Bashibozuk
Bashibozuk is Ottomans ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, obtained through Town Center (Levy/City Defense).
Recorded values
- Cost
- 75 Food
- Available
- Town Center (Levy/City Defense)
- Training
- 1 population
- Durability & mobility
- 180 hit points · 20% hand resistance · 4.25 speed · 20 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 15 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 1.25x vs. Heavy infantry; 1.25x vs. Mercenary; 1.25x vs. Siege unit
- Ranged attack
- 24 damage · 12 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 1.25x vs. Heavy infantry; 1.5x vs. Mercenary; 1.5x vs. Siege unit; 0.5x vs. Villager
- Siege attack
- 5 damage · 6 range · 1.5 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Town Center (Levy/City Defense). It has 180 hit points. It moves at 4.25 speed and uses 1 population. Training costs 75 Food. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 15 damage. Ranged attack deals 24 damage. Siege attack deals 5 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 1.25× against Heavy infantry, 1.25× against Mercenary, and 1.25× against Siege unit. Ranged attack bonuses: 1.25× against Heavy infantry, 1.5× against Mercenary, 1.5× against Siege unit, and 0.5× against Villager.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Heavy infantry (1.25×), Mercenary (1.25×), Siege unit (1.25×). Ranged attack is especially effective against Heavy infantry (1.25×), Mercenary (1.5×), Siege unit (1.5×). Its reduced multipliers against Villager (0.5×) make it less suitable for those targets. Use ranged fire to focus Heavy infantry, Mercenary, and Siege unit before they can close; hold the melee attack for Heavy infantry, Mercenary, and Siege unit when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Ottoman levy infantry values and role
Bashibozuk is an Ottoman levy unit available through the Town Center’s Levy or City Defense options in Knights of the Mediterranean. It costs 75 Food and occupies one population. The unit has 180 hit points, 20% hand resistance and moves at 4.25 speed, with 20 line of sight. Its ranged attack deals 24 damage at range 12 every three seconds; it gains 1.25× against Heavy infantry and 1.5× against Mercenaries and Siege units, but only half damage against Villagers. In melee it deals 15 damage every 1.5 seconds and has a smaller 1.25× bonus against Heavy infantry, Mercenaries and Siege units. Its siege attack is five damage. These figures make it useful as an emergency Town Center defense or as a supplemental ranged force, particularly when a push includes mercenaries or siege. It should not be read as the Ottoman equivalent of a regular Barracks unit: the levy access, food-only price and matchup profile distinguish it from the civilization’s normal roster. Keep it behind a screen against fast cavalry and use the ranged bonuses on the targets they are meant to counter. Levy availability and exact values can depend on the Knights of the Mediterranean ruleset.
Levy availability and counterplay
The Town Center access makes Bashibozuk a defensive option when the ordinary army is away from home or when the Ottoman player needs to answer pressure without moving a Barracks force across the map. Its Food-only cost avoids spending Coin, but the unit is still population-consuming and its ranged attack cannot efficiently handle every target. Cavalry and fast shock units can cross the 12-range firing zone and exploit the infantry’s low movement speed; protect the levy with suitable anti-cavalry units and keep the Town Center within support distance. Against villagers, the 0.5 multiplier makes it a poor raiding unit. Use the levy ability for emergency coverage or its specific bonuses, not as a substitute for a balanced Ottoman composition.
Ottoman levy against infantry and mercenaries
Bashibozuks are Ottoman ranged infantry summoned through Town Center Levy or City Defense effects. Their 24-damage ranged attack has bonuses against Heavy infantry, Mercenaries and Siege units, making them a temporary response to a costly push. They cost 75 Food and use one population in the recorded profile. The 15-damage hand attack also carries smaller bonuses against those classes, but they should stay at range when possible.
Temporary deployment and target choice
The Town Center effect determines access and timing; Bashibozuks are not a standard Barracks queue. Use them soon after they appear to pressure the Siege units or mercenary force that justified the levy, and keep them screened from enemy Cavalry. Their ranged attack deals reduced damage against Villagers, so worker raids are inefficient. Check the active Ottoman card or defensive option, and return to regular unit production after the temporary force has served its purpose.