The purpose of this guide to compare the cavalry of AOM:TT when they are at there strongest. It will compare how they fair in the eight most important categories. The categories are Non Attacking Buildings, Buildings with Attack, Melee Human Units, Ranged Human Units, Melee Myth Units, Ranged Myth Units, Cost, and Head to Head. All units have a good number of bonuses each so I think its pretty fair. Each unit will receive 7 points for a first place finish, 6 points for a second place finish, 5 points for a third place finish ect. With 56 being the highest score possible when all eight scores are added up. There is no reward for margin of victory. There are 7 units in all.

*Mercenary Cavalry where not included because they cost no pop and die after a fixed amount of time.
*War Elephants are technically considered cavalry but I want to test “real” cavalry.

Now I present the competitors in the King of Cavalry Completion.

FU Ra Camelry (Ra Hit Point Bonus/Desert Wind)
Hit Points: 233
Hack Armor: 38%
Pierce Armor: 48%
Hack Attack: 14
Cost:50/70

FU Oranos Contarius (Lance Of Stone/Poseidon’s Secret)
Hit Points: 233
Hack Armor: 38%
Pierce Armor: 38%
Hack Attack: 14
Cost:70/40
*Hero Contarius not included because of high cost, favor cost, and because its 4 pop.

FU Poseidon Hetairoi (Spirited Charge/Thracian Horses/ Poseidon Cost Bonus/ Weapon of the Titans/ Beast Slayer/ Bacchanalia)
Hit Points: 187
Hack Armor: 34%
Pierce Armor: 56%
Hack Attack: 15
Cost:50/81

FU Poseidon Hippikon (Spirited Charge/Thracian Horses/ Poseidon Cost Bonus/ Bacchanalia)
Hit Points: 255
Hack Armor: 34%
Pierce Armor: 45%
Hack Attack: 17
Cost:36/72

FU Odin Jarl (Thundering Hooves/Ring Giver/Odin Hit Point Bonus)
Hit Points: 342
Hack Armor: 41%
Pierce Armor: 52%
Hack Attack: 14
Cost:50/80
*Yes it beats The FU Thor Jarl

Fu Poseidon Prodromos (Spirited Charge/Thracian Horses/ Poseidon Cost Bonus/ Bacchanalia)
Hit Points: 204
Hack Armor: 41%
Pierce Armor: 34%
Hack Attack: 10
Cost:63/36

Fu Thor Raiding Cavalry (Thundering Hooves/Sons of Sleipnir/Thor Armory Bonus)
Hit Points: 162
Hack Armor: 47%
Pierce Armor: 57%
Hack Attack: 14
Cost:40/50
* 2 pop

With out further due the here are the results of the tests.

Test 1: Non Attacking Buildings
This test will determine which unit destroys Non Attacking buildings the fastest. To test this we need a high hit point building that doesn’t fight back. I have chosen the Egyptian Lighthouse.

Egyptian Lighthouse
Hit Points: 1400
Hack Armor: 30%

Time = Light House Hit Points/(Unit’s Hack Attack*(1- Light House Hack Armor))
Time = 1400/ (Unit’s Hack Attack*(1-.3))

UnitTimePoints
1.Hetairoi 0:367*3.5 multiplier vs. buildings
2.Contarius0:566*2.0 multiplier vs. buildings
3.Hippikon1:585
4.Camelry2:234
5.Jarl2:234
6.Raiding Calvary2:234
7.Prodromos3.201

Test 2: Attacking Buildings
This test will determine which unit destroys buildings with attack the fastest. To test this we need a low hit point building that does fight back. I have chosen the Norse Watch Tower. If a tower is destroyed it is replace by another until the cavalry unit has died. This test starts with the unit directly beneath the tower so they start attacking each other simultaneously.

Norse Watch Tower
Hit Points:715
Hack Armor: 30%
Pierce Attack 10*2.0 multiplier vs. Calvary

UnitTowers KilledPoints
1.Hetairoi 1.567*3.5 multiplier vs. buildings
2.Contarius0.536*2.0 multiplier vs. buildings
3.Jarl0.495
4.Hippikon0.394
5.Camelry0.313
6.Raiding Calvary0.262
7.Prodromos0.191

Test 3: Melee Human Units
This test will determine which units are best at dealing and absorbing hack attacks. For the test I have chosen the FU Zeus/Athena/Dionysus Hopolite.

