Evzone
Evzone is ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Phanar palace, Native Embassy.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Phanar palace; Native Embassy
- Training
- 28 sec · 14 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 180 hit points · 30% ranged resistance · 4.5 speed · 20 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 7 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 3.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 2.0x vs. Light cavalry; 2.0x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops
- Ranged attack
- 11 damage · 2-16 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 3.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 2.5x vs. Light cavalry; 2.5x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 12 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Phanar palace or Native Embassy. It has 180 hit points and 30% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.5 speed. Training costs 110 Food and 30 Wood; it takes 28 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 7 damage. Ranged attack deals 11 damage. Siege attack deals 12 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 3.0× against Heavy infantry, 2.0× against Light cavalry, 2.0× against Ranged shock trooper, 0.75× against Cavalry, and 0.75× against Shock troops. Ranged attack bonuses: 3.0× against Heavy infantry, 2.5× against Light cavalry, 2.5× against Ranged shock trooper, 0.6× against Cavalry, and 0.6× against Shock troops*.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Heavy infantry (3×), Light cavalry (2×), Ranged shock trooper (2×). Ranged attack is especially effective against Heavy infantry (3×), Light cavalry (2.5×), Ranged shock trooper (2.5×). Its reduced multipliers against Cavalry (0.75×), Shock troops (0.75×), Cavalry (0.6×), Shock troops (0.6×) make it less suitable for those targets. Use ranged fire to focus Heavy infantry, Light cavalry, and Ranged shock trooper before they can close; hold the melee attack for Heavy infantry, Light cavalry, and Ranged shock trooper when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Combat profile and counter role
Evzones are Commerce Age Light Infantry from Knights of the Mediterranean. Each costs 110 Food and 30 Wood, trains in 28 seconds and has 180 hit points with 30% ranged resistance. Their ranged attack is only 11 damage with a three-second reload, but range 16 and class bonuses define their job: 3.0× against Heavy Infantry, 2.5× against Light Cavalry and Ranged Shock Troopers, and just 0.6× against Cavalry and 0.6× against Shock troops. The hand attack also deals 3.0× to Heavy Infantry and 2.0× to Light Cavalry and Ranged Shock Troopers, while its base hand damage is 7. These values make the unit a durable specialist skirmisher, not a high-output general archer.
Use the range and health together
The 16-range shot lets Evzones support a frontline from a safer distance than many early ranged units. Their 180 hit points and 30% ranged resistance help them survive ordinary volleys, but their low base attack means they need time and focus fire to deliver their class bonuses. Keep them behind Heavy Infantry or Cavalry that can prevent enemies from reaching them. Hussars and other melee Cavalry can close quickly, and Artillery can attack from beyond the Evzone's comfortable engagement distance. Their 4.5 speed helps them reposition, but should not be mistaken for a way to outrun every mounted counter. Select Heavy Infantry or Light Cavalry as targets and withdraw when heavy Cavalry or guns enter the fight.
Palace access and unit cap
A Trading Post or Tambo built on a House of Phanar palace unlocks Evzone recruitment, and Native Embassies can provide another route where available. The ordinary cap is ten per House of Phanar palace. Phanarion can add one Evzone for every two buildings owned, up to 80, which turns construction into a way to expand the force. The technology requires an Athos Monastery built on a mine, and the source describes that monastery as a one-time acquisition; losing it can therefore prevent the player from researching Phanarion later. Protect the palace connection and monastery before investing in a large force, because the cap and production route are tied to map control.
Upgrade path and revolution access
Veteran Phanariotes costs 125 Wood and 125 Coin in the Fortress Age and increases Evzone hit points and damage by 20%. Royal Guard Phanariotes costs 350 Wood and 350 Coin in the Industrial Age, requires the Veteran upgrade and raises the increase to 40%. Legendary Native Warriors or Exalted Natives can make the unit Imperial with a 50% increase to hit points and damage. The research location depends on civilization family: European civilizations and Mexicans use the Capitol, the United States uses its State Capitol, and Asian and Native American civilizations use the Town Center; African native warriors upgrade automatically for free. Since update 14.43676, Ottoman and Russian players who revolt to Romania and send Danubian Principalities can train Evzones at a Native Embassy with one population and no ordinary build cap.
