Ninja
Ninja is Heavy infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Fortress Age; obtained through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Federal Americans), Palace (Africans), Lombard (Italians). Its listed ability is Stealth mode.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 200 Coin
- Available
- Fortress Age · Tavern (Europeans) ; Monastery (Asians) ; Saloon (Federal Americans) ; Palace (Africans) ; Lombard (Italians)
- Training
- 40 sec · 4 population · 20 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 400 hit points · 30% hand resistance · 6.0 speed · 12 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 20 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 10.0x vs. Hero; 10.0x vs. Mercenary; 5.0x vs. Native warrior
- Siege attack
- 60 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
- Ability
- Stealth mode
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Federal Americans), Palace (Africans), or Lombard (Italians). It has 400 hit points. It moves at 6.0 speed and uses 4 population. Training costs 200 Coin; it takes 40 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 20 damage. Siege attack deals 60 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 10.0× against Hero, 10.0× against Mercenary, and 5.0× against Native warrior. Special ability or role: Stealth mode.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Hero (10×), Mercenary (10×), Native warrior (5×). Hold the melee attack for Hero, Mercenary, and Native warrior when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Current statistics and mercenary access
The Ninja is a Fortress Age mercenary melee Heavy Infantry unit from The WarChiefs. It costs 200 Coin, takes 40 seconds to train, and uses four population. Its current profile is 400 hit points, 30% hand resistance, movement speed 6.0, and line of sight 12. The hand attack deals 20 damage every 1.5 seconds, and the siege attack deals 60 damage at range six every three seconds. Ninjas have Stealth and can detect other Stealthed units. They are available from the map's mercenary pool through the civilization's Tavern, Monastery, Saloon, Palace, or Lombard, depending on its group. Access varies by map and civilization; some civilizations can also obtain Ninjas by shipment or through a Consulate route.
Specialist damage against heroes and mercenaries
The Ninja's main purpose is to eliminate high-value targets. Its hand attack deals ten times damage against Heroes and Mercenaries and five times damage against Native warriors. This makes it dangerous to Explorers, War Chiefs, expensive hired units, and native troops. The unit's Mercenary classification is also a vulnerability: Spies deal bonus damage against it, and a Ninja can lose quickly if the opponent has prepared those counters. Against ordinary Infantry, the Ninja's high base attack makes it more useful than a Spy, but it is still not cost-effective against every target. Identify the opponent's valuable unit, approach under Stealth, and focus several Ninjas together to remove that target before the main armies engage.
Stealth, detection, and scouting
Stealth allows a Ninja to approach unseen, but detection still matters. Explorers, Town Centers, and other units or buildings with detection can reveal it. The Ninja's line of sight is only 12, so it is a poor substitute for a dedicated scout despite its movement speed. Use Stealth to stage an ambush near a likely route or to reach an exposed Hero, not to wander through the enemy base without checking detection coverage. If revealed, the Ninja's four-population cost and mercenary price make it vulnerable to being surrounded. A successful infiltration should have a clear target and escape path before the unit is exposed.
Ninja compared with Spy
The Ninja and Spy both specialize in attacking Heroes and Mercenaries, but they fill different roles. The Spy costs less and uses only one population, has better scouting utility, and deals stronger bonus damage to Heroes. The Ninja has more hit points, higher base attack, much stronger siege damage, and a bonus against Native warriors. It is slower than a Spy and has shorter line of sight. Both are Mercenary-class units and can be countered by Spies. Choose a Ninja when the army needs a stealthy melee fighter that can also damage buildings or punish native troops; choose a Spy when low population, scouting, or maximum Hero damage is more important. Neither unit should be treated as a standard frontline replacement.
Weaknesses and army support
The Ninja is Heavy Infantry with a four-population cost, making it vulnerable to Light Infantry, counter-skirmishers, Artillery, Cavalry, and MercType2 units. Its 30% hand resistance helps against melee pressure but does not make it durable against a prepared army. Keep Ninjas in reserve until an enemy Mercenary or Hero can be reached, and support them with ordinary troops that can handle Cavalry and Artillery. Avoid sending a large group into a formation with no high-value target: the opponent can counter the mercenaries and force an unfavorable trade. When the target has been removed, retreat or use the 60 siege attack against a nearby building rather than leaving the Ninjas exposed.
