Mounted Rifleman
Mounted Rifleman is Heavy cavalry in Age of Empires III, available from the Industrial Age; obtained through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Federal Americans), Palace (Africans), Lombard (Italians).
Recorded values
- Cost
- 400 Coin
- Available
- Industrial Age · Tavern (Europeans) ; Monastery (Asians) ; Saloon (Federal Americans) ; Palace (Africans) ; Lombard (Italians)
- Training
- 65 sec · 4 population · 40 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 360 hit points · 25% ranged resistance · 6.0 speed · 20 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 45 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Light infantry; 1.34x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops; 0.5x vs. AbstractPikeman
- Ranged attack
- 70 damage · 18 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Light infantry; 1.34x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops; 0.5x vs. AbstractPikeman; 0.5x vs. Villager
- Siege attack
- 25 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
- Trample attack
- 30 damage · 2.0 attack interval · bonuses: Same as hand attack
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Federal Americans), Palace (Africans), or Lombard (Italians). It has 360 hit points and 25% ranged resistance. It moves at 6.0 speed and uses 4 population. Training costs 400 Coin; it takes 65 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 45 damage. Ranged attack deals 70 damage. Siege attack deals 25 damage. Trample attack deals 30 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 2.0× against Light infantry, 1.34× against Heavy infantry, 0.6× against Cavalry, 0.6× against Shock troops, and 0.5× against AbstractPikeman. Ranged attack bonuses: 2.0× against Light infantry, 1.34× against Heavy infantry, 0.6× against Cavalry, 0.6× against Shock troops, 0.5× against AbstractPikeman, and 0.5× against Villager.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Light infantry (2×), Heavy infantry (1.34×). Ranged attack is especially effective against Light infantry (2×), Heavy infantry (1.34×). Its reduced multipliers against Cavalry (0.6×), Shock troops (0.6×), AbstractPikeman (0.5×), Villager (0.5×) make it less suitable for those targets. Use ranged fire to focus Light infantry and Heavy infantry before they can close; hold the melee attack for Light infantry and Heavy infantry when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Long-range mercenary cavalry
The Mounted Rifleman is an Industrial Age heavy ranged cavalry mercenary introduced in Knights of the Mediterranean. It costs 400 Coin, takes 65 seconds and uses four population. Its profile has 360 hit points, 25% ranged resistance, speed 6.0 and line of sight 20. The ranged attack deals 70 damage at range 18 every three seconds. It has a 2.0 multiplier against Light Infantry, 1.34 against Heavy Infantry and reduced damage against Cavalry, Shock Troops, Pikemen and Villagers. Its hand attack deals 45 damage every 1.5 seconds with the same class multipliers. Trample deals 30 damage in an area of three every two seconds, while siege damage is 25 at range six every three seconds. The unit’s range and heavy cavalry health let it punish Skirmishers, foot archers and other infantry. It can also engage Artillery in melee after reaching the guns. However, four population and 400 Coin make each Rifleman an expensive commitment. It is countered by other cavalry, particularly units that can catch it or exploit its reduced damage against Cavalry and Shock Troops. Pikemen and Qiang Pikemen also receive the negative multiplier, and the Rifleman should avoid prolonged contact with them. Use its range for hit-and-run attacks, then retreat before enemy cavalry closes. Mercenary access depends on the civilization and building. Europeans can hire it from a Tavern, Asians from a Monastery, Federal Americans from a Saloon, Africans from a Palace, and Italians from a Lombard. Germans can gain access through the Adler von Lübeck Home City Card from Battleships when the unit is in the Tavern roster, or through Mercenary Camps. French or Italian players selecting The Mercenary Contractor can unlock the unit at the appropriate Tavern or Lombard route. The United States Poker card may include it in a random mercenary shipment and enable Saloon recruitment. Use Mounted Riflemen when the opponent’s army relies on infantry and the economy can support the Coin cost. Keep them behind a screen, focus infantry with ranged attacks and use melee only when artillery or another vulnerable target is exposed. A large group can be difficult to counter with foot infantry, but cavalry counters can force an expensive retreat. Pair the mercenary with anti-cavalry infantry or ranged units that handle enemy cavalry, and avoid using it as the only frontline. Balance history matters: earlier versions had 560 hit points, lower ranged resistance and shorter range. The current profile uses 360 hit points, 25% ranged resistance and range 18 after update 19.18309. Apply the current values when building strategies for The Baltic Powers-era game and label older guides by patch.
