Siege Onager
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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The coach's briefing
The Siege Onager is the ultimate area damage dealer. 75 attack and a massive blast radius can wipe entire armies in a few shots. Only 13 civilizations get it, making it a significant strategic advantage. Watch friendly fire - it will kill your own units as easily as enemies.
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 Siege Onager is the **game-ending splash weapon**. Few things survive its impact, making it the ultimate counter to massed armies.
Tactical Playbook
Army Wiper
One Siege Onager shot can kill 10+ Arbalests. The psychological pressure alone forces enemies to spread formations inefficiently.
Cut Trees Strategically
Use attack-ground to open paths through forests. Create flanking routes or deny enemy escape paths.
Defensive Anchor
A Siege Onager behind your wall acts as area denial. Enemies cannot mass units to attack without getting obliterated.
Critical Point
**Extreme friendly fire risk**. At 75 damage with huge splash, one misclick kills your own units. Use attack-ground commands and position your army carefully.
Understanding The Stats
The Siege Onager is rare and expensive but unmatched in area destruction. A game-changer when available.
Devastating Attack
One-shots most units in the blast radius. Grouped archers evaporate.
Massive Splash
Largest splash in the game. Covers more area than any other siege.
Expensive Upgrade
Very costly but worth it. Changes the dynamic of late-game fights.
Limited Access
Rare upgrade. Having it is a significant advantage over enemies without it.
Coach's Tip
Your 70 HP is still low for such an expensive unit. Protect your investment - losing a Siege Onager is losing 1450 food and 1000 gold plus the base cost.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Building | +60 |
| Siege Weapon | +12 |
Armor Classes
Siege Weapon
Takes bonus from Mangonels and Bombard Cannons. Can be repaired.
Key Upgrades
Civilizations
* 13 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Siege Onager is an Imperial Age siege upgrade: 160 wood and 135 gold, 46 seconds to train, 70 HP, 75 attack, 0 melee and 8 pierce armor, 3-8 range, 0.6 speed and 10 line of sight. It is a Siege Weapon with a ranged blast attack; the data lists +60 attack against Buildings and +12 against Siege Weapons. The upgrade follows Mangonel and Onager and is available to a defined group of civilizations, so the map and civilization must justify the large food-and-gold investment before the first shot.
History & balance
The Siege Onager is designed around the fear of concentration. Its blast attack turns a tight group into a liability, while the ability to attack ground and destroy trees gives it a second role in shaping the battlefield. The cost is deliberate: 0.6 speed, 70 HP and no close-range attack make the machine dependent on vision, escorts and space. It is not a self-sufficient front line. The unit rewards a player who prepares the shot and punishes a player who fires in panic, because one missed approach can leave the expensive engine exposed.
In pro play
Before building Siege Onagers, secure a firing position and a screen that can keep melee units away. The 3-8 range and 75 attack reward patience against tight formations, but 0.6 speed means every reposition must be planned. Use ground attack to deny an approach and the tree-cutting ability to open or close routes, without forgetting that the unit cannot attack at close range. Siege Engineers and Chemistry are listed key upgrades. Spend the wood and gold only when the army can hold vision long enough for the blast to matter; otherwise the upgrade becomes a slow, exposed investment.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is grouping the army tightly, then blaming the Siege Onager for a fight that you offered in perfect formation. The official help gives the categories: tight groups of units as strong against; units at close range as weak against. Winged Hussar closes at 1.5 speed against the Onager at 0.6; Legionary at 0.96 supplies melee once contact is made. Split before the blast, approach from more than one angle and keep pressure on the slow machine instead of feeding it a second cluster. If Siege Onagers keep deleting your army and you do not know what to produce or when, that is exactly what AoE Coach does: it reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.