Age of Empires 2 Counter Chart and Beginner's Guide

If you’re new to Age of Empires 2, losing feels random — the opponent’s army deleted yours and you don’t know why. The answer is almost always counters. This guide explains the system from zero, with the exact numbers behind each rule, so you can walk into any game knowing what to build and why. All values are base stats from Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition without Blacksmith upgrades.

The AoE2 counter chart — what beats what

Every counter in this chart is either an attack bonus against an armor class or an armor advantage. Find the unit you are facing in the left column and build what is in the middle.

You are facing	Build this (hard counter)	Why it works	Also works
Archer, Crossbowman, Arbalest	Elite Skirmisher	4 pierce armor vs. their 6 attack; +4 vs. the archer class	Mangonel, Onager, Elite Huskarl
Skirmisher	Champion, Knight	0 melee armor, 30–35 HP — 3 hits	Hussar, Mangonel
Hand Cannoneer, Janissary	Knight, Mangonel	40 HP, 0 pierce armor, 3.4s reload	Elite Skirmisher
Champion, Two-Handed Swordsman	Hand Cannoneer, Onager	+10 vs. infantry = 26 per hit; 50 area damage	Elite Cataphract, Scorpion
Spearman, Pikeman, Halberdier	Arbalest, Hand Cannoneer	0 pierce armor; Arbalest has +3 vs. the spear line	Elite Skirmisher (+4), Onager
Eagle Warrior	Champion	+8 vs. the Eagle class = 22 per hit, 3 hits	Hand Cannoneer, Mangonel
Knight, Cavalier, Paladin	Halberdier	+32 vs. cavalry = 36 per hit, 3–5 hits	Heavy Camel Rider, Monk, Mameluke
Scout Cavalry, Light Cavalry, Hussar	Spearman → Halberdier	+15 to +32 vs. cavalry; 2 hits per Hussar	Heavy Camel Rider
Camel Rider, Heavy Camel Rider	Champion, Halberdier	Camels have no infantry bonus; Halberdier has +26 vs. camels	Monk, Arbalest
Cavalry Archer, Mangudai	Halberdier, Heavy Camel Rider	They carry the cavalry class — +32 and +18 apply	Elite Skirmisher, Mangonel
War Wagon	Halberdier, Mangonel	150 HP but 0 melee armor; pierce damage fails	Heavy Camel Rider
Mangonel, Onager, Scorpion	Hussar, Knight	0 melee armor, 0.6 speed, 3-tile minimum range	Monk, Elite Eagle Warrior
Battering Ram, Siege Ram	Champion, Mangonel	Negative melee armor (−3 to −1); 180+ pierce armor	Knight, Monk
Trebuchet, Bombard Cannon	Hussar, Light Cavalry, Monk	0.6–0.7 speed, 4–5 tile minimum range	Bombard Cannon (+20 vs. siege)
Battle Elephant, War Elephant	Halberdier, Monk	+28 vs. elephants = 33 per hit	Pikeman, Kamayuk, Mangonel
Monk	Hussar, Light Cavalry	+12 vs. the Monk class; 30 HP, 0.7 speed	Scout Cavalry, Crossbowman
Galley, War Galley, Galleon	Fire Ship, Fast Fire Ship	4–7 pierce armor, 0.2s reload ≈ 10 damage/second	Demolition Ship
Fire Ship	Galleon	7 range vs. 2.5; +9 vs. ships = 14 per hit	Demolition Ship, Fast Fire Ship
Demolition Ship	Galleon, War Galley	50 HP, 0 pierce armor — 3 to 5 hits	Spread your formation

Why units lose — the rock-paper-scissors principle

Age of Empires 2 has no single best unit. Every powerful unit has a designated weakness, and every cheap unit counters something expensive:

Unit Type	Beats	Loses To
Cavalry (Knights)	Archers, Siege, Monks	Spearman line, Camels
Archers	Infantry, Spearman line	Skirmishers, Mangonels, Cavalry
Skirmishers	Archers	Melee infantry, Cavalry
Spearman line	Cavalry, Elephants, Camels	Archers, Siege, Hand Cannoneers
Infantry (Champions)	Skirmishers, Eagle Warriors, Rams	Hand Cannoneers, Siege, Cataphracts
Siege (Trebuchet, Mangonel)	Buildings, massed units	Fast cavalry, Monks
Monks	Expensive units (conversion)	Any cavalry — they have a Monk bonus

This is why experienced players constantly scout — the moment they see what the opponent is making, they switch to the counter. The counter, not the bigger army, wins most games.

Hard counter vs. soft counter — what’s the difference?