Use range to pressure infantry safely
Range 18 and 70 attack make the Mounted Rifleman dangerous to infantry that cannot answer mounted fire. Keep the formation moving between volleys and avoid allowing the enemy to close into hand combat. The unit is slower than many cavalry and occupies four population, so it cannot escape every counter. Keep a faster screen or anti-cavalry unit nearby, and retreat toward it when Dragoons or other cavalry appear. Its negative multipliers against Cavalry, Shock Troops and Pikemen make target selection important. Do not use the Rifleman as a cavalry counter just because it is a mounted gunpowder unit. Against artillery, close in only when the enemy’s screen is distracted; the hand attack is strong, but entering a Pikeman line can erase the mercenary quickly. A mixed force protects the investment and gives the Rifleman time to attack its preferred infantry targets.
Budget for four population per mercenary
A small Mounted Rifleman group consumes population quickly. Reserve room for the cavalry screen and other counters before filling the army with these expensive mercenaries.
Plan mercenary access before choosing a deck
The unit may be available from different buildings depending on civilization, card and politician. Confirm the Tavern, Saloon, Palace, Monastery or Lombard route before investing in production, and account for its 400-Coin purchase and four-population use.
Do not confuse ranged durability with hand protection
The Mounted Rifleman has 25% ranged resistance but no special hand resistance. Its health can absorb some volleys, yet heavy cavalry and Shock Troops can punish it at close range. Keep it moving behind the screen and use its 18-range attack to pressure infantry before the opponent can engage. The mercenary’s 70 ranged damage and 45 hand damage are substantial, but its negative multipliers against cavalry and pikemen matter. Focus Skirmishers and Heavy Infantry, then reposition as soon as the enemy brings out counters. The high Coin cost makes preserving the unit more valuable than trading it for a small group of ordinary infantry.
Retreat when cavalry commits
If enemy cavalry closes on the Mounted Riflemen, retreat behind anti-cavalry support instead of trying to win a hand fight. The mercenary’s high price and four population make a clean withdrawal worthwhile.
Heavy ranged cavalry with extended reach
The Mounted Rifleman is Heavy Ranged Cavalry with high hit points, strong attack and a significant Coin cost. It has longer range than other heavy ranged cavalry in the documented comparison, but moves more slowly and uses more population. Its ranged resistance and anti-light-infantry role make it a sturdy mounted support unit, but its expense means each engagement should have a clear target.
Protect the investment and manage population
Mounted Riflemen can threaten light infantry and support a late-game army, but their slower speed makes it harder to escape a bad engagement than with ordinary ranged Cavalry. Keep a screen against Heavy Infantry and units that specialize in anti-Cavalry combat, and do not let artillery focus them while they are stationary. Their Coin and population demands compete with other advanced units; add them when the economy can sustain support and replacements, not as the only mounted line.
Ranged role and current anti-infantry modifiers
Mounted Rifleman is a ranged Cavalry unit that combines mobility with a rifle profile designed to pressure Infantry. Its current range is 18, increased from 15 before update 19.18309. It has 360 hit points and 25% ranged resistance; before update 13.27885 it had 560 hit points and 20% resistance. Its current modifiers are 2.0× against Light Infantry and 1.34× against Heavy Infantry. Against Cavalry and Shock Troops the modifiers are 0.6×, while older profiles before update 14.43676 listed 0.67× against Cavalry and 0.4× against Shock Troops. It currently costs 400 Coin; the cost was 375 during the period after update 13.27885 and before update 13.58326. Use its range and mobility to focus Infantry while screening it from units with anti-cavalry bonuses.