Irish Brigadier
Irish Brigadier is Heavy infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Federal Americans), Palace (Africans), Lombard (Italians). Its listed ability is Combat Promotion.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 100 Coin
- Available
- Commerce Age · Tavern (Europeans) ; Monastery (Asians) ; Saloon (Federal Americans) ; Palace (Africans) ; Lombard (Italians)
- Training
- 40 sec · 1 population · 10 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 160 hit points · 40% hand resistance · 4.25 speed · 16 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 22 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Cavalry; 1.6x vs. Shock troops
- Ranged attack
- 25 damage · 12 range · 3.0 attack interval
- Siege attack
- 22 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
- Ability
- Combat Promotion
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Federal Americans), Palace (Africans), or Lombard (Italians). It has 160 hit points. It moves at 4.25 speed and uses 1 population. Training costs 100 Coin; it takes 40 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 22 damage. Ranged attack deals 25 damage. Siege attack deals 22 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 2.0× against Cavalry and 1.6× against Shock troops. Special ability or role: Combat Promotion.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Cavalry (2×), Shock troops (1.6×). Hold the melee attack for Cavalry and Shock troops when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Base profile and combat numbers
The Irish Brigadier is a Commerce Age mercenary heavy infantry unit with a notably low Coin-only cost for its class: 100 Coin and 40 seconds of training. It occupies one population, has 160 hit points, 40% hand resistance, speed 4.25 and line of sight 16. Its ranged attack deals 25 damage at range 12 every three seconds. In melee it deals 22 damage every 1.5 seconds, with a 2.0 multiplier against cavalry and a 1.6 multiplier against shock troops in the current profile. Its siege attack is 22. These values make it a sturdy early answer to cavalry and a capable gunpowder infantry unit, especially where the civilization lacks a standard Musketeer. The high hand resistance protects it from melee infantry, but it does not protect against ranged fire: light infantry, counter-skirmishers and artillery remain important counters.
Mercenary access and age timing
Irish Brigadiers are hired as one of the random mercenary choices at the appropriate tavern-style building rather than being a normal Barracks unit for most civilizations. Europeans use the Tavern, Asians the Monastery, Federal Americans the Saloon, Africans the Palace and Italians the Lombard. They are available from the Commerce Age, which lets them fill a Musketeer-like role earlier than many mercenaries. Their cost is paid entirely in Coin, so they can be attractive when Food is committed to Villagers or age advancement, but Coin demand can compete with other shipments and upgrades. Because access is random unless a card or civilization rule explicitly guarantees them, plan a composition that still works if the unit is unavailable. Once a regular Fortress Age mercenary such as a Highlander or Fusilier becomes accessible, compare the stronger late-game profile with the Brigadier’s earlier timing and lower cost.
Combat Promotion and keeping the force alive
Combat Promotion improves the Brigadier after it defeats enemy military units and can be gained up to three times. Bronze rank gives +15% hit points and damage, Silver gives +30%, and Gold gives +45%. These are combat-earned ranks rather than the ordinary age-based Veteran or Guard upgrade, which the unit lacks in the standard mercenary path. This makes early kills and survival especially valuable: a promoted group can become more efficient over time, but replacements begin without those accumulated bonuses. Keep damaged Brigadiers behind the line and, when safe, use a Priest to heal them rather than trading them for a small amount of damage. General upgrades and cards that affect Musketeer-type units, including Flint Lock and Socket Bayonet, can further improve relevant statistics when the civilization has access.
Using the melee resistance correctly
The Brigadier’s 40% hand resistance and strong melee attack make it unusually effective when cavalry or melee infantry is forced to fight at close range. Its attack multipliers give it a real role against both cavalry and shock troops, and the high base hand damage helps against units such as Pikemen or early Halberdiers. Do not confuse this with a reason to charge blindly: a ranged counter can exploit the unit’s lack of ranged resistance, and artillery can punish a dense group. Use a mixed force so light infantry can pressure enemy Musketeers while cavalry screens skirmishers and the Brigadiers hold a close-range line. The best target depends on what is actually in front of them; avoid letting ranged infantry kite the unit while it loses health without answering.
