City Guard
City Guard is a short-lived ranged infantry unit found on the Unknown and The Italian Wars maps in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition — Knights of the Mediterranean. Its specialist role is to punish Siege units; it loses health over time and is not a permanent army line.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 35 Food
- Training
- 1 population
- Durability & mobility
- 140 hit points · 20% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 15 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 13 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: Same as ranged attack
- Ranged attack
- 16 damage · 12 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Siege unit; 0.25x vs. Villager
- Siege attack
- 5 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
The profile lists 140 hit points, 20% ranged resistance, 4.0 speed, 15 Line of Sight and a one-population cost. Its ranged attack deals 16 damage at range 12 every three seconds, with a 2× multiplier against Siege units and only 0.25× damage against Villagers. The hand attack deals 13 damage every 1.5 seconds and the siege attack deals 5 damage at range 6 every three seconds. City Guard loses 1% of its maximum hit points over time until only 1 hit point remains. The unit also becomes stronger as the game advances in Age, but no single universal increase is specified in the recorded profile.
Training & availability
Map-specific unit recorded on Unknown and The Italian Wars; the active map rules determine access. It is not a universal Barracks recruit.
Matchup & timing
Use City Guard as soon as an enemy Siege threat is present. Rally it directly toward the artillery and focus fire before its health decays; do not leave it staging at the base or send it to raid Villagers, where its damage is heavily reduced. Screen it from Cavalry and other units that can close quickly. Check the map and mode rules for the unit’s access rather than looking for a standard Barracks queue.
A specialist with a limited service window
The City Guard’s 2× bonus against Siege units gives it a clear defensive purpose, but its health decay makes deployment timing essential. Move it into firing range soon after it appears and keep a screen between it and enemy Cavalry. It has only 0.25× damage against Villagers, so chasing workers wastes the brief period in which it can threaten artillery. Its one-population cost is modest, but the unit should still be produced or used in response to a real Siege threat rather than added to a general-purpose army without a target.
Map access and Age scaling
City Guard is recorded on Unknown and The Italian Wars, a Knights of the Mediterranean Historical Map; it should not be described as a normal civilization unit available in every random-map match. Its in-game description also notes that it becomes stronger with each Age, so the timing of an encounter changes its value. The profile does not specify a universal numeric Age bonus, and access depends on the selected map or mode. Follow the active scenario rules and use the unit’s live statistics rather than assuming a standard training building, cost or upgrade path.
Read the attack profile before assigning a target
The 16-damage ranged attack has range 12 and a three-second interval, making focus fire important against Siege units. A 13-damage hand attack is available at close range, but does not remove the unit’s fragile, decaying-health role. City Guard’s class is listed as Light Infantry, Ranged Infantry, Archer and Foot Archer. Pair it with a frontline that can hold the target in range, and stop committing it once the opposing Siege threat has been removed. Its Food price should be weighed against travel time: a long detour can consume its usefulness before it reaches the target. Scout first and rally it directly toward the threatened area.