Jaeger
Jaeger is ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Fortress Age; obtained through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Americans), Palace (Africans), European Barracks and Blockhouse (Swedes with the "Contract Hessian Jaegers" Home City Card, "German Mercenary Contracts" Home City Card or The Mercenary Contractor politician), Galleon (Swedes with the "German Mercenary Contracts" Home City Card), Lombard.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 200 Coin
- Available
- Fortress Age · Tavern (Europeans) ; Monastery (Asians) ; Saloon (Americans) ; Palace (Africans) ; European Barracks and Blockhouse (Swedes with the "Contract Hessian Jaegers" Home City Card, "German Mercenary Contracts" Home City Card or The Mercenary Contractor politician) ; Galleon (Swedes with the "German Mercenary Contracts" Home City Card) ; Lombard
- Training
- 38 sec · 2 population · 20 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 250 hit points · 40% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 24 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 15 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.0x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 2.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops
- Ranged attack
- 30 damage · 2-20 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.5x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.5x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 2.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 18 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Americans), Palace (Africans), European Barracks and Blockhouse (Swedes with the "Contract Hessian Jaegers" Home City Card, "German Mercenary Contracts" Home City Card or The Mercenary Contractor politician), Galleon (Swedes with the "German Mercenary Contracts" Home City Card), or Lombard. It has 250 hit points and 40% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.0 speed and uses 2 population. Training costs 200 Coin; it takes 38 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 15 damage. Ranged attack deals 30 damage. Siege attack deals 18 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 2.0× against Light ranged cavalry, 2.0× against Ranged shock trooper, 2.0× against Heavy infantry, 0.75× against Cavalry, and 0.75× against Shock troops. Ranged attack bonuses: 2.5× against Light ranged cavalry, 2.5× against Ranged shock trooper, 2.0× against Heavy infantry, 0.6× against Cavalry, and 0.6× against Shock troops.
Matchup & timing
Jaegers are a Fortress Age specialist for a force that needs long-range fire against Heavy Infantry and ranged cavalry. Their range-20 attack and 30 damage can punish those targets before they reach the line, but the 0.6× ranged multipliers against Cavalry and Shock troops make screening essential. Protect the mercenary investment and retreat when its counters close.
Mercenary skirmisher statistics
The Jaeger is a Fortress Age Mercenary ranged Infantry unit with 250 hit points, 40 percent ranged resistance, speed 4, sight 24 and a population cost of two. It costs 200 Coin and takes 38 seconds to train where direct production is available. Its rifle deals 30 damage at a range of two to 20 every three seconds. It deals 2.5 times damage against Light Ranged Cavalry and Ranged Shock troops, twice against Heavy Infantry, and reduced damage against Cavalry and Shock troops. The 15-damage hand attack has matching bonuses against the ranged classes, while its siege attack deals 18 at range six. These values make Jaegers powerful anti-Infantry specialists with more durability and range than ordinary Skirmishers. Their two-population cost and high Coin price still require careful army planning.
Best targets and counters
Jaegers are best used against Heavy Infantry and other Infantry that fall under their rifle multipliers. Arsenal counter-infantry technologies can strengthen that role, making them effective against units that would overwhelm a normal ranged line. They remain vulnerable to hand Cavalry and Artillery, as other Skirmisher-type units are, so protect them with Dragoons or another mobile screen. Their 24 sight is greater than their maximum attack range, providing warning of approaching threats, but their speed of four makes repositioning difficult once Cavalry is close. Use the long range to focus fire from behind a frontline, and retreat before the opponent reaches melee. The high ranged resistance helps against other ranged units but does not negate artillery damage or class counters.
Recruitment across civilizations
Eligible European civilizations train Jaegers at a Tavern, Asian civilizations at a Monastery, African civilizations at a Palace, American factions at a Saloon, and Italians at a Lombard. The Swedes have additional access through cards or politicians that allow production from Barracks, Blockhouses or a Galleon. Germans can unlock a Mercenary Camp through the Mercenary Camps Home City Card, and British access can be tied to The Mercenary Contractor age-up choice. Other factions receive the unit through Fortress Age Home City shipments. The exact building and card access is civilization-specific, so a Jaeger composition may be a direct production plan for one faction and a one-time shipment for another. Check the map and Home City before relying on continuous replacements.
Home City shipments and age-up bonuses
A Fortress Age Jaeger shipment can provide a timely answer to a large Heavy Infantry force without waiting for a Tavern or Monastery queue. All European civilizations can choose The Mercenary Contractor when aging to the Imperial Age; this politician increases Mercenary hit points and attack by 50 percent, including the Jaeger. Some civilizations have specific Jaeger cards: the British can access them after selecting the relevant contractor, Germans can use Mercenary Camps, and Swedes may receive contract cards that add production options. The shipment and age-up routes are not interchangeable: one gives immediate units, while a politician improves or enables later access. Consider whether the opponent’s army justifies the Coin investment before choosing the card.
Replacing ordinary Skirmishers
Jaegers have stronger basic statistics than standard Skirmishers and use only two population, so some civilizations can replace their normal anti-Infantry line with them after the Fortress Age. They still cost 200 Coin, which is a substantial price and can compete with Cavalry, Artillery or other Mercenaries. The French and Germans have stronger Skirmisher options of their own, and may prefer those units when Cavalry is the main enemy. Jaegers are most efficient when they counter a large Heavy Infantry army and can remain protected. If the opponent switches to Cavalry, retain the Jaegers as support and let Dragoons or other anti-Cavalry units take the fight.
