Cow

The Cow is a herdable animal in Age of Empires II: The Forgotten, Age of Empires III, and Age of Mythology.

Age of Empires II

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Shepherds herding Cows to a Town Center

New to The Forgotten, Cows yield 150 food, similarly to Water Buffalo (who in turn appear in Rise of the Rajas), but they have 14 HP rather than 7, the only one out of six herdables animals in the game, meaning that Scout Cavalry and Militia in the Dark Age will find it harder to deprive a player of livestock. They appear primarily on European maps.

Age of Mythology

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In Age of Mythology, the cow can be found in the wild on several Norse-themed (such as Midgard, and Jotunheim) maps (making it rarer than Pigs and Goats) Cows fatten over-time (at a base rate of 0.51 Food), and have a maximum capacity of 400 Food, which is 100 more food that pigs and Goats.

Unlike Age of Empires II Cows in Age of Mythology are not advised to be used as scouts due to their small line-of-sight, and poor speed. The Use of Cows in Food Production can be effective after researching Husbandry and after all usable hunt has been exhausted, as a Herdable unit, it is the second fastest form of food gathered by Villagers, behind the aforementioned hunt.

Age of Empires III

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Cows tasked to a Sacred Field

In Age of Empires III, the Cow is a much more effective livestock animal than the Sheep. Stray cows can be found on the Texas and Painted Desert maps and can be obtained from treasures. Every European Civilization, but the Dutch, can send a shipment of 7 Cows. Alternatively, all European civilizations save the Spanish and Portuguese can send the Ranching Home City card, which grants the ability to produce cows from the Livestock Pen. They are excellent herdables, costing 75 food, and, when fully fattened, granting 500.

In The Asian Dynasties, the Indians cannot kill cows (or any other herdables) for Food. Instead, they get experience points slowly as the time passes. They get XP faster when cows are tasked on a Sacred Field. They are known as Sacred Cows when captured/trained by Indians. The Japanese cannot gather food from herdables either. Instead, they can task them to Shrines to increase that shrine's gather rate.

Improvements

Improvements
Icon Name Cost Effect Building Age Selective Breeding 150 wood150 coin Livestock fatten 25% faster File:LivestockPen Icon2.jpg

Shipment Cards of Cows.

Sheep Shipments
Icon Name Effect Home City Level Age File:Cow Icon 64x64.gif 7 Cows Ships 7 Cows -Germans also ships 2 Uhlans -Requires 7 Sheep Card (TEAM 4 Sheep Card for British) -Not available for Dutch, Asians and Native Americans 0

Unique Home City Improvements that benefit their Cows

Unique Home City Improvements that benefit Sheep
Civilization Icon Name Effect Home City Level Age British File:Wool staple ports.gif TEAM Wool Staple Ports Cows fatten faster. Also affects allied livestock. -Requires 15 Sheep Card 10 British File:Fulling Mills.gif Fulling Mills Settlers gather food from Livestock animals faster. -Requires Stockyard Card 0

History

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Scientific Name: Bos taurus Approx. Size: 5 ft. at the shoulder, 1,200 lb. Diet: Grasses Cattle accompanied Europeans to the Americas. Spanish expeditions often traveled with herds of oxen, cattle, sheep, and pigs in tow. The famous Texas Longhorn was bred from Spanish cattle brought from Santo Domingo, though who brought them is unclear. The original herd is said to have accompanied a viceroy, Gregorio de Villalobos, but other Spanish longhorn cattle drives are attributed to Coronado and even Christopher Columbus. Most of the cattle that lived in the central plains of North America, the herds that sparked range wars and gave birth to cowboys, came from the breeding of these Spanish longhorns and the northern European cattle brought east by other settlers.

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