Camel Rider
CamelBase values, before Blacksmith upgrades. The Blacksmith raises attack and armour for infantry, cavalry and archers — Blast Furnace, for instance, gives "+2 Attack for infantry & cavalry". Late in a game, the real numbers are higher.
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Camel Rider
Castle
Heavy Camel Rider
Imperial
Imperial Camel Rider
ImperialThe coach's briefing
The Camel Rider is your cavalry-killer cavalry. With +9 bonus damage against Cavalry, Camels hunt down Knights efficiently. They are faster than Knights at 1.45 speed but have no armor and less HP. Use them aggressively to counter enemy cavalry compositions. Avoid infantry and archers at all costs. Classes: Camel.
STRONG AGAINST
You win these trades cost-effectively.
WEAK AGAINST
Avoid these fights or bring support.
Just lost against this unit?
Your coach names the counters during the match — not once the game is over.
Strategic Analysis
Tactical Identity
The Camel Rider is a **mobile cavalry counter**. Unlike Pikemen who wait for cavalry to come to them, Camels can chase down Knights and force engagements. They are the aggressive answer to enemy cavalry strategies.
Tactical Playbook
Knight Hunter
Your speed advantage (1.45 vs 1.35) means you can catch Knights. Force fights when you have numbers, or use your mobility to pick off stragglers.
Map Control
Camels are cheap enough (55F/60G) to produce in quantity. Use them to patrol key areas and deny enemy cavalry raids.
Trade Denial
Your speed makes you excellent at sniping Trade Carts. Raid enemy trade routes while your opponent's Knights can't catch you.
Critical Point
Camels have **no armor** and take bonus damage from **Pikemen**. Never fight infantry head-on - your HP pool won't survive sustained melee with Champions or Halberdiers.
Understanding The Stats
The Camel Rider trades raw tankiness for speed and anti-cavalry effectiveness. Their stats are glass-cannon by design - devastating against cavalry, fragile against everything else.
Anti-Cavalry Specialist
Against a Knight (5 armor), you deal (6-5)+9 = 10 damage per hit. Not overwhelming, but your speed lets you get more hits in.
Speed Advantage
Faster than Knights (1.35). You dictate when and where fights happen. Run down retreating cavalry or disengage from bad fights.
Paper Armor
Zero armor makes you vulnerable to everything. Archers and infantry will tear through your 100 HP quickly.
Respectable HP
More than a Scout line but less than Knights. You can trade blows with cavalry but can't tank other damage types.
Coach's Tip
Your 1.45 speed is your greatest asset. You're faster than any Knight-line unit. Use this to chase, to flee, to raid. Never stand still in a fight - keep moving to maximize your advantage.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Cavalry | +9 |
| Camel | +5 |
| Ship | +5 |
Armor Classes
Camel
Takes specific bonus damage from Pikemen.
Key Upgrades
Feudal Age
Castle Age
Civilizations
* 13 civilizations have access to this unit.
Other Units
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Camel Rider is the game's premier anti-cavalry unit, a fast mounted unit that deals a large attack bonus versus all cavalry — Knights, Paladins, other Camels and even Elephants. It costs food and gold but no wood, making it cheaper to mass than it looks, and it moves at cavalry speed so it can also raid in a pinch. Camels are the reason no cavalry civilization can blindly snowball: any civ with access to Camel Riders can pivot mid-Castle Age and instantly neutralize a Knight push. The Heavy Camel Rider (and Imperial Camel for some civs) upgrade keeps the unit relevant into the late game.
History & balance
Camel Riders have always been the designated cavalry counter, and balance designers tune the cavalry meta largely through who gets Camels and how strong they are. The Definitive Edition added the Camel Scout (a Feudal-age camel for some civs) and reworked Camel costs and bonuses across several patches. The Imperial Camel Rider, available to a few civilizations, was repriced to keep it from dominating Trash Wars. Throughout, the Camel's identity as the answer to cavalry has never changed — it is a cornerstone of the rock-paper-scissors design.
In pro play
Pros pivot to Camel Riders the moment they scout an opponent committing to Knights — civilizations like Saracens, Berbers, Hindustanis and Malians treat Camels as a default Castle Age answer on Arabia. The key skill is the read: making Camels too early wastes resources against an archer opponent, too late and the Knights have already done damage. Camels are also used proactively by cavalry-counter civs to punish the many powerful Knight civilizations. In the late game, Heavy Camels plus Halberdiers form an unbreakable anti-cavalry wall.
How to counter it
Camels are weak to infantry and archers — they have a bonus only against cavalry, so against anything else they are mediocre. Archers and Crossbowmen shred Camels because Camels have poor pierce armor. Infantry (Champions, even Militia masses) beat Camels cost-effectively. The lesson for a cavalry player facing Camels is to not feed them: transition out of Knights into archers, infantry or siege rather than throwing more cavalry into the bonus. Skirmishers plus a few Camels of your own, or simply switching unit type, defangs an opponent who over-invested in Camel Riders.