Tarkan
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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Tarkan
Castle
Elite Tarkan
ImperialThe coach's briefing
You're a raiding cavalry with 3 pierce armor - excellent vs archers and Town Center fire. With 100 HP and bonus damage vs buildings, you can raid and destroy structures while tanking arrows. Your 8 attack is low for cavalry, but you're not meant for fights - you're meant to burn down bases. Avoid Halberdiers and Camels.
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 Tarkan is a **base destruction specialist**. High pierce armor and building bonus make it excellent at razing enemy towns.
Tactical Playbook
TC Raiding
3 pierce armor means Town Centers deal minimal damage. Raid under TC fire freely.
Building Crusher
Bonus vs buildings. Destroys houses, production buildings, and walls quickly.
Archer Resistant
Arbalesters deal only 3 damage. Tank archer fire while raiding.
Critical Point
**Low attack for combat**. 8 attack means you lose to Knights in fair fights. Focus on raiding, not fighting.
Understanding The Stats
The Tarkan trades combat power for exceptional raiding and siege capabilities.
High Pierce Armor
Tanks arrows and TC fire effectively.
Building Bonus
16 damage to buildings. Very effective raider.
Good HP
Solid health pool for raiding.
Fast Speed
Very fast cavalry. Great for hit-and-run raids.
Coach's Tip
8 attack is low, but 16 damage to buildings (8+8 bonus) is excellent. Houses die in 4 hits. Production buildings in 8-10.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Building | +8 |
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
The Tarkan is the Hunnic unique Heavy Cavalry, with 100 HP, 8 attack, 1/3 armor, 1.4 speed, line of sight 5, and an expensive 60 food/60 gold cost for 14 seconds of training. Its local data gives +8 against Buildings and Standard Buildings, and the official help calls it exceptionally strong vs. buildings; the weak categories are Spearman-line and Camel Riders. Huns do not need Houses, while their cheaper Cavalry Archers and accurate Trebuchets support the Tarkan as a mobile building breaker inside a nomadic pressure plan.
History & balance
The Tarkan gives the Huns a way to convert mobility into structural damage. Its 14-second train time and 1.4 speed make it hard to pin down, while 1/3 armor and 100 HP let it reach a wall, Town Center, or production site if the route is prepared. The 60 food/60 gold price prevents careless massing; the unit is strongest when it attacks a building that cannot be repaired safely. Hunnic identity changes the economy around it: no Houses are required, Cavalry Archers cost less gold, and Trebuchets are more accurate. The design is a raid that changes the map, not a generic cavalry brawl.
In pro play
Use Tarkans to open a path and force defensive decisions, not to stand under every Town Center. Fourteen seconds of training and 1.4 speed allow a quick switch between walls, Houses, production buildings, and exposed eco, while the +8 building damage makes the first structural target matter. Scout the repair route, hit from two angles, and leave before the opponent can surround the group. Huns can spend the wood saved by not building Houses on more production or support, but the 60 food/60 gold cost still rewards a clear target list. Once a building falls, rotate immediately and make the defender rebuild under pressure.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is to defend buildings with villagers alone and let Tarkans choose a repair or production target. The official help gives the weak categories: Spearman-line and Camel Riders. Halberdiers have +32 against Cavalry and Pikemen +22; Camel Riders have +9 against Cavalry, so both punish the Tarkan class directly. Keep a spear group behind the threatened building, close the escape route with walls, and repair only after the cavalry is pinned. Do not chase through open ground while another Tarkan group attacks your economy. If you keep losing to Tarkans without knowing what to produce or when, AoE Coach reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.