Cranequinier
Cranequinier is Heavy cavalry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Americans), Palace (Africans), Lombard (Italians). Its listed ability is Skill Promotion.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 290 Coin
- Available
- Commerce Age · Tavern (Europeans) ; Monastery (Asians) ; Saloon (Americans) ; Palace (Africans) ; Lombard (Italians)
- Training
- 44 sec · 3 population · 29 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 360 hit points · 30% hand resistance · 6.75 speed · 17 line of sight
- Ranged attack
- 25 base damage · range 12 · attack interval 2.35 · bonus damage: 2.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops; 0.5x vs. Light infantry
- Siege attack
- 18 base damage · range 6 · attack interval 3.0
- Hand attack
- 35 base damage · attack interval 1.75 · bonus damage: 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops
- Trample attack
- 26 base damage · attack interval 2.25 · area of effect 3 · bonus damage: 1.5x vs. Artillery; 1.5x vs. Light infantry
- Ability
- Skill Promotion
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Americans), Palace (Africans), or Lombard (Italians). It has 360 hit points. It moves at 6.75 speed and uses 3 population. Training costs 290 Coin; it takes 44 seconds to train. Attack profile: Ranged attack: 25 damage at range 12; every 2.35 seconds. Siege attack: 18 damage at range 6; every 3.0 seconds. Hand attack: 35 damage; every 1.75 seconds. Trample attack: 26 damage; every 2.25 seconds; area of effect 3. Special ability or role: Skill Promotion.
Matchup & timing
Use the unit’s 6.75-speed movement to choose the approach, threaten an exposed flank, and pull away before anti-cavalry forces can surround it. Its listed attack bonus makes Heavy infantry priority targets. Keep a clear retreat route and bring it back to the main army when the opponent protects the economy.
Ranged heavy cavalry for mercenary armies
The Cranequinier is a Commerce Age mercenary heavy-cavalry unit with a three-population cost of 290 Coin and a 44-second training time. It has 360 hit points, 30% hand resistance, speed 6.75 and line of sight 17. Its ranged attack deals 25 damage at range 12 every 2.35 seconds, while the hand attack deals 35 damage every 1.75 seconds. The unit also has an 18-damage siege attack and a 26-damage trample attack with area of effect three. This gives it options at different distances, but its high population and Coin cost mean it is better used for a defined role than as a mass-produced substitute for ordinary cavalry. Use the ranged mode to apply pressure before committing to melee, and trample when several enemies are clustered and cannot immediately punish the formation. Heavy cavalry still attracts anti-cavalry counters, so do not charge the Cranequinier into a prepared line. Its speed allows it to flank or disengage, but a group caught between infantry and buildings can lose its investment quickly.
Mercenary availability and Skill Promotion
Cranequiniers can be recruited from a Tavern for eligible Europeans, a Monastery for Asians, a Saloon for Americans, a Palace for Africans or a Lombard for Italians. These access points depend on the civilization and game mode; the presence of a building alone does not guarantee that every roster has this unit. The named Skill Promotion ability is associated with the unit’s mercenary progression, so check the current tooltip for the selected version before planning around its effect. Mercenary unit pools and promotion rules have changed between original releases and Definitive Edition. A group is most useful when it fills a gap in the army, such as a mobile unit able to pressure the enemy’s exposed flank or support a push with ranged fire. Keep a conventional frontline nearby to absorb anti-cavalry attacks and use the Cranequinier’s mobility to select engagements. Three population per unit reduces space for supporting infantry, so balance the mercenary detachment against the counters it needs. Retreating before the group is surrounded preserves the expensive Coin investment and lets it re-enter at a more favorable angle.
Positioning and preserving the unit
The Cranequinier’s attack modes allow it to contribute before and during a melee, but its three population makes poor trades expensive. Keep the unit with other mercenaries or the main cavalry group so it can use speed 6.75 to approach on a flank. Its ranged shot reaches 12, allowing pressure on an exposed enemy before hand combat begins; once it closes, the 35-damage hand attack is the main threat. Trample has area effect three and is most useful against a compact group that cannot immediately counterattack. Do not trample into a prepared anti-cavalry line or pursue through a narrow passage where the cavalry can be surrounded. The unit’s 30% hand resistance offers protection against melee attacks, but not immunity from counters. If the enemy brings a dense pike or Musketeer screen, draw the Cranequinier back and use ranged units or artillery to open a route. The Skill Promotion ability should be checked in the current tooltip, since mercenary abilities and stats can be version-dependent.
Decide when to use the trample attack
Use the regular ranged shot while approaching and switch to the close attack only when the formation can connect safely. Trample spreads damage across a cluster, while a single target may be better handled by focused ranged or hand attacks. After the target breaks, pull the mercenaries back rather than leaving them among enemy counters.
Retreat after the decisive volley
The Cranequinier can fire while repositioning, but the three-population cost is still present whether it is shooting or in melee. Stop pursuing once enemy anti-cavalry forms up, regroup with the army, and let the next safe target justify its return to the fight.
A mercenary heavy cavalry unit with ranged reach
The Cranequinier combines the mobility and durability expected of Heavy cavalry with a ranged attack, making it a specialist rather than a standard melee lancer. Its 25-damage ranged shot reaches 12 range, while the 35-damage hand attack serves when it closes with a target; it can also use a trample attack for area damage against clustered enemies. With 360 hit points, 30% hand resistance and 6.75 speed, it can reposition rapidly, but its three-population requirement and 290-Coin price mean losses are costly. Use its reach to contribute while choosing a flank, then commit to melee or trample only when the formation and target justify getting close.
Mercenary access and promotion choices
European Taverns, Asian Monasteries, American Saloons, African Palaces and the Italian Lombard are listed access points, with the exact roster determined by civilization and game version. The Skill Promotion ability connects the unit to a progression system; check the local interface for the promotion choices and their cost rather than assuming one universal upgrade. At 44 seconds to train, a mercenary site may reinforce the army more slowly than ordinary cavalry production, so protect it and budget Coin before a major engagement. Cranequiniers can pressure a vulnerable flank or help finish an isolated target, but dedicated anti-cavalry units remain a threat. Keep an escape route open and use the army’s infantry or artillery to handle opponents outside their favorable matchups.