Huaraca
Huaraca is Incas, Peru ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Fortress Age; Revolution (Peru); obtained through Kallanka, Stronghold, Fort, American Citadel.
Recorded values
- Available
- Fortress Age; Revolution (Peru) · Kallanka; Stronghold; Fort; American Citadel
- Training
- 42 sec · 2 population · 12 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 120 hit points · 20% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 16 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 8 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: Same as ranged attack
- Ranged attack
- 3-14 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Artillery; 1.2x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.3x vs. Cavalry; 0.3x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 40 damage · 14 range · 4.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.5x vs. Fixed Gun, 16; 1.25x vs. AbstractWall
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Kallanka, Stronghold, Fort, or American Citadel. It has 120 hit points and 20% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.0 speed and uses 2 population. Training costs 30 Wood and 90 Coin; it takes 42 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 8 damage. Siege attack deals 40 damage. Hand attack bonuses: Same as ranged attack. Ranged attack bonuses: 2.0× against Artillery, 1.2× against Heavy infantry, 0.3× against Cavalry, and 0.3× against Shock troops. Siege attack bonuses: 2.5× against Fixed Gun, 16 and 1.25× against AbstractWall.
Matchup & timing
Ranged attack is especially effective against Artillery (2×), Heavy infantry (1.2×). Siege attack is especially effective against Fixed Gun, 16 (2.5×), AbstractWall (1.25×). Its reduced multipliers against Cavalry (0.3×), Shock troops (0.3×) make it less suitable for those targets. Use ranged fire to focus Artillery and Heavy infantry before they can close; reserve the siege attack for Fixed Gun, 16 and AbstractWall. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Siege pressure and target selection
The Huaraca is a ranged infantry unit available to the Incas and through the Peruvian Revolution. It costs 30 Wood and 90 Coin, uses two population, trains in 42 seconds and has 120 hit points, 20% ranged resistance, speed 4 and line of sight 16. Its ranged attack reaches 3–14 and deals bonus damage against Artillery and Heavy Infantry, while its 0.3× modifiers against Cavalry and Shock troops make a protective screen essential. The unit’s 40-damage siege attack reaches 14 and deals 2.5× damage against Fixed Guns and 1.25× against Walls, making it valuable for breaking defensive emplacements. Do not mistake its anti-artillery bonus for broad combat strength: it can be overwhelmed if cavalry reaches it or shock troops close the distance. Keep it behind units that can hold the approach, focus artillery or fortifications and relocate when the enemy changes target. Kallanka and Stronghold production make it part of the Inca military structure, with Fort or American Citadel access in listed modes. Its Wood-and-Coin cost can compete with buildings and age-up resources, so build a Huaraca force when siege or artillery removal is an actual goal. The Huaraca also appears in the Peruvian revolutionary roster, where its role should be compared with other revolution units rather than assumed to have the same access as the Incas. Use range and the strong siege attack to pressure a fixed position, then protect the unit during the slow reposition.
Inca and Peruvian access
The Huaraca’s access changes with civilization and mode. Incas can produce it through structures such as the Kallanka or Stronghold from the Fortress Age, while Fort and American Citadel access appears in the listed rules. Peru can gain it through the revolution. These routes matter because they determine whether Huaracas are a core army unit, a later reinforcement or a revolutionary option. Its two-population cost and 42-second training time require deliberate production. At 120 hit points, it is not a front-line tank, despite its ranged resistance. Use the long-reach siege attack to remove Fixed Guns or damage Walls after the area is screened, and use its ranged bonus against artillery and Heavy Infantry. Avoid opposing Cavalry or Shock troops without a screen because those attacks are heavily reduced. Compare the Huaraca with other Inca ranged units and select the one whose bonuses match the battlefield.
Supporting a siege push
Huaracas are most valuable when an Inca push needs to remove a fortified target or enemy artillery. The 40-damage siege attack and bonuses against Fixed Guns and Walls let the unit pressure defenses from outside ordinary melee range. Keep enough infantry in front so enemy cavalry cannot reach the two-population ranged unit. Against Heavy Infantry, its ranged multiplier makes focused fire useful, but its reduced damage against Cavalry and Shock troops means it needs a dedicated screen. Add Huaracas when the opponent’s position justifies their Wood and Coin cost rather than replacing every other Inca unit with them.
Choosing its battlefield
The Huaraca’s ranged and siege functions make it a specialist for defensive lines and artillery-heavy opponents. It can pressure walls or Fixed Guns from range, but a slow advance can expose it to cavalry. Keep it behind a screen and avoid paying for a large force when the opponent has no artillery or fortified position.
Inca ranged pressure against artillery
The Huaraca is a Fortress Age Inca ranged-infantry unit whose profile is built to threaten artillery and contribute siege damage. Its ranged attack carries a 2× bonus against Artillery and 1.2× against Heavy infantry, but it deals reduced damage against Cavalry and Shock troops. That makes target choice essential: use it to remove enemy guns or pressure a durable infantry line while another unit screens its vulnerable matchups. The Huaraca has 120 hit points, 20% ranged resistance and four speed, so it cannot safely outrun cavalry. Keep it with the formation and focus fire on the artillery that the army needs to neutralize.
Siege reach and production commitment
Kallankas, Strongholds, Forts and American Citadels are listed production routes. The unit costs 30 Wood and 90 Coin, takes two population and has a 42-second training time, making it a deliberate addition to the Inca army rather than an instant response. Its siege attack deals 40 damage at 14 range and gains a bonus against Fixed Guns and walls, giving it a secondary role during a fortified push. That reach can help damage a defensive position, but do not leave Huaracas without a frontline screen. They are available to Peru through the Revolution as well as the Inca context; check the chosen nation and production site before planning a continuous queue.
Attack profile and historical range changes
The Huaraca is an Inca ranged unit whose current profile combines anti-artillery fire with a separate siege attack. Its present ranged attack deals 16 damage and has a maximum range of 14; older profiles listed 40 damage before update 13.12327 and 20 damage before update 13.18214, while the maximum range was 20 before update 13.18214. The current siege attack deals 40 damage at maximum range 14. That reach was 24 before update 13.18214 and 12 before update 15.59076, so the siege and ranged ranges should not be conflated. Its current durability is 120 hit points with 20% ranged and 20% siege resistance; before update 13.18214 it had 150 hit points and before update 15.59076 its siege resistance was 10%. Current ranged multipliers include 2.0× against Artillery and 0.3× against Cavalry and Shock Troops. The Huaraca can pressure artillery from a distance, but its low cavalry modifiers mean it benefits from protection by the main army.