Elite Boyar
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.
Stop searching after the game
The coach calls out counters live, the moment the unit shows up.
Try it freeEvolution
Boyar
Castle Elite Boyar
ImperialThe coach's briefing
You now have 8 melee armor - that's insane. Knights deal only 4 damage per hit to you. With 130 HP and 14 attack, you're a melee monster. The upgrade costs 1000F/600G and is absolutely worth it. Even Paladins struggle against Elite Boyars in equal numbers.
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 Elite Boyar becomes **the ultimate melee cavalry**. 8 melee armor makes it nearly invincible against melee units.
Tactical Playbook
8 Melee Armor
Knights deal 4 damage. Cavaliers deal 6. You destroy them before they scratch you.
Paladin Killer
Paladins deal only 6 damage (14-8). You deal 11 (14-3). You win convincingly.
Infantry Crusher
Champions deal only 5 damage. You're nearly immune to infantry.
Critical Point
**Still weak to ranged and bonus damage**. Archers, Monks, Halbs and Camels remain threats.
Understanding The Stats
The Elite upgrade doubles down on melee armor, creating the most melee-resistant cavalry in the game.
Insane Armor
8 melee armor is unmatched. Near immunity to melee.
Massive HP
+30 HP over base. With armor, incredibly tanky.
Higher Attack
+2 over base. Better kill speed.
Same Speed
Standard cavalry speed. Good chase potential.
Coach's Tip
8 melee armor + Bloodlines gives you 150 HP. You're tankier than Paladins (160 HP, 2 melee armor) against melee.
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
Feudal Age
Castle Age
Civilizations
* 1 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
Elite Boyar is the Slavic unique heavy cavalry unit, built to win direct melee contact through exceptional armor. It costs 60 food and 70 gold, trains in 15 seconds, and has 130 HP, 14 attack, 8 melee armor and 3 pierce armor. Its speed is 1.3 and its line of sight is 5. The official help gives the categories: close units as a strength, and the Spearman-line and Monks as weaknesses. That profile makes the Boyar a blunt but expensive front line. It does not need a trick to be dangerous; it needs enough bodies to keep the contact dense.
History & balance
The Elite Boyar is a clear answer to the question of what heavy armor should feel like in Age of Empires II. Eight melee armor lets the unit ignore much of the ordinary sword fight, so its presence changes the opponent's production menu before the battle begins. That strength is deliberately narrow. Spearmen still attack the cavalry class, and Monks can turn the expensive investment against its owner. The Boyar therefore represents the Slavic preference for a hard center with an obvious support problem: armor wins contact, but it does not solve conversion or cost.
In pro play
Build Elite Boyars for the moment when the opponent must fight in a corridor, around a Castle, or against a protected siege core. Their 8 melee armor and 130 HP make ordinary close units poor damage dealers, while 1.3 speed lets the group choose which part of the line to crush. Do not spend the army on a blind dive into Monks or a prepared Spearman-line. Keep a few units between the Boyars and conversion attempts, use the 15-second train time to sustain a Castle queue, and remember that every 70 gold unit lost is a real delay to the next armor upgrade.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is meeting Elite Boyars with ordinary swordsmen and assuming more melee armor will fix the problem. The official help gives the categories: close units as a strength, and the Spearman-line and Monks as weaknesses. In practice, Halberdiers have a real bonus against Cavalry, while Monks can convert the high-value targets; use the first to pin the front and the second behind a protected line. Keep conversions away from the charge and focus one Boyar at a time when the screen collapses. Losing to Elite Boyars without knowing what to produce or when? AoE Coach reads your matchup and gives you the composition + timing.