Janissary
The Janissary is Ottoman Heavy Infantry and a durable gunpowder frontline. It helps hold ground against Cavalry, protects supporting units and contributes siege damage when an Ottoman army reaches buildings.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · European Barracks; Fort; Galleon; American Citadel
- Training
- 34 sec · 1 population · 12 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 210 hit points · 20% hand resistance · 4.0 speed · 16 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 15 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Cavalry; 1.5x vs. Shock troops
- Ranged attack
- 20 damage · 12 range · 3.0 attack interval
- Siege attack
- 25 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role & counters
Ottoman military buildings train Janissaries under the civilization’s rules. Their durable profile makes them useful in close engagements, but Skirmishers and artillery can punish a large group. They work best with Abus Gunners or artillery that can attack the opponent’s infantry and structures.
When to field it
Use Janissaries to anchor the line against Cavalry while supporting ranged units deal damage. Keep them moving when enemy artillery is firing, and avoid leaving a large group stationary under bombardment. Add unit counters based on what the opponent fields rather than massing Janissaries alone.
Training profile and baseline statistics
The Janissary is Ottoman Heavy infantry trained from the Commerce Age. The current profile lists a cost of 90 Food and 25 Coin, 34 seconds of training, one population, 210 hit points, 20% hand resistance, speed 4 and line of sight 16. Its ranged musket attack deals 20 damage at range 12 every three seconds; the hand attack deals 15 damage every 1.5 seconds. In melee it deals double damage to Cavalry and 1.5 times damage to Shock troops. These values make the unit a durable frontline musketeer, with more hit points than many comparable European Musketeers but a different cost balance and attack profile. The Janissary is an Ottoman unit, not a generic replacement available to every civilization.
Frontline and counter role
Janissaries are designed to hold a line and punish cavalry that tries to reach Ottoman ranged units or artillery. Their musket range lets them fire while moving with the main force, and their hand attack is stronger against non-cavalry targets than the typical comparison suggests. They remain vulnerable to Artillery, rifle infantry and foot archers, and their relatively slow movement makes it difficult to chase those counters. Keep Janissaries in front of Abus Gunners or other fragile ranged units and avoid sending them alone across open ground into artillery fire. If the opponent shifts toward ranged counters, use cavalry or supporting units to threaten those attackers while the Janissaries continue to screen.
Pairing with Abus Gunners
Janissaries and Abus Gunners form a complementary Ottoman force. Janissaries deal with cavalry and occupy the front, while Abus Gunners attack infantry and artillery at range. This can be a powerful Commerce Age combination before conventional heavy artillery becomes available, but it consumes Food, Coin and population quickly. The Abus Gunner is vulnerable to cavalry, so keep the Janissaries close enough to intercept a charge. If the opponent fields large numbers of infantry, focus the Abus Gunners on those targets; if cavalry arrives, hold fire with the support line and let the Janissaries absorb the approach. Build the combination only when the economy can fund both units and still support workers, upgrades and Age advancement.
Age upgrades and Home City support
Janissaries can be improved through the standard Veteran, Guard and Imperial infantry upgrades. The source profile lists the Veteran upgrade at 200 Wood and 200 Coin, the Guard upgrade at 600 Wood and 600 Coin after Veteran, and the Imperial upgrade at 1,500 Wood and 1,500 Coin after Guard; the upgrades increase hit points and damage by their stated percentages. Home City cards shared with Ottoman infantry can improve the unit further. Upgrade timing matters because a large investment in Janissaries is most useful when the army will continue using them in later Ages. Do not research every level automatically if the opponent has already moved into units that counter the musket line; spend on the counters and artillery needed for the next engagement.
Production and timing decisions
The Janissary is available early enough to support Ottoman pressure from a Barracks-equivalent production source, and Ottoman access to the Artillery Foundry can add siege options earlier than many civilizations. A Janissary group can guard a forward building while Abus Gunners or artillery arrive. Cards and age-up choices may also deliver Janissaries or related units, so account for shipment timing before starting a large queue. The Ottoman worker economy produces Yörüks automatically, which allows more of the ordinary resource flow to support the army but makes Mosque upgrades and worker caps important. Keep the frontline affordable and protect the economy that replaces losses.
