Cetan Bowman
Cetan Bowman is Lakota ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through War Hut, Fort, American Citadel. Its listed ability is Builds Teepees (with the "Nomadic Expansion" card) ; Builds War Huts and Corrals (with the "Aggressive Policy" card).
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · War Hut; Fort; American Citadel
- Training
- 30 sec · 1 population · 10 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 100 hit points · 30% ranged resistance · 4.5 speed · 22 line of sight
- Ranged attack
- 15 base damage · range 2-16 · attack interval 1.5 · bonus damage: 2.5x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.5x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 1.5x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 10 base damage · range 6 · attack interval 3.0 · bonus damage: 1.5x vs. Resource enclosure; 1.5x vs. AbstractWall
- Hand attack
- 10 base damage · attack interval 1.5 · bonus damage: 2.0x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.0x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 1.75x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops
- Ranged siege attack
- 10 base damage · range 16 · attack interval 1.5 · bonus damage: 1.5x vs. AbstractWall · requires Territorial Claims card
Role, availability & values
Production is available through War Hut, Fort, or American Citadel. It has 100 hit points and 30% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.5 speed and uses 1 population. Training costs 65 Food and 35 Wood; it takes 30 seconds to train. Attack profile: Ranged attack: 15 damage at range 2-16; every 1.5 seconds. Siege attack: 10 damage at range 6; every 3.0 seconds. Hand attack: 10 damage; every 1.5 seconds. Ranged siege attack: 10 damage at range 16; every 1.5 seconds. Special ability or role: Builds Teepees (with the "Nomadic Expansion" card) ; Builds War Huts and Corrals (with the "Aggressive Policy" card).
Matchup & timing
Cetan Bowmen fire every 1.5 seconds and have a 2.5× ranged bonus against Light ranged cavalry and Ranged shock troops. Their speed and range support a mobile Lakota firing line, while reduced multipliers against Cavalry and Shock troops make a screen essential. The Teepee-building option requires its card; do not assume every Cetan Bowman can construct one.
Current cost and attack values
The Cetan Bowman is a Commerce Age Lakota archer trained from the War Hut. It costs 65 food and 35 wood, takes 30 seconds to train, uses one population, and has 100 hit points with 30% ranged resistance. Its speed is 4.5 and its line of sight is 22. The ranged attack deals 15 damage at range 2–16 every 1.5 seconds. It has a 2.5 multiplier against light ranged cavalry and ranged shock troopers, 1.5 against heavy infantry, and 0.6 against cavalry and shock troops. Its melee attack deals 10 damage every 1.5 seconds, with multipliers of 2.0 against light ranged cavalry and ranged shock troopers, 1.75 against heavy infantry, and 0.75 against cavalry and shock troops. The siege attack deals 10 damage at range 6 every 3 seconds, with bonuses against walls and resource enclosures. These numbers explain why a low-cost early archer can deliver high damage against infantry while remaining vulnerable to cavalry and artillery.
Early-game use and positioning
Cetan Bowmen are strongest in the Commerce Age, when their inexpensive food-and-wood cost and fast rate of fire let the Lakota field a sizeable force. Their long firing animation makes them better at holding a position than at repeatedly moving between volleys. Kiting can waste firing time and leave them exposed while they draw their bows, so choose a good firing position and let them attack slow units. Club Warriors can protect them from cavalry while the bowmen focus heavy infantry and light ranged cavalry. Teepees can strengthen a defended position, and chokepoints reduce the number of enemies able to surround the archers. In open terrain, long-range skirmishers and fast cavalry can exploit their moderate range and movement speed; do not use the bowmen as a lone raiding force.
Upgrades and late-age transition
Elite Cetan Bowmen is the Fortress Age upgrade, costing 200 wood and 100 coin and granting 25% more hit points and damage. Champion Cetan Bowmen is the Industrial Age step for 400 wood and 200 coin, adding another 25% after Elite. Legendary Cetan Bowmen costs 1,500 food and 1,500 wood in the Imperial Age and adds 50% after Champion. Despite that line, the unit is generally outclassed after the Commerce Age by the Lakota Wakina Rifle, which has a more suitable late-game ranged role. Treat the Cetan as an early pressure or defensive unit and transition when the opponent's army and upgrades exceed its strengths. Its Territorial Claims Home City Card replaces the normal siege attack with a ranged siege attack, allowing the bowman to pressure walls from range 16.
