African Vagabond
African Vagabond is Heavy infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Lombard (Italians).
Recorded values
- Cost
- 100 Coin
- Available
- Commerce Age · Tavern (Europeans) ; Monastery (Asians) ; Lombard (Italians)
- Training
- 35 sec · 3 population · 20 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 140 hit points · 10% ranged resistance · 5.25 speed · 12 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 10 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 5.0x vs. Cavalry; 3.5x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 24 damage · 6 range · 1.5 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), or Lombard (Italians). It has 140 hit points and 10% ranged resistance. It moves at 5.25 speed and uses 3 population. Training costs 100 Coin; it takes 35 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 10 damage. Siege attack deals 24 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 5.0× against Cavalry and 3.5× against Shock troops.
Matchup & timing
The Vagabond’s 5.25 speed makes it a more mobile mercenary counter than a stationary pike line; use it to intercept Cavalry or reinforce an exposed flank. Its 24 siege damage fires every 1.5 seconds, so it can help pressure a building once the path is clear. Preserve its 140 hit points and mercenary cost by retreating before ranged fire accumulates.
Mercenary anti-cavalry role
The African Vagabond is a Commerce Age mercenary heavy-infantry unit that costs 100 Coin, takes 35 seconds to train and occupies three population. It has 140 hit points, 10% ranged resistance and speed 5.25. The 10-damage hand attack gains 5× damage against Cavalry and 3.5× against Shock troops, making it a specialist screen for units vulnerable to a charge. Its 24-damage siege attack at range six can also contribute when the enemy frontline has been cleared. The Vagabond is not a general-purpose ranged soldier: its listed combat profile is built around close engagement, so it must reach cavalry safely. Use Musketeers or other ranged units to make the opponent commit, then place Vagabonds where they can punish the cavalry’s approach. Three population and Coin-only cost make them a distinct mercenary investment; compare that price with standard anti-cavalry units and keep enough population for a main army. Their speed helps them keep pace with a force, but 140 hit points is not enough to walk through concentrated fire.
Where to recruit and how to preserve them
Taverns, Monasteries and Lombards provide the listed access for eligible European, Asian and Italian rosters. A scenario or Home City option may alter availability, so do not infer that every civilization can train the Vagabond from every building. The 12 line of sight is serviceable for a moving screen, but it does not replace a dedicated scout. Keep the unit near the part of the army that cavalry is likely to attack, and focus those threats rather than sending it on an unsupported raid. Because it fights in hand-to-hand range, retreat it when the enemy counters arrive; its bonus multipliers only matter if it survives long enough to connect. The modest ranged resistance offers some protection during approach, while the low base hit points and three-population cost make each lost unit expensive. African Vagabonds are best used as a targeted answer inside a mixed formation, with ranged fire or buildings covering their advance. Their siege attack can help finish an exposed structure, but repeated attacks on a defended base leave them vulnerable to the units they are meant to counter.
Using the counter bonus without overcommitting
The Vagabond’s fivefold hand bonus against Cavalry is its clearest tactical reason to hire it. Keep the unit just behind the frontline until enemy cavalry commits, then move it into contact while ranged allies fire on the same target. Against Shock troops, the 3.5× modifier provides a similar role, but the Vagabond does not have a ranged attack to safely engage those units at distance. Do not chase a retreating cavalry group across open ground: a fast opponent can turn and focus the 140-hit-point mercenary. Three population makes a small detachment expensive in army space, but adding a few to a ranged force can protect more valuable units from a charge. The Vagabond’s 24 siege damage is useful when a structure is undefended or the army has already won the field; it is not a reason to use the unit as a lone raider. Check whether Tavern, Monastery or Lombard access is actually available to the civilization and mode, then compare the hire against conventional anti-cavalry production. Preserve the group for the matchup it was purchased to solve.
Protect the mercenary investment
The Vagabond’s three population and 100-Coin price make it costly to lose in a poor engagement. Keep it behind the ranged line until a Cavalry or Shock troop target appears, then withdraw after the counter threat is removed. Use the unit’s speed to follow the army, but do not outrun its support.
Mercenary pikeman with a Coin-only price
The African Vagabond is a Tavern-style mercenary available in the Commerce Age: Europeans recruit it from a Tavern, Asians from a Monastery and Italians from a Lombard. It costs 100 Coin, uses three population, trains in 35 seconds and has 140 hit points with speed 5.25. Its hand attack deals 10 damage at a 1.5-second interval, with a 5× multiplier against Cavalry and 3.5× against Shock troops; its 24-damage siege attack also fires every 1.5 seconds. The large counter multipliers make the Vagabond a strong answer when enemy Cavalry is the immediate problem, but its three-population cost makes a large group expensive in army capacity. Keep ranged support close so the Vagabonds can reach their target without being worn down on approach. Their Coin-only price may fit an economy with excess Coin, but does not make them free: compare the population and hiring time against ordinary anti-cavalry options before replacing a core infantry line.