Special access and building utility
Certain Ottoman Home City cards can give Janissaries a construction role, allowing them to build military production buildings in a forward position. This is a card-dependent option, and Janissaries build more slowly than Yörüks, so it is useful only when the units and timing are available. A group can divide work across more than one structure, but committing infantry to construction reduces the size of the immediate fighting force. Use this option to create pressure near a weakened opponent or shorten reinforcement travel, then protect the builders. It does not turn Janissaries into ordinary Settlers or replace the Ottoman economic workforce.
Sustain an Ottoman frontline
Janissaries have enough hit points to remain in the front longer than many ranged infantry units, but their speed and counters still matter. Rotate damaged units out of the first rank while healthy Janissaries hold position, especially when the Abus Gunners behind them need time to fire. Against artillery or foot archers, do not keep the Janissaries in a stationary exchange they cannot win; use Deli or another mobile option to create pressure on the counter. Their single-population cost supports a larger body count than heavier units, but the Food and Coin cost still competes with the automatic Yörük economy’s research and Age-up plan.
When to upgrade the unit line
The standard Janissary upgrade path improves hit points and damage: Veteran adds 20 percent, Guard adds 30 percent after Veteran, and Imperial adds 50 percent after Guard in the listed profile. The Wood and Coin costs rise substantially at each step. Research the next level when the army will keep using Janissaries and the economy can continue training support units. A Janissary mass that is already being countered by artillery may need mobile pressure or Culverins before another infantry upgrade. Home City cards can further enhance the Ottoman infantry line, so compare the card’s reach and timing with the direct research cost.
Use shipments to hold a timing
A shipment of Janissaries can reinforce an Ottoman push or stabilize a threatened base, but the units should arrive behind the existing screen. Set the rally point near the main force and avoid sending reinforcements across an undefended route. If the opponent has cavalry, the arrival can help protect Abus Gunners; if the opponent has artillery, add a plan to reach those guns instead of relying on more Janissaries alone.
Protect the ranged support
Keep Janissaries close enough to intercept cavalry that reaches the Abus Gunners, then focus the guns on the infantry threatening the screen.
Match the front line to the opponent
Janissaries excel when cavalry must cross their musket line, but their slower movement makes them vulnerable to artillery and ranged counters. Keep a mobile unit ready to pressure those attackers and preserve the infantry for the role it performs well.
Coordinate the Ottoman queue
Plan Janissary production alongside Yörük growth and Mosque research. The unit is dependable, but continuous queues can delay the upgrades that keep the Ottoman economy expanding.
Hold ground without chasing
Let cavalry or Deli pursue retreating targets. Janissaries are more valuable holding the route and protecting artillery than marching alone after a faster unit.
Watch artillery positioning
If artillery has a clear shot on the Janissaries, reposition the line and use cavalry to threaten the guns.
Preserve the core group
Keep veteran Janissaries alive through each Age so upgrades and Home City cards strengthen the force already in the field.
Ottoman Commerce Age gunpowder Infantry
The Janissary is Ottoman Heavy Infantry trained from the Commerce Age under the civilization’s free Villager and military production rules. It costs 90 Food and 25 Coin, takes 34 seconds to train and uses one population. It has 210 hit points, 20% hand resistance, speed four and sight 16. The ranged attack deals 20 damage at range 12 every three seconds, while its 15-damage hand attack carries a 2× bonus against Cavalry and 1.5× against Shock troops. Its 25-damage Siege attack adds pressure at close range. This durable musket unit anchors an Ottoman force and helps protect Abus Gunners or artillery from cavalry that reaches the line.
Pair the frontline with ranged support
Janissaries can absorb pressure and answer Cavalry, but a large group is vulnerable to Skirmishers and artillery. Keep Abus Gunners, artillery or other ranged units behind them to attack enemy Infantry and buildings. Use their hand attack when mounted units close, but avoid leaving them under bombardment while standing still. Ottoman production access and shipment options can create strong timing attacks, so match the Janissary batch to a card or age-up rather than training without a plan. Their low Coin cost relative to many gunpowder units helps the Ottoman economy sustain production, but Food remains necessary for both military units and Villagers. Maintain enough gathering and population room for the supporting army.
Definitive Edition and patch-era profile changes
The current Janissary costs 90 Food, down from 100 before the Definitive Edition. Its current hit points are 210; the source records 235 before Definitive Edition, 210 before update 13.58326, and 215 before update 19.18309. The current training and kill experience values are 12 each, compared with 13 before Definitive Edition. These snapshots show why older build orders may describe a more expensive Janissary with a different durability value. The current unit panel above is the present profile; historical numbers are included only to identify older references.