Hopolite
Hit Points: 172
Hack Armor: 57%
Hack Attack13

UnitHops KilledPoints
1.Jarl1.567
2.Hippikon1.266
3.Contarius1.0495
4.Camelry1.0114
5.Raiding Calvary.8233
6.Hetairoi.8172
7.Prodromos.661

Test 4: Ranged Human Units
This test will determine which units are best at dealing and absorbing hack attacks. For the test I have chosen the FU Hades/Ares/Apollo/Artmeis/ Toxote If a Toxote is killed it is replace by another until the cavalry unit has died. This test starts with the unit directly in front of the Toxote so they start attacking each other simultaneously.

Toxote
Hit Points: 78
Hack Armor: 38%
Pierce Attack13

UnitToxs KilledPoints
1.Raiding Calvary9.307*2.6 multiplier vs. Archers
2.Hippikon6.266*1.3 multiplier vs. Archers
3.Jarl6.105
4.Contarius4.174*1.25 multiplier vs. Archers
5.Hetairoi3.903
6.Camelry3.832
7.Prodromos1.891

Test 5: Melee Myth Units
This Test will determine which unit is the best vs. Melee (Hack Damage Dealing) Myth Units. For this Test I have chosen the Shieldmaiden Valkyrie .

Shieldmaiden Valkyrie (Thundering Hooves)
Hit Points: 412
Hack Armor: 60%
Hack Attack 18

UnitMUs KilledPoints
1.Jarl1.757*4.0 multiplier vs. Myth Units
2.Hippikon0.356
3.Hetairoi0.345*1.5 multiplier vs. Myth Units
4.Contarius0.294
5.Camelry0.283
6.Raiding Calvary0.232
7.Prodromos0.191

Test 6: Ranged Myth Units
This Test will determine which unit is the best vs. Ranged (Pierce Damage Dealing) Myth Units. For this Test I have chosen the Centuar Polemarch. If a Centuar is destroyed it is replace by another until the cavalry unit has died. This test starts with the unit directly by the Centuar so they start attacking each other simultaneously.
*Centuar Polemarch special attack not accounted for.

Centuar Polemarch (Bacchanalia and Monstrous Rage)
Hit Points: 286
Hack Armor:30 %
Pierce Attack:15

UnitMUs KilledPoints
1.Jarl6.517*4.0 multiplier vs. Myth Units
2.Hetairoi1.566*.5 multiplier vs. Myth Units
3.Hippikon1.295
4.Camelry1.023
5.Contarius0.894
6.Raiding Calvary0.862
7.Prodromos0.501

Test 7: Cost Per Population
This test will determine which unit is the cost the least in terms of total resource cost per population.

Total Resource Cost = Gold Cost + Food/Wood Cost
Cost Per Population = (Total Resource Cost / Population Cost)

UnitCost/PopPoints
1.Prodromos337*.9 Poseidon Calvary Cost
2.Hippikon366*.9 Poseidon Calvary Cost
3.Contarius36.675
4.Camelry404
5.Jarl43.333
6.Hetairoi43.672*.9 Poseidon Calvary Cost
7.Raiding Calvary451

Test 8: Head to Head
This test will determine which unit is the best at head to head. Each unit will face all the other ones once.

Prodromos defeats Camelry with 17.75 hit points left.
Prodromos defeats Jarl with 44.40 hit points left.
Prodromos defeats Hippikon with 74.83 hit points left.
Prodromos defeats Contarius with 99.96 hit points left.
Prodromos defeats Raiding Calvary with 119.84 with hit points left.
Prodromos defeats Hetairoi with 120.42 hit points left.

Camelry defeats Jarl with 33.34 hit points left.
Camelry defeats Hippikon with 71.40 hit points left.
Camelry defeats Contarius with 98.71 hit points left.
Camelry defeats Raiding Calvary with 127.72 hit points left.
Camelry defeats Hetairoi with 128.44 hit points left.

