Camel Rider

From Warbirth Wiki

In game[edit | edit source]

Lightcamel TaP icon.png
Camel Rider — Vital statistics
Dromedarii

Egyptian unique medium camel cavalry. Cheap to create and capable of good speed and flexibility, and has anti-melee defence against horse cavalry.

Prereq: Build time HP LOS Attack Attack speed Movement
speed
Upgrade of
Imperial Age [2]
11.9s
(175t)
300 10 19 1.6s
(25t)
34

Drom HQC.png

Cost Created from Armour Weapon range Specialty
Base Ramp Pop
Food.jpg: 60;
Timber: 40
Food.jpg: 2;
Timber: 2
1

Stable.png

5 Melee
  • Bonus damage versus light infantry.
  • Defensive bonus versus Archers.
  • Attack penalty versus Elephants.

Roundle qmt.png

Overall strategy[edit | edit source]

Camels may have been imports or war booty from invaders, but there is nothing in Egyptian history to suggest that the tactics of a foreigner are taboo. If the sons of Seqenenre Tao and Ahhotep refused to eschew the use of Hyksos chariot tactics, why should the Ptolemies avoid the use of Arabian camels in warfare?

In Warbirth, Camel Rider are this idea of adaptation in essence thus put into practice, providing the Egyptian faction with a powerful late-game medium cavalry unit that is ideal for punishing cavalry civs, while allowing other Egyptian units - namely, their artillery and mercenaries to then seize the day. Their (relatively) cheap cost, and their good defensive parameters (not to mention horse cavalry's aversion to coming near them) make Camel Rider a veritably valuable asset in the Imperial Era when so many other factions are starting to recruit more and more cavalry units. They aren't as efficient as traditional light cavalry units when they perform forage, reconaissance, and raiding, but in vast numbers they can be used to overwhelm super-heavy cavalry (such as the much-dreaded Sassanian Persian Grivpanvar), and have enough speed to run away from units such as fast horse archers (like the all-new Turkish Archer mercenaries that can be expected from factions such as Rome or China), leaving your Composite Bowmen to instead function as a deterrent against them.

Use these units how you want, since they are a form of medium cavalry but always be wary of heavy infantry types, such as Persian Athanatoi or Chinese Changmao - in fact it can be argued that the most dangerous units for Camel Rider are the Persian Daylamiyan, so your camel companies shouldn't be sent into battle without support, unless as either a last-ditch effort, or as a lightning blitz on an unprepared foe.

Unit summary[edit | edit source]

  • Jack of All Trades — Camel Rider are an effective medium cavalry unit that is versatile enough for use in many situations.
  • Counter-Cav Duty — Camel Rider are often best used to support other units (eg artillery) but need backup if facing enemy anti-cavalry measures.
  • Sauce for the Goose — Units with good armour piercing damage or with a strong anticav bonus are best used against Camel Rider.

See also[edit | edit source]

Trivia[edit | edit source]

The name "Camel Rider" is not ancient Egyptian, but rather a Latin term from Greek, meaning "runner" or "courser" — it is inspired by real life camel cavalry units raised by the Roman Empire (as well as the Palmyrene Arabs) for use in Egypt and the northern Middle East. This idea of the penetration of Classical Western culture is further reinforced by the appearance of this unit - a unit that engages in Arabian style warfare, clad in Egyptian-style body armour but wearing Graeco-Roman headgear (the Boeotian helmet/Galea, and/or the petasos).