This guide and the interactive app label every counter as either hard or soft:

• Hard counter — a direct attack bonus against the target’s armor class, or armor that resists the target’s damage type. Wins in equal numbers. Example: Halberdier vs. Knight — +32 against the cavalry class gives 36 damage per hit against 100 HP, so 3 hits, and the Halberdier costs no gold.
• Soft counter — wins through speed, positioning or cost, and needs a numbers or micro advantage. Example: Hussar vs. Mangonel — no bonus damage at all, 8 hits needed, but 1.5 speed against 0.6 means it arrives between two shots.

Rule of thumb: in an even game, always build the hard counter first. Soft counters are for when you are ahead and want to convert an advantage, or when the hard counter cannot reach the target.

The 5 rules of countering

1. Scout first

You cannot counter what you don’t see. Stables mean cavalry — start the Spearman line. Archery Ranges mean archers — start Skirmishers. A forward Castle means a unique unit is coming, so look up which one. Check production buildings every 2–3 minutes.

2. Build the counter, not the mirror

If the opponent makes Knights, do not make Knights back. A Halberdier costs 35 food + 25 wood and no gold, and kills a 60 food + 75 gold Knight in 3 hits. Mirroring only works when your version is genuinely better — more upgrades, or a civilization bonus.

3. Produce before you need it

By the time 10 Knights are in your base, 2 Halberdiers will not save you. Hard counters win in equal numbers, which means you need equal numbers. Queue the counter when you see the first threat unit, not when the army arrives.

4. Match the damage type, not the unit name

This is the rule that separates beginners from intermediate players. Rams look armored but have negative melee armor and 180+ pierce armor — so Champions shred them and Scorpions cannot. Huskarls have 6 to 8 pierce armor, so archers fail and any melee unit wins. Elite Eagle Warriors have 4 pierce armor, so Skirmishers do nothing and Champions kill them in 3 hits. Always ask which damage type gets through.

5. Fight siege with cavalry — with two exceptions

Do not try to out-range enemy siege with your own; the Trebuchet’s 16 range beats every other siege unit in the game. Send fast cavalry instead: every siege weapon moves at 0.6 to 0.7, has almost no melee armor, and cannot fire inside its minimum range. The two exceptions are real, though: a Mangonel is one of the best answers to Battering Rams (55 damage per shot, because its damage counts as melee-type and ignores the Ram’s pierce armor), and a Bombard Cannon has +20 against the siege class, which kills a Trebuchet in about three shots.

How to scout and identify threats

Feudal Age

• Barracks only → Man-at-Arms rush → mass Archers behind a palisade; do not build Spearmen, they have no infantry bonus and lose
• Archery Range → archer rush → build Skirmishers immediately, from the Archery Range and not the Barracks
• Stable → Scout rush → build Spearmen immediately; 18 damage per hit, 3 hits per Scout
• Towers going up near your base → tower rush → pull villagers to repair, and remember a Battering Ram carries +150 against buildings

Castle Age

• Multiple Stables → Knight rush → Pikemen now, Halberdiers later, camels if you have them
• Multiple Archery Ranges → Crossbow push → Elite Skirmishers plus a Mangonel
• Forward Castle → unique unit → identify the civilization and check which rule that unit breaks
• Siege Workshop → Mangonels or Rams → keep cavalry near home, and remember Champions beat Rams

The 5 units every beginner must know

Unit	What it counters	The number that matters
Elite Skirmisher	All archers, including Hand Cannoneers	4 pierce armor: an Arbalest deals 2 damage per shot
Halberdier	All cavalry, camels and elephants	+32 vs. cavalry, +26 vs. camels, +28 vs. elephants
Mangonel	Grouped infantry, archers, Rams	40 melee-type damage — ignores pierce armor
Monk	Anything expensive	100 gold converts a 400-resource Trebuchet
Hussar	Siege weapons, Monks, raids	1.5 speed vs. 0.6; no gold cost

Common beginner mistakes

Mistake	What to do instead
Spearmen against archers	Build Skirmishers — the Spearman line has 0 pierce armor and takes +3 from Arbalests
Halberdiers against everything	They only counter cavalry, camels and elephants; against archers they have no armor at all
Ignoring Monks	A Paladin costs 60 food + 75 gold; a Monk costs 100 gold and takes it from you
One unit type only	Always add siege for area damage plus something fast to protect it
Archers against Champions	An Arbalest deals 5 damage per hit — 14 hits. Use a Hand Cannoneer (3 hits) or an Onager
Knights against massed Arbalests	2 pierce armor is not resistance: 4 damage per arrow, 25 shots per Knight
Fighting Rams with Scorpions	Pierce damage into 180 pierce armor. Champions deal 17 per hit; Mangonels 55