Japanese Consulate counterpart
The Japanese can train Ninjutsu-Zukai at the Consulate after selecting Japanese Isolation. It costs 145 Export and shares the Ninja's Stealth, base movement, population cost, and attacks, while beginning with 10% more hit points and damage. It receives automatic Industrial Age and Imperial Age improvements of 30% and 50% hit points and damage. Its Native warrior multiplier has changed across updates; the current value is five times damage. This Consulate route is easier to access than a random Tavern or Monastery pool, but it depends on the chosen isolation and alliance setup. Do not conflate Ninjutsu-Zukai with the map-dependent standard mercenary when calculating shipment or production access.
Campaign and shipment uses
Ninjas can be particularly effective in the third and fourth Chinese campaign scenarios when Japanese Mercenaries are selected at the Consulate. Many enemy Aztec units in those encounters are Native warriors, so the Ninja's five-times bonus has a clear target. German Battleships can train Ninjas through Adler von Lübeck if the Tavern's current mercenary pool includes them. The United States Poker shipment can also deliver Ninjas in its random mercenary group and enable their Saloon availability. These are separate routes with different conditions. For ordinary multiplayer, check the map and shipment roster before planning around the Ninja; the unit is not guaranteed to appear in every match.
Practical ambush sequence
Scout the opponent with another unit, identify a Hero or Mercenary worth removing, and bring the Ninja group close under Stealth. Wait until the target is separated from its counters, then focus the attack before the enemy can turn its army. If the target is protected by detection or Cavalry, delay the strike and use the main force to draw those units away. A Ninja has only 12 line of sight, so avoid relying on it to find targets alone. After the ambush, retreat through the planned route or use the group to add siege pressure while the enemy reorganizes. The unit's value comes from selecting its moment, not from fighting continuously in the open.
Keep the high-population ambush force intact
Four population per Ninja is a significant cost for a stealth unit. A handful can remove a valuable Hero or Mercenary, but losing them against Light Infantry or Artillery wastes both the Coin and the population space. Use the Stealth approach to select the engagement, then retreat once detection or counters arrive. The unit's 60 siege damage can help exploit an opening, but avoid leaving it exposed after the intended target is gone.
Production and age timing
A Ninja is normally a Fortress Age mercenary and must be available in the map's current hiring pool or through a specific civilization route. Its 40-second training time is shorter than many high-value mercenaries, but the unit's four population and 200 Coin cost still limit repeated production. If the opponent's Hero or mercenary appears early, check whether a shipment or Japanese Consulate route can provide access sooner; otherwise, avoid delaying a general army while waiting for a Ninja. The unit's specialized bonus is most useful after the target exists and can be reached safely.
Know when the target is worth the cost
The Ninja is an expensive counterpick against Heroes, Mercenaries, and Native warriors. Before recruiting one, identify a target that justifies four population and 200 Coin. If the enemy has no such target or has deployed detection and anti-Infantry counters, spend those resources on a unit that helps the main army instead. The Ninja's stealth works best when it changes the opponent's positioning or removes a key unit.
Quick counter checklist
Use Ninjas against Heroes, Mercenaries, or Native warriors; avoid Heavy Cavalry, Light Infantry, counter-skirmishers, and Artillery. Check for Spy bonuses and detection before committing, then attack from Stealth and retreat once the target is removed. Its siege attack can exploit an opening, but the unit's four population makes a failed ambush expensive.
Stealth and hero-hunting specialization
The Ninja is a Fortress Age mercenary Heavy infantry unit with Stealth mode and a sharply specialized hand attack. Its 20 base hand damage is multiplied heavily against Heroes and Mercenaries and also gains a bonus against Native warriors, making target selection central to its role. At 400 hit points and 6.0 speed, it can move with a force and look for an opportunity to reach those valuable targets. It is not a general answer to every infantry formation, and its four population plus 200-Coin price makes careless losses expensive. Use stealth to approach or reposition when the ability permits, then commit only when the target and retreat route are clear.
Mercenary recruitment and counterplay
Taverns, Monasteries, Federal American Saloons, African Palaces and Italian Lombards are the listed recruitment buildings, subject to each civilization’s roster. At 40 seconds to train, protect the mercenary site and plan Coin income before relying on repeated Ninja reinforcements. Their 60-damage siege attack can assist against an exposed structure, but their strength is the close-range bonus against specific unit classes. Enemy screens, detection and ranged focus can deny the approach. Pair Ninjas with troops that occupy the frontline, use them to threaten a hero or mercenary rather than chase ordinary units, and withdraw before anti-infantry support surrounds them.