Chimu Runner
Chimu Runner is Incas, Peru infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; Revolution (Peru); obtained through War Hut, Stronghold, Fort, American Citadel. Its listed ability is Stealth mode (with the "Cloud Warriors" Home City Card).
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age; Revolution (Peru) · War Hut; Stronghold; Fort; American Citadel
- Training
- 27 sec · 1 population · 11 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 140 hit points · 10% ranged resistance · 6.25 speed · 14 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 19 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 1.2x vs. Artillery
- Siege attack
- 9 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
- Ability
- Stealth mode (with the "Cloud Warriors" Home City Card)
Role, availability & values
Production is available through War Hut, Stronghold, Fort, or American Citadel. It has 140 hit points and 10% ranged resistance. It moves at 6.25 speed and uses 1 population. Training costs 75 Food and 40 Coin; it takes 27 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 19 damage. Siege attack deals 9 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 1.2× against Artillery. Special ability or role: Stealth mode (with the "Cloud Warriors" Home City Card).
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Artillery (1.2×). Hold the melee attack for Artillery when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Fast shock infantry and target selection
The Chimu Runner is an Inca Commerce Age shock infantry unit, also available to the Peru revolution. It costs 75 Food and 40 Coin, takes 27 seconds to train and uses one population. Its 140 hit points, 10% ranged resistance and speed 6.25 make it unusually mobile for an infantry unit, but the modest health total means it should not absorb a long fight. The mace attack deals 19 damage every 1.5 seconds; its siege strike deals nine. It has a 1.2× bonus against Artillery and can pressure ranged infantry or artillery as a fast flanker. Its speed is useful for closing on a target and withdrawing, not for running into a stationary army without support. The unit’s role is similar to a mobile shock troop rather than a line Musketeer: use other Inca units to hold the front while Chimu Runners reach exposed artillery or skirmishers. They can be produced from a War Hut, Stronghold, Fort or American Citadel under the listed rules. Stealth requires the Cloud Warriors Home City Card, so do not assume the baseline unit can disappear from view.
Version changes and special maneuver
The Chimu Runner is a Definitive Edition unit introduced for the Inca and later made available through the Peru revolution. Its values have changed across updates: older versions list a different Food or Coin cost, 6.5 speed, and hand damage of 20 or 21. The current profile uses 75 Food, 40 Coin, speed 6.25 and 19 hand damage. This matters when reading historical build orders or comparing an old balance guide to a live match. Update 47581 added the Chimu Maneuver special behavior; use the current game tooltip to confirm its exact interaction in the selected version. The Cloud Warriors card separately enables Stealth mode. Treat these as distinct mechanics: a card-based stealth ability does not replace ordinary movement or the unit’s special maneuver. The unit is most effective when it can reach a useful target without crossing the full enemy firing line. Use its speed to threaten a flank, force artillery to reposition or catch ranged units that have separated from their escort, then retreat before heavy cavalry or hand infantry can surround it. One-population cost makes it easy to add to a mixed army, but repeated losses still consume food and coin needed for the Inca economy.
Flank rather than hold the front
The Chimu Runner’s 6.25 speed and one-population cost make it a mobile Inca unit, but 140 hit points and a 10% ranged resistance do not suit a prolonged frontline exchange. Use it to flank ranged infantry, reach artillery or chase a separated target, then withdraw when heavier units turn toward it. Its attack is a hand shock profile, not ranged fire; it must close before dealing damage. The 1.2× Artillery bonus helps it threaten guns, but the assault still needs cover because artillery can fire into the approach. The War Hut, Stronghold and special access buildings provide production in their respective conditions. Build a mixed force so the Chimu can choose its target while other units hold the center.
Stealth is card-dependent
The Cloud Warriors Home City Card is required for the listed Stealth mode. Include it in the deck before planning an ambush around invisibility; without it, rely on speed, terrain and a safe route to reach artillery.
Use the mission and roster access correctly
In the standard Inca roster, the War Hut and Stronghold are the main sources; Forts and the American Citadel are alternate access under specific rules. Peru’s revolutionary roster can differ. Confirm the selected mode before relying on an access building or card-based Stealth.
Inca and Peruvian shock troops
The Chimu Runner is a Commerce Age shock unit available to the Inca and through Peru’s Revolution. It costs 75 Food and 40 Coin, trains in 27 seconds and uses one population. The unit has 140 hit points, 10% ranged resistance, speed 6.25 and sight 14. Its 19-damage hand attack fires every 1.5 seconds and carries a 1.2× bonus against Artillery; a nine-damage Siege attack supports a push after defenders have been cleared. Chimu Maneuver is a special ability associated with the unit, and the Cloud Warriors Home City Card grants Stealth mode. This mobility makes Chimu Runners effective at reaching exposed guns or interrupting ranged units, but their low health requires a quick exit.
Separate regular Inca and Peru access
Inca train Chimu Runners through their War Hut, Stronghold, Fort or American Citadel. Peru receives access through its Revolution, which changes the strategic and economic context of the unit. Do not plan on the revolutionary roster in a standard Inca opening. Use the runner’s speed to flank or chase a retreat, then withdraw from concentrated fire and anti-Cavalry support. The Artillery multiplier helps when a gun is isolated, but the base attack is not a dedicated artillery-killing siege weapon. Combine the unit with a frontline that holds the enemy in place and a separate anti-Cavalry answer. Its one-population cost helps scale a mobile force, but a large group can still be destroyed if sent into a prepared formation.