The Boyar is countered by Halberdier, Camel Rider and Arbalest. It is a Cavalry / Unique unit, available to the Slavs.
- Class
- Cavalry / Unique
- Available to
- Slavs
- Elite upgrade
- Elite Boyar
- Cost
-
60 
70
Boyar stats
The Elite Boyar upgrade changes the values marked below. Everything else — cost, class and the civilization bonuses that apply — stays the same.
| Stat | Boyar | Elite |
|---|---|---|
 Hit points | 100 | 130 |
 Melee attack | 12 / 1.9s | 14 / 1.9s |
 Pierce attack | 0 | 0 |
 Range | 0 | 0 |
 Melee armour | 4 | 8 |
 Pierce armour | 2 | 3 |
 Speed | 1.3 | 1.3 |
 Line of sight | 5 | 5 |
 Training time | 15s | 15s |
What counters the Boyar?
The Boyar is weak against Spearman-line and Monks.
Hard counters deal bonus damage against this unit — they beat the Boyar even at a cost disadvantage. Soft counters win the fight through cost-efficiency or mobility, without a dedicated bonus.
| Counter | Type | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
 Halberdier | hard | Attack bonus vs. cavalry |
 Camel Rider | hard | Attack bonus vs. cavalry |
 Arbalest | hard | Pierce damage – Boyars have high melee, low pierce armor |
 Heavy Camel Rider | hard | Attack bonus vs. cavalry |
 Monk | soft | Conversion |
What does the Boyar counter?
The Boyar is strong against units at close range.
Civilizations that improve the Boyar
15 civilizations have a bonus or unique technology that affects this unit.
Bengalis
- Cavalry +2 attack vs. Skirmishers
Berbers
- Stable Units cost -15/20% in Castle/Imperial Age
Bulgarians
- Stirrups (unique tech): Cavalry attacks +33% faster
Burmese
- Manipur Cavalry (unique tech): Cavalry +4 attack vs. Ranged Soldiers
Cumans
- Mounted Units move +5/10/15% faster in Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age
Dravidians
- Wootz Steel (unique tech): Infantry and Cavalry attacks ignore armor
Franks
- Mounted Units +20% HP starting in Feudal Age
Georgians
- Mounted Units regenerate 2/8/14 HP per minute in Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age
- Aznauri Cavalry (unique tech): Mounted Units take -20% population space
Gurjaras
- Mounted Units deal +20/30/40% bonus damage in Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age
Jurchens
- Mounted Units and Fire Lancers attack +25% faster starting in Feudal Age
Khitans
- Ordo Cavalry (unique tech): Cavalry regenerates HP in combat
Malians
- Farimba (unique tech): Cavalry +5 attack
Mapuche
- Mounted Units generate +3 gold when defeating military units
Teutons
- Barracks and Stable Units +1/+2 melee armor in Castle/Imperial Age
Wei
- Ming Guang Armor (unique tech): Mounted Units +4 melee armor
For the strategy behind these matchups — when to build counters, how to mix them and which civs do it best — see the Unique Unit Counters guide.
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