Jarl defeats Hippikon with 65.2 hit points left.
Jarl defeats Contarius with 111.98 hit points left.
Jarl defeats Raiding Calvary with 161.7 hit points left.
Jarl defeats Hetairoi with 162.89 hit points left.

Hippikon defeats Contarius with 43.10 hit points left.
Hippikon defeats Raiding Calvary with 88.86 hit points left.
Hippikon defeats Hetairoi with 90.0 hit points left.

Contarius defeats Raiding Calvary with 40.60 hit points left.
Contarius defeats Hetairoi with 41.61 hit points left.

Raiding Calvary defeats Hetairoi with 1.11 hit points left.

UnitWinsPoints
1.Prodromos67*3.0 multiplier vs. Calvary
2.Camelry56*1.8 multiplier vs. Calvary
3.Jarl45
4.Hippikon34
5.Contarius23
6.Raiding Calvary12
7.Hetairoi01

Results and Commentary

UnitTest 1Test 2Test 3Test 4Test 5Test 6Test 7Test 8Total
1.Jarl4575773543
2.Hippikon5466656442
3.Contarius6654435336
4.Hetairoi7723562133
5.Raiding C.4237221230.67
6.Camelry4342344630
7.Prodromos1111117720
* Raiding Calvary score adjusted to 3 pop 23 x (4/3)=30.67

1. Jarl
The main reason for the Jarl’s victory is the three bonuses affecting its hit points. It has the second best hit point per pop ratio in the game at 114 per pop. Along with its bonus vs. Myth Units allowed it to edge the Hippikon despite it being just average in all other categories. I was hurt by a high cost. It also has the most first place finishes with 3.

2.Hippikon
The main reason for the Hippikon almost taking the competition is its high attack of 17, and having the second most hit points of the 7 units tested. Along with its cost bonus allowed it to hang in there with the Jarl even though it never took first in any test. It had four-second place finishes though, and faired slightly above average in the rest of the tests.

3.Contarius
No you not seeing things the rarely used and often criticized as being the second worst unit in the game took the bronze. It manages this upset because it has the highest attack at 18, a good multiplier vs. buildings, and a bonus vs. archers. Despite having the lowest total armor it has proved all its detractors wrong by upsetting the supposedly superior Camelry in 6 out of 8 events.

4. Raiding Cavalry
It was hard coming up a way to adjust for its different pop. I hope I came up with a fair way. It managed to come in exactly in the middle even though it had the lowest amount of hit points in the units tested, and it was the most expensive. It was helped by the highest pierce armor of 57%, the pop adjustment, and a 2.6 multiplier vs. Archers.

5.Hetairoi
A mild upset taking fifth. It was helped by having the most bonuses of the units tested. It won both building tests by a landslide, and placed high vs. Myth Units which lead to a higher total score than expected for a unit that rarely sees the light of day in AOM:TT games. It was hurt by high cost, and low hack armor. It also has the second best pierce armor at 56%.

6.Camelry
Defiantly the most disappointing unit in the field the Camelry only managed to finish higher than fourth once. In essence this is a last place finish because the Prodromos is a counter unit and is naturally weaker. It was helped by its bonus vs. other cavalry. In its defense it had the lowest number of techs/bonus and is the fastest unit tested. I can’t really explain its low showing it seems to have average or better stats in most categories.

7.Prodromos
It came in last mainly because it’s a counter unit with a very low attack of 10. It had 6 last place finishes and 2 first place finishes. It has the distinction of beating all other units tested one on one because of its 3.0 multiplier vs. Calvary. It had below average stats in most other categories, which lead to its last place finish.

Conclusions

Doing this has taught me a few things. Hit points per pop ratio is the most important factor in the overall strength of a Unit. All the armor in the world won’t save you if you don’t have a lot of hit points. Then a big surprise to me is that attack seems to be more important than armor, which seems to go against the common way of thinking. Seeing that most units cost about 40 resources per pop the cost of the units seems to be the least important category.

ThePlatinumKnight