Haudenosaunee Tomahawk
Haudenosaunee Tomahawk is Heavy infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through Trading Post or Tambo on an Haudenosaunee settlement, Barracks, Fort, Stronghold, Agra Fort, (with Haudenosaunee League).
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · Trading Post or Tambo on an Haudenosaunee settlement; Barracks; Fort; Stronghold; Agra Fort; (with Haudenosaunee League)
- Training
- 20 sec · 10 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 170 hit points · 10% ranged resistance · 5.0 speed · 12 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 8 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: Same as ranged attack
- Ranged attack
- 10 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Cavalry; 1.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 10 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Trading Post or Tambo on an Haudenosaunee settlement, Barracks, Fort, Stronghold, Agra Fort, or (with Haudenosaunee League). It has 170 hit points and 10% ranged resistance. It moves at 5.0 speed. Training costs 60 Food and 40 Wood; it takes 20 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 8 damage. Siege attack deals 10 damage. Hand attack bonuses: Same as ranged attack. Ranged attack bonuses: 2.0× against Cavalry and 1.6× against Shock troops.
Matchup & timing
Ranged attack is especially effective against Cavalry (2×), Shock troops (1.6×). Use ranged fire to focus Cavalry and Shock troops before they can close. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Role and recruitment
The Haudenosaunee Tomahawk is a Commerce Age ranged heavy infantry native warrior recruited from a Haudenosaunee settlement through a Trading Post or Tambo. In the current profile it costs 60 Food and 40 Wood, takes 20 seconds and is capped at eight per settlement. It uses no population space and has 170 hit points, 10% ranged resistance, speed 5.0 and line of sight 12. Its thrown tomahawk counts as a ranged hand attack, which lets it pressure cavalry without walking into melee. This makes it a useful population-free anti-cavalry addition when a suitable settlement is available.
Attack values and matchups
The ranged attack deals 16 damage every three seconds at range 10. It has a 2× multiplier against cavalry and 1.6× against shock troops in Definitive Edition. The hand attack deals 8 damage every 1.5 seconds and uses the same matchup bonuses. Its siege attack deals 10 damage at range 6 on a three-second interval. The unit is strongest against cavalry and shock troops, but light infantry, counter-skirmishers and artillery are dangerous. The range is short compared with many ranged infantry units, so use a frontline or terrain to keep the Tomahawk protected. Its speed of 5.0 helps it reposition, but not enough to survive being surrounded by cavalry.
How it differs from the playable Tomahawk
The minor-civilization Haudenosaunee Tomahawk is not the same unit as the Tomahawk used by the playable Haudenosaunee civilization. The native warrior has a settlement cap, no population cost and a 10-range attack profile. The playable faction’s Tomahawk has its own training buildings, cost, population use and statistics. The minor Haudenosaunee were playable before The WarChiefs; after the expansion made them a major civilization, the Huron replaced them as a minor tribe, although Haudenosaunee Tomahawks can still appear in some American-map Treasures. Current players should use the full unit name and access route when comparing stats.
Upgrade path and civilization access
Haudenosaunee Warrior Societies upgrades the native unit to Elite in the Fortress Age for 150 Wood and 100 Coin in the current profile, granting 25% more hit points and damage. Champion Haudenosaunee requires that upgrade and costs 500 Wood and 400 Coin, adding 35% hit points and damage. Legendary Native Warriors in the Imperial Age costs 1,500 Food and 1,500 Wood and gives 50% more hit points and damage. The British can receive seven Tomahawks when advancing to the Fortress Age with The Mohawk Statesman. Other improvements can come from Haudenosaunee Lacrosse and applicable native, infantry or ranged attack technologies, though eligibility varies by civilization.
Combat use and formation
Use Tomahawks as a compact anti-cavalry screen behind the main line. Their ranged attack can punish a cavalry charge while they remain in formation, and their zero population cost is useful when ordinary units have filled the limit. Do not send them ahead as a scout or chase light infantry across the map. Their range 10 is limited, and Skirmishers can defeat them if the Tomahawks are exposed. A mix with regular ranged infantry and artillery gives the player better coverage against heavy infantry and structures, while cavalry or anti-artillery units protect them from their strongest counters.
Settlement strategy and replacement
Scout for the Haudenosaunee settlement before relying on the unit. A Trading Post or Tambo on the site is required, and the eight-per-settlement cap limits reinforcement. Protect the building and add the native unit only when its cavalry or shock-troop bonus matters. If the site is contested, do not sacrifice builders and the main army for a small group; ordinary anti-cavalry production may be more dependable. Treasures that contain Tomahawks are a separate source and do not make the unit generally recruitable on every map.
Historical name and edition
The unit was called Iroquois Tomahawk before Definitive Edition adopted the Haudenosaunee name. Earlier versions also used different classifications and upgrade costs. The current entry describes the minor settlement unit in Age of Empires III, not the full playable faction’s Tomahawk. This distinction matters because the playable faction’s unit is available from its own buildings and has a separate combat profile.
