Mameluke
Mameluke is Heavy cavalry in Age of Empires III, available from the Industrial Age; obtained through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Americans), Palace (Africans), Lombard (Italians), Stable (Egypt revolution), Fort (Egypt revolution), Galleon (Egypt revolution).
Recorded values
- Cost
- 400 Coin
- Available
- Industrial Age · Tavern (Europeans) ; Monastery (Asians) ; Saloon (Americans) ; Palace (Africans) ; Lombard (Italians) ; Stable (Egypt revolution) ; Fort (Egypt revolution) ; Galleon (Egypt revolution)
- Training
- 60 sec · 4 population · 40 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 1,450 hit points · 40% ranged resistance · 6.5 speed · 15 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 34 damage · 1.5 attack interval
- Siege attack
- 40 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
- Trample attack
- 23 damage · 2.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Americans), Palace (Africans), Lombard (Italians), Stable (Egypt revolution), Fort (Egypt revolution), or Galleon (Egypt revolution). It has 1,450 hit points and 40% ranged resistance. It moves at 6.5 speed and uses 4 population. Training costs 400 Coin; it takes 60 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 34 damage. Siege attack deals 40 damage. Trample attack deals 23 damage.
Matchup & timing
Use Mamelukes as a high-cost Industrial Age anchor: 1,450 hit points and 40% ranged resistance let them absorb pressure while their 23-damage Trample attack hits nearby enemies. Their 6.5 speed still supports a flank, but each unit occupies valuable population and mercenary resources. Keep them with the army rather than trading them for low-value targets.
Industrial Age mercenary profile
The Mameluke is an Industrial Age Mercenary Heavy Cavalry unit. It costs 400 Coin, trains in 60 seconds and uses four population. Its 1,450 hit points are exceptionally high for Cavalry, with 40% ranged resistance, speed 6.5 and line of sight 15. The hand attack deals 34 damage every 1.5 seconds; its siege attack deals 40, and its trample attack deals 23 with an area radius of three. The Mameluke's main advantage is durability: it can remain in a fight far longer than most mounted units and absorb damage while allied forces move. Its attack is lower than that of some mercenary Cavalry, so its value comes from staying power and area pressure rather than a single overwhelming hit.
Durability, population and tradeoffs
At 1,450 hit points before upgrades, the Mameluke has far more health than other hand Cavalry mercenaries such as Stradiots and Hackapells. That durability can let it withstand anti-Cavalry units that would quickly remove a lighter Hussar, but it still occupies four population and costs a large 400 Coin investment. A force of Mamelukes can become difficult to kill, especially when cavalry health cards are available, but the same population could support several ordinary troops. Use the unit where its ability to absorb fire protects an important push or keeps the opponent's attention away from ranged allies. Avoid sending it alone into a position where it can be surrounded and focused without support.
Trample attack and siege contribution
The Mameluke's trample attack deals 23 damage over an area radius of three. Use it against a packed group of weaker units, then switch back to ordinary attacks when the enemy spreads out or a priority target needs focus fire. The 40-point siege attack is useful after nearby defenders have been removed, but the unit's role is not to replace dedicated artillery. It can keep pressure on a structure while the main army protects the area, then retreat if enemy anti-Cavalry units return. With speed 6.5 it can move between flanks, but its high cost makes reckless raiding unattractive.
Recruitment and civilization routes
Most civilizations recruit Mamelukes from a Tavern, Monastery, Saloon, Palace or Lombard according to their civilization family and the mercenary pool available on the map. The Ottomans can obtain them through The Mercenary Contractor politician, while Ethiopians can receive them by choosing the Arab Alliance for the Imperial Age. Germans can use the Adler von Lübeck Battleship card if the unit is available in the Tavern. These special routes can bypass the usual uncertainty of mercenary availability, but each depends on the selected card or age-up option.
