Landwehr
Landwehr is Germans ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age*; obtained through European Barracks, Fort, Galleon.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age* · European Barracks; Fort; Galleon
- Training
- 30 sec · 1 population · 8 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 100 hit points · 20% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 16 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 12 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: Same as ranged attack
- Ranged attack
- 20 damage · 2-16 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 1.67x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 1.67x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 1.1x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 16 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through European Barracks, Fort, or Galleon. It has 100 hit points and 20% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.0 speed and uses 1 population. Training costs 40 Food and 40 Wood; it takes 30 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 12 damage. Ranged attack deals 20 damage. Siege attack deals 16 damage. Hand attack bonuses: Same as ranged attack. Ranged attack bonuses: 1.67× against Light ranged cavalry, 1.67× against Ranged shock trooper, 1.1× against Heavy infantry, 0.6× against Cavalry, and 0.6× against Shock troops*.
Matchup & timing
Ranged attack is especially effective against Light ranged cavalry (1.67×), Ranged shock trooper (1.67×), Heavy infantry (1.1×). Its reduced multipliers against Cavalry (0.6×), Shock troops (0.6×) make it less suitable for those targets. Use ranged fire to focus Light ranged cavalry, Ranged shock trooper, and Heavy infantry before they can close. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
German wood-and-food rifle infantry
The Landwehr is a Fortress Age German light infantry unit unlocked by the Scharnhorst Reform Home City Card. Sending the card replaces the Crossbowman with Landwehr production and upgrades existing Crossbowmen. The unit costs 40 Food and 40 Wood, trains in 30 seconds and uses one population. Its 100 hit points, 20% ranged resistance, speed 4.0 and line of sight 16 give it a light infantry profile. The ranged attack deals 20 damage at range 2–16 every three seconds, with a 1.67 multiplier against Light Ranged Cavalry and ranged Shock Troops, 1.1 against Heavy Infantry and reduced damage against Cavalry and Shock Troops. Its hand attack is 12 damage every 1.5 seconds; siege damage is 16 at range six every three seconds. Landwehr differs from the Crossbowman by trading stronger base damage for smaller bonus multipliers. It uses only Food and Wood, which can be useful for Germany because Uhlans, War Wagons, Doppelsöldners and mercenaries compete heavily for Coin. Its higher base attack works against a broader range of targets such as Villagers, scouts and other light infantry. It is still vulnerable to Heavy Cavalry and should not be treated as a Musketeer replacement in a direct melee. Against incoming hand cavalry, keep it behind a screen and use Uhlans or another counter to protect the line. Scharnhorst Reform is available starting in the Fortress Age and has a resource value comparable to a veteran upgrade. It immediately improves existing Crossbowmen, saving Barracks training time and allowing a transition without rebuilding the entire army. Landwehr can be produced from Barracks, Forts or Galleons. It benefits from gunpowder technologies despite its resemblance to archaic crossbow infantry, and Counter Infantry Rifling also helps its melee attack. Its Wood cost can be valuable when mines are exhausted and an Estate economy is not yet fully upgraded. The choice is a resource and matchup decision. If the army needs a cheap ranged unit and has excess Wood, Landwehr can complement the German cavalry and mercenary core. If the opponent has many heavy cavalry units or the match has reached a stage where Wood and population are tight, Veteran Skirmishers or another specialized counter may be better. Landwehr’s 16 range is shorter than some skirmishers and its 100 hit points leave it exposed to a cavalry dive. Keep it in a protected line and use its high base damage to support the units that Germany already relies on.
A flexible replacement rather than a dedicated counter
Landwehrs are most useful when Germany needs an affordable line that can spend Wood while preserving Coin for cavalry or mercenaries. Their broad base damage gives them a more general target profile than a traditional archer, and their firearm tags allow them to benefit from appropriate gunpowder improvements. They still lack the durability of heavy infantry and cannot safely stand in front of the army. Position them behind Doppelsöldners or cavalry, focus incoming infantry and move away from artillery shots. When the opponent shifts to heavy cavalry, add an appropriate anti-cavalry unit rather than expecting Landwehr to hold the line by itself. The card also has an immediate transition effect: existing Crossbowmen upgrade when Scharnhorst Reform is sent. If the player already has a group, the upgrade can turn that force into Landwehr without waiting for a fresh queue. This is especially helpful when the army must respond immediately, though the card slot and cost should be compared with a shipment of resources or units. After the transition, Barracks production can use the same Wood and Food economy to replace losses.
Choose production based on the German economy
When Coin is committed to War Wagons, Uhlans or mercenaries, Landwehr production can keep the infantry line growing from Wood and Food. If Wood is the scarce resource, use a different unit and preserve Landwehrs already trained. The Fortress Age unlock arrives at a point when German Skirmishers may already be Veteran, so compare the specialized anti-infantry role of those units with Landwehr’s stronger general attack before committing the Barracks queue.
Retain the ranged line through counterattacks
Landwehr’s 20% ranged resistance helps against gunfire but does not stop melee cavalry. Move it with the rest of the army and use nearby buildings as a fallback position if a counterattack arrives during the transition.
Preserve its role in the mixed army
Landwehr provides additional fire against infantry but does not replace the German cavalry or Artillery. Protect the unit from a direct counter and retain it for targets its high base damage can hit efficiently.
A crossbow lineage with Musketeer-like damage
Landwehr is an unusual ranged infantry unit: its resistance, multipliers, hit points and tags resemble a Crossbowman, while its damage values are closer to a Musketeer. This combination gives it a different trade profile from either standard unit. Check the current version and civilization source to see how it replaces or becomes available alongside ordinary ranged infantry.
Protect it from Heavy Cavalry
Despite its stronger damage, Landwehr should not be expected to hold against Heavy Cavalry. Use a screen and keep the unit firing from behind the front line. Its unit tags and upgrade path matter when choosing technologies and cards; an improvement that applies to Crossbowmen may affect it differently from a Musketeer upgrade. Confirm the current profile before investing in a specialized build, especially when comparing older guides with Definitive Edition balance changes.