Coustillier
CavalryBase 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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Coustillier
Castle
Elite Coustillier
ImperialThe coach's briefing
The Coutilier is a 'Double-Barreled Shotgun'. Its unique Charge Attack deals +35 damage (+40 Elite) on the first hit, allowing it to one-shot villagers or snipe an ISOLATED monk before it can convert. Against several monks it loses the exchange: the game itself rates the Coustillier weak vs Monks. After the burst, it must wait 40 seconds to recharge. Use hit-and-run tactics; do not stay in prolonged melee combat.
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 **Hit-and-Run Assassin**. Designed to eliminate high-value targets (Villagers, isolated Monks, Siege) instantly and retreat.
Tactical Playbook
Charge Management
The charge bar indicates readiness. Engage only when full. The +35 damage ignores armor, making it deadly vs Knights too.
Raiding
Elite Coutiliers can one-shot villagers (unless Loom/Wheelbarrow/Hand Cart complications exist, but generally lethal). Best raiding unit in the game.
Cheap Gold
Costing only 55 Gold makes them easier to mass than Knights (60/75g). Use this to outnumber opponents.
Critical Point
Poor **Sustained DPS**. Once the charge is gone, their base stats are mediocre compared to Paladins. They also lack Bloodlines and the final Armor upgrade.
Understanding The Stats
High burst, low durability. The stat profile screams 'Glass Cannon' relative to other heavy cavalry.
Charge Attack
The defining stat. Deals flat damage added to the first hit. 40s Recharge.
Cost Efficiency
Very cheap on gold for a heavy cavalry unit. Allows for mixing in Paladins later.
Missing Techs
Lacks HP upgrade (Bloodlines) and final armor (Plate Barding), making them squishy in Imp.
Coach's Tip
Your base stats are MEDIOCRE after the charge - never forget this! You're not a Knight in a sustained fight. Treat each charge like a sniper shot - pick your target, strike, retreat.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| No damage bonus: this unit deals the same damage to every target. | |
Armor Classes
Cavalry
Takes heavy bonus damage from Pikemen/Halberdiers and Camels.
Unique Unit
Vulnerable to units with bonus damage vs this class.
Key Upgrades
Castle Age
Imperial Age
Civilizations
* 1 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Coutilier is the Burgundian unique heavy cavalry, a Castle-Age shock unit whose value is concentrated in its charged first strike. It costs 115 HP, 8 attack, 2/2 armor, 1.35 speed and a 55 food/55 gold cost; the official help confirms the charge and identifies Infantry and Archery Units as its strong categories. Burgundian early economic upgrades, cheap Stable technologies and early Cavalier access make the unit arrive as part of a wider cavalry economy. It is not a generic Knight replacement: the charge, 15-second train time and 2 pierce armor ask for target selection.
History & balance
The Coutilier expresses the Burgundian design in one clean mechanic: invest in a durable mounted body, then convert the first contact into a burst of damage. The civilization identity supports that plan with economic upgrades one age early, half-price Stable technologies and a Cavalier upgrade available in the Castle Age. The unit therefore belongs to a civilization that can spend its early momentum on cavalry without abandoning its economy. Its identity is deliberately sharper than a Knight's: the charge rewards preparation and retreat, while ordinary exchanges after the burst are less decisive. The result is a cavalry unit that teaches timing rather than simple numerical mass.
In pro play
Use Coutiliers as a mobile strike group, not as a front line that waits for a fair fight. Queue them from a Castle, keep the charge ready, and look for Villagers, Monks or exposed Archery Units; the official strong categories tell you where the first hit creates value. A 1.35-speed cavalry body can disengage after the burst, then return when the charge is available again. On an open map, pair raids with vision and a second Stable so production continues while the first group works. Against a protected army, do not dive: threaten several approaches, force Spearmen or Monks to stand still, and use the distraction to secure economy or another attack.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is letting a Coutilier charge the most expensive unit in a tight formation, then trying to answer with Archers. The official help gives the categories: Coutiliers are weak versus Camel Riders and Monks. Camel Riders have +9 versus Cavalry, while Pikemen and Halberdiers have +22 and +32: cheap bodies absorb the charge and punish the recharge window. Spread valuable units, bait the charge on something disposable, and close only after it is spent. If you keep losing to Coutiliers without knowing what to produce or when, AoE Coach reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.