French
The French are a flexible European civilization whose Coureurs des Bois gather resources more effectively than standard Settlers and can also fight better. Their stronger workers make the economy resilient, but each is a more valuable target and a more expensive loss. The French also begin with a Native Scout, adding exploration to the opening.
Economy & identity
Use Coureurs des Bois to maintain gathering while the army contests the map, and protect them when moving to remote Hunts or Mines. The French military can field ordinary European infantry and artillery alongside Cuirassiers, a powerful heavy-cavalry option. A strong cavalry force can punish exposed units, but it needs support against anti-cavalry and ranged formations; the Scout’s early vision helps locate those threats and find treasure or Native sites.
Military & matchups
The French can adapt to many matchups, so choose production in response to what the opponent is building. Preserve Coureurs when a safer resource is available, and use the Native Scout to reveal routes before committing the main army. Add Cuirassiers when they can reach useful targets, then cover them with units that handle their counters and protect against artillery.
Practical direction
Use the sturdy economy to adapt composition to the map and matchup; do not treat expensive cavalry as a substitute for scouting counters.
Coureurs des Bois improve worker durability
A French Coureur des Bois costs 120 Food, trains at a Town Center in 28 seconds and uses one population. Its listed profile has 180 hit points, 30% ranged resistance and 4.5 speed, compared with the standard Settler’s 150 hit points. It gathers, builds and claims Treasures, and can defend itself better than an ordinary worker. That resilience does not make it a military unit: losing one costs more Food and removes a valuable worker, so avoid leaving them exposed during expansion.
Cuirassier is a costly area-damage commitment
The Fortress Age Cuirassier costs 150 Food and 150 Coin, takes 55 seconds to train and occupies three population. It has 425 hit points and 20% ranged resistance. Its 25-damage hand attack has an area of effect of 2, while the trample attack deals 17 damage over an area of effect of 4. The area attacks punish clustered targets, but the unit’s cost and population use make anti-cavalry threats expensive; screen it and keep a retreat route.
Use the Native Scout for information
The French start with a Native Scout. Its listed profile has 120 hit points, 5.5 speed and 22 Line of Sight, making early route discovery and Treasure scouting valuable. It is not intended to replace the main army. Reveal nearby Hunts, Coin and Native sites before sending valuable Coureurs or committing to a cavalry fight.