Unit Statistics

Understanding AoE2 Unit Categories

The unit database above shows base statistics, but understanding what those numbers mean in practice separates players who use the stats from those who use the knowledge. Each category has its own combat role, upgrade path, and counter relationships that shape how armies should be composed and used in battle.

Infantry — The Reliable Backbone

The infantry line in AoE2 runs from the humble Militia all the way to the Champion in Imperial Age, with the spear line providing an entirely different role. Militia-line units are the strongest melee units in the game in terms of raw damage output and hit points. The Champion, with 70 HP and 13 attack, can tear through buildings and trash units alike. However, infantry are slow (0.9 tiles per second), which means they struggle to chase cavalry and are easily kited by archers unless supported by siege or terrain funneling.

The spear line — Spearman, Pikeman, Halberdier — compensates for their relatively low base attack with massive bonus damage against cavalry. A Halberdier has 6 base attack but 26 attack against cavalry, making it one of the most efficient cavalry counters in the game at just 35 food, 25 gold. Infantry shine on maps with chokepoints, in post-Imperial trash wars, and in civilizations like the Japanese, Goths, and Aztecs that provide significant bonuses to the infantry line.

Archers — Ranged Flexibility

Archers are the most popular unit class in competitive play because they provide consistent ranged damage at a relatively affordable cost (25 wood, 45 gold for an Archer). The transition from Archer to Crossbowman in Castle Age and Arbalester in Imperial Age is one of the most common mid-game strategic paths. Pierce armor values are critical when evaluating archer effectiveness — units with high pierce armor like Huskarls (6 pierce armor) or well-upgraded infantry take significantly reduced damage from archers.

The Skirmisher line exists specifically to counter archers. With 3 pierce armor base and additional bonus damage against archers themselves, Elite Skirmishers are cost-efficient counters. However, Skirmishers are easily dispatched by cavalry, siege, or massed infantry, which is why mixed compositions are usually more effective than pure Skirmisher blobs. Cavalry Archers represent the mobile ranged option: 1.4 speed makes them impossible to catch for most units, and civilizations like the Mongols (who fire 25% faster) or Turks (who get free upgrades) make Heavy Cavalry Archers one of the most terrifying late-game compositions.

Cavalry — Speed and Power

Cavalry is defined by speed and flexibility. Scout Cavalry arrives at 1.55 tiles per second — the fastest unit in Feudal Age — and is used for early harassment, hunting sheep, and applying pressure to an opponent's villagers or economy. The progression to Light Cavalry and Hussar provides cost-efficient trash units with high mobility for late-game use.

The Knight line is the powerhouse of cavalry: 100 HP and 10 attack on a base Knight is already strong, and the Paladin at 160 HP and 14 attack with 2 melee and 3 pierce armor is genuinely terrifying in Imperial Age. Not all civilizations can fully upgrade to Paladin — Franks, Lithuanians, and Persians are among those who reach Paladin and receive additional bonuses on top. Camels counter cavalry directly by dealing bonus damage against horses, making them essential for players whose civilizations lack access to Halberds or Monks.

Siege — Economic Leverage

Siege weapons are the great equalizer in AoE2. A group of 15 Mangonels can wipe out an entire ball of archers that took 10 minutes to accumulate. The Battering Ram line is specifically designed to attack buildings — with massive building attack but deliberately low damage against units — while the Mangonel, Onager, and Siege Onager deal area-of-effect damage that punishes clustered armies. The Scorpion line fires piercing bolts that pass through multiple units, making them excellent against infantry or archers in narrow formations.

Trebuchets and Bombard Cannons represent the ultimate siege options: Trebuchets have extraordinary range and nearly unlimited building damage when stationary, while Bombard Cannons are more mobile and deal bonus damage against infantry. Civilizations like the Koreans (cheaper siege), Celts (faster-moving siege), and Ethiopians (Freeborn Mangudai equivalent) all gain significant advantages through siege-focused bonuses.

Blacksmith Upgrades and Their Impact

The stats in the table above are base values. Blacksmith upgrades dramatically change the effective performance of every unit. Attack upgrades (Forging, Iron Casting, Blast Furnace) add flat attack values across infantry, archers, and cavalry. Armor upgrades (Scale, Chain, Plate for both melee and pierce) reduce incoming damage class by class. The difference between a fully upgraded unit and a base unit can be 5–7 points of attack and 3–4 points of armor — a gap large enough to completely flip counter relationships when one player has upgrades and the other does not.