Arsonist
Arsonist is a Fortress Age mercenary ranged infantry unit with a rocket attack and area damage. Its attack profile reaches farther than an ordinary infantry volley and can pressure structures as well as grouped units.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 250 Coin
- Available
- Fortress Age · Tavern (Europeans) ; Monastery (Asians) ; Saloon (Americans) ; Palace (Africans) ; Lombard (Italians) ; Indian Castle (with the "Rocketeers" card)
- Training
- 50 sec · 3 population · 25 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 250 hit points · 50% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 15 line of sight
- Ranged attack
- 42 base damage · range 12 · attack interval 3.0 · area of effect 3 · bonus damage: 0.4x vs. Cavalry; 0.4x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 140 base damage · range 12 · attack interval 3.0
- Hand attack
- 22 base damage · attack interval 1.5
- Rocket attack
- 42 base damage · range 12-20 · attack interval 4.0 · area of effect 3 · bonus damage: 0.25x vs. Cavalry; 0.25x vs. Shock troops · requires Rocketeers card
- Burning damage
- 1 base damage · attack interval 1.0 · bonus damage: Same as ranged attack
Role, availability & values
Arsonists are hired through a Tavern, Monastery, Saloon, Palace or Lombard; Indians require the Rocketeers card for Castle access. The profile lists 50% ranged resistance, three population and a Rocket attack reaching up to 20 range.
Matchup & timing
Use its longer-range rocket attack from behind the frontline, and keep the unit away from close combat despite its resistance. The high Coin and population cost make it a planned siege-support purchase.
Profile and production
The Arsonist is a Fortress Age mercenary available in The Asian Dynasties and Definitive Edition. It costs 250 Coin, occupies three population and takes 50 seconds to hire. Its profile lists 250 hit points, 50% ranged resistance, speed 4.0 and line of sight 15. The resistance helps it endure volleys while approaching, but its movement is slow for a mercenary and its population cost is substantial. Europeans generally hire it at a Tavern, Asians at a Monastery, Federal Americans at a Saloon, Africans at a Palace and Italians at a Lombard. Indians can access Castle production when the Rocketeers Home City card is active. These are faction-specific sources, not a universal Barracks unit. Check that the correct mercenary site or card is available before making the Arsonist part of a build plan.
Rocket attack and version differences
The standard ranged attack deals 42 damage at range 12, reloads every three seconds and affects a three-unit radius. Against Cavalry and shock troops it deals only 0.4 times normal damage, so its splash does not make Arsonists a reliable answer to a charge. The Rocketeers card unlocks a distinct rocket attack: it deals 42 damage with a three-radius area effect, reloads every four seconds and can reach from 12 to 20. That range is conditional on the card and should not be assumed for every Arsonist. Before update 19.18309, the listed ranged damage was 28; before update 14.43676 its Cavalry and shock penalties were 0.5×. Older guides can therefore describe a markedly different profile.
Siege and melee tools
Against buildings the Arsonist uses a siege attack of 140 damage at range 12 every three seconds. In close combat it has a 22-damage hand attack with a 1.5-second interval. Those attacks give it more options than a conventional skirmishing unit, but do not remove its weaknesses: 250 hit points and speed 4.0 make it vulnerable when caught by fast Cavalry or focused fire. The ranged attack is its main battlefield contribution; use siege damage only when the frontline is stable enough to let the mercenary work near a structure. Do not order it into point-blank combat just because a hand attack is available.
Role in a mixed army
Arsonists work best behind Heavy Infantry or other durable frontline units. Their area damage is most useful when several enemies are clustered, and the longer Rocketeers shot can punish formations or threaten a defensive position from farther away. Their poor damage multipliers against Cavalry and shock troops mean the army needs a separate answer to those threats. Keep a screen between the Arsonists and enemy melee units, and avoid stacking them where enemy artillery can hit the whole group. Their high Coin cost and three population per soldier favour a focused support detachment instead of replacing cheaper core Infantry.
