Light Cavalry
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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The coach's briefing
The Light Cavalry is your Scout Cavalry evolved. With 1.5 speed and +10 bonus vs Monks, Light Cav becomes a serious raiding threat in Castle Age. They're still trash units, making them perfect for constant pressure while you save gold for Knights or unique units. Essential for protecting your siege and sniping enemy Monks.
STRONG AGAINST
You win these trades cost-effectively.
WEAK AGAINST
Avoid these fights or bring support.
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Your coach names the counters during the match — not once the game is over.
Strategic Analysis
Tactical Identity
The Light Cavalry is your **Castle Age raiding workhorse**. The speed upgrade to 1.5 makes them nearly impossible to catch, and the improved stats let them fight better in small skirmishes.
Tactical Playbook
Siege Assassination
Light Cavalry excel at diving past defenses to kill Mangonels and Scorpions. Their speed lets them get in, deal damage, and escape.
Monk Counter
With +10 vs Monks, Light Cavalry are the premier Monk counter. Keep a few near your Knights to protect them from conversions.
Trash Wars Opener
Start building Light Cavalry when gold gets low. They counter Skirmishers (indirectly by forcing response) and raid efficiently.
Critical Point
Still very weak to **Pikemen** and **Camels**. The speed increase doesn't help if you run into a wall of spears.
Understanding The Stats
Light Cavalry represents a significant power spike over Scout Cavalry. The speed and attack improvements transform them from scouts into true raiders.
Speed Demon
25% faster than Scout Cavalry. You can outrun everything except other Light Cavalry. Use this to raid and escape constantly.
Attack Upgrade
More than double the Scout's 3 Attack. You can now kill Villagers in 3 hits instead of 5. Raids become much more deadly.
Monk Slayer
A Monk has 30 HP. You deal 17 damage per hit. Two hits and the Monk is dead or nearly dead.
Durability
+15 HP over Scout Cavalry. Combined with 2 Pierce Armor, you can tank archer fire while raiding.
Coach's Tip
Your 1.5 speed is elite-tier mobility. Use it to constantly raid - hit a woodline, kill 2 Villagers, and leave before Pikemen arrive. Repeat everywhere on the map.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Monk | +10 |
Armor Classes
Cavalry
Takes heavy bonus damage from Pikemen/Halberdiers and Camels.
Key Upgrades
Feudal Age
Castle Age
Civilizations
* 46 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
Light Cavalry is the Castle Age upgrade that turns Scout Cavalry into a faster raiding unit. It costs 80 food and no gold, has 60 HP, 7 attack, 0 melee/2 pierce armor, 1.5 speed and 4 line of sight, with a 30-second train time. The official help keeps the conversion resistance and says it is exceptionally strong against Monastery Units, while the Spearman-line and Camel Riders remain its weaknesses. Its +10 bonus against Monks explains the specialization: it is a mobile answer to conversion pressure, not a unit that wins every melee exchange.
History & balance
The Light Cavalry is the Castle Age branch of the Scout Cavalry line, and the official help points forward to Hussar or Winged Hussar in the Stable. Blacksmith attack and armor, Stable speed and HP, and the creation-speed upgrade all support a continuous raid identity. The jump to 1.5 speed and 7 attack is a functional change rather than a new class: it reaches more targets, punishes retreating Monastery units and keeps the no-gold economy. The counter relationship remains visible because the spear-line and Camel Riders still answer it.
In pro play
Use Light Cavalry to make the opponent respect every exposed Monk, siege unit or economic route. The 1.5 speed lets the group choose contact, while 60 HP, 2 pierce armor and 7 attack make a short raid meaningful; the +10 Monk bonus gives priority to conversion support. Because the unit costs only food, it can maintain pressure while gold is reserved for a different Castle Age plan. Do not turn speed into autopilot: check for spears and camels first, strike the edge of the army, retreat before the screen closes, and return where the opponent cannot cover everything.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is to believe Light Cavalry can run through any line because it is faster. The official Weak vs. lists the Spearman-line and Camel Riders. Spearmen have +15 against Cavalry and Camel Riders +9, so the bonus damage makes a direct dive expensive even when the Light Cavalry escapes the first contact. Build the counter at the route or target, then use the wall of bodies to deny the raid instead of chasing. If you keep losing to Light Cavalry without knowing what to build or when, that is exactly what AoE Coach does: it reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.