Magyars civilization icon - Age of Empires 2

Magyars

Cavalry
The Forgotten
Specialties
Cavalry Archers

Team Bonus

Mounted Archers train +25% faster

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Overview

"The Magyars are a cavalry civilization with villagers that one-shot wolves, cheaper scout cavalry, and free melee attack upgrades."

Civilization Bonuses

  • 1

    Villagers defeat wolves with one strike

  • 2

    Scout Cavalry-line costs -15%

  • 3

    Melee attack upgrades free

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Context & meta

Magyars are a flexible cavalry-and-Cavalry-Archer civilization with a clean, efficient bonus package. Their melee attack upgrades (Forging, Iron Casting, Blast Furnace) are free, saving huge gold and giving their Scouts, Knights and infantry a permanent attack edge. Their Scout Cavalry-line costs -15%, enabling one of the strongest Feudal Scout rushes in the game, and their villagers one-shot wolves for safer early hunting. The Magyar Huszar unique unit is a cheap, anti-siege cavalry. Magyars excel at aggressive Scout-and-Knight openings backed by a Cavalry Archer transition (their team bonus trains mounted archers +25% faster).

History & balance

Magyars were introduced in The Forgotten and have remained a strong aggressive cavalry civ. The free melee attack upgrades are deceptively powerful — Magyar Scouts and Knights hit harder than the opponent's for no gold investment, a constant edge in cavalry fights. The -15% Scout cost enables a feared Feudal Scout rush. The Magyar Huszar, a cheap cavalry with an anti-siege bonus and no gold cost at Elite, gives them a strong Trash War cavalry. Balance has kept Magyars a top aggressive Arabia pick without a dominant single power spike.

In pro play

Magyars are a classic aggressive Arabia pick. Pros open with the cheap Scout rush (-15% cost) to pressure early, then transition into Knights with free attack upgrades or into cheap Cavalry Archers. The free Forging/Iron Casting/Blast Furnace means their melee army always out-damages an equal-investment opponent. The Magyar Huszar is a strong Trash War unit and a clean anti-siege answer. Magyars reward relentless mounted aggression and smooth transitions; they are a comfort pick for players who like to dictate the early game on open maps.

How to counter it

Magyars rely on cavalry aggression, so the standard answers apply: Camels and Halberdiers stop their Knights and Scouts, and walling plus Spearmen blunts the Feudal Scout rush. Their economy has no boom bonus, so a defensive boom can out-scale them if you survive the early pressure. Their Cavalry Archers are strong but Skirmishers contest them. The free attack upgrades make their melee units hit hard, so don't trade evenly into them — use anti-cavalry bonus units or out-range with archers. Survive the aggressive opening and Magyars lack a knockout lategame spike.