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This article is about the wild animal. For military units riding elephants, see Elephant unit.
Elephant prev aoe2de

The Elephant is a huntable animal and source of food in Age of Empires, Age of Empires II HD: The African Kingdoms, Age of Mythology, and Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. It is also featured as a treasure guardian and pet in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The African Royals.

Age of Empires[]

ā€œCan be hunted for food.ā€
—In-game description in the Definitive Edition

Roughly equivalent to the Wild Boar in later games, Elephants provide far more food than any animal, but they also fight back (unlike Gazelles) and are difficult to take down by hunters due to their high number of hit points. Elephants do not attack unless first provoked, unlike the more aggressive Lion and Crocodile, so the player can safely move Villagers or other units through herds of Elephants so long as they don't injure them.

Having access to a herd is useful when the player needs a quick food boost, although fishing will yield it faster, and with no (or less) danger. At least four Villagers should be used when attacking Elephants, which is enough to bring them down in three volleys. It is important to keep Elephants away from melee range, as they flatten Villagers in three hits; however, as Elephants move slowly, Villagers can use hit-and-run tactics to wear them down.

The Elephant's tendency to charge at attackers can also be used to the player's advantage, luring it closer to a Town Center or Storage Pit so that Villagers have shorter trips between depositing meat. The "lure" strategy is detailed below. This technique also minimizes spoilage, but Elephant carcasses decay slower than any other animal: 1 food is lost every 5 seconds on the in-game clock.

In Return of Rome, Elephants are sometimes replaced with Wild Boar, which in this game are statistically identical.

Lure[]

  1. Approach the Elephant at a distance that can be speared.
  2. Strike twice, wait for the Elephant to move, then turn around.
  3. Continuously adjust the distance. If the Villager moves too fast, leaving the Elephant far behind, use the S key to stop a bit or turn around once for the Elephant to continue chasing the Villager.
  4. When the Elephants comes near the Town Center or Storage Pit, use another 3-4 Villagers to kill it.

It is possible to lure two Elephants at the same time. Throw two spears to make the first Elephant move, then go back and continue throwing spears at the second Elephant. The two Elephants will chase the Villager together. This is especially useful for Sumerians, whose Villagers have 40 hit points.

Trivia[]

  • All elephants in the original version of Age of Empires, wild and tamed, have the proportions of African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana). However, it was the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) that would be more familiar to most civilizations in the game, as Asian elephants were found once from Mesopotomia to China, and continued to be imported from south Asia after they became extinct in these regions. Only the Carthaginians and Egyptians would be locally familiar with African elephants, specifically the North African elephant (thought to be a now-extinct subspecies Loxodonta africana pharaohensis).
  • In Return of Rome, the wild species is the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), from Age of Empires II. However, it uses the same icon as the Definitive Edition's African elephant.

Gallery[]

Age of Empires II[]

The Elephant was introduced in The African Kingdoms as a huntable animal. Found mainly in maps set in Africa and India, it behaves similarly to the Wild Boar, attacking any unit which provokes it. It is quite fast and deals a large amount of hand damage, so it is recommended to hunt it with a substantial group of Villagers. It gives even more food than the Wild Boar, at 400 instead of 300, which makes it, along with the Rhinoceros, the most valuable wildlife food source in Age of Empires II.

Trivia[]

  • In contrast to the previous game, in-game elephants are based on the Asian elephant, but are present in both African and Asian maps.
  • In the Definitive Edition, the icon shows an African elephant, but the unit is an Asian elephant.
  • Although Elephants have the same statistics as Wild Boars, the duration of their attack animation is much less (0.95 vs 1.615) and are thus more likely to kill hunters before dying.
  • The African Kingdoms also introduces a decorative elephant skeleton available in the Scenario Editor.

Gallery[]

Age of Mythology[]

Like in the other games, the Elephant is a huntable source of Food, appearing on various desert and savannah themed maps, including Megalopolis, Nomad, River Nile, Savannah and Watering Hole. Since Elephants will fight back if hunted and are capable of easily killing Villagers, it is advisable for players to hunt Elephants with a group of civilian units.

The Elephant in Age of Mythology has the most Hit Points out of all the huntable animals in the game by far; having twice as many as the animal with the second largest amount, the Rhinoceros. Elephants are also worth 50% more Food that can be gathered, so they are usually worth the risk.

