Húsar

They are fast and have decent pierce armor, high Line of Sight, an innate resistance to conversion, and an attack bonus against Monks. All Hussars have a special toggle-able Auto Scout ability. Hussars also cannot attack timid huntables like Deer, which before an update was a restriction only on the starting Scout Cavalry. The Hussar upgrade's main advantage is the extra 15 hit points after upgrading, but there are other important combat differences not displayed in-game. Firstly, Hussars have a higher attack bonus of 12 against Monks, 2 more than the Light Cavalry's bonus of 10. Secondly, Hussars have a slightly higher attacking speed, attacking once every 1.9 seconds instead of every 2 seconds for Light Cavalry. Due to their faster attack, a Hussar without Bloodlines can defeat a Light Cavalry with Bloodlines, despite having a 5 hit point disadvantage. However, the steep cost of the upgrade means that it should only be researched after all the Blacksmith upgrades, and even then, should only be obtained if the Hussar will be frequently utilized. It is easy to overlook the Scout Cavalry line's usefulness due to its poor combat. However, the Hussar has a high movement speed and cheap cost, both of which make it very useful. Hussars can be used to raid an enemy's economy, and they can defend against attacks from siege weapons or Monks. Hussars are the mainstays of some cavalry civilizations when gold is scarce or depleted. Because of their food-only cost, they are considered "trash units", and as such, they become especially important in the late game when the players must rely on their wood and food economies. They form a classic tactical rock-paper-scissors with other trash units by countering Elite Skirmishers and being countered by Halberdiers. Of the three, the Hussar is the most versatile, as it can also counter siege and perform raids. A preferred army composition involving Hussars is to pair them with mounted archers. Since Hussars only cost food, precious gold can be invested in archers and siege weapons to create a mobile and devastating force. The Hussar's role in this composition mainly consists of neutralizing Elite Skirmishers, siege weapons, and Monks. They can also act as cheap cannon fodder to engage and block infantry, heavy cavalry, and Heavy Camel Riders, while the archers pick them off safely, using the cover. === Best civilizations === * : With a 20% discount on Stable units, the Berbers have the second cheapest Hussars in the game, costing only . They are usually paired with the Camel Archer to cover each other's weaknesses, making for a dangerous army. * : With a discount for Blacksmith technologies, and also all being researched 80% faster, plus having the Stirrups technology to boost the attack speed by 33%, the Bulgarians get, by far, the strongest Hussars (but not Light Cavalry unit in general) in melee combat, resulting in a powerful cavalry unit to fend off other units much better than other Hussars. * : Their Hussars are some of the most effective against archers, thanks to the Manipur Cavalry technology, which grants all cavalry units +4 attack against . As a result, they can kill most archers in one less hit. * : Despite lacking Husbandry, the Cumans have the fastest Hussars in the game, thanks to their civilization bonus which makes all cavalry move 15% faster. They have also the fastest-trained Hussar once Steppe Husbandry is researched, as it makes them train 100% faster. They are key units for the Cumans, especially when paired with the already fast-moving and fast-trained Cuman Cavalry Archers, but more particularly with the Kipchak, resulting in a very deadly mobile army. * : They have among the most tactical Hussars in the game, as they take 15% less damage from higher ground than regular Hussars and regenerate hit points per minute, giving them a key durability. After researching Aznauri Cavalry, they take 20% less population space, helping massing them even when reaching the population limit. * : Hindustani Hussars deal more damage to buildings due to their team bonus. Since it is a team bonus, it will generally be more useful in team games than in 1v1. It is nonetheless indispensable in trash wars, where massed Hussars can be used to take down enemy buildings. * : The Huns have the third-fastest-trained Hussars in the game thanks to their team bonus, where Stables work 20% faster. This also affects the upgrade time of the Hussar upgrade, coming faster than other civilizations. * : After Bulgarian Hussars with Stirrups, the Jurchens have the second-best Hussars in melee combat, thanks to their civilization bonus that makes their mounted units attack % faster. Unlike the Bulgarians, the Jurchens enjoy this attack speed boost for free. In addition, if Grenadiers and Rocket Carts are included in their armies, Jurchen Hussars suffer less from the possible friendly fire due to the other civilization bonus where all of their units take 50% less friendly fire. * : The Khitans have second-fastest-trained Hussars (whose upgrade comes even faster than the Huns) thanks to their civilization bonus that makes them be created and upgraded 15% faster. Khitan Hussars are also durable in combat thanks to Ordo Cavalry, which allows their cavalry to regenerate hit points while fighting other non-siege units, making their Hussars able to win against other fully upgraded Hussars. However, they notably lack Bloodlines, making their Hussars less ideal against ranged units. Their civilization bonus where the melee attack upgrades give double the effect completely offsets the lack of Blast Furnace in the Imperial Age, saving the cost and research time of said technology. * : They have the third cheapest Hussars in the game, costing only , thanks to the 15% discount for the Scout Cavalry line. They also have the attack upgrades for free, saving a sizable number of resources. They are common to use with their exceptional Cavalry Archers, especially in the late Imperial Age. Despite having great Hussars, the Magyars may prefer their unique unit, which performs almost the same role, but better. However, as the unit requires a Castle to be created, the standard Hussar might have to be used regardless. * : They have the most resistant Hussars in melee combat, alongside Tatars, as they get 30% extra hit points thanks to their civilization bonus. However, the lack of Plate Barding Armor means they are also weaker at taking arrow fire. Despite this, they are common to use with their powerful Mangudais, especially in the late Imperial Age. * : They have the most armored Hussars, thanks to the Silk Armor technology which increases melee and pierce armor by 1 each. They also deal 20% more damage from higher ground than regular Hussars at higher ground. Combined with the armored Tatar Cavalry Archers, the Tatar Hussars are a tough force to fight off, and they excel at raiding and taking down archers. Combined with the Lithuanian Winged Hussar, the Tatar Hussar and the Tatar Steppe Lancer have the most melee armor for any light cavalry unit. The Mongols and Tatars have among the best light cavalry units to take fights in melee combat, however, they still are outperformed by both Polish and Lithuanian Winged Hussars, as well the Bulgarian Hussars with Stirrups. * : They have the most practical and usable Hussars in the game, thanks to the free Light Cavalry and Hussar upgrades. They also get armor, making them even better at raiding. Turks are heavily dependent on Hussars, as they cannot upgrade their Skirmishers, making them very prone to archer civilizations, though their Hussars can make up for this. Like the Tatars, the Turks also have very resistant Cavalry Archers, resulting in an appealing combination. The Turks and the Tatars have the best light cavalry unit to use against archers, even surpassing their Burmese counterparts. * : Despite lacking Plate Barding Armor, Wei's Hussars have the highest melee armor, thanks to Ming Guang Armor, which grants armor to all mounted units. Wei's Hussars are similar to Mongols', being more durable in melee fights at the cost of lasting less to arrow-fire, with having very similar performance in melee combat. Wei's Hussars can also generate a small trickle of food thanks to Tuntian, and gain +2 attack against siege thanks to their team bonus, making the Wei's Hussars more effective at taking down siege weapons.