Campaign and version context
Jaegers also appear in the original Age of Empires III campaign and The WarChiefs campaign, where they are used by John Black and appear among the Hessian forces under Colonel Kuechler. Their campaign availability does not change the standard multiplayer profile. The unit cost 180 Coin and used 18 training or kill experience before Definitive Edition; the current price is 200 Coin and those experience values are 20. Its ranged attack was 27 before The WarChiefs and is now 30. Separate the campaign scenario rules from multiplayer Mercenary access when looking up how the unit is obtained. In standard play, its main purpose remains a durable, long-range counter to Infantry.
Mercenary improvements and cost trade-offs
The Jaeger’s high base health and attack can be strengthened by Mercenary-specific Home City shipments and age-up choices. The Mercenary Contractor politician increases Mercenary hit points and damage by 50 percent when chosen for the Imperial Age. Some faction cards improve Mercenary access or allow Jaegers to train from additional buildings, while general Infantry technologies can affect their tagged unit classes. Their 200 Coin price is the major constraint: a shipment or Tavern queue should be weighed against artillery, Cavalry and other Mercenaries. Their two-population cost is efficient for a unit with 250 hit points, but the army still needs anti-Cavalry support. Use the Jaeger when its anti-Infantry strength solves a specific matchup, then redirect Coin once the enemy composition changes.
Building and shipment alternatives
Jaeger access varies widely by faction. Europeans generally use a Tavern, Asians a Monastery, Africans a Palace, Americans a Saloon and Italians a Lombard. Swedes can unlock Barracks or Blockhouse production through specific Home City cards, and some shipments permit access from a Galleon. These additional routes can change how quickly a Jaeger force is reinforced and how exposed its production is. If a faction can only ship Jaegers, preserve the initial group because losses may not be replaceable from a local building. If direct production is available, place the Tavern or equivalent behind the main line and use the 38-second queue to maintain a small anti-Infantry force.
Using range and vision safely
The Jaeger has 24 sight and up to 20 range, which lets it detect targets before entering its firing envelope. Use that vision to avoid walking into Cavalry or Artillery, then set the Jaegers behind the frontline so they can focus Infantry. Their 30-damage shot and bonuses against Heavy Infantry can remove targets quickly, but their three-second firing interval makes target selection important. Concentrate shots on a few units rather than spreading damage across the enemy formation. If the opposing force closes, retreat behind Dragoons or other anti-Cavalry units.
Reading its class bonuses
The Jaeger is classified as Light Infantry, Rifle Infantry and Mercenary. Its 2.5 ranged multiplier against Light Ranged Cavalry and Ranged Shock troops, plus twice damage against Heavy Infantry, makes it an effective answer to several Infantry categories. At the same time, its 0.6 multiplier against Cavalry and Shock troops explains why it needs a Cavalry screen. Its 40 percent ranged resistance helps it trade with archers but is not a substitute for countering Artillery. Arsenal technologies that increase anti-Infantry damage further specialize the Jaeger. Choose upgrades that fit the target roster and protect its two-population cost.
Preserving a shipment force
If Jaegers arrive only through a Home City shipment, treat them as a limited specialist group until direct production is unlocked. Their 250 hit points and 40 percent ranged resistance make them durable against ordinary archers, while their long range and Heavy Infantry multiplier let them remove a large enemy front line. Do not send them to chase Cavalry or trade into Artillery. Keep Dragoons or another mobile counter close and use the Jaegers to hold the firing line. A two-population cost is modest for a Mercenary, but every loss still removes a high-Coin unit that may take another shipment to replace.
A Fortress Age response to Infantry
The Jaeger shipment or Tavern group is best timed when the opponent has committed to Heavy Infantry or a large ranged Infantry mass. Its 30-damage attack, 2.5 and 2.0 class multipliers, and 20 maximum range let it remove those targets from behind a protected line. If the opponent pivots to Cavalry, keep Jaegers as support and add Dragoons rather than expecting the mercenary to stand alone. Their two-population cost is modest, but each unit still represents 200 Coin or a shipment.
Mercenary rifle profile and class modifiers
The Jaeger costs 200 Coin, takes 38 seconds to train and uses two population. It has 250 hit points, 40% ranged resistance and line of sight 24. The 30-damage ranged attack reaches from 2 to 20 every three seconds, with 2.5× damage against Light ranged Cavalry and Ranged Shock Troops and 2× against Heavy Infantry; its modifiers are reduced against Cavalry and Shock troops. That long range and resistance make the Jaeger useful as a durable Light Infantry line, but its Coin-only price can compete with artillery or age advancement. Tavern, Monastery, Saloon, Palace and Lombard access vary by region; Swedes have special card and politician routes that can enable Barracks or Galleon production. Check the exact source before assuming a normal Tavern is available. The Jaeger should be protected from Cavalry despite its high ranged resistance, because the unit’s strong ranged profile does not remove its class weakness.
Hiring versus card-based replacement
Mercenary hiring converts Coin into immediate elite manpower but uses substantial population. A shipment or Swedish access card can change the timing and production route, while local hiring supports repeatable replacement if the economy can maintain Coin income. Decide whether the Jaeger’s range, anti-Heavy Infantry damage and durability justify that investment in the current match. If the opponent has few targets matching its multipliers, ordinary units may produce more force for the same resources. Keep the Jaegers together so their fire can remove a high-value target quickly, and use a frontline to stop Cavalry from exploiting their reduced close-range matchup. After a battle, check population space before ordering another group; losing a mercenary force can create a large replacement bill and delay the next shipment.