In Tale of the Dragon, Indian Elephants make an appearance on the Basin and Deep Jungle maps. These Elephants are slightly smaller, have proportionally smaller ears and are colored a slightly different hue. These differences are purely cosmetic; their stats are identical to their African counterparts and they are also named "Elephant" in-game.

History[]

ā€œScientific name -- Loxodonta africana
Size -- Up to 14,300 lbs.
Diet -- grasses, leaves, fruit

Until recently it was thought there were only two living elephant species, the African elephant and the smaller Asian elephant. However, recent DNA studies suggest that there are actually two species of African elephant; Loxodonta cyclotis, lives in forests. The savannah African elephant is the largest modern land animal, weighing around seven tons. They form herds of ten to fifteen individuals always led by a matriarch. Because of their size, elephants have few predators. Elephants have an important effect on savannahs because they keep trees and shrubs under control, allowing grasses to dominate the environment. Elephants live for about sixty years and die as their molars wear down, preventing them from eating plants. Elephant gestation lasts for 22 months and calves can be born at 200 lbs.
ā€

ā€œScientific Name -- Elephas maximus (Indian)
Size -- Up to 10,800 lbs.
Diet -- grasses, leaves, fruit

Famous for its muscular snout and regal curved tusks, the elephant is the world's largest land animal. Because of its immense appetite, an elephant will often stay close to areas with abundant supplies of water and vegetation, although herds migrate seasonally to find fresh resources.

Even with a long natural lifespan of sixty years or more, the elephant has faced a number of challenges to its survival. During the last 40 million years, the number of elephant species on earth has dropped from more than 600 to only three: the savannah and forest elephants of Africa, and the Asian elephant. This is due to climate fluctuations and the resulting vegetation changes, as well as the negative impact of humanity.
ā€

Gallery[]

Age of Empires III[]

Huntable[]

ā€œGigantic herbivore.ā€
—In-game description

Like the Elephants in previous games, Wild Elephants[sic] are huntable animals, but they do not fight back and are completely harmless.

They can be found on some Asian Maps (including Indochina, Deccan, Borneo, and Ceylon). The length of the elephant tusks varies with some being very long while others are unnoticeable.

History[]

ā€œScientific Name: Elephas maximus (Indian); Loxodonta Africana (African)
Approx. Size: 3.5 tons (Indian); 7 tons (African)
Diet: Grasses, leaves, twigs, bark, shoots, fruit, flowers, roots, tubers, bulbs

Famous for its muscular snout and regal curved tusks, the elephant is the world's largest land animal. Because of its immense appetite, an elephant will often stay close to areas with abundant supplies of water and vegetation, although herds migrate seasonally to find fresh resources.

Even with a long natural lifespan of sixty years or more, the elephant has faced a number of challenges to its survival. During the last 40 million years, the number of elephant species on earth has dropped from more than 600 to only three: the savannah and forest elephants of Africa, and the Asian elephant. This is due to climate fluctuations and the resulting vegetation changes, as well as the negative impact of humanity.

Mature elephants have no natural enemies except the human being. During the twentieth century, the elephant population fell from an estimated 5-10 million to nearly 400,000.
ā€

Trivia[]

  • Though the Wild Elephant is correctly depicted as an Asian Elephant, its portrait in the History section shows an African elephant instead. The same happens with the Brahmin's elephant mount and the Siege Elephant.

Gallery[]

Treasure guardian[]

In Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The African Royals, Elephant Guardians are the largest land animal Treasure guardian with similar stats to the Rhinoceros. They can be found in various African maps.

Pet[]

ā€œAn exceptionally intelligent elephant who enjoys surprises. Good against Treasure guardians.ā€
—In-game description

Aiz the Tame Elephant is the strongest of all pet animals, having the most hit points and attack. They can also be trained from Bandit Catamarans on the Horn and Swahili Coast maps.

Upgrades[]

Aiz the Tame Elephant, like all other pets, is automatically upgraded in every Age up.

