Cuerudo
Cuerudo is a Commerce Age Mexico Heavy Cavalry unit produced at the Mexican Town Center. It has 180 hit points, 40% ranged resistance and moves at 6.5 speed. The recorded unit occupies one population, costs 100 Food and 60 Coin and takes 30 seconds to train. Its profile includes a repeating ranged attack at 2–12 range, a siege attack and a hand attack, making it a mounted unit with several engagement modes rather than a simple melee charge.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · Town Center (Mexico)
- Training
- 30 sec · 1 population · 20 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 180 hit points · 40% ranged resistance · 6.5 speed · 20 line of sight
- Repeating ranged attack
- 4 (4) base damage · range 2-12 · attack interval 3.0 · bonus damage: 5.0x vs. Llama, 16; 2.0x vs. Light infantry; 1.5x vs. Artillery; 0.5x vs. Villager
- Siege attack
- 11 base damage · range 6 · attack interval 3.0
Role, availability & values
Use its mobility to reach exposed targets and change attack mode according to distance and purpose. Ranged resistance helps it withstand ordinary volleys, but it does not protect the Cuerudo from melee anti-cavalry counters or focused attacks. Keep it supported when fighting near the enemy army and avoid treating its multiple attacks as universal counters; unit classes still determine matchups.
Training & availability
Mexico; Commerce Age; trained at the Town Center; 180 hit points; 40% ranged resistance; 6.5 speed; one population; costs 100 Food and 60 Coin; 30-second train time.
Matchup & timing
Train Cuerudos when Mexico needs a mobile cavalry presence and the Town Center can spare the production time. Their one-population cost allows a larger number of units than many heavy cavalry lines, but the total Food and Coin commitment still adds up. Scout for counter units before committing them to a direct charge.
Mexican outlaw cavalry and villager transformation
The Cuerudo is a Commerce Age heavy cavalry outlaw in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. It costs 100 Food and 60 Coin, takes 30 seconds to train, occupies one population and has 180 hit points. It moves at speed 6.5, has line of sight 20, 40% ranged resistance and 20% siege resistance. The ranged attack fires four shots in quick succession, dealing four damage per shot at range 2–12 every three seconds. It has bonuses against Light Infantry and Artillery, while dealing reduced damage to Villagers. The hand attack deals seven damage every 1.5 seconds and has a five-times bonus against Llamas, 3.5 against Artillery and 2.5 against Light Infantry. Its siege attack deals 11 at range six every three seconds. The Cuerudo was previously named Vaquero. Its repeating ranged attack resembles the Organ Gun volley and makes it more effective against Light Infantry and Artillery than a normal cavalry attack. Use it to pressure skirmishers and cannon, then withdraw before Heavy Infantry, Light Ranged Cavalry or ranged Shock Troops can counter it. The ranged attack has only 12 range and the unit’s 180 hit points are modest, so avoid leaving it stationary in the enemy firing line. Its resistance to ranged and siege attacks helps it approach, but does not protect it from melee counters. Revolting to Mexico turns Settlers into Cuerudos, who can be trained at Town Centers in place of Settlers. In that revolutionary role they retain economic functions: they gather from herdable animals, can build Livestock Pens and train Cows. This changes the economy and population plan because the player exchanges ordinary villagers for cavalry-capable outlaw units. Cuerudos can also appear through Outlaw Band or Bandit Gang cards for the Lakota, Argentina and Maya routes, depending on the civilization and revolution. These card grants are distinct from Mexico’s full Settler transformation. Upgrade access depends on the path. Wild West enables Industrial and Imperial upgrades for hit points and damage; Folk Heroes can enable the progression for Argentina or Mexico revolution paths. The successive upgrades add 30%, then 50%, and the revolutionary path can provide an additional 30% as described by its technology. Ranged Cavalry Caracole does not increase the Cuerudo’s repeating range because the unit lacks the relevant light or ranged heavy cavalry tags, though it increases all damage by 10%. The Cuerudo resembles a Comanchero in role but trades some speed for higher resistance and a one-population cost. Its ability to gather livestock gives it a mixed military-economic use, especially after Mexico’s revolution. Protect the unit while it gathers and send it with the army when the opponent fields Artillery or Light Infantry. It is not an efficient direct answer to Heavy Infantry or other anti-cavalry formations; use its mobility to choose favorable fights and preserve enough Cuerudos to maintain the revolutionary economy.
