Wild Boar

The Wild Boar is a huntable animal in Age of Empires II and Age of Mythology.

Age of Empires II

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A Villager leading a Boar closer to a Town Center.

The Wild Boar is a huntable but dangerous animal. Like all aggressive huntables, it only attacks when it is attacked. It has 75 hit points and 7 attack, so it is far more difficult to kill than Deer. It is essential that Villagers take it on in groups, as a single Villager cannot handle a Boar. If Boars are killed by military units the food they hold is lost, so it is important to assign Villagers with that task.

Also, Boars deal bonus damage against Eagles and cavalry, so luring them to the Town Center with scouts can even be dangerous for them. However, military units can be used to significantly reduce a Boar's hit points (but not kill it), so that Villagers can finish the Boar more easily. The Wild Boar provides 340 food, more than most huntable animals. It is recommended to gather from the Boar as soon as the player has enough Villagers to do so. Boars are a fast source of free food. Boars are so profitable that it is recommended to gather any the player can find, even in the Imperial Age.

A Boar moves at a speed of 1 while attacking and 0.8 while roaming, compared to 1.2 for a Dark Age Scout Cavalry, 1.1 for an Eagle Scout, and 0.8 for a Villager.

The Javelina is an American version of the Boar, identical in all but name.

A powerful variant of the Wild Boar appears in the Attila the Hun campaign, known as the Iron Boar. It has 350 hit points, and it cannot be hunted by Villagers except in the Definitive Edition.

Strategies

1. Lure - A common strategy to kill a Boar is to have one Villager lure it to the Town Center by attacking it two times, and then run to the Town Center, where at least four other Villagers are waiting and kill the Boar. It is advisable to research Loom for luring a Boar. Without Loom, a Villager is killed in four hits. With Loom, a Villager is killed in seven hits.
2. Mill - Another strategy involves building a Mill near a large group of huntables (Boars and Deer) or near Berry Bushes. Then the player must team up on the Boar with at least five Villagers. The player must be careful since this is the most dangerous strategy as the player cannot garrison the Villager who is being attacked by the Boar. In some cases, the Boar will still have to be lured to the Mill.
3. Box Wall - Building a Palisade Wall around the Boar or even the attacking Villager can mess up the Boar's AI and one Villager can safely kill the Boar single-handed. This strategy isn't common, but it is good for early safe gathering of a Boar. The Wall doesn't have to be fully constructed just more than 1% to block the Boar's path.

Trivia

• During development, it was considered to give Wild Boars the ability to feed on Farms and Berry Bushes, reducing the food they could make for the player.
• The fifth Design Document of Ensemble Studios (dated 17 July 1998) suggested replacing the Wild Boar with a Bear.
• The Wild Boar's original range extended from Ireland to Japan and from North Africa and Java to southern Scandinavia and Siberia, thus covering all maps in the game except American and African maps.
• Like its domestic descendant, the Pig, the Wild Boar is considered unclean and forbidden to eat according to Muslim dietary laws (Haram), but the outwardly Muslim factions in the game (e.g. Saracens) receive no penalty for hunting boars. On the other hand, it took centuries for these laws to be universally accepted. Some Berbers in remote mountain areas, for example, argued that Pig and Wild Boar were different animals and continued to hunt, eat, and even make lucky charms from the second into the 20th century. The Wild Boar was also commonly hunted in Muslim Spain.
• Wild Boar hunting was considered very dangerous before the invention of firearms, due to the animal's ability to charge and gore with its tusks, and its thick hide and muscles being able to stop arrows. A common hunting method in Europe was to chase the boar with dogs and horses, tire it out, and then kill it from a short distance with either javelins or a special three-pointed pike called Boar Spear.

Video overview

Gallery

An angered Wild Boar chasing a Villager

Villagers butchering a Boar

Villagers gathering from a Boar in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

Age of Mythology

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The Boar in Age of Mythology fights back against hunters, but not that well, and is not very difficult to take down. It is generally found in the grassy areas in Greece.

During the Fall of the Trident campaign, Arkantos and his friend Ajax are transformed into boars by the sorceress Circe, and are only turned back by a blessing from Zeus.

History

“	Scientific name -- Sus Scrofa Size -- 150-300 lbs. for males Diet -- roots, bulbs, nuts, small animals, carrion The European wild boar feeds on roots, bulbs, tubers, nuts, turnips, corn and potatoes. They will sometimes eat larvae, small animals and carrion. The domestic pig is a direct descendant of the boar, and like pigs, boars wallow in mud to keep cool. Boar herds usually consist of sows. Males are solitary or found in small groups, except during the breeding season. Sows generally have one litter per year of 5-10 piglets, and are dedicated mothers. Sows are generally more aggressive than the males except during the rut. All adult boars are dangerous because of their large size and tusks, but generally won't attack unless provoked.	”
—In-game help section