  • Colonial age up +20% hit points and attack
  • Fortress age up +30% hit points and attack
  • Industrial age up +40% hit points and attack
  • Imperial age up +60% hit points and attack

Trivia[]

  • The Aiz the Tame Elephant reuses the Riderless Elephant portrait for the Definitive Edition.
  • Aiz the Tame Elephant is a reference to Aizamk (also known as Aiz), a popular player in the Age of Empires III community who is known for his unorthodox and astonishing strategies. Hence the description of this unit, "An exceptionally intelligent elephant who enjoys surprises".
Animals in Age of Empires
Until Age of Empires Definitive Edition icon Definitive Edition
HuntablesReturn of rome gazelle Gazelle Ā· Returnofrome elephant icon Elephant
PredatorsAlligatorAOEIcon Alligator Ā· Returnofrome lion icon Lion Ā· Returnofrome crocodile icon Crocodile
Marine creaturesAoE2 DE shore fish icon Shore Fish Ā· AoE2 DE tuna icon Tuna Ā· AoE2 DE salmon icon Salmon Ā· Aoede whale icon Whale
Animal KingsReturnofrome lion icon Lion (Alpha) Ā· Returnofrome crocodile icon Crocodile (Alpha) Ā· Return of rome gazelle Gazelle (Alpha) Ā· Returnofrome elephant icon Elephant (Alpha)
OtherReturnofrome lion icon Lion (tame)
DecorativeAoEDE Eagle icon Bird Ā· Dragon Icon updated nuRoR Dragon
CutHorse icon AoE Horse Ā· Goat Goat
Including AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of Rome
HuntableAoE2DE Deer icon Deer Ā· AoE2DE ingame ibex icon Ibex Ā· Boar aoe2DE Iron Boar Ā· Boar aoe2DE Javelina Ā· Ostrich icon aoe2de Ostrich Ā· PR4-010 Rhinoceros Ā· Boar aoe2DE Wild Boar Ā· Zebra aoe2DE Zebra
HerdableCowDE Cow Ā· Goat aoe2DE Goat Ā· AoE2DE ingame goose icon Goose Ā· PR4-009 Llama Ā· Iconpig Pig Ā· Sheep aoe2DE Sheep Ā· PR4-006 Turkey Ā· Yak aoe2DE Water Buffalo
PredatorAoE2DE ingame bear icon Bear Ā· PR2-002 Dire Wolf Ā· PR4-004 Jaguar Ā· AoE2 DE komodo Komodo Dragon Ā· PR2-002 Rabid Wolf Ā· AoE2DE ingame snow leopard icon Snow Leopard Ā· PR4-016 Tiger Ā· PR2-002 Wolf
CivilianBactrian camel icon Bactrian Camel Ā· AoE2DE ingame camel icon Camel Ā· Donkey caravan aoe2DE Donkey Ā· Returnofrome horse icon Horse
Military animalsAoE2 DE alfred icon Alfred the Alpaca Ā· Monkey aoe2DE Furious the Monkey Boy Ā· Penguin aoe2DE Penguin
DecorativeBactrian camel icon Wild Bactrian Camel Ā· AoE2DE ingame camel icon Wild Camel Ā· Returnofrome horse icon Wild Horse
Marine animalsAoE2 DE box turtles icon Box Turtles Ā· AoE2 DE dolphin icon Dolphin Ā· AoE2 DE dorado icon Dorado Ā· AoE2 DE marlin icon Marlin Ā· AoE2 DE perch icon Perch Ā· AoE2 DE snapper icon Snapper
Animals in Age of Empires II
Herdable animalsCowDE Cow Ā· Goat aoe2DE Goat Ā· AoE2DE ingame goose icon Goose Ā· PR4-009 Llama Ā· Iconpig Pig Ā· Sheep aoe2DE Sheep Ā· PR4-006 Turkey Ā· Yak aoe2DE Water Buffalo
Timid huntablesAoE2DE Deer icon Deer Ā· Return of rome gazelle Gazelle Ā· AoE2DE ingame ibex icon Ibex Ā· Ostrich icon aoe2de Ostrich Ā· Zebra aoe2DE Zebra