Civilization-specific routes
Several civilizations have special access that changes the ordinary hiring route. Germans can use the Adler von Lübeck card to train them at a Tavern if the unit is available there. Swedes can send Contract Irish Brigadiers to unlock training from Barracks, Galleons and Blockhouses. The Spanish Wild Geese technology, researched at the Church in the Fortress Age after sending Royal Decree to Claim the New World, ships 12 Brigadiers, allows Tavern recruitment and improves their hand attack rate and speed. United States players may receive them through Poker’s random mercenary pool, which can also make them available at Saloon. These exceptions matter: an unlock, a shipment and random access provide different levels of reliability. Confirm the actual card and prerequisite before designing an army around an expanded production source.
Matchups and practical limits
The Brigadier is strong against cavalry and shock troops, but is listed as vulnerable to light infantry, counter-skirmishers, artillery and MercType2 mercenaries. It has better hit points and attack than a standard Musketeer and costs only Coin, yet Highlanders and Fusiliers have stronger late-game raw statistics. Treat the Brigadier as an efficient early mercenary and promotion candidate, not as a universal replacement for a full roster. If the opponent relies on ranged counters, add units that can reach them or switch to a less exposed composition. If the enemy commits to melee cavalry, hold the Brigadiers in position and let their hand attack work. Preserving promoted units across fights can justify retreating earlier than a normal replaceable infantry group.
Promotion thresholds in extended fights
A promoted Brigadier gains damage and hit points as it defeats enemy military units, with three ranks available. The progression is Bronze +15%, Silver +30% and Gold +45%; those bonuses apply to the unit’s hit points and damage, not its movement or range. The promotion can make an inexpensive group more threatening after several skirmishes, but it does not change its heavy-infantry classification or remove its counters. Fight where the ranged line and hand attack can both be used, then retreat before artillery or light infantry erase the accumulated investment. General Musketeer improvements can combine with the promotion, so compare the resulting force with the cost of replacing casualties rather than looking only at its base 100-Coin hire price.
Deck and resource planning
Mercenary Home City Cards can ship Irish Brigadiers, improve mercenary combat or support a particular revolution, but availability is civilization-specific. A card that gives a one-time shipment should not be treated like permanent Tavern access. Likewise, the fact that several civilizations can hire random mercenaries does not guarantee that the Brigadier will appear in every match. Reserve Coin for recruitment only when the map and building route make it possible, and consider whether that Coin is also needed for aging up or a key upgrade. The unit’s one-population cost is modest, but a large hired force can still delay other investments. Its strongest economic case is often a timely Commerce Age group that gains promotions and survives into later fights.
Distinguishing the unit from ordinary Musketeers
The Brigadier resembles a Musketeer but has a different purchase and timing profile. It is hired with Coin alone, has more hit points, higher attack and 40% hand resistance, and becomes available as early as the Commerce Age. In exchange, it is tied to mercenary access, trains more slowly and does not follow a standard Veteran-to-Guard age upgrade. Its melee multipliers and combat promotions make it particularly effective in a close defense or early push, while ordinary ranged counters can still punish it. This is why it can fill a roster gap for the Dutch or Germans early but may be replaced by stronger Fortress Age mercenaries later.
Using a first shipment well
A newly hired group is most useful when it arrives before the opponent has established a strong ranged counter. Pair it with cavalry that can absorb or threaten light infantry fire and with light infantry that can answer enemy Musketeers. Win a small engagement, preserve survivors so they collect Combat Promotion ranks, then reinforce with cheaper units where possible. A single unsupported mercenary shipment can be lost quickly to artillery or skirmishers; scouting the opponent before committing the Coin helps determine whether the timing is favorable.
Coin-only heavy ranged infantry
The Irish Brigadier is Heavy Infantry based on the Musketeer, with stronger attack, hit points and hand resistance in the documented comparison. It is effective against Cavalry and Shock troops in melee, while its ranged attack provides a flexible front-line option. The unit costs Coin only, trains more slowly than a Musketeer and uses one population. This can make it attractive when Food is committed elsewhere, but the slower queue gives the opponent time to respond.
Protect it from light infantry and artillery
Irish Brigadiers are vulnerable to light infantry and artillery, so their durability does not justify sending them unsupported. Pair them with ranged units that answer Skirmishers and use them to screen a push or protect artillery from melee Cavalry. Because access is through the applicable mercenary or card options, check the limit and replacement route before relying on them as the army’s only front line. Their Coin-only cost should be balanced against the Coin needed for upgrades and other advanced units.