Chu Ko Nu
Chu Ko Nu is Chinese ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age. Its listed ability is Fires three shots in a quick succession on each attack.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 85 Food
- Available
- Commerce Age
- Training
- 24 sec · 1 population · 9 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 90 hit points · 20% ranged resistance · 4.5 speed · 20 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 6 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.0x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 2.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops
- Ranged attack
- 5 (3) damage · 2-16 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.5x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.5x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 2.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 3 (3) damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
- Ability
- Fires three shots in a quick succession on each attack
Role, availability & values
It has 90 hit points and 20% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.5 speed and uses 1 population. Training costs 85 Food; it takes 24 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 6 damage. Ranged attack deals 5 (3) damage. Siege attack deals 3 (3) damage. Hand attack bonuses: 2.0× against Light ranged cavalry, 2.0× against Ranged shock trooper, 2.0× against Heavy infantry, 0.75× against Cavalry, and 0.75× against Shock troops. Ranged attack bonuses: 2.5× against Light ranged cavalry, 2.5× against Ranged shock trooper, 2.0× against Heavy infantry, 0.6× against Cavalry, and 0.6× against Shock troops*. Special ability or role: Fires three shots in a quick succession on each attack.
Matchup & timing
Chu Ko Nu fire three shots in quick succession, so their listed per-shot value should be read as a volley rather than compared directly with a single projectile. Keep the Banner Army together and focus targets their ranged multipliers favor, especially Heavy Infantry and ranged specialists. Replace or support the banner when Cavalry or Shock troops can reach the firing line.
Banner recruitment and base profile
The Chu Ko Nu is a Chinese foot archer from The Asian Dynasties, trained only as part of the Old Han Army or Standard Army banner. It cannot be trained as a standalone unit, so its listed Food cost and train time do not represent an individual recruitment option. A Chu Ko Nu has 90 hit points, 20 percent ranged resistance, speed 4.5, line of sight 20, and uses one population within its banner. Its ranged attack fires three bolts in quick succession: each shot deals 5 damage at a range from 2 to 16, with the full attack resolving as a burst. This gives it a fast firing rhythm while keeping each individual bolt weak. Its value comes from sustained volleys and class bonuses rather than a high single shot.
Targets and counterplay
The Chu Ko Nu is effective against Heavy infantry, Light ranged cavalry, and Ranged shock troops. Its ranged multipliers give it 2.0 times damage against Heavy infantry and 2.5 times against Light ranged cavalry or Ranged shock troops in the current profile. It deals reduced damage against Cavalry and Shock troops, so keep it behind Qiang Pikemen or other units that can intercept those threats. The unit has only 90 hit points and can be destroyed quickly if a melee force reaches the formation. Use its line of sight 20 to spot approaches and let the fast three shot attack focus on one target at a time. It is not a siege unit: its 3 damage burst at range 6 is only a minor contribution against buildings.
Banner choice and composition
Because Chu Ko Nu arrive in mixed armies, the player selects a banner based on the full set of units and the timing, not only the crossbowmen. The Old Han Army and Standard Army include different supporting troops, and the Chu Ko Nu's role changes with that support. In an Old Han composition, they can form the ranged anti-infantry line while other units protect them from cavalry. In a Standard Army, they provide a rapid volley unit alongside the banner's other troop types. Consider whether the army has enough melee defense and whether its resource cost fits the Chinese economy before ordering another group. The mixed banner can be more expensive and slower than buying a single unit from a conventional barracks, but it provides a coordinated force that can cover multiple roles.
Upgrades and unit tags
Chinese age upgrades and Home City cards can increase the Chu Ko Nu's hit points and damage as part of its banner army. Its current unit tags include Light infantry, Foot archer, and Archaic infantry in the relevant Definitive Edition updates. These tags affect technologies and counters, so the three bolt animation should not be used to infer its class. Patch changes adjusted its ranged bonuses against Light ranged cavalry and Ranged shock troops, and its negative modifiers against Cavalry and Shock troops have also changed. Older references may list different multipliers. Use the current technology tree and patch profile when deciding whether the banner will answer the opponent's army.
Practical battlefield use
Keep Chu Ko Nu in the second line and use a focused volley to remove Heavy infantry or mobile ranged units. If the opponent sends cavalry around the flank, pull the archers back behind Qiang Pikemen and let the screen hold the approach. The unit's attack burst is strongest when several crossbowmen attack the same target; spreading fire across a formation reduces the chance of removing a threat before it reaches the line. Protect the banners while they move between fights, because the Chu Ko Nu's speed is moderate and it cannot escape a fast charge alone. Choose this unit when the opponent relies on targets that its bonuses favor, not as a universal replacement for every Chinese army component.
Volley pacing and unit control
The three-bolt attack is delivered as a single rapid volley with a longer interval before the next full attack. This makes focus fire important: several Chu Ko Nu can remove a vulnerable unit during one burst, while scattered attacks allow the opponent to keep all of its counters alive. Use attack-move only when the target line is clear; otherwise select the Heavy infantry or Light cavalry that needs to be removed first. The unit's 4.5 speed is enough to follow a Chinese army but not enough to outrun cavalry. Keep the banner grouped with its escort so the crossbowmen do not become separated while changing targets.
Age and army investment
The Chinese army banner improves with Age upgrades, so a Chu Ko Nu group can gain durability and damage without changing its banner role. Research upgrades when multiple banner units will benefit, and avoid spending on a line that the opponent has already countered with cavalry. A banner gives a coordinated force but also consumes resources for units the player may not need; check the full shipment and training cost before choosing it.
Avoiding cavalry contact
If cavalry moves around the Qiang Pikemen, retreat the Chu Ko Nu toward the Town Center or a War Academy instead of turning to fight in melee. Their hand damage is low and their ranged multipliers are reduced against cavalry. The banner should keep a screen near the archers while other troops cover the flank.
Banner movement and reinforcement
Keep the banner army together while it moves between the base and front. The Chu Ko Nu has moderate speed and low hit points, so a scattered formation may arrive in pieces and lose its ranged advantage. Rally the group behind a Town Center or War Academy, then move the entire banner with its screening units. The Chinese army's strength comes from the combination of its units, not from the crossbowmen acting alone.
Rapid-fire Chinese ranged infantry
The Chu Ko Nu is a Chinese crossbow unit whose repeated bolts give it a faster attack pattern than a conventional single-shot archer. It contributes sustained ranged damage to Banner Armies and can punish infantry that remains in its firing line. Because China often fields fixed mixed banners, the Chu Ko Nu’s role should be read as one part of the formation rather than an independent army. Keep it behind units that can intercept Cavalry and protect the firing position.
Use the volleys against the right formation
A group of Chu Ko Nu can apply pressure quickly, but it is vulnerable when melee units reach it or artillery fires into a clump. Use spacing and a front line, focus on units its attack can damage efficiently and retreat before the screen collapses. The War Academy and Chinese Banner system govern access and upgrades; compare the specific banner and age before assuming ordinary Barracks rules. Consulate units or allied support can cover roles the crossbows do not fill.