Chevauleger
Chevauleger is ranged cavalry in Age of Empires III, available from the Fortress Age; obtained through Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Wittelsbach palace, Native Embassy.
Recorded values
- Available
- Fortress Age · Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Wittelsbach palace; Native Embassy
- Training
- 38 sec · 20 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 235 hit points · 20% ranged resistance · 7.0 speed · 15 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 26.5 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 1.6x vs. Heavy cavalry; 1.2x vs. Hand shock trooper; 0.75x vs. Light infantry
- Ranged attack
- 19.5 damage · 4-12 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.75x vs. Heavy cavalry; 2.0x vs. Artillery; 2.0x vs. Hand shock trooper; 0.5x vs. Villager
- Siege attack
- 12 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Wittelsbach palace or Native Embassy. It has 235 hit points and 20% ranged resistance. It moves at 7.0 speed. Training costs 110 Food and 90 Coin; it takes 38 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 26.5 damage. Ranged attack deals 19.5 damage. Siege attack deals 12 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 1.6× against Heavy cavalry, 1.2× against Hand shock trooper, and 0.75× against Light infantry. Ranged attack bonuses: 2.75× against Heavy cavalry, 2.0× against Artillery, 2.0× against Hand shock trooper, and 0.5× against Villager.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Heavy cavalry (1.6×), Hand shock trooper (1.2×). Ranged attack is especially effective against Heavy cavalry (2.75×), Artillery (2×), Hand shock trooper (2×). Its reduced multipliers against Light infantry (0.75×), Villager (0.5×) make it less suitable for those targets. Use ranged fire to focus Heavy cavalry, Artillery, and Hand shock trooper before they can close; hold the melee attack for Heavy cavalry and Hand shock trooper when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Role and recruitment
The Chevauleger is a ranged light cavalry native warrior available through a House of Wittelsbach palace in Knights of the Mediterranean. Build a Trading Post or Tambo on the palace to unlock training in the Fortress Age; a Royal Embassy route is also available to Germans after sending Prince-Electors and choosing Wittelsbach. The standard settlement unit costs 110 Food and 90 Coin, trains in 38 seconds and is capped at 10 per palace. Its profile has 235 hit points, 20% ranged resistance, speed 7.0 and line of sight 15. This makes it a durable mobile ranged unit, though the settlement cap and map requirement make it less reliable as a civilization’s sole cavalry line.
Combat profile and target selection
The ranged attack deals 19.5 damage every three seconds at range 4–12. It has a 2.75× multiplier against heavy cavalry, 2× against artillery and 2× against hand shock troops, but only 0.5× against Villagers. The hand attack deals 26.5 damage every 1.5 seconds, with bonuses against heavy cavalry and hand shock troops. Its siege attack is 12 damage at range 6 on a three-second interval in the current profile. The combination gives it a strong answer to cavalry and a way to pressure artillery at close range, but light infantry can still counter it. Do not interpret the high hit points as immunity to Skirmishers or foot archers; use allied melee cavalry to reach ranged counters.
Comparison with Dragoons and Hussars
Chevaulegers combine some qualities of both standard ranged and melee cavalry. They have more hit points and a stronger hand attack than a Dragoon, but lower ranged damage and slightly less speed. Their ranged bonus against heavy cavalry is strong, while their hand attack helps when artillery or cavalry is caught close. Compared with a Hussar, they contribute ranged fire and have less straightforward worker-raiding value. A mixed force with Hussars or another melee cavalry unit can absorb attention and pressure foot archers while Chevaulegers focus heavy cavalry and guns. Their premium role is matchup coverage, not simply replacing all existing cavalry.
Ducal Berg Lancers and upgrades
The Ducal Berg Lancers technology changes the Chevauleger’s melee role by giving it a lance and increasing its melee damage multiplier against infantry, in a way similar to the Spanish Lancer while retaining its existing bonuses against heavy cavalry and artillery. This can help when the opponent relies on infantry screens, but it does not remove the need for ranged support or make the unit safe against every counter. Chevaulegers become Veteran automatically in the Fortress Age for +20% hit points and damage. Royal Guard Wittelsbachs costs 350 Wood and 350 Coin and grants +40% hit points and damage over base, requiring Veteran. Imperial upgrades add +50% hit points and damage through Legendary Native Warriors.
Palace access and civilization variants
German players can obtain Chevaulegers through the Prince-Electors Home City card and a Wittelsbach alliance at the Royal Embassy; this version uses population and can be upgraded to Royal Guard. Revolutionary France can receive them through the Sister Republics card’s random native warrior pool. These are distinct access routes and may have different population and shipment rules from the standard settlement training profile. Confirm the actual unit card in the chosen mode before planning a population cap or production cycle. Native access is map-dependent, and losing the palace Trading Post or Tambo can interrupt further reinforcements.
Practical use
Train Chevaulegers when scouting shows heavy cavalry, hand shock troops or artillery that the unit can punish. Keep them with a frontline or Hussars so light infantry cannot fire freely. Use their range to begin attacks before melee contact, then close on exposed artillery when the target can be reached safely. Their 38-second training time and cap mean losses are not replaced instantly; preserve the group and avoid trading it into a prepared counter. If the enemy switches to Skirmishers, add cavalry or artillery that can deal with light infantry rather than continuing to expand the Chevauleger force.