When to hire and preserve
Choose Arsonists when the map gives you time to establish a mercenary site and your army can afford a large Coin investment. They are useful when a ranged siege-support unit with area damage fills a gap in the available roster. Before committing resources, check whether the civilization has ordinary access or requires a Home City card. If the plan depends on the 20-range rocket, send Rocketeers first; without it, the ordinary attack stops at range 12. Hiring or defeating an Arsonist awards 25 experience in the current profile. Its three population and 50-second training time make casualties costly, so withdraw injured mercenaries and protect the production site rather than queueing replacements into a losing fight.
Positioning the firing line
The Arsonist’s attack cycle is slower than a standard continuous volley, so its value comes from choosing a useful firing window. Move the mercenary behind the frontline before combat begins, then focus a compact enemy group or a high-value target that cannot immediately close. Its range-12 standard attack is not a license to stand in front: speed 4.0 makes disengaging from Cavalry difficult once the line collapses. Keep a mobile counter unit nearby and preserve open retreat space behind the guns. If the opponent advances with dispersed units, hold fire until the formation bunches or switch to another target instead of letting the area attack land on only one low-value unit.
Evaluate the card and Coin commitment
The Rocketeers unlock changes the Arsonist’s maximum reach but consumes a Home City card slot and requires the right civilization access. Consider it when the card both provides the desired rocket option and fits the shipment order; do not send it merely to improve a unit you may never hire. A 250-Coin mercenary can compete with age-up savings, upgrades or other mercenary choices, and three population limits how many can join a full army. A small number may still be worthwhile when their area damage can punish a compact defense. Decide the role first—anti-formation fire, ranged pressure or structure support—then compare the card and Coin cost with the units that fill the same job.
Limitations and counterplay
Opponents can blunt Arsonists by spreading units so the three-radius area effect catches fewer targets, advancing with fast Cavalry, or attacking the mercenary site before the long training time completes. Their 50% ranged resistance applies to ranged damage, not every attack type, and the low speed leaves them exposed to melee pressure. The Rocket attack has a four-second reload and only 0.25× damage against Cavalry and shock troops, which makes a direct cavalry exchange especially poor. If the enemy changes composition, move the Arsonists behind a stronger screen or stop replacing losses. Their profile rewards prepared positioning, not chasing.
Read the formation before firing
An Arsonist’s three-radius area damage rewards attacking a compact group, but its slow reload means a shot into scattered targets loses much of its value. Use vision from the rest of the army to identify where the opponent’s Infantry is likely to hold, then position the mercenary behind cover or a frontline before advancing. A building can serve as a late target when the enemy army has moved away; otherwise, siege damage at range 12 exposes a costly unit to counterfire. If the opponent is spreading out to deny splash, shift focus to a high-value individual or keep the Arsonist in reserve until the formation changes.
Counterplay and limits
The 50% ranged resistance applies to ranged attacks, not every damage type. Fast Cavalry can exploit speed 4.0 and force the Arsonist into a poor hand-to-hand fight. The card-enabled Rocket attack has a four-second reload and only 0.25× damage against Cavalry and shock troops, so even its longer reach is not a solution to those counters. Opponents can also attack the hiring site before the 50-second training queue completes or spread units so the area effect catches fewer targets. Keep a mobile counter nearby, leave a retreat route and stop replacing the mercenary if the enemy composition has shifted against it.
Mercenary rocket unit and siege role
The Arsonist is a Fortress Age mercenary ranged infantry unit built around a long-reaching rocket attack and area damage. A 20-range Rocket attack lets it contribute against structures or grouped targets from behind the frontline, but its three-population cost means a small number already consumes substantial army capacity. With 250 hit points and 50% ranged resistance, it can withstand some ranged pressure, yet it remains vulnerable when cavalry or melee troops close the gap. Keep it in a protected firing position, make sure the army can stop a dive and use its area attack where multiple targets or a valuable structure justify the investment.
Recruitment rules and resource commitment
Taverns, Monasteries, Saloons, Palaces and the Italian Lombard are the listed mercenary access points. Indian Castle production is conditional on the Rocketeers card, so Indians should not assume the route is open without that unlock. At 250 Coin and 50 seconds to train, Arsonists require both a secure hiring site and a Coin-heavy plan. They are best added when the opponent’s defenses or clustered army make long-range siege support useful; they are inefficient as a substitute for ordinary infantry in every engagement. Protect the hiring building, reserve enough population for a screen and supporting troops, and focus the rockets on targets that cannot easily reach the firing line.