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This article is about the technology in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. For the technology in Age of Mythology: Tale of the Dragon, see Stirrup.

Stirrups is a technology in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition that is unique to the Bulgarians and can be researched at the Castle. Once researched, it increases the attack speed of all cavalry units by 33%.

Tactics[]

Mounted Konniks have the slowest melee attack of a cavalry unit in the game; however, after researching it, their attack rate drops to that of a Knight (1.8), while having a higher base attack than Knights, so in the Castle Age, this technology is a must if the player wants to utilize them, though it is quite expensive and Blacksmith technologies should still be prioritized first. In the post-Imperial Age, Elite Konniks attack faster than generic Paladins and at the same rate as Savars. This, combined with their easy creation and being able to fight dismounted, make the Konnik one of the best cavalry units in the game, as well one of the finest unique units.

Stirrups also affects light cavalry, which puts their Hussars at a huge advantage in "trash wars" as well performing extremely good at raiding and killing Villagers, and probably makes a fully upgraded Bulgarian Hussar the strongest in the game and able to defeat generic Hussars, Mongol Hussars, and even Malian Light Cavalry with Farimba in one-to-one combat.

With update 36906, to compensate for losing access to Paladins, Stirrups was changed to affect the Knight line as well, and as a result, Bulgarian Knights become one of the most dominant units in the Castle Age, excelling at assaults and able to stand up against even Camel Riders and Pikemen, and Bulgarian Cavaliers when fully upgraded have the highest potential damage per second among the cavalry units in the game (excluding elephants), even outperforming Lithuanian Paladins with 4 Relics collected and Malian Cavaliers with Farimba (~11.85 damage per second vs 10.53 and 10.56, respectively).

Dismounted Konniks and Cavalry Archers are unaffected by Stirrups.

Team bonuses[]

Changelog[]

Definitive Edition[]

History[]

The stirrup, which gives greater stability to a rider, has been described as one of the most significant inventions in the history of warfare, prior to gunpowder. As a tool allowing expanded use of horses in warfare, the stirrup is often called the third revolutionary step in equipment, after the chariot and the saddle.

The earliest foot supports was a toe loop that held the big toe and was used in India late in the second century BC, though may have appeared as early as 500 BC. Buddhist carvings in the temples of Sanchi, Mathura and the Bhaja caves dating back between the 1st and 2nd century BC figure horsemen riding with elaborate saddles with toes slipped under girths. In this regard archaeologist John Marshall described the Sanchi relief as "the earliest example by some five centuries of the use of stirrups in any part of the world".

Stirrups real life

Cavalry reenactor with stirrups

It is speculated that stirrups may have been used in China as early as the Han dynasty (206 BCโ€“ 220 AD). The paired stirrups was invented in China during the Jin Dynasty by the early 4th century AD. The earliest extant double stirrups were discovered in the tomb of a Northern Yan noble, Feng Sufu, who died in 415 AD. The stirrup appeared to be in widespread use across China by 477 AD.

By the late 6th or early 7th century AD, primarily due to invaders from Central Asia, such as the Avars and the Bulgars, stirrups began spreading across Asia to Europe from China. In terms of archaeological finds, the iron pear-shaped form of stirrups, the ancestor of medieval European types, has been found in Europe in 7th century Avar graves in Hungary. By the 8th century stirrups began to be adopted more widely by Europeans.

Trivia[]

  • In the alpha, a technology called "Stirrup" existed, allowing the training of lance cavalry units. This was removed at one point during development, meaning stirrups did not appear in the final game until over 20 years later.
Unique technologies in Age of Empires II
Civilization Castle Age Imperial Age Civilization Castle Age Imperial Age
Britons Yeomen Warwolf Byzantines Greek Fire Logistica
Celts Stronghold Furor Celtica Chinese Great Wall Rocketry
Franks Bearded Axe Chivalry Goths Anarchy Perfusion
Japanese Yasama Kataparuto Mongols Nomads Drill
Persians Kamandaran Citadels Saracens Bimaristan Counterweights
Teutons Ironclad Crenellations Turks Sipahi Artillery
Vikings Chieftains Bogsveigar Aztecs Atlatl Garland Wars
Huns Marauders Atheism Koreans Eupseong Shinkichon
Maya Hul'che Javelineers El Dorado Spanish Inquisition Supremacy
Inca Andean Sling Fabric Shields Italians Silk Road Pirotechnia
Magyars Corvinian Army Recurve Bow Slavs Detinets Druzhina
Berbers Kasbah Maghrebi Camels Ethiopians Royal Heirs Torsion Engines
Malians Tigui Farimba Portuguese Carrack Arquebus
Burmese Manipur Cavalry Howdah Khmer Tusk Swords Double Crossbow
Malay Thalassocracy Forced Levy Vietnamese Chatras Paper Money
Bulgarians Stirrups Bagains Cumans Steppe Husbandry Cuman Mercenaries
Lithuanians Hill Forts Tower Shields Tatars Silk Armor Timurid Siegecraft
Burgundians Burgundian Vineyards Flemish Revolution Sicilians First Crusade Hauberk
Bohemians Wagenburg Tactics Hussite Reforms Poles Szlachta Privileges Lechitic Legacy
Bengalis Paiks Mahayana Dravidians Medical Corps Wootz Steel
Gurjaras Kshatriyas Frontier Guards Hindustanis Grand Trunk Road Shatagni
Romans Ballistas Comitatenses Armenians Cilician Fleet Fereters
Georgians Svan Towers Aznauri Cavalry Jurchens Fortified Bastions Thunderclap Bombs
Khitans Lamellar Armor Ordo Cavalry Shu Coiled Serpent Array Bolt Magazine
Wei Tuntian Ming Guang Armor Wu Red Cliffs Tactics Sitting Tiger
Revised technologies
Couriers ยท Manipur Cavalry ยท Paper Money ยท Royal Heirs
Removed technologies
Boiling Oil ยท Camelry ยท Madrasah ยท Obsidian Arrows ยท Orthodoxy ยท Panokseon ยท Pavise
Berserkergang ยท Mahouts ยท Scutage ยท Zealotry