Buildings, cards, and historical name
Cetan Bowmen train at the War Hut and can also be produced by a Fort or American Citadel. The Nomadic Expansion card lets them build Teepees, while Aggressive Policy allows War Huts and Corrals, giving the early archer a role in Lakota map control beyond combat. The unit was called Cetan Bow before Definitive Edition, and its current classifications include light infantry and foot archer following later updates. Before the Definitive Edition it had 90 hit points and speed 4.0; the present profile is 100 hit points and speed 4.5. These version changes affect survivability and positioning, so older recordings may show a weaker, slower unit.
Formation support and timing
The Lakota can use Cetan Bowmen as part of an early Commerce Age rush because their one-population cost allows the player to field many archers alongside Club Warriors. The bowmen's attack animations are long, so arrange them to fire together and avoid moving the entire group after every shot. Teepees and terrain can protect a static firing line, while Club Warriors intercept cavalry that would otherwise reach the archers. If a fight shifts into open ground against faster ranged troops, disengage rather than trying to kite with the Cetan's average speed and range. Their ranged siege option from Territorial Claims gives a longer tool against walls, but it replaces the ordinary siege attack rather than adding a second mode. Later, shift production toward Wakina Rifles or another unit better suited to the opponent's composition; further Cetan upgrades do not change their fundamental shortcoming against cavalry and artillery.
Strengths and weaknesses by target
The Cetan's ranged multipliers are especially high against light ranged cavalry and ranged shock troopers, while heavy infantry also takes increased damage. Cavalry and shock troops receive reduced damage, and heavy cavalry, hand shock troops, counter-skirmishers, and artillery can punish the archer line. This is why the early Lakota composition benefits from Club Warriors or another screen: the bowmen provide concentrated ranged damage but should not be asked to hold off a cavalry charge alone.
Later roster transition
After the Commerce Age, the Cetan's low cost remains useful for numbers, but its average range and lengthy firing animation become easier for opponents to exploit. Shift some production to Wakina Rifles rather than pouring every later-age resource into the bowmen.
Defensive placement
A protected choke point gives these archers more time to deliver their full volley before enemies can reach them.
Commerce Age ranged counter with high damage
The Cetan Bowman is a Native ranged infantry unit similar to the Crossbowman. It is cost-effective against Heavy Infantry and light ranged Cavalry and has very high damage output among Commerce Age ranged infantry. Its health is moderate, and a long attack animation can leave it exposed if the opponent reaches the firing line. Keep it behind a screen and focus its damage on targets its bonuses favor.
Use volleys with a protective front line
Cetan Bowmen are strongest when they can fire repeatedly without being interrupted by Cavalry or artillery. Let anti-Cavalry troops protect them, and use terrain to reduce the time they spend under fire. Their attack can make a small Native force dangerous early, but they are not suited to a direct melee fight or to siege without support. Check the settlement and card conditions for the current map before relying on continuous production.
Definitive Edition durability and archer matchups
Cetan Bowman is a Lakota foot Archer whose current profile has 100 hit points and 4.5 speed, compared with 90 hit points and 4.0 speed before the Definitive Edition. Its ranged modifiers are specialized: 2.5× against Light Ranged Cavalry and Ranged Shock Troops, while its Heavy Infantry modifier is 1.5× in the current ranged attack. The anti-ranged bonuses were 2.0× before update 13.58326; the Heavy Infantry modifier has shifted between 2.0×, 1.5× and 1.75× across updates. Against Cavalry and Shock Troops, the current ranged modifiers are 0.6×, not the older 0.75× values. Its siege profile currently includes 1.5× against Resource Enclosures and walls since update 13.12327. These changes make the current Cetan a faster, somewhat sturdier Archer with clearly differentiated anti-unit and siege values.