| “ | Mounted Units +4 melee armor. | ” |
| —In-game description | ||
Ming Guang Armor is a technology in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - The Three Kingdoms that is unique to Wei and can be researched at the Castle in the Imperial Age. Once researched, it increases the melee armor of mounted units (viz cavalry and mounted archers).
Team bonuses[]
Portuguese: Researching Ming Guang Armor is 25% faster.
Tactics[]
Since Wei lacks Plate Barding Armor, the effect of Ming Guang Armor is overall +3/-2 armor over what other civilizations have to offer their cavalry units. It makes all mounted units tank more attacks from melee units. However, the effect on individual units is different because of other bonuses surrounding them.
The effect is most felt on the Hussar, which, for a cavalry civilization, is subpar at its role (fighting archers and raiding). For the Hei Guang Cavalry line, Ming Guang Armor lets them be stronger against melee units. The lack of Plate Barding Armor against archers is diminished due to the +30% hit points the unit gets. The Xianbei Raider, on the other hand, lacks no technologies at all, and can reach 8 melee armor, the highest of any archer unit, while also being adept at tanking arrow-fire due to its 6 pierce armor.
Lastly, the most dramatic effect is felt by the Tiger Cavalry, which starts out as a "mounted Huskarl", having very high pierce armor but no melee armor. Due to the combination of lacking Plate Barding Armor and having Ming Guang Armor, the unit ends up with almost the same armor as the Knight line (6/6 for non-Elite, and 6/7 for Elite), functioning very similar to the Paladin in the late game.
Overall, the technology tree of the civilization combined with the civilization bonuses and this technology changes how cavalry are used at different stages of the game:
 Castle Age
|
 Imperial Age
| |
|---|---|---|
| General purpose |  Hei Guang Cavalry
|
 Elite Tiger Cavalry
|
| Anti-archer |  Tiger Cavalry
|
- |
| Anti-infantry /anti-cavalry |
- |  Heavy Hei Guang Cavalry
|
The Scout Cavalry line never gets a time to shine once other units hit the field, except against Monks and in trash wars. However, against most melee units, the Wei Hussar is better than the Mongol Hussar, which too lacks Plate Barding Armor, but gets +30% hit points, and the Tatar Hussar, which gets all upgrades and additional both melee and pierce armor with Silk Armor. The Mongol Hussar nonetheless fares better against siege, while the Tatar Hussar is better against ranged units.
With Ming Guang Armor researched, Genitours become the most resistant trash units in the game, since Wei also has access to all the archer armor upgrades at the Blacksmith, as well as Bloodlines.
Trivia[]
- Ming Guang Armor also affects other types of units as well, such as the Conquistador, Arambai, Missionary, Flaming Camel, Jadwiga, and Tamar. These units are mounted, but do not fall in either of the aforementioned classes.
- Ming Guang means "Bright Brilliant", and refers to a type of armor attested during the Three Kingdoms period.
