Boyar
Boyar is Heavy cavalry in Age of Empires III, available from the Fortress Age; obtained through Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Phanar palace, Native Embassy.
Recorded values
- Available
- Fortress Age · Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Phanar palace; Native Embassy
- Training
- 40 sec · 22 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 340 hit points · 20% ranged resistance · 6.75 speed · 12 line of sight
- Siege attack
- 16.5 base damage · range 6 · attack interval 1.5
- Hand attack
- 20 base damage · attack interval 1.0 · bonus damage: 1.25x vs. Artillery
- Trample attack
- 13 base damage · attack interval 2.0 · area of effect 3 · bonus damage: Same as hand attack
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Phanar palace or Native Embassy. It has 340 hit points and 20% ranged resistance. It moves at 6.75 speed. Training costs 130 Food and 90 Coin; it takes 40 seconds to train. Attack profile: Siege attack: 16.5 damage at range 6; every 1.5 seconds. Hand attack: 20 damage; every 1.0 seconds. Trample attack: 13 damage; every 2.0 seconds; area of effect 3.
Matchup & timing
Use the unit’s 6.75-speed movement to choose the approach, threaten an exposed flank, and pull away before anti-cavalry forces can surround it. Its listed attack bonus makes Artillery priority targets. Keep a clear retreat route and bring it back to the main army when the opponent protects the economy.
House of Phanar access
The Boyar is a heavy cavalry native warrior introduced in Knights of the Mediterranean. It is recruited by building a Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Phanar palace, or through a Native Embassy when a specific civilization rule unlocks it. The standard unit becomes available in the Fortress Age and costs 130 Food and 90 Coin, takes 40 seconds to train, and is limited to nine per House of Phanar palace. Each Boyar has 340 hit points, 20 percent ranged resistance, speed 6.75, and a 20 damage hand attack every second. Its fast attack compensates for a relatively modest single strike, while its 16.5 siege attack fires every 1.5 seconds. The Boyar is a high durability raider and cavalry support unit, but its palace cap limits the size of a standard group.
Combat role and counters
Boyars are effective against Light infantry and can pressure Artillery with a 1.25 hand multiplier. Their 340 hit points and ranged resistance help them survive fire while they approach, and the rapid hand attack is useful when raiding a building or engaging units at close range. They are vulnerable to Heavy infantry and Light cavalry. Keep ranged infantry nearby to deal with those counters, and avoid charging Boyars into a prepared anti-cavalry line. Their speed 6.75 is adequate for a flank but not enough to guarantee escape from every pursuit. Use them to threaten a weakly defended resource site, move around a frontline, or chase guns when the screen has been broken. Their trample attack covers an area of three but has lower damage, so use it against clustered enemies only when the area hit is more valuable than single target damage.
Native upgrades and production
Boyars upgrade automatically to Veteran in the Fortress Age. Royal Guard Phanariotes is available in the Industrial Age for 350 Wood and 350 Coin, adds 40 percent hit points and damage, and requires the Veteran upgrade. Legendary Native Warriors or Exalted Natives can improve them further depending on the civilization. Native warrior upgrades are automatic and free for African civilizations, while other factions use the appropriate Capitol, State Capitol, or Town Center technology. Revolting to Romania as the Ottomans or Russians and sending Danubian Principalities enables Boyar production at the Native Embassy, removes the nine per palace cap, and changes the unit's population cost to two. This revolutionary route is different from the standard House of Phanar Trading Post route.
Shipment and map dependence
Several cards can ship Boyars if the player has built a Trading Post or Tambo at a House of Phanar palace. Native Treaties can provide one, while Chimayó Genizarios and Indian Friendship can ship three under their stated conditions. Maltese, Ottoman, and Russian decks have the 7 Phanar Allies card. These card shipments supplement the local cap but depend on map access to the palace. If no House of Phanar site is available, standard production may not be possible unless a revolution or Native Embassy rule unlocks the unit. Scout the map before building an army around Boyars, and protect the Trading Post that provides the recruitment link.
Composition and tactical timing
Boyars are especially useful to civilizations that lack ordinary Cavalry, such as the Aztecs or Inca, because they add a heavy mounted unit to a roster that otherwise relies on distinctive runners and infantry. They can combine with Coyote Runners or Chimu Runners to pressure a flank, while ranged infantry protects them from Heavy infantry and Light cavalry. The unit is available only from the Fortress Age in its standard form, so it cannot replace early cavalry. Use it when the opponent's Light infantry or exposed artillery justify the Food and Coin cost, and stop production when anti-cavalry counters become dominant. A small group can raid effectively, but losing units is costly due to the palace cap and access requirements.
Fast attack and siege pressure
The Boyar's 20 hand damage strikes every second, which gives it sustained damage despite a lower single hit than some Heavy cavalry. Its trample attack deals 13 damage over an area of three every two seconds and uses the same target multipliers as the hand attack. The 16.5 siege attack at range six also fires every 1.5 seconds, so a group can raid a building quickly when defenders are absent. Use the normal hand attack on a priority target and trample when several units are close together. The Artillery bonus helps in a counter raid, but do not send Boyars through the main anti-cavalry line to reach a gun.
Managing the palace cap
The standard limit is nine Boyars per House of Phanar palace. A player who needs a larger group must secure additional access or use a special route, such as the Romanian revolution rule that removes the build limit. Shipment cards can add units when a Trading Post or Tambo is established, but they do not remove the normal palace cap for repeated training. Scout the map before committing resources to a Boyar force and protect the palace site. If the limit is reached, use the existing group carefully rather than leaving the Trading Post queue idle.
Healing and retreat routes
Native warriors can benefit from civilization specific improvements and support cards, but the Boyar still needs a clear retreat route after raiding. Its 340 hit points are valuable and its one second attack interval can remove an exposed target quickly. If the opponent turns with Heavy infantry, withdraw behind ranged allies instead of relying on ranged resistance to survive. Use the speed to reach another flank, not to cross a defended line twice.
Fortress Age heavy cavalry with ranged resistance
Boyars are Fortress Age Heavy Cavalry with high speed, hit points and ranged resistance, sharing some traits with the Deli. Compared with that profile, the Boyar has reduced sight, hand attack and movement speed, while its higher Food cost is offset by a faster attack cadence. This produces a durable cavalry unit that can pressure infantry and absorb ranged fire, but it does not have the siege output of a dedicated building attacker.
Use mobility without overcommitting
Boyars can engage exposed ranged units or protect artillery, but Heavy Infantry and light ranged Cavalry remain important counters. Use the Fortress Age timing to threaten one side of the map, then pull back before the opponent’s anti-Cavalry force surrounds them. Their Food cost competes with Villagers and infantry, so avoid maintaining a large queue if the economy cannot replace losses. Support them with ranged units that can remove anti-Cavalry infantry.