Patch context
The current Definitive Edition profile reflects later balance changes. Earlier values included a lower heavy-cavalry multiplier, different light-infantry interaction and higher siege damage; updates also adjusted attack range and damage multipliers. The unit is a native warrior introduced with Knights of the Mediterranean and is not the same as a standard Dragoon reskin. Older guides can describe a Prinz Chevauleger or earlier Bavarian stats, so identify the edition and access route before comparing exact performance.
Ducal Berg Lancers in an infantry matchup
Ducal Berg Lancers is a situational upgrade when the opponent relies on infantry that can otherwise keep the Chevauleger at range. The lance improves its melee damage against infantry while preserving the unit’s existing bonuses against heavy cavalry and artillery. Research it only when the army can safely reach those infantry targets; the upgrade does not protect the cavalry from concentrated ranged fire. If the enemy fields a large Skirmisher group, use Hussars or artillery to force the engagement rather than sending Chevaulegers alone. Against heavy cavalry, their ranged multiplier already makes them useful before this technology is considered.
Population and replacement costs
The standard settlement version has a native warrior limit per Wittelsbach palace and does not necessarily follow the same population rules as the German Prinz Chevauleger. The German shipment route uses population and can be trained from the Royal Embassy, so check the unit card before adding it to a full army. Food and Coin cost also compete with age-up and other cavalry production. A capped native group is best used to solve a specific matchup, while the regular cavalry line supplies more dependable reinforcements. Preserve the palace access and avoid losing the whole group in one fight.
Formation and engagement sequence
Keep Chevaulegers behind the melee screen while they fire at heavy cavalry. If artillery is exposed, flank and switch to the strong hand attack only when enemy infantry cannot trap the unit. Against hand shock troops, use the ranged bonus and withdraw when they close. Against light infantry, combine with Hussars or another unit that can force contact; Chevaulegers have enough durability to contribute but should not absorb all of the ranged fire. After the fight, retreat to the palace site or a safe rally point so the limited force can be replenished.
Technology and role choice
A player choosing whether to invest in Ducal Berg Lancers should weigh the map and enemy roster. If the fight is expected to be against infantry, a ranged cavalry unit with a melee lance option can add pressure after a flank. If the enemy can keep the Chevaulegers at range, the upgrade’s theoretical bonus may never be used. The unit’s core ranged attack remains its safest tool against cavalry, and its strong hand attack is most useful against artillery that has lost its screen. Keep the army flexible instead of treating one technology as a universal improvement.
Preserve the native unit investment
The House of Wittelsbach access point is both a production source and a map objective. If the opponent captures or destroys its Trading Post or Tambo, the player can lose the ability to replenish the limited force. Keep an Outpost or army nearby when the settlement is central, and avoid sending every Chevauleger away from its support. The unit’s 235 hit points help it survive, but a lost capped group can take time and resources to replace.
Trainer note
Keep the group close enough to allied Hussars to screen ranged infantry.
Choose your target
Its cavalry multipliers reward disciplined focus fire.
Use the ranged window
Fire from range while allied melee units keep infantry away.
Battle reminder
Screen the group.
Native cap, cost and ranged engagement window
A House of Wittelsbach settlement can train up to ten Chevaulegers; the Native Embassy offers another production route where available. Each costs 110 Food and 90 Coin, takes 38 seconds and has 235 hit points with 20% ranged resistance. Its ranged attack fires every three seconds from range 4 to 12, dealing 19.5 damage and gaining 2.75× against Heavy Cavalry, 2× against Artillery and Hand Shock Troops, but only half damage against Villagers. The hand attack is stronger against Heavy Cavalry and Hand Shock Troops, while its multiplier is reduced against Light Infantry. Those profiles reward using the ranged attack while approaching and switching to melee only when the target and screen make it worthwhile. The settlement cap also changes replacement planning: a lost group may require access to additional Wittelsbach sites rather than simply more time at one post. Preserve the alliance and avoid sending the unit into a fight that consumes its limited roster for low-value targets.
How the Chevauleger fits a mixed army
The Chevauleger is a specialist mounted unit, not a direct substitute for a Hussar or Dragoon. Its strongest ranged bonuses focus on Heavy Cavalry, Artillery and Hand Shock Troops, so it can help remove those threats while ordinary Infantry protects the firing line. The 7.0 movement speed lets it reposition faster than foot units, but its 235 hit points and two-population cost make repeated unsupported trades expensive. Scout the enemy formation, select the target that matches its bonus, then disengage if Skirmishers or other ranged counters begin to focus it. If the opponent switches to units that the Chevauleger handles poorly, stop training it and redirect Food and Coin toward the appropriate answer. The House of Wittelsbach alliance is useful only while the roster complements the main civilization; retaining a settlement for a unit that no longer fits the matchup wastes map control that could support another technology or reinforcement plan.