Bersagliere
Bersagliere is Italians ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Industrial Age; obtained through European Barracks, Fort, Galleass, American Citadel. Its listed ability is Bugle Call.
Recorded values
- Available
- Industrial Age · European Barracks; Fort; Galleass; American Citadel
- Training
- 35 sec · 1 population · 13 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 120 hit points · 25% ranged resistance · 5.0 speed · 24 line of sight
- Ranged attack
- 16 base damage · range 2-20 · attack interval 3.0 · bonus damage: 2.5x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.5x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 2.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.75x vs. Artillery; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 11 base damage · range 6 · attack interval 3.0
- Hand attack
- 5.5 base damage · attack interval 1.5 · bonus damage: Same as ranged attack
- Bugle Call (charged)
- 16 base damage · range 25 · attack interval 3.0 · bonus damage: 2.5x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.5x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 2.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.75x vs. Artillery; 0.4x vs. Cavalry; 0.4x vs. Shock troops · requires Killing an enemy unit
Role, availability & values
Production is available through European Barracks, Fort, Galleass, or American Citadel. It has 120 hit points and 25% ranged resistance. It moves at 5.0 speed and uses 1 population. Training costs 50 Food and 75 Coin; it takes 35 seconds to train. Attack profile: Ranged attack: 16 damage at range 2-20; every 3.0 seconds. Siege attack: 11 damage at range 6; every 3.0 seconds. Hand attack: 5.5 damage; every 1.5 seconds. Bugle Call (charged): 16 damage at range 25; every 3.0 seconds. Special ability or role: Bugle Call.
Matchup & timing
Keep this ranged unit behind a screen and let it fire before melee troops can reach it. Its listed attack reaches 2-20 range and is especially useful against Light ranged cavalry, Ranged shock trooper, and Heavy infantry. Move it with the frontline as that screen advances, and reposition when cavalry or artillery gains a clear shot.
Fast Italian skirmishers and Bugle Call
The Bersagliere replaces the Skirmisher for the Italians and becomes available in the Industrial Age from a Barracks, Fort, Galleass or American Citadel. It costs 50 Food and 75 Coin, trains in 35 seconds and uses one population. Its 120 hit points, 25% ranged resistance, speed 5.0 and line of sight 24 make it faster than many ranged infantry, but it has less durability than a standard Skirmisher. The ranged attack deals 16 damage at range 2–20 every three seconds, with a 2.5 multiplier against Light Ranged Cavalry and ranged Shock Troops, 2.0 against Heavy Infantry, 0.75 against Artillery and 0.6 against Cavalry and Shock Troops. Its hand attack is only 5.5 damage, so it should not be used as a melee unit. Siege damage is 11 at range 6 every three seconds. The Industrial Age requirement means Bersaglieri are a timing choice. A fast Industrial build can unlock them earlier in the match, while French allies can send TEAM House of Bonaparte to enable Fortress Age training. Compared with Skirmishers, they have a slightly higher ranged attack and movement speed but less hand attack, lower ranged resistance and greater Coin cost and training time. Their mobility helps them retreat and reposition, but it does not make them safe from Hussars or other hand cavalry. Keep a screen between them and heavy cavalry, and do not let Artillery fire into a stationary group. Bugle Call triggers after a Bersagliere kills an enemy. The charge fires a 16-damage shot at range 25, using the unit’s ranged bonuses, and stuns the next Infantry or Cavalry target for two seconds. It also boosts nearby allied units’ speed by 2.5% for 2.5 seconds in an area of 25. The kill requirement means the ability is more likely to matter when the Bersaglieri are already taking favorable fights; it is not a command that can be activated at any time. Focus a weakened target to trigger the call, then use the stun and speed window to reposition the formation or follow up with allies. The Bersagliere automatically receives Veteran status in the Fortress Age and Guard status in the Industrial Age, even though its normal availability is later. Veteran adds 20% hit points and damage, Guard adds 30%, and Imperial Bersaglieri cost 1,500 Wood and 1,500 Coin for a further 50%. That progression supports the unit’s late-game role without requiring the first two upgrades to be researched manually. Counter Infantry Rifling at the Arsenal improves its value against infantry, while other attack and resistance cards can add further support. Use Bersaglieri as a mobile anti-infantry line that can kite and reposition, not as a stand-alone army. They are effective against Heavy Infantry and Light Ranged Cavalry, but vulnerable to Heavy Cavalry, hand Shock Troops, counter-skirmishers and Artillery. Italian Pavisiers provide a different defensive role and can protect the firing line; Bersaglieri contribute speed and Bugle Call. The balance values have changed: current range is 20, ranged damage 16 and ranged resistance 25%, while earlier updates showed different numbers. Check the current profile when comparing older fast-Industrial strategy guides.
Work toward the first Bugle Call
Bugle Call is triggered by a kill, so a Bersagliere force benefits from focusing weakened enemies rather than spreading damage across several targets. Once the first unit falls, the charged shot can stun the next Infantry or Cavalry target and briefly increase nearby allies’ speed. That window can help the line retreat from a cavalry approach or reposition for another volley. Keep the Bersaglieri close enough for the area-of-effect support, but not in one tight clump where artillery can punish them. Their Industrial Age availability delays the first production; use the time before then to protect the economy and decide whether the match calls for a fast age-up. If the enemy is already building Heavy Infantry, have the Arsenal and Counter Infantry Rifling plan ready so the first shipment or production cycle has immediate value.
Budget for the Industrial Age line
At 50 Food and 75 Coin for each unit, Bersaglieri are less expensive in Food than many skirmishers but require a reliable Coin supply. Their one-population cost makes replacement straightforward if the Italian economy is ready, while the 35-second training time means a lost group will not return instantly. The Fort, Galleass and American Citadel provide additional production routes where available. Build those options into the plan only after the fast age-up and the army that protects them are secured.
Bugle Call and long-range volley
The Italian Bersagliere is an Industrial Age ranged-infantry unit whose charged Bugle Call extends its attack to 25 range. Its regular shot deals 16 damage over a variable 2–20 range, while Bugle Call uses the same listed damage at longer reach. That makes the charge useful for pressuring a target before a normal volley can connect, but it does not make the unit artillery or remove its need for protection. At 120 hit points, 25% ranged resistance and five speed, it can reposition with infantry but should remain screened from Cavalry and melee units. Watch for the charge to be ready and spend it on a target worth the timing.
Industrial production and army role
Bersaglieri cost 50 Food and 75 Coin, use one population and take 35 seconds to train. Barracks and Forts are the listed production buildings, with Galleass and American Citadel access available under their conditions. Their low population cost can support a larger ranged line, but their 5.5 hand attack and 11 siege damage are secondary profiles. Use them to add ranged pressure to an Italian force while other units handle melee defense and structures. Industrial Age access means they arrive later than many ordinary skirmishers, so plan their production before the army reaches the engagement that requires them. Protect the production building and keep the unit’s charge ability active for moments when it changes the range of the fight.