Balance its economy and combat functions
A revolutionary Cuerudo can gather from livestock and participate in combat, but every unit still uses population that could be assigned to another part of the army. Protect the herd and Livestock Pens from raids so the transformed economy continues to produce Food. A few Cuerudos can accompany the army to attack Artillery or Light Infantry; the rest should remain available to gather or expand livestock production. If the opponent fields Heavy Infantry or anti-cavalry ranged units, keep the Cuerudos away from the front and rely on dedicated counters.
Choose the correct target for the repeating shots
The four-shot volley is most valuable against Light Infantry and Artillery, and the hand attack also gains bonuses against those targets. Use the ranged attack at distance, then withdraw before Heavy Infantry reaches melee. The Villager penalty makes Cuerudos inefficient at raiding Settlers compared with other cavalry choices.
Keep transformed workers protected
After the Mexico revolution, Cuerudos still gather livestock and support the economy. Move them away from raids and keep military Cuerudos with the army so a loss does not interrupt both combat and food production.
Revolutionary training and gathering
Mexico’s revolution replaces Settlers with Cuerudos at Town Centers, so the economy changes from ordinary villagers to population-using outlaw cavalry. They can still gather herdable animals, construct Livestock Pens and train Cows. Keep enough of the transformed population on Food and livestock while assigning a separate group to combat. If every Cuerudo is sent to fight, the economy can stall; if every unit gathers, the revolution’s military potential goes unused.
Avoid infantry counters
The 40% ranged resistance and 20% siege resistance help Cuerudos approach under fire, but Heavy Infantry remains a strong counter. Use the cavalry’s speed to break contact and let other units handle the frontline.
Mexican outlaw Cavalry and ranch work
The Cuerudo is a Commerce Age Mexican outlaw unit trained at the Town Center. It costs 100 Food and 60 Coin, takes 30 seconds to train and uses one population. It has 180 hit points, 40% ranged resistance, 20% Siege resistance, speed 6.5 and sight 20. The unit combines heavy Cavalry and lance traits with a repeating ranged attack, and it can gather from livestock and build Livestock Pens. This unusual economic and combat combination lets Cuerudos assist a Hacienda-centered livestock plan while staying mobile, but assigning them to construction or gathering removes them from the army. Protect them from dedicated anti-Cavalry units and use their speed to choose when to engage.
Repeated fire and anti-artillery melee
The repeating ranged attack fires four shots in a three-second cycle at range 2–12. Each shot has bonuses against Light Infantry and Artillery, while doing reduced damage to Villagers; the melee attack also has a strong bonus against Artillery and additional damage against Light Infantry. This makes the Cuerudo a useful threat to exposed guns and Skirmishers, not a generic worker raider. Use the ranged attack as it approaches, then charge only when the target or position is favorable. Its Siege attack deals 11 damage, allowing it to pressure buildings after the army wins space. Keep a reserve to cover the Town Center or livestock economy if the rest of the Cavalry moves out.
Revolutionary cavalry profile changes
Cuerudo is a Mexican Outlaw Cavalry unit with a lance-style hand attack and a distinct ranged profile. Its current cost is 100 Food and 60 Coin, with 40% ranged resistance, 20% siege resistance and 6.5 speed. Between updates 14.43676 and patch 15.30007 it instead cost 50 Wood and 50 Coin, had 20% ranged resistance, and moved at 7.25. The current version awards 20 Experience for training and kills, up from 10 in that earlier period. Its hand profile has a 3.5× bonus against Artillery and 2.5× against Light Infantry; its ranged profile has 2.0× against Light Infantry and 1.5× against Artillery. Older profiles showed materially different attack modifiers, so use the current attack-mode values when choosing targets. Cuerudo can pressure artillery and Infantry, but its slower current speed means it should not be assumed to have its older pursuit ability.