Woad Raider
InfantryBase 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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Woad Raider
Castle
Elite Woad Raider
ImperialThe coach's briefing
You're the fastest infantry in the game at 1.17 speed - almost as fast as Light Cavalry. With 70 HP and 11 attack, you can raid enemy economies and escape before reinforcements arrive. Your +2 bonus vs buildings helps destroy houses and production buildings quickly. But 0/1 armor makes you very fragile to archers. Strike fast, hit eco, and get out.
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 Woad Raider is a **lightning-fast raiding infantry**. Designed to hit vulnerable targets and escape before enemies can respond.
Tactical Playbook
Eco Raiding
1.17 speed lets you run past defenders. Target villagers and production buildings.
Building Destroyer
+2 vs buildings. Can quickly destroy houses to pop-cap enemies.
Pursuit Hunter
Fast enough to catch fleeing archers and siege. Nothing escapes a Woad Raider.
Critical Point
**Paper armor**. 0/1 means even Skirmishers hurt you. Never fight under Town Center fire or against archer masses.
Understanding The Stats
The Woad Raider trades armor for exceptional speed, making it the ultimate hit-and-run infantry.
Blazing Speed
Fastest infantry. Outruns most defenders and catches runners.
Good HP
Reasonable survivability despite poor armor.
Solid Attack
Kills villagers in 3 hits. Effective raiding power.
Fast Training
Very quick to produce. Can replace losses rapidly.
Coach's Tip
1.17 speed with Squires becomes 1.27 - faster than Scout Cavalry! You can literally outrun light cavalry.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Standard Building | +2 |
Armor Classes
Infantry
Takes bonus damage from Hand Cannoneers, Slingers, and anti-infantry unique units.
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 Woad Raider is the Celtic unique infantry unit: 70 HP, 11 attack, 0 melee armor, 1 pierce armor, 1.17 speed and 3 line of sight. It costs 70 food and 25 gold and trains in only 10 seconds, so its value is movement plus volume rather than armor. The official help calls it fast infantry, strong against Infantry and Siege Weapons, and weak against Archery Units and Cavalry. Its Infantry and Unique Unit classes make its counter matchups decisive: anti-infantry attacks are not flavor text. The +2 attack bonus against Buildings also lets a surviving raiding group keep pressure on the base after the first fight.
History & balance
The Woad Raider is the expression of the Celtic infantry identity: a unique unit that trades conventional protection for speed and a short production cycle. The Celtic civilization data gives Infantry +5/10/15/20% movement speed through the Dark, Feudal, Castle and Imperial Ages, so the unit scales through the game without needing a new gimmick. Its official history inside the tech tree is equally clear: Blacksmith attack and armor, Barracks speed, Castle access to the Elite Woad Raider and Monastery conversion resistance. The result is a unit that starts as a mobile answer to slow infantry and siege and ends as a way to keep contact while the Celtic siege core does the heavy work.
In pro play
Use Woad Raiders to make the opponent answer two locations at once. Their 1.17 speed and 10-second training time support raids on exposed villagers, retreats before a ranged line stabilizes. They are strongest when they reach Infantry or Siege rather than when they wait for a prepared fight; the official strengths tell you exactly which targets to seek. Keep vision ahead, send the main mass around the front line, and let Celtic siege punish the army that turns to chase. Their 0 melee armor means prolonged stand-up fights is expensive, so use terrain, timing and movement. When the enemy switches to ranged units or cavalry, transition deliberately instead of doubling down on a bad engagement.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is trying to stop Woad Raiders with another melee infantry line, then wondering why the fast Celtic mass keeps reaching the siege. The official help gives the categories: Archery Units and Cavalry. In practice, Hand Cannoneers are a hard ranged answer because the game gives them +10 against Infantry; Heavy Scorpions also receive an anti-Infantry bonus and punish a group. Keep the ranged line behind a screen, because the Raider still moves quickly and can dive exposed guns. If Woad Raiders keep overrunning your army without you knowing what to build or when, AoE Coach reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.