Wootz Steel

Wootz Steel
Availability
Introduced in	Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Dynasties of India
Civilization	Dravidians
Age	Imperial Age
Research
Researched at	Castle
Food	650
Gold	550
Research time	60 seconds
Effect
Infantry and cavalry attacks ignore armor

Wootz Steel is a technology in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Dynasties of India that is unique to the Dravidians and can be researched at the Castle once the Imperial Age is reached. Once researched, the attacks of their infantry and cavalry ignore armor.

Strategy

Wootz Steel makes Dravidian infantry and cavalry ignore armor on their attack, like the Leitis. This gives Dravidian infantry and cavalry a sizable attack boost against most units, especially high-melee-armored units such as Teutonic Knights and Boyars. Ignoring melee armor does not mean Dravidian infantry and cavalry are automatically good against high-melee-armor targets. Two important matchups are against heavy infantry and heavy cavalry. Taking Champions and Paladins as standards and assuming all armor upgrades researched for them, Wootz Steel gives seemingly +4 and +5 attack bonus against them, which can be significant.

On the other hand, this technology does not help much against archers and is useless against siege weapons (since armor ignoring does not work against siege). Reaching archers with less damage taken is more important than dealing damage itself, and most infantry and Dravidian cavalry are weak in that aspect too. Archers also have low armor and their armor upgrades are not even a priority. Considering first two Blacksmith armor technologies, it gives a modest +2 and +3 attack bonus against foot and mounted archers respectively.

Unfortunately, the Dravidians have arguably the worst Stable, as the one Stable technology they have is the Light Cavalry upgrade. As Light Cavalry are best when facing Villagers, siege (which the technology does nothing against), Monks, and Skirmishers, amongst which only Skirmishers have noticeable melee armor (and even then they are frail and cannot retaliate in melee), this technology is only of slight benefit. With all technologies researched, their Battle Elephants have 16 attack, and regeneration through Medical Corps, though they are still the worst Battle Elephants when directly compared in combat while also taking less hits against archers (even when compared to the Malay).

Wootz Steel does not interfere with attack bonuses, so positive armor class bonuses will not be ignored.

Splash damage

While on the surface, it might seem as if ignoring armor would offer a massive benefit to splash damage of the Urumi Swordsman and Battle Elephant (as it deals small amounts of damage to surrounding enemies, intuitively offering significant benefit from bypassing armor), splash damage is typically based on the post-armor damage of the primary attack, so the effects of Wootz Steel are actually no greater for the splash damage than for the normal attack.

For example, a Battle Elephant deals 25% splash damage to surrounding enemies. Against a Paladin, normal splash damage will be $(16-5)\times 0.25=2.75$ damage. With Wootz Steel, this damage increases to $16\times 0.25=4$ damage, not 7.75 damage. Similarly, the Urumi Swordsman, which deals 50% splash damage on its charge attack, will deal $(29-5)\times 0.5=12$ splash damage without Wootz Steel, or $29\times 0.5=14.5$ splash damage with Wootz Steel. As a result, the charge attack on the Urumi Swordsman actually benefits the least of any melee unit from this technology.

Team bonuses

• Portuguese: Researching Wootz Steel is 25% faster.

Changelog

Victors and Vanquished

• With update 111772, Wootz Steel cost decreased from 750 food, 600 gold to 650 food, 550 gold.

History

Modern replica of a medieval Indian-style wootz steel dagger with silver inlay

Wootz steel, also known as Seric steel, is a crucible steel characterized by a pattern of bands and high carbon content. It was a pioneering steel alloy developed in India in the mid-1st millennium BC and exported globally. Trade between South India and Sri Lanka with the Arab world through the Arabian Sea introduced Wootz Steel to Arabia. The term muhannad or hendeyy in pre-Islamic and early Islamic Arabic refers to sword blades made from Indian steel, which were highly prized, and are attested in Arabic poetry. Further trade spread the technology to the city of Damascus, where an industry developed for making weapons of this steel. This led to the development of Damascus steel. The 12th century Arab traveler Edrisi mentioned the "Hinduwani" or Indian steel as the best in the world.