Mongols
The Mongols are a cavalry archer civilization with fast hunters, fast-attacking cavalry archers, and light cavalry with extra HP.
Playstyle: Cavalry Archers
Specialties: Cavalry, Archers, Siege
Civilization Bonuses
- Hunters work +40% faster
- Cavalry Archers attack +25% faster
- Light Horsemen +20/30% HP in Castle/Imperial Age
Team Bonus
Scout Cavalry-line +2 line of sight
Unique Units
Unique Technologies
Meta Context
Mongols are the premier Cavalry Archer civilization. Their package — 30% faster Light Cav, 40% faster Hunter work rate, Mangudai unique unit, Drill (Siege +50% movement speed), and the +30% HP Cav Archer bonus in Imperial — defines a hit-and-run playstyle that excels on open maps. Mongol Hunter bonus enables a faster Feudal Age timing on maps with abundant deer/boar. The classic Mongol composition is Mangudai + Hussar + Siege Onager — mobile, hard-hitting, and difficult to pin down. They're top-tier on Arabia, mid-tier on Arena.
Patch History
Hunting bonus has been adjusted multiple times — originally 50%, settled at 40%. Mangudai range, anti-siege bonus, and accuracy have each been buffed-then-nerfed across 2020-2024 patches. Drill cost was reduced from 500F/450G to 400F/350G in 2023, making the Mangudai+Siege endgame more accessible. The Mongol generic +30% HP Cav Archer bonus in Imperial (added in the 2022 buff pass) pushed Mongols into S-tier briefly before subsequent siege nerfs balanced things out. As of 2026, Mongols sit comfortably in A-tier on most ranking lists.
Pro-Level Usage
TheViper's Mongol Wololo Legacy 2023 finals run is required viewing — 4 wins in a row featuring the Hunter-rush opening into Scout aggression into Mangudai mass. T90Official's Mongol cast vocabulary ("Mangudai parade", "Drill timing") is now part of every cast. Liereyy's 2025 Hidden Cup VIII Mongol vs Frank semi-final is studied for its perfect Hunter timing and Mangudai positioning. In team games, Mongols are the standard "pocket" pick — they out-eco the field and provide late-game Mangudai support.
In-Depth Counters
Skirmisher mass is the textbook anti-Mangudai answer but Mongol speed makes Skirms hard to land on. Cataphracts (Byzantines) with Logistica trample-damage Mangudai mass — the cleanest hard counter. Eagle Warriors (Aztecs, Mayans) dodge well but lose if Mongols transition to Hussar+Onager. The map-control counter: forward-Castle the Mongol gold mining sites. Mongols can't produce Mangudai without gold, so denying that resource collapses their late-game. On Arabia, Knights pressure the Mongol player's villager economy in early Castle Age — they have no Bloodlines (true) so Mongol Scouts/Hussars are slightly behind in HP.