Trample damage is a sub-type of Area of Effect (AoE) damage. It differs from the latter in that it commonly does full damage on a primary target and only deals a small amount of it to adjacent opponents, whereas classic Area of Effect attacks deal homogeneous damage in a certain area. Trample damage is also exclusively the domain of melee units, though some ranged attacks (often siege units) have somewhat similar properties. Unlike other forms of AoE damage, trample never affects friendly targets.
Primary targets are never affected by trample damage, meaning that upgrades that enable or improve trample damage only will not strengthen units in an isolated duel.
It is a significant advantage on units possessing it as they may inflict more total damage per hit than their attack score alone would suggest, provided they are put in a position to hit multiple units. It tends to be especially effective against cheap units trying to overwhelm such a unit with sheer numbers, such as the classic Elephant unit, which is easily surrounded by many smaller units.
Trample damage is generally referred to as splash damage in other video games.
Age of Empires[]
In Age of Empires, the following units deal trample damage:
Age of Empires II[]
An example of Cataphract trample damage in Age of Empires II. Notice that the Militia at the rear still took damage.
In Age of Empires II, the following units deal trample damage:
- (Elite) Cataphracts with Logistica deal 5 damage (ignoring armor) to adjacent enemy units in a 0.5 tile radius.
- (Elite) War Elephants deal 50% of their attack value to all adjacent enemy units and buildings in a 0.5 tile radius.
- Slavic infantry with Druzhina deals 5 damage (ignoring armor) to adjacent enemy units in a 0.5 tile radius.
- Battering Ram/Capped/Siege Rams (the former only with Torsion Engines) deal 100% of their attack value to nearby enemy buildings and siege units in a 1.5 and 2 tile radius, respectively. The Ethiopians can even further increase the Rams' trample damage radius by 0.5 by researching Torsion Engines.
- Siege Elephants do 33% of their attack value to all adjacent enemy units and buildings in a 1.5 tile radius.
- (Elite) Battle Elephants deal 25% of their attack value to all adjacent enemy units and buildings in a 0.4 tile radius.
- The Polish Scout Cavalry line with Lechitic Legacy deal 33% of their attack value to all adjacent enemy units in a 0.5 tile radius.
- The Urumi Swordsman's charged attack deals 50% of its charged attack value to all adjacent enemy units and buildings (the extra attack from the charge applies only to adjacent non-siege units, only the base attack applies to buildings and siege units). The full attack is applied on the target of the charge attack (even siege units, charge is not triggered against buildings).
- The Ratha in melee mode deals 20% of its charged attack value to all adjacent enemy units and buildings.
- Certain hero units (like Tsar Konstantin and Abraha Elephant) deal 100% of their attack value as trample damage against units and buildings in a radius of 1 and 0.5 tiles, respectively.
These bonuses may seem small, but in mass battles, they can make a great difference. Rams can effectively destroy multiple buildings at once, which is especially useful against walls.
Age of Mythology[]
There is no definitive definition for "trample damage" in Age of Mythology; however it is possible to make a mock up trample damage by modifying the game files and giving a unit "AreaAttack" whilst removing the SingleUse and AttackAction lines.
It is possible that trample damage may have been in the alpha and/or beta versions, but was removed because AreaAttack damage still damages other units when the "Effector" is dead.
Some myth units have special attacks that provide similar benefits to trample damage, such as the Norse Battle Boar. Its "Berserk" special attack only causes half the damage of its regular attack damage, but hits in a trample-like fashion while also sending enemies flying. These units also tend to avoid using these special attacks against single targets.
Age of Empires III[]
In Age of Empires III, all hand cavalry units have the option to enter Trample Mode which reduces their damage, slows them down, and increases the damage they receive, but gives their attacks an area of effect so that they can damage multiple units at a time.
All Elephants (excluding Siege Elephants), Brahmin Monk, the Lakota War Chief, Cuirassier, and Sipahi already have an Area of Effect melee attack which does not slow them down or cause them to take increased damage, making trample mode for these units less useful than for other cavalry.
However, some of these units gain a wider AoE when in trample mode.
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