Playing around its short range
The Tomahawk’s 10 range is enough to punish a cavalry unit entering the frontline, but shorter than the range of many foot archers. Start the fight behind a wall of infantry or cavalry and let the opponent approach. If the enemy has Skirmishers, use mobility to withdraw and bring cavalry around the flank; do not stand in an open ranged exchange. The 1.6× shock-troop bonus is useful against melee specialists, while its cavalry bonus makes it a population-free support option. Since the unit has only 170 hit points and 10% ranged resistance, an exposed group can still be removed quickly.
Training from a settlement
An eight-unit limit applies to each Haudenosaunee settlement, so the player needs more than one site to exceed that number. Establishing a Trading Post or Tambo also opens the settlement’s other benefits, making it a map-control choice as well as a troop purchase. A British age-up with The Mohawk Statesman is a separate seven-unit shipment and can provide a quick group without waiting for ordinary training. Treasures containing Tomahawks are scenario and map exceptions, not a normal production source.
Upgrades and historical balance
The native warrior upgrade chain becomes more expensive in later ages but scales hit points and damage. Elite gives +25% at the Fortress Age, Champion gives +35% after the prior upgrade, and Legendary gives +50% in the Imperial Age. Several older costs were higher, and pre-Definitive Edition did not use the same shock-troop multiplier. The name also changed from Iroquois Tomahawk after the Haudenosaunee terminology was adopted. When reading old guides, separate the minor settlement warrior from the playable faction’s Tomahawk, whose name may look identical but whose access and stats differ.
Composition planning
A few Tomahawks can cover a weakness in an army that otherwise lacks efficient anti-cavalry at the population cap. Add them alongside ordinary ranged infantry that can deal with heavy infantry and skirmishers, then use cavalry or artillery to pressure the opposing counters. Their cheap Wood cost can fit a Food-heavy economy, but the Food still competes with Villagers and age advancement. Choose the unit when its target bonuses matter, not merely because the settlement is nearby.
Avoid counter-skirmishers
Counter-skirmisher units and artillery are especially dangerous to a compact group. Keep Tomahawks behind the frontline and retreat before they are surrounded.
Building pressure and positioning
The siege attack is modest, so Tomahawks should not be treated as dedicated building destroyers. They can help finish a structure after defenders retreat, but artillery or a unit with stronger siege is more efficient. Use the Tomahawks to screen cavalry while the siege force works. Their 12 line of sight is shorter than many ranged units’ vision, so another scout should reveal targets and threats before the group moves forward.
Choosing when to recruit
Recruit Tomahawks when the opponent has cavalry or shock troops and the settlement is safe to hold. If the enemy instead fields mostly Skirmishers, save the resources for cavalry, artillery or another unit that can pressure light infantry. A small group can still serve as a screen, but it should not become the main army.
Native warrior support
Cards that improve native warriors can make the Tomahawk more efficient, especially when a settlement allows repeated recruitment. Apply those bonuses to a planned frontline role and preserve the settlement for replacements. If the army no longer needs anti-cavalry, shift future resources elsewhere.
Keep the group protected
Move behind the frontline when enemy light infantry appears and preserve the native site for safe reinforcement.
Engagement
Maintain distance.
Settlement infantry and alternate Barracks access
The settlement-recruited Haudenosaunee Tomahawk costs 60 Food and 40 Wood, trains in 20 seconds and has a local limit of eight per Haudenosaunee settlement. Its 170 hit points, speed 5 and 10% ranged resistance make it a relatively durable ranged Infantry unit, but its shot has range 10. The ranged attack deals 16 damage every three seconds and has a 2× multiplier against Cavalry and 1.6× against Shock troops. It can therefore screen against mounted threats while still contributing damage at close-to-medium range, but it needs protection from Light Infantry that can outrange it. The unit can also be produced through certain ordinary military buildings with the Haudenosaunee League access, changing its reinforcement route from the settlement cap. When using an alliance, check whether the roster limit or the Embassy is the binding constraint before investing in more sites. The separate playable Haudenosaunee Tomahawk entry and the Native settlement unit share a name but have different access and should not be treated as identical profiles.
Use the short-range counter shot deliberately
Because the Tomahawk’s range is only 10, it performs best when the army can hold a line and let enemy Cavalry or Shock troops enter its firing area. Moving it too far ahead exposes the unit to ranged Infantry before its counter bonus can matter. Keep it beside units that can absorb the first attack, then focus fire on the Cavalry or Shock troops threatening the group. Its bonus is not an all-purpose advantage against every mounted class: compare the listed target tags and avoid assuming that a counter to Cavalry also means a counter to every Shock unit or artillery piece. The unit’s relatively short training time supports replacement, but settlement limits still restrict the total available group. If the cap is reached, use the alliance’s other benefits or shift production to a different unit rather than leaving resources idle while the frontline thins.