Aggressive huntablesElephant aoe2DE Elephant Ā· Boar aoe2DE Iron Boar Ā· Boar aoe2DE Javelina Ā· PR4-010 Rhinoceros Ā· Boar aoe2DE Wild Boar
Wild animalsAoE2DE ingame bear icon Bear Ā· Gator aoe2DE Crocodile Ā· PR2-002 Dire Wolf Ā· PR4-004 Jaguar Ā· AoE2 DE komodo Komodo Dragon Ā· Lion aoe2DE Lion Ā· PR2-002 Rabid Wolf Ā· AoE2DE ingame snow leopard icon Snow Leopard Ā· PR4-016 Tiger Ā· PR2-002 Wolf
Marine animalsAoE2 DE box turtles icon Box Turtles Ā· AoE2 DE dolphin icon Dolphin Ā· AoE2 DE dorado icon Dorado Ā· AoE2 DE marlin icon Marlin Ā· AoE2 DE perch icon Perch Ā· AoE2 DE salmon icon Salmon Ā· AoE2 DE shore fish icon Shore Fish Ā· AoE2 DE snapper icon Snapper Ā· AoE2 DE tuna icon Tuna
Civilian animalsBactrian camel icon Bactrian Camel Ā· AoE2DE ingame camel icon Camel Ā· Donkey caravan aoe2DE Donkey Ā· Horse aoe2DE Horse
Military animalsAoE2 DE alfred icon Alfred the Alpaca Ā· Monkey aoe2DE Furious the Monkey Boy Ā· Penguin aoe2DE Penguin
Hero animalsHunting wolf aoe2DE Hunting Wolf Ā· Ornluthewolf aoe2DE Ornlu the Wolf
Decorative animalsAoE2 DE hawk icon Bird Ā· AoE2 DE stormy dog Stormy Dog Ā· Bactrian camel icon Wild Bactrian Camel Ā· AoE2DE ingame camel icon Wild Camel Ā· Horse aoe2DE Wild Horse
Animals (non-myth units) in Age of Mythology
Herdable animalsCowAOM Cow Ā· GoatAOM Goat Ā· Pig icon Pig Ā· YakiconAoM Yak
Timid huntablesBaboon icon Baboon Ā· Caribou Caribou Ā· ChickenIcon Chicken Ā· Crane icon Crowned Crane Ā· Deer icon Deer Ā· DuckAoM icon Duck Ā· Elk icon Elk Ā· GazelleAOMicon Gazelle Ā· Giraffe icon Giraffe Ā· Monkey icon Monkey Ā· Zebra icon Zebra
Aggressive huntablesAurochs icon Aurochs Ā· Boar icon Boar Ā· ElephantAOMicon Elephant Ā· Hippo icon Hippopotamus Ā· RamAoM icon Ram Ā· Rhinoceros icon Rhinoceros Ā· Walrus icon Walrus Ā· WaterBuffalo Water Buffalo
Wild animalsWolf icon Arctic Wolf Ā· Crocodile icon Crocodile Ā· BrownBear icon Bear Ā· Hyena icon Hyena Ā· LionAOMicon Lion Ā· LizardAoM icon Lizard Ā· PandaAoM icon Panda Bear Ā· PolarBearIcon Polar Bear Ā· TigerAoM icon Tiger Ā· Wolf icon Wolf
Military animalsLionAOMicon Golden Lion Ā· Monkey icon Relic Monkey
FishAoM Fish Icon Herring Ā· AoM Fish Icon Mahi-mahi Ā· AoM Fish Icon Perch Ā· AoM Fish Icon Salmon
Decorative animalsBird (AoM Hawk Icon Eagle Ā· Harpy icon Harpy Ā· AoM Hawk Icon Hawk Ā· AoM Hawk Icon Parrot Ā· AoM Vulture Icon Vulture) Ā· Hawksbill Turtle Ā· Orca Ā· Shark Ā· Whale
Scenario Editor-exclusive animalsHour of Alpacas Alfred Ā· Wolf icon Dog Ā· Giant Duck-Billed Platypus Ā· GoatAOM Golden Fleece (also herdable) Ā· Elk icon Reindeer
Cheat animalsChickenIcon Methane Chicken
Cut animalsCamel icon AoM Camel Ā· Horse
Animals in Age of Empires III
Land
