The Rider is the unique unit of the Chinese civilization in Civilization III.
China leads the world in terms of horse population, having nearly 11 million horses within its borders. Once the discovery of the stirrup made its way to China, heavy cavalry soon followed. As the Chinese found out first-hand when the Mongols invaded in the 12th century, it is better to have heavy calvary than to be attacked by them. The Rider is an upgraded version of the Knight. Like the knight, it requires both iron and horses to build, but it has bonus to its movement ratings, which makes it an extremely valuable siege unit. Its upgraded movement rate makes quick strikes possible and allows the Chinese to keep a smaller standing defense, since units can quickly move to bolster positions of weakness.[1]
| Rider | Knight | |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 4 | 4 |
| Defense | 3 | 3 |
| Movement | 3 | 2 |
| Shield Cost | 70 | 70 |
The Chinese Rider requires Horses and Iron.