Mountain Trooper
Mountain Trooper is ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Wittelsbach palace, Native Embassy. Its listed ability is Reveals a radius of 24 around units attacked by the Mountain Trooper for 3 seconds; Skill Promotion.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Wittelsbach palace; Native Embassy
- Training
- 30 sec · 12 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 120 hit points · 30% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 22 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 6 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 2.0x vs. Light cavalry; 2.0x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops
- Ranged attack
- 15 damage · 2-20 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.5x vs. Light cavalry; 2.5x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 2.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 12 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
- Ability
- Reveals a radius of 24 around units attacked by the Mountain Trooper for 3 seconds; Skill Promotion
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Wittelsbach palace or Native Embassy. It has 120 hit points and 30% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.0 speed. Training costs 50 Food and 65 Wood; it takes 30 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 6 damage. Ranged attack deals 15 damage. Siege attack deals 12 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 2.0× against Heavy infantry, 2.0× against Light cavalry, 2.0× against Ranged shock trooper, 0.75× against Cavalry, and 0.75× against Shock troops. Ranged attack bonuses: 2.5× against Light cavalry, 2.5× against Ranged shock trooper, 2.0× against Heavy infantry, 0.6× against Cavalry, and 0.6× against Shock troops. Special ability or role: Reveals a radius of 24 around units attacked by the Mountain Trooper for 3 seconds; Skill Promotion.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Heavy infantry (2×), Light cavalry (2×), Ranged shock trooper (2×). Ranged attack is especially effective against Light cavalry (2.5×), Ranged shock trooper (2.5×), Heavy infantry (2×). Its reduced multipliers against Cavalry (0.75×), Shock troops (0.75×), Cavalry (0.6×), Shock troops (0.6×) make it less suitable for those targets. Use ranged fire to focus Light cavalry, Ranged shock trooper, and Heavy infantry before they can close; hold the melee attack for Heavy infantry, Light cavalry, and Ranged shock trooper when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Wittelsbach access and profile
The Mountain Trooper is a native ranged infantry unit added in Knights of the Mediterranean. It is recruited from a Trading Post or Tambo built on a House of Wittelsbach palace, or through a Native Embassy when a civilization's card or alliance unlocks the unit. It costs 50 Food and 65 Wood, takes 30 seconds to train, and is limited to fifteen per Wittelsbach palace. The unit has 120 hit points, 30 percent ranged resistance, speed 4, line of sight 22, and a ranged attack dealing 15 damage at range 20 every three seconds. It has a 2.5 multiplier against Light cavalry and Ranged shock troops, twice against Heavy infantry, and reduced damage against Cavalry and Shock troops. This profile resembles a Skirmisher but uses Wood instead of Coin and can reveal enemies it damages.
Detection and Skill Promotion
When the Mountain Trooper hits a unit, it reveals a radius of 24 around that target for three seconds. This short reveal can expose hidden units or help track a retreating force, giving the player information as well as damage. Mountain Troopers also gain Skill Promotion after defeating military units, up to three levels. Bronze adds one range and reduces attack interval by 10 percent; Silver adds 1.5 range and reduces interval by 15 percent; Gold adds two range and reduces interval by 20 percent in the current profile. Promotion makes surviving units increasingly effective at kiting, but it is earned through kills and can be lost as value if the unit dies. Keep promoted troops protected and use their extra range to continue firing from a safe position.
Matchups and counters
The Mountain Trooper is effective against Heavy infantry and Light cavalry, but weak against Heavy cavalry and Artillery. Its 30 percent ranged resistance helps it withstand skirmisher fire, while its line of sight and attack range support a defensive line. The unit's speed 4 is modest, so it cannot reliably escape a cavalry charge without help. Keep anti-cavalry units nearby and use terrain or Outposts to identify approaching threats. Because it is a native warrior, its upgrade access depends on the civilization: African civilizations receive native warrior improvements automatically, while other civilizations can research Legendary Native Warriors through their appropriate Capitol or Town Center. Do not assume that a standard European infantry card applies to every Mountain Trooper; check the unit's native class and technology tree.
