
Short Swordsman Short Swordsman · Broad Swordsman Broad Swordsman · AoE nuRoR Long Swordsman icon Long Swordsmen · Returnofrome legionary icon Legionary
HopliteDE Hoplite · AoE nuRoR Phalangite icon Phalangite · Returnofrome centurion icon Centurion
ArcherBowman aoe1de Bowman
Improved Bowman22 Improved Bowman · Composite Bowman Composite Bowman
Chariot Archer111 Chariot Archer
Horse Archer Horse Archer · Returnofrome heavy horse archer icon Heavy Horse Archer
EAICON DE Elephant Archer
CavalryScout-0 Scout
ChariotDE Chariot · ScytheDE Scythe Chariot
Cavalry111 Cavalry · Returnofrome heavy cavalry icon Heavy Cavalry · Returnofrome cataphract icon Cataphract
War ElephantDE War Elephant · Returnofrome armored elephant icon Armored Elephant
Camel RiderDE Camel Rider
SiegeStone ThrowerDE Stone Thrower · CatapultDE Catapult · Returnofrome heavy catapult icon Heavy Catapult
BallistaDE Ballista · Returnofrome helepolis icon Helepolis
War Ship7 Scout Ship Scout Ship · 8 War Galley War Galley · 9 Trireme Trireme
Catapult Trireme Catapult Trireme · Returnofrome juggernaut icon Juggernaut
10 Fire Galley Fire Galley
Scenario Editor-only units
Short Swordsman Chieftain · Donkey caravan aoe2DE Donkey · Clubman Explorer · Returnofrome heavy cavalry icon General · AoE2 DE priest icon High Priest · Returnofrome horse icon Horse · HeavyCavalryDE Mercenary (removed) · Penguin aoe2DE Penguin · AoE2 DE priest icon Pharaoh · 5 Light Transport Raft · Returnofrome artifact icon War Chest
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