Honcho the Pet Grizzly Bear
Honcho the Pet Grizzly Bear is a special pet unit in the original Age of Empires III content and Definitive Edition. It has 220 hit points, moves at 5.0 speed and costs 200 Food with a 10-second training time where a scenario or civilization makes it available. Its hand attack deals 27 damage, with recorded multipliers of 1.2 against Treasure guardians, 0.5 against Heroes and 0.1 against Villagers. This profile makes it especially relevant to map guardians rather than a general-purpose frontline unit.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 200 Food
- Training
- 10 sec · 20 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 220 hit points · 10% hand resistance · 5.0 speed · 12 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 27 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 1.2x vs. Treasure guardian; 0.5x vs. Hero; 0.1x vs. Villager
Role, availability & values
Use Honcho to help clear a Treasure guardian and keep the pet near the Explorer or force that will collect the reward. Its bonus is strongest against guardians, while its listed damage against Heroes and Villagers is reduced. Since availability is scenario- or civilization-dependent, check the current game context before planning production around it.
Training & availability
Scenario- or civilization-dependent pet unit; 220 hit points; 5.0 speed; costs 200 Food; 10-second training time; 27 hand damage; damage multipliers: 1.2 vs Treasure guardian, 0.5 vs Hero, 0.1 vs Villager.
Matchup & timing
Field it when a pet unit is available and a Treasure guardian is the objective. The attack bonus can make it a useful assistant for the encounter, but it does not replace scouting for other guardians or protecting the Explorer. Do not assume the pet appears in every standard match.
Treasure guardian specialist
Honcho is a special pet unit recorded in the original Age of Empires III content and Definitive Edition. Its availability depends on a scenario or civilization that grants it; it is not a normal unit that every player can queue. The profile lists 220 hit points, 10% hand resistance, speed 5.0 and line of sight 12. Its hand attack deals 27 damage every 1.5 seconds, with a 1.2× multiplier against Treasure guardians, a 0.5× multiplier against Heroes and 0.1× against Villagers. The guardian bonus makes the bear useful as support for an Explorer collecting map rewards, but its low damage against Villagers and Heroes gives it little reason to be used as a raider or hero counter. Bring it with the Explorer, clear a Treasure only when the guardian force is manageable, then collect the reward while keeping the pet protected. Its 200-Food cost and 10-second training time apply where production is enabled, but the access method should be checked for the current scenario. A pet unit can add damage to a Treasure fight; it does not remove the need to scout other nearby enemies or defend the Explorer during the interaction.
Practical use in a Treasure expedition
Pair Honcho with an Explorer or other force that can finish a guardian and collect the reward. Its guardian multiplier provides extra damage, but the pet’s reduced attack against Heroes and Villagers means it should leave those fights to suitable units.
Limitations
Its modest health and narrow damage bonuses mean Honcho is best treated as an escorting specialist. Keep it alive between Treasure fights and avoid sending it alone against a Hero, Villager group or powerful guardian.
Availability and support
Honcho’s profile applies only where a scenario or civilization grants the pet. Keep the Explorer nearby, clear the guardian with the combined force and do not confuse the pet’s limited bonus with general-purpose combat strength.
Pet bear and Treasure guardian matchups
Honcho is a special pet Grizzly Bear appearing only where a scenario or civilization grants access to it. Its 220 hit points, 5.0 speed and 27-damage hand attack can help clear a Treasure guardian, with a recorded 1.2× damage multiplier against guardians. The corresponding penalties against Heroes and Villagers are substantial, so this is not a universal combat unit or an efficient raider. Keep it with the Explorer or nearby troops that can finish the encounter and claim the reward. The bear’s presence does not reveal whether other guardians are safe to fight: scout each Treasure, account for the guardian group and withdraw if the combined damage threatens the pet or Explorer.
Availability and cost in context
Where training is available, Honcho costs 200 Food and takes 10 seconds, but the source is scenario-dependent and should not be treated as a standard building queue in every match. That cost competes with early worker production and military needs, so recruit it when the map has worthwhile Treasure encounters or the scenario objective benefits from its presence. Its 10% hand resistance offers limited protection and does not make the bear durable against a concentrated army. Use the pet to make a specific guardian engagement safer, then keep it with the expedition rather than sending it toward a defended Town Center. If a mission supplies Honcho directly, follow its objectives and avoid assuming the same access rules apply to skirmish or another expansion.