HerdablesCow aoe3de Cow Ā· Goat aoe3de Goat Ā· Llama aoe3de Llama Ā· Cow aoe3de Sacred Cow Ā· Sanga aoe3de Sanga Cattle Ā· Sheep aoe3de Sheep Ā· Water buffalo aoe3de Water Buffalo Ā· Yak portrait aoe3de Yak Ā· Aoe3de zebu Zebu Cattle Ā· Sanga aoe3de Big Benny
HuntablesBighorn sheep aoe3de Bighorn Sheep Ā· Bison aoe3de Bison Ā· Capybara aoe3de Capybara Ā· Caribou aoe3de Caribou Ā· Deer aoe3de Deer Ā· Elephant aoe3de Elephant Ā· Elk aoe3de Elk Ā· Gazelle portrait Gazelle Ā· Giant salamander aoe3de Giant Salamander Ā· Giraffe portrait Giraffe Ā· Guanaco aoe3de Guanaco Ā· Ibex aoe3de Ibex Ā· Marco polo sheep aoe3de Marco Polo Sheep Ā· Moose aoe3de Moose Ā· Musk deer aoe3de Musk Deer Ā· Musk ox aoe3de Musk Ox Ā· Nilgai aoe3de Nilgai Ā· Ostrich portrait aoe3de Ostrich Ā· Pronghorn aoe3de Pronghorn Ā· Rhea aoe3de Rhea Ā· Saiga aoe3de Saiga Ā· Serow aoe3de Serow Ā· Tapir aoe3de Tapir Ā· Turkey aoe3de Turkey Ā· Zebra portrait aoe3de Zebra
Treasure guardiansAlligator aoe3de Alligator Ā· Tibetan macaque aoe3de Baboon Ā· Black bear aoe3de Black Bear Ā· Black panther aoe3de Black Panther Ā· Beast portrait Beast Ā· Beast portrait Beast of GĆ©vaudan Ā· Grizzly aoe3de Brown Bear Ā· Cougar aoe3de Cougar Ā· Pet wolf aoe3de Coyote Ā· Alligator aoe3de Crocodile Ā· Elephant aoe3de Elephant Ā· Ethiopian Wolf portrait Ethiopian Wolf Ā· Grizzly aoe3de Grizzly Bear Ā· Hippo portrait Hippo Ā· Honey Badger portrait Honey Badger Ā· Hyena portrait aoe3de Hyena Ā· Jaguar pet aoe3de Jaguar Ā· Jaguar pet aoe3de Leopard Ā· Lion aoe3de Lion Ā· Liontailed macaque aoe3de Lion-Tailed Macaque Ā· Guardian dog portrait Mad Dog Ā· Monitor lizard aoe3de Monitor Lizard Ā· Orangutan portrait aoe3de Orangutan Ā· Panda portrait aoe3de Panda Ā· Polar bear aoe3de portrait Polar Bear Ā· Rhino aoe3de Rhinoceros Ā· Snow leopard aoe3de Snow Leopard Ā· Snowmonkey aoe3de Snow Monkey Ā· Tibetan macaque aoe3de Tibetan Macaque Ā· Tiger icon aoe3de Tiger Ā· Warthog portrait Warthog
Unknown-exclusiveAoe3de zebu Cash Cow Ā· Aoe3de zebu Wood Cattle
MilitaryWar dog aoe3de Dog Ā· Turkey scout portrait aoe3de Intrepid Turkey Scout Ā· Sheep aoe3de Lamb of the Creator Ā· Pet wolf aoe3de Tengri Wolf
Water
Treasure guardiansAlligator aoe3de Alligator Ā· Hippo portrait Hippo Ā· Greatwhiteshark aoe3de Great White Shark Ā· Orca aoe3de Orca Ā· White tiger aoe3de White Tiger Ā· Warthog portrait Wild Boar Ā· Pet wolf aoe3de Wolf
FishBass aoe3de Bass Ā· Carp portrait aoe3de Carp Ā· Catfish portrait aoe3de Catfish Ā· Cod portrait aoe3de Cod Ā· Mahi portrait aoe3de Mahi-mahi Ā· Mola mola portrait aoe3de Mola Mola Ā· Salmon aoe3de Salmon Ā· Sardine portrait aoe3de Sardines Ā· Squid portrait aoe3de Squid Ā· Tarpon portrait aoe3de Tarpon Ā· Tuna aoe3de Tuna
WhalesBeluga whale portrait aoe3de Beluga Whale Ā· Whale humpback portrait aoe3de Humpback Whale Ā· Minke whale portrait aoe3de Minke Whale
Air
Bird Ā· Bird unit icon AoE3DE Bird (unit)
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