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This article is about the Age of Empires IV unit. For the unit in Age of Empires II, see Mangudai (Age of Empires II). |
| “ | Confounding mobile ranged cavalry that can fire while moving. | ” |
| —Age of Empires IV description | ||
The Mangudai is a light ranged cavalry unit in Age of Empires IV that is unique to the Mongols that can be trained at the Archery Range starting in the Feudal Age or can spawn randomly from the Khaganate Palace in groups of 4 that take 50 seconds to train. It is also available to the Byzantines as a mercenary.
Tactics[]
The Mangudai is an expensive unit, costing nearly twice as much as an Archer. They are one of the hardest units to master, since they require some decent micro skill to reach their full potential. They are fast and can shoot arrows while moving, making chasing them with melee units, especially melee infantry, a nightmare. They synergize especially well with the Khan, who can also fire while moving and can increase Mangudai movement or attack speed with their Signal Arrows, and Khan's Hunter, who can increase their range. Mangudai become even more dangerous en-masse when fully upgraded, able to ride through an enemy town and decimate an economy without stopping. However, due to their low hit points and lack of armor, they cannot survive for very long against most units while in melee range.
While Horsemen theoretically do well against full Mangudai compositions due to their bonus damage and faster base speed, the ability of Mangudai to fire while moving will still allow them to bait Horsemen into the range of defensive buildings or Spearmen all while dealing decent damage. Mangudai movement speed can also be increased beyond that of Horsemen by the Yam bonus and the Khan's Maneuver Arrow. Knights will struggle even more to catch up and do damage. Instead, the best counter to Mangudai are Archers, who, with their 5 attack range, can outrange the Mangudai's 3.5 attack range. They are also much cheaper and trade very well cost-effectively. Defensive buildings are also a nice counter, since they limit the Mangudai's mobility and their ability to harass economies. Mangudai also take heavy damage from Outposts and Town Centers. Overally, the most important strategy when fighting against Mangudai is to not let them draw melee units into a prolonged chase. It is better to zone out Mangudai with archers, walls and towers, while focusing the attention of melee units on other targets. Mangonels can also be good additions once the Castle Age is reached.
Further statistics[]
As Mangudai are unique to the Mongols, only technologies that are available to them are shown in the following table:
| Strengths and weaknesses | |
|---|---|
| Strong vs. | Slow units |
| Weak vs. | Archers, Defensive Buildings |
| Technologies | |
|---|---|
 Hit points
|
 Biology (+25%); Improved: (+35%)
|
| Attack |  Steeled Arrow (+1) Balanced Projectiles (+1) Platecutter Point (+1) Siha Bow Limbs (+1); Improved: (+2) Incendiary Arrows (+20%, +2 siege damage vs buildings)
|
 Range
|
 Silk Bowstrings (+0.75)
|
| Armor |  Fitted Leatherwork (+1 melee) Insulated Helm (+1 melee) Master Smiths (+1 melee) Iron Undermesh (+1 ranged) Wedge Rivets (+1 ranged) Angled Surfaces (+1 ranged)
|
| Creation speed |  Military Academy (+33%); Improved: (+53%)
|
| Aura and ability enhancements | |
|---|---|
| Attack |  Kurultai Aura (+20%)
|
| Range
|
 Khan's Hunter Aura (+1/+1.3/+1.5 per Age)
|
| Armor |  Defense Arrow (+2 melee and ranged for 5/10/12 seconds, depending on Whistling Arrows)
|
 Attack speed
|
 Attack Speed Arrow (+50% for 5/10/12 seconds, depending on Whistling Arrows)
|
 Movement speed
|
 Yam Aura (+15%) Maneuver Arrow (+33% for 5/10/12 seconds, depending on Whistling Arrows)
|
Unique landmark boosts[]
The Mongols, through the Khaganate Palace, can potentially obtain the Warrior Monk. With this, Mangudai can also benefit from the following boosts normally available only to the Rus:
| Aura and ability enhancements | |
|---|---|
| Attack |  Saint's Blessing (+2)
|
| Armor | Saint's Blessing (+1 melee/ranged)
|
Mercenary Mangudai[]
The Byzantines can purchase Mangudai with Olive Oil from a Mercenary House built next to a Trade Post (if available). Once unlocked, they can train automatically from the Golden Horn Tower. In addition to the generic upgrades, they benefit from the following Byzantine unique bonuses:
| Upgrades | |
|---|---|
| Hit points
|
 Foreign Engineering Company : (+10%, grants extra Improved Biology health)
|
 Regeneration
|
 Triumph (+2 hp/s while active) Pilgrim Flask (25 hp/s for 6 seconds, requires Cistern of the First Hill)
|
| Attack | Triumph (+4 while active) Foreign Engineering Company (+2, grants Improved Siha Bow Limbs)
|
| Movement speed
|
 Naval Deployment (+50% speed for 12 seconds after unloading from a Transport Ship) Triumph (+10% while active)
|
| Creation speed |   Conscriptio Influence (+20% per Cistern water level)
|
Dialogue lines[]
- Main article: /Dialogue lines
Changelog[]
- Originally, the elite upgrade took 90 seconds. With update 8324, it takes 60 seconds.
- Originally, Mangudai attacks duration was 1.38 seconds. This was reduced to 1.25 seconds with Season Two Update 17718, and then further to 0.88 seconds with update 6.0.878 (with a corresponding attack decrease to maintain dps vs unarmored targets relatively unchanged)
- Originally, Mangudai had 7/9/10 attack per upgrade level and moved at 1.62 tiles/s. With update 6.0.878, they have 5/6/8 attack per level and move at 1.56 tiles/s.
- Originally, Siha Bow Limbs was available in the Castle Age. With update 6.0.878, it is available in the Imperial Age.
- Originally, Mangudai had the same icon as the Horse Archer. With update 7.0.5861, they get their own icon to differentiate from Horse Archers.
- Originally, Mangudai cost 120 food, 40 gold and trained in 30 seconds. With update 11.0.782, they cost 90 food, 60 gold and train in 28 seconds. Their double production cost was correspondingly decreased from 160 stone to 150 stone.
Campaign version[]
Because the original four campaigns have not been rebalanced since the release of the game, Mangudai in those campaigns have the following main differences:
- They are trained from the Stable, not the Archery Range
- They attack with a dagger in melee range
- They use fire arrows to attack buildings and siege and do fire-type damage, thus bypassing building pierce armor. As a result of not having distinct ranged and fire attacks like other archers in the campaigns, their ranged damage is also increased by Additional Torches and their fire damage by standard ranged attack upgrades
- They have more hit points, do more damage, and have longer range, but have a lower Rate of Fire and move slower.
- They have the standard Horse Archer icon
- The Veteran and and Elite upgrades cost 100 food, 300 gold and 200 food, 600 gold and take 60/90 seconds to upgrade respectively
The exact statistics that differ from the current single- and multiplayer balance patch are listed to the right.
Gallery[]
