Scorpion
Siege WeaponBase 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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Scorpion
Castle
Heavy Scorpion
ImperialThe coach's briefing
The Scorpion fires bolts that pass through enemies, hitting everything in a line. Against grouped units, one bolt can damage 5+ enemies. It has minimum range like Mangonels. Great against infantry blobs and archers. Protect from cavalry.
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 Scorpion is your **line damage dealer**. Unlike Mangonels that deal splash, Scorpions pierce through enemies in a line.
Tactical Playbook
Corridor Fighting
Scorpions excel in narrow spaces. In forests or chokepoints, enemies line up perfectly for your bolts to pierce through all of them.
Pike Support
Put Scorpions behind Pikemen. The pikes block cavalry while your Scorpions shoot through the fight, hitting multiple enemies.
Anti-Ram
Scorpions get +1 bonus vs Rams (2 with Heavy Scorpion). Use them to snipe enemy siege while dealing line damage to infantry.
Critical Point
**Cavalry and Mangonels** counter you hard. Knights close distance fast, and Mangonels outrange you while dealing splash damage.
Understanding The Stats
The Scorpion is a specialized unit that excels when enemies group up in lines. Positioning is key.
Line Damage
Bolts pierce through all units in a line. More enemies in line = more total damage.
Minimum Range
Cannot attack units within 2 tiles. Less severe than Mangonel but still exploitable.
Good Range
Decent range for Castle Age. Can outrange most infantry and some archers.
Fragile
Very low HP. Even more fragile than Mangonels. Needs protection.
Coach's Tip
Your 40 HP is the lowest of any siege unit. A Knight kills you in 4 hits. Position behind infantry and never let cavalry reach you.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| War Elephant | +7 |
| Building | +3 |
| Ram | +1 |
Armor Classes
Siege Weapon
Takes bonus from Mangonels and Bombard Cannons. Can be repaired.
Key Upgrades
Civilizations
* 49 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
Scorpion is the ranged Siege Weapon whose pass-through attack is designed to punish large groups. It costs 75 wood and 75 gold, has 40 HP, 11 attack, 0 melee/7 pierce armor, a 2-7 range, 0.65 speed and 9 line of sight, with a 30-second train time. The official help says it cannot attack at close range, is strong against large groups and weak against Siege Weapons and units at close range. Its data gives +7 against Elephants, +3 against buildings and +1 against Rams, so line geometry matters more than a single target duel.
History & balance
Scorpion is the first Siege Workshop answer built around a line rather than a single projectile. The official help connects it to University range, attack and accuracy, the conversion to Heavy Scorpion and Monk resistance. Its pass-through identity stays visible in the numbers: 11 attack, 2-7 range and only 40 HP create a weapon that rewards a protected angle but collapses when the enemy reaches it. The design also keeps a clean siege relationship: Scorpions punish massed units, while other Siege Weapons and close-range units punish the machine.
In pro play
Place Scorpions where the opponent must pass several units through the same lane. The pass-through attack and +7 Elephant bonus reward a compact target, while +1 against Rams gives the machine a job during a building push. Keep the 2-7 range and 9 line of sight working behind Infantry, walls or terrain; 0.65 speed and 40 HP make a retreat late. Do not click every unit separately. Hold the line, focus the leading mass, and move the siege only when the next angle is safer than the current one, before the next volley lands.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is to feed Infantry into a Scorpion one by one, giving its pass-through attack the straight line it wants. In practice, the counters are Siege Weapons and units at close range. Use the unit that closes first, then bring your own siege to remove the machine; Knights and Cavalry can exploit 0 melee armor and 0.65 speed, while a Mangonel answers from the Siege class. Do not stand in a queue. If you keep losing to Scorpions 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.