Owlhoot
Owlhoot is United States, Mexicans, Lakota ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through Saloon, Native Embassy. Its listed ability is Buckshot.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 110 Coin
- Available
- Commerce Age · Saloon; Native Embassy
- Training
- 40 sec · 4 population · 22 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 110 hit points · 25% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 22 line of sight
- Ranged attack
- 20 base damage · range 2-18 · attack interval 2.0 · bonus damage: 2.5x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.5x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 2.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 24 base damage · range 6 · attack interval 3.0
- Hand attack
- 12 base damage · attack interval 2.0 · bonus damage: 2.0x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.0x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 2.0x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops
- Buckshot attack (charged)
- 3 (6) base damage · range 18 · attack interval 3.0 · area of effect 2 · recharge 30
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Saloon or Native Embassy. It has 110 hit points and 25% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.0 speed and uses 4 population. Training costs 110 Coin; it takes 40 seconds to train. Attack profile: Ranged attack: 20 damage at range 2-18; every 2.0 seconds. Siege attack: 24 damage at range 6; every 3.0 seconds. Hand attack: 12 damage; every 2.0 seconds. Buckshot attack (charged): 3 damage (6) at range 18; every 3.0 seconds; area of effect 2. Special ability or role: Buckshot.
Matchup & timing
Owlhoot is a four-population ranged Outlaw available to the United States, Mexicans and Lakota through a Saloon or Native Embassy from the Commerce Age. It shares Bandido’s 20-damage ranged attack at range 2–18, but replaces Dynamite Demolition with Buckshot. The recorded Buckshot profile is 3 (6) damage at range 18, every three seconds, with a two-unit area of effect; retain the profile as listed rather than treating it as the Bandido charge. Its 110 hit points, 25% ranged resistance, 110-Coin cost and 40-second training time favor a screened firing position. Use the listed anti-cavalry, anti-shock and anti-Heavy-Infantry modifiers, and do not let faster melee units pin it.
Buckshot mercenary and ranged profile
The Owlhoot is a Commerce Age ranged infantry mercenary available through a Saloon or Native Embassy for eligible United States, Mexican and Lakota rosters. It costs 110 Coin, takes 40 seconds to train and uses four population. Its 110 hit points, 25% ranged resistance, speed 4 and line of sight 22 make it a costly specialist rather than a disposable shooter. The regular ranged attack deals 20 damage at range 2–18 every two seconds; the siege attack deals 24 and the hand attack 12. Its charged Buckshot attack reaches 18 and has an area of effect of two. These values let the unit pressure from range and punish a compact group when the charged ability is ready. Keep it behind a screen: the high population cost and low base hit points make it a poor unit to trade in melee. Train it when the map and opponent make the Saloon or Native Embassy route useful, and preserve the group for targets where its range or Buckshot can matter.
Positioning, population and counterplay
An Owlhoot’s 22 line of sight can help the army see an approach, but it should not be used as an unsupported scout. Keep cavalry and hand infantry away from it, and move the unit when the opponent changes to close-range counters. Four population means a small group can occupy the same army space as several ordinary units; compare the Owlhoot’s ability with a lower-cost composition before hiring many. The 110-Coin price competes with other mercenaries and age-up costs. Use regular ranged volleys against targets that remain at a distance, and reserve the charged Buckshot for a compact formation rather than spending it on a lone unit. Its 24-damage siege profile can add pressure on an exposed building, but the unit should not be left beside a defended Town Center. Access through the Saloon or Native Embassy depends on the selected civilization and release. A card or scenario can alter the roster, so verify availability in the current menu before building a timing around the Owlhoot.
Buckshot use and formation spacing
The Owlhoot has a standard ranged shot and a charged Buckshot attack, so positioning determines how much value the four-population mercenary provides. Its ordinary shot reaches range 18 and deals 20 damage every two seconds. Buckshot reaches the same range and affects an area of two, making it a situational attack against a compact formation rather than the default response to every enemy. Use the Owlhoot behind infantry and let the screen hold targets in place; its four-population cost makes losses especially expensive. The Saloon or Native Embassy source can be positioned to reinforce a protected army, but confirm that the chosen civilization has access before relying on it.
A costly unit with limited durability
Despite 25% ranged resistance, an Owlhoot has only 110 hit points and speed 4. It can trade at range, but it cannot safely absorb cavalry or melee pressure. Avoid putting the group on the front edge of the army and do not use it to chase units that can disengage. Its siege attack is 24 damage and can support a controlled push against an exposed building; the hand attack is only 12 damage. Keep artillery and ranged counters in mind when the opponent changes composition. Since an Owlhoot costs 110 Coin and takes 40 seconds to train, preserve the unit between fights and select a target where its ranged reach or Buckshot matters.
Keep its charge and cost in perspective
Buckshot is a charged attack with a two-point area effect, while the standard shot is the dependable ranged profile. Preserve the four-population Owlhoot for formations where the area attack can connect.
Keep the mercenary with its screen
The Owlhoot’s 4-population cost and 110 hit points make a front-line position risky. Keep it behind units that can stop cavalry, and use the 22 line of sight to begin firing before melee troops reach it.
United States outlaw with a charged attack
The Owlhoot is an improved Renegado available to the United States on all maps in the documented profile. It has five percent less ranged resistance than a Renegado but gains a charged attack that activates as it attacks. This gives the outlaw a burst of damage while retaining a rifle role. Check the ability’s current cooldown and target behavior in the unit profile before timing it for a fight.
Use the burst, then retreat from counters
Owlhoots are most useful when their charged attack lands on a valuable target, but their outlaw population and durability still limit how many can be exposed. Keep a front line in place and avoid Cavalry or artillery that can remove them quickly. Their access is tied to United States options and may differ by version; compare their cost and population with ordinary ranged infantry before building a mass.
Rifle damage and range adjustments
Owlhoot is a ranged Outlaw Infantry unit whose rifle profile is focused on Light Ranged Cavalry, Ranged Shock Troops and Heavy Infantry. Its current Coin cost is 110, ranged resistance 25% and population cost four; before update 50830 it had 30% ranged resistance and cost five population. Its first ranged attack now deals 20 damage, up from 18 before that update, and its area of effect is 2 with an 18 range, compared with 2.5 area and 12 range before update 13.27885. Current ranged modifiers include 2.5× against Light Ranged Cavalry and Ranged Shock Troops, 2.0× against Heavy Infantry and 0.6× against Cavalry and Shock Troops. The two anti-ranged bonuses were 2.0× before update 13.58326. Use the longer current reach to pressure appropriate Infantry from behind a screen; its reduced population cost does not make it safe to leave exposed to cavalry.