Keep it in the right matchup
An Evzone force is most useful when the opponent relies on Heavy Infantry or Light Cavalry and the player can keep the firing line intact. Against those targets its multipliers are stronger than the usual Light Infantry bonus, and the extra health can make it harder to remove than a Crossbowman or State Militia. It is still vulnerable to Artillery and direct Cavalry pressure, while the three-second rate of fire limits its damage against targets outside its specialty. Bring fast units to disrupt enemy guns and a frontline to absorb charges. If the enemy composition shifts toward heavy cavalry, change the army composition rather than asking Evzones to trade into their 0.6× damage penalty.
When the cap can be expanded
The normal ten-Evzone limit belongs to each House of Phanar palace, so the number of palaces and the security of their Trading Posts or Tambos determine how consistently the army can be reinforced. Phanarion changes the scale of the cap: one Evzone is added for every two buildings, up to a maximum of 80. This makes the technology attractive in a developed base, but its Athos Monastery requirement makes access a strategic risk. If the mine holding the monastery is contested, protect the site before committing to the upgrade. A large Evzone force is useful only if it can be replaced and kept supplied; do not let the unit cap encourage spending all Food and Wood on ranged troops without a frontline.
Why its low attack still matters
The Evzone's base ranged damage of 11 can look unimpressive beside a standard Skirmisher, but the 3.0× Heavy Infantry multiplier yields a strong specialized shot. It also has an unusually durable profile for ranged Infantry, with 180 hit points and ranged resistance. These traits let it remain in formation through exchanges that would remove a lighter unit. The long reload is a real cost against targets without a bonus, so concentrate fire on Heavy Infantry and Light Cavalry rather than leaving the entire group on a low-priority target. Its class labels also mean an army built around Evzones can be countered: heavy Cavalry, Shock troops and Artillery punish the force if it has no answer beyond its ranged line.
Coordinate upgrades with access
Because Evzones are a native warrior with a House of Phanar recruitment condition, their strength depends on more than spending resources at a Barracks. Secure the palace connection first, then decide whether the ordinary ten-unit cap is enough or whether Phanarion and a protected Athos Monastery are worth pursuing. Veteran and Royal Guard Phanariotes provide staged improvements, so the Fortress Age upgrade can be a practical stopping point if the game is likely to end before the Industrial Age. The Imperial upgrade is a larger investment and should be researched when the Evzone force has survived and will continue to counter the opponent's composition. Native Embassy and revolution routes may change the cap and population cost, so check the route before applying standard advice.
Practical formation
In a mixed army, keep Evzones close enough to the frontline to use their range 16 but far enough back to avoid melee contact. Focus fire makes their low base damage more efficient against the Heavy Infantry they are designed to counter. If the enemy switches to Cavalry or Artillery, pull the line behind its screen and add a direct counter instead of relying on Evzone hit points alone.
Commerce Age ranged infantry
The Evzone is ranged infantry available from the Commerce Age and plays a role similar to a Skirmisher. It is effective against Heavy Infantry and light ranged Cavalry, while vulnerable to Cavalry and artillery. Compared with other ranged infantry such as Crossbowmen, it has its own cost and damage profile, so use its stat table rather than assuming a standard Skirmisher’s range or durability.
Keep the line protected
Evzones should fire from behind a front line and focus on units their bonuses counter. Heavy Cavalry can close quickly, and artillery can punish a clumped formation; add anti-Cavalry units and reposition when those threats appear. Their Commerce Age access makes them useful for early ranged pressure, but they still need support to siege buildings or hold ground. Check the civilization, card and mercenary availability before planning sustained production.