Tatars

Classed as a cavalry archer civilization, Tatars carve out a distinctive identity on the battlefield in Age of Empires II. What sets Tatars apart starts with their bonuses — Livestock animals last +50% longer, Units deal +25% damage when fighting from higher elevation, New Town Centers spawn 2 Sheep starting in Castle Age and Thumb Ring, Parthian Tactics free. Allies feel their presence too, since Tatars contribute the team bonus Mounted Archers +2 line of sight.

On top of that, Tatars unlock the unique technologies Timurid Siegecraft (Trebuchets +2 range) and Silk Armor (Scout Cavalry-line, Steppe Lancers and Cavalry Archers +1 melee/+1 pierce armor). Typical age-up timings land at about 9:59 into Feudal and 21:05 into Castle. They are strongest against Muisca (about 54.4%) and weakest against Shu (around 38.3%) — a spread worth remembering when the picks come in.

Popular and effective in equal measure, they show up in around 1.6% of games and convert a 48.0% win rate over 104339 RM 1v1 matches — enough for rank #48 of 54. Built around the unique Keshik, Tatars armies lean heavily on cavalry (~35% of everything produced), and the Cavalry Archer is the unit players pump out most, at roughly 14%.