Egypt revolution and Historical Battle variant
Revolting to Egypt unlocks Mameluke training at Stables, Forts and Galleons, and each shipment from the Egyptian deck delivers one additional Mameluke. This changes the unit from a map-dependent mercenary into a central part of the revolution's army. In the Algiers Historical Battle, the Barbary Pirates use a separate Mameluke profile: it has 800 hit points, 22 hand and trample attack, costs 120 Food and 120 Coin, uses two population and trains in 40 seconds. It can be shipped, rescued from a Stockade or trained from the Fortress Age and upgraded to Guard. Those scenario values should not be confused with the standard 1,450-health mercenary.
Upgrade support and composition
The Mercenary Contractor improves mercenary hit points and attack by 35% when the relevant European age-up is chosen, making a surviving Mameluke even harder to remove. In the Algiers Historical Battle, Guard Mamelukes cost 600 Wood and 600 Coin and gain 30% hit points and damage. Cavalry health cards and allied team bonuses can also make the standard Mameluke unusually durable; exact totals depend on the selected civilization, allies and upgrades. Pair the cavalry with ranged units that handle enemy Artillery and anti-Cavalry Infantry. The Mameluke can absorb pressure, but it should not be expected to chase every counter or destroy guns by itself.
Comparing the Age III unit
The shared historical name does not mean the games use the same unit profile or role. In Age III, its key values are the 1,450 hit points, 40% ranged resistance, trample splash and four-population cost. Use the Age III version's current profile when planning a mercenary force, and keep the separate Algiers variant in mind for Historical Battles.
Hold the frontline while allies deal damage
A Mameluke can absorb attention that would otherwise hit ranged Infantry or Artillery. Move it in front only when the formation can support it, and use its trample area against units that have clustered around the cavalry. Its ordinary hand attack is steady rather than exceptional, so focus fire with allied troops while the Mameluke keeps enemy units occupied. If the opponent withdraws, do not pursue so far that the Mameluke leaves friendly support; the unit's strength comes from health and presence, not from being the fastest cavalry on the field.
A high-health mercenary is still counterable
The Mameluke's 40% ranged resistance reduces incoming ranged damage, but it can still be overwhelmed by focused attacks and area damage. Anti-Cavalry units remain relevant, and the four-population cost makes a surrounded Mameluke an expensive loss. Use cavalry mobility to avoid prepared anti-Cavalry formations, approach from a flank and withdraw before the unit's health is depleted. Its large health pool can make retreat seem unnecessary; preserving it is usually more valuable than trading it for a low-value enemy unit.
Plan upgrades around the force
The Mercenary Contractor's 35% hit point and attack improvement can extend the Mameluke's frontline role in the Imperial Age. Shared cavalry cards and allied team bonuses can add more health or attack, but their availability depends on the civilization and deck. The Algiers Historical Battle has its own Guard upgrade and weaker scenario profile, so do not apply the standard mercenary's figures to that mission. Choose upgrades when several Mamelukes have already been recruited and will remain useful; spending heavily for a single unit may be less efficient than adding support for the whole army.
Manage the long training commitment
A 60-second queue means replacing a lost Mameluke takes time even when the player can afford the 400 Coin cost. Retreat before its large health pool is exhausted and keep the four-population unit in a force that can protect it.
Exceptional durability for a mercenary cavalry unit
Mamelukes are mercenary Heavy Cavalry with unusually high hit points. The documented profile lists 1,450 hit points in any age before upgrades, far above other comparable hand-cavalry mercenaries. Their attack is lower than that of some peers, but their durability allows them to remain in combat and pressure targets that normally threaten cavalry. They are still a major resource and population commitment, so use them as a durable core rather than spending them casually in a poor engagement.
Use their staying power with a counter-aware army
Mamelukes can absorb attacks from anti-Cavalry units more effectively than ordinary cavalry, but this does not make them invulnerable to massed fire, artillery or focused counters. Let supporting ranged units remove threats while Mamelukes hold or collapse one part of the formation. Their mercenary access depends on the map, card or building option, so check availability before planning a sustained force. Because replacements may be expensive or limited, preserve the unit when the opponent can trade cheaply into it.