Champion
InfantryBase 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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Try it freeEvolution
Militia
Dark
Man-at-Arms
Feudal
Long Swordsman
Castle
Two-Handed Swordsman
Imperial Champion
ImperialThe coach's briefing
The Champion is your ultimate melee infantry. With 14 attack and 70 HP, they crush trash units and Eagles. Their low gold cost (20) makes them sustainable in long games. Pair with siege or ranged support to cover their weakness to archers. Champions are essential for trash wars and raiding. Classes: Infantry.
STRONG AGAINST
You win these trades cost-effectively.
WEAK AGAINST
Avoid these fights or bring support.
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Strategic Analysis
Tactical Identity
The Champion is the **trash war king**. In late Imperial Age when gold is scarce, Champions provide reliable, gold-efficient damage that dominates Hussars and Halberdiers.
Tactical Playbook
Trash War Supremacy
Champions beat all trash units 1v1. A ball of Champions will shred any Hussar or Halberdier spam.
Building Destruction
With +4 vs buildings (+6 with Arson), Champions tear through enemy production and economy buildings.
Support Composition
Pair with Siege Onagers or Heavy Scorpions. Champions protect siege while siege clears the archers that counter you.
Critical Point
**Hand Cannoneers** and **Jaguar Warriors** destroy Champions. Avoid Aztecs and civs with strong gunpowder access.
Understanding The Stats
The Champion represents the pinnacle of the Militia line, with stats that make them a legitimate late-game threat despite being 'just' infantry.
High Attack
14 base attack means you kill Hussars in 6 hits, Halberdiers in 5. With Blast Furnace, you reach 15 attack.
Solid Durability
70 HP with full armor upgrades (+4/+5) makes you surprisingly tanky in melee fights.
Eagle Annihilation
Combined with 14 attack, you deal 22 damage to Eagles. Elite Eagle Warriors die in 3 hits.
Gold Efficiency
Costing only 20 gold means you outproduce Paladins (75g) nearly 4:1 in trash wars.
Coach's Tip
14 attack with Blast Furnace = 16 attack. You now 4-shot Hussars instead of 5-shot. Always prioritize Blacksmith upgrades.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Standard Building | +4 |
| Eagle Warrior | +8 |
Armor Classes
Infantry
Takes bonus damage from Hand Cannoneers, Slingers, and anti-infantry unique units.
Key Upgrades
Feudal Age
Castle Age
Civilizations
* 32 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Champion is the final Militia-line upgrade and the premier generalist infantry unit. With strong HP, attack and full Blacksmith armor, Champions deal solid damage to almost everything and carry a bonus versus buildings and standard buildings-pushing, plus they are excellent against other infantry and Eagle Warriors. They cost food and gold and are slow, so they are not a default army, but for infantry-bonus civilizations (Goths, Vikings, Japanese, Aztecs, Bulgarians) a mass of upgraded Champions is a genuine win condition that grinds through enemy lines and demolishes buildings.
History & balance
The Militia line (Militia → Man-at-Arms → Long Swordsman → Two-Handed Swordsman → Champion) is the oldest unit progression in the game. The Definitive Edition repeatedly buffed infantry to make Champion play viable beyond a few specialist civs — adjustments to Supplies (cheaper Militia-line food cost), Gambesons (extra pierce armor) and movement speed all aimed to fix infantry's historical weakness to archers. Champion stats themselves have crept upward over the years, and the building bonus makes them a real siege-adjacent threat in the late game.
In pro play
Champions shine for infantry-bonus civs in the late game, especially on closed maps where their slow speed is less punished. Goths are the textbook Champion civ — cheap, fast-produced infantry flooding from multiple Barracks overwhelms opponents in Imperial Age. Pros use Champion masses to demolish buildings and Castles (their building bonus is significant) and to crush enemy infantry and Eagles. The Supplies tech makes early Man-at-Arms aggression cost-effective, and the line scales into a Champion endgame for the right civilizations.
How to counter it
Champions are infantry, so the universal anti-infantry kit beats them: Archers and Crossbowmen kite them (infantry is slow and has limited pierce armor), Mangonels and Onagers devastate clumped Champions, and Scorpions punish masses. Cavalry runs them down in the open. The exception is the Goth flood, where sheer numbers and cheap cost can overwhelm a small ranged army — the counter there is Onagers and walls to control the chokepoints. In general, never trade infantry-for-infantry against a Champion-bonus civ; out-range them instead.