Civilization and shipment routes
Germans can train Mountain Troopers at the Royal Embassy after sending Prince-Electors and choosing the House of Wittelsbach alliance; this route also enables Chevaulegers and unit upgrades. Swedes who choose The Royalist for the Imperial Age receive seventeen Mountain Troopers. Revolutionary France can receive them in the random native warrior pool through Sister Republics. Native Treaties can ship four if the player has built a Trading Post or Tambo at a House of Wittelsbach palace. These deliveries differ from local production and may add a useful force without needing to reach the palace cap. Verify the selected alliance and Home City card before planning sustained production.
Formation and practical use
Mountain Troopers are most useful as a ranged counter line that supports the main army and tracks enemy movement. Focus their fire on Light cavalry, Ranged shock troops, or Heavy infantry, then reposition to maintain range. If the opponent uses Heavy cavalry, do not wait for the troopers to handle the charge; send cavalry counters or other durable troops to block the approach. Use their reveal effect to track a damaged enemy near a retreat route, and let scouts or other units finish the chase. Their Wood cost competes with buildings, so compare production with the need to expand the economy. A small promoted group can contribute long range pressure, while an unpromoted force may need additional support to trade efficiently.
Promotion and reveal in team fights
The reveal effect can help an army follow a target through a retreat, while Skill Promotion turns kills into range and firing interval improvements. Focus fire on a unit that can be finished safely, then use the temporary reveal to watch its escape path. Do not chase deep into enemy territory just because the target remains visible; the reveal lasts three seconds and exposes only a radius around the unit hit. Keep promoted Mountain Troopers behind the frontline so they can continue to benefit from their increased range. If the opponent has stealth units, combine this reveal with normal detection and vision instead of assuming one hit permanently exposes the area.
Production cap and economy
The standard limit is fifteen Mountain Troopers per House of Wittelsbach palace, and their 50 Food plus 65 Wood cost competes with buildings and other native units. Use the local cap as a planning limit, and do not queue units that cannot be replaced if the palace becomes contested. The German Royal Embassy route provides another production option after Prince-Electors, so it can support a continued force when the Trading Post route is unavailable.
Reading the promotion ranks
Each Skill Promotion rank changes both range and attack interval, so a promoted unit can fire from farther away and more often. Bronze, Silver, and Gold bonuses accumulate through kills; the third rank is not available immediately from training. Keep the experienced units in the army and let them finish safe targets rather than replacing them with new unpromoted troops.
Safe engagement distance
The Trooper's speed 4 is slower than many cavalry units. Use its range and reveal effect from behind the main line, and avoid moving forward alone when the target can counterattack.
Wittelsbach rifleman and information effect
The Mountain Trooper is a House of Wittelsbach Native Warrior with a limit of 15 per palace. It costs 50 Food and 65 Wood, trains in 30 seconds and has 120 hit points with 30% ranged resistance. Its 15-damage ranged attack reaches from 2 to 20 and fires every three seconds; it gains 2.5× against Light Cavalry and Ranged Shock Troops and 2× against Heavy Infantry, while damage is reduced against Cavalry and Shock troops. When it attacks a unit, its ability reveals a radius of 24 around that target for three seconds. This brief vision can expose nearby reinforcements or reveal a retreat route, but it is not permanent scouting. Keep the Trooper behind a screen and use the attack to reveal a target before the army commits. Its long range and vision effect make it useful for a coordinated push, while its low hit points mean it should not lead the charge.
Skill Promotion and settlement-based replacement
Skill Promotion is listed as a Mountain Trooper ability, while the unit’s production remains tied to a House of Wittelsbach Trading Post, Tambo or Native Embassy. The local limit makes it important to protect the palace if the Trooper is an essential component of the army. Its ranged role overlaps with other Light Infantry, but its visibility effect gives it a short information window when the attack connects. Use that reveal to direct a follow-up volley or identify whether the opponent is reinforcing, not to chase blindly into enemy territory. If the opponent adds Cavalry or Shock troops, its reduced multipliers make a replacement with another unit type more effective. Pair it with a durable frontline and stop production when the formation can no longer reach its preferred targets safely.