Pavisier
The Pavisier is Italian ranged infantry introduced in Knights of the Mediterranean for Definitive Edition. It uses a pavise shield and can serve as a defensive ranged line with a separate close-range response.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · European Barracks; Fort; Galleass; American Citadel
- Training
- 32 sec · 1 population · 9 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 115 hit points · 20% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 20 line of sight
- Ranged attack
- 16 base damage · range 16 · attack interval 3.0 · bonus damage: 2.5x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.5x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 1.25x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 8 base damage · range 6 · attack interval 3.0
- Hand attack
- 7 base damage · attack interval 1.5 · bonus damage: 2.0x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.0x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 1.25x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops
- Ranged siege attack
- 10 base damage · range 18 · attack interval 3.0 · requires Steel Bolts card
Role & counters
Pavisiers attack at range and deal bonus damage to Light ranged cavalry and ranged shock troops, with a smaller bonus against Heavy infantry. Their attacks are less efficient against Cavalry and Shock troops. The Steel Bolts card can replace their ordinary siege attack with a longer-ranged one.
When to field it
Use Pavisiers to hold ground against ranged cavalry or ranged shock units and protect them from melee threats. Consider Steel Bolts when a longer-range siege option fits the army plan.
Current statistics and production
The Pavisier is the Italian Commerce Age replacement for the Crossbowman. It costs 45 food and 40 wood, trains in 32 seconds, uses one population, and has 115 hit points with a base 20% ranged resistance. It moves at speed 4.0 and has line of sight 20. Its ranged attack deals 16 damage at range 16 every 3 seconds; the hand attack deals 7 damage every 1.5 seconds. The ranged attack has a 2.5 multiplier against light ranged cavalry and ranged shock troops, 1.25 against heavy infantry, and 0.6 against cavalry and shock troops. Its melee multipliers are 2.0 against light ranged cavalry and ranged shock troops, 1.25 against heavy infantry, and 0.75 against cavalry and shock troops. The siege attack deals 8 damage at range 6 every 3 seconds. The Steel Bolts Home City Card replaces this with a ranged siege attack of 10 damage at range 18 every 3 seconds. These stats make it an anti-infantry archer with unusually flexible defenses, rather than a high-health front-line unit.
Pavise stances and resistance choices
The large pavise shield changes the unit's resistance according to its stance. Volley Mode provides 20% resistance against ranged attacks; Stagger Mode provides 20% against siege damage; Melee Mode provides 20% against hand attacks. Defend Mode and Stand Ground each provide 10% resistance against hand, ranged, and siege damage. Select the stance that matches the threat the formation is currently receiving: Volley against a gun line, Stagger when artillery is firing, and Melee if the Pavisiers must hold against infantry in close combat. Defend or Stand Ground spreads protection across all three damage types, but at a lower value. Stance choice does not remove the unit's underlying counters; it gives the player a way to make a vulnerable line less exposed while allied units address cavalry or artillery.
Matchups and combined arms
Pavisiers are effective against heavy infantry and light ranged cavalry because their ranged attack has dedicated multipliers against both. They are also useful against ranged shock troops. Cavalry, counter-skirmishers, and artillery are the principal threats. Their low speed makes it difficult to retreat from cavalry once caught in the open, and their one-population unit size does not compensate for losing a full formation to a counter. Pair them with heavy infantry or ranged cavalry that can protect them from cavalry, and use siege or skirmisher support against enemy artillery and counter-skirmishers. Avoid relying on them alone after an opponent reaches the Industrial Age: Bersaglieri are faster and have stronger attack bonuses against heavy infantry and light cavalry, while the Pavisier's main late-game contribution is its stance-dependent resistance.
Age upgrades and politician access
Veteran Pavisier is researched in the Fortress Age for 200 wood and 200 coin and adds 20% hit points and damage. Industrial and Imperial unit upgrades depend on the politician chosen when aging up: the Italians need The Papal Guard to unlock Guard and Imperial Pavisier improvements. Without that route, the unit can be outclassed by later-age infantry. The Adventurer politician at the Fortress Age provides eight Pavisiers, or twelve with the Advanced Politicians Home City Card, offering an early force without waiting for Barracks production. These access choices give the Italians either a small immediate reinforcement or a planned long-term upgrade path; they are separate from the Pavisier's basic Commerce Age availability.
Buildings, cards, and version notes
Pavisiers can be trained at the European Barracks and Fort, as well as from the Galleass and American Citadel listed for their unit access. Their appearance and balance belong to Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - Knights of the Mediterranean. A recent patch changed their resource mix: the current 45 food and 40 wood cost was previously 35 food and 50 wood. Older versions also used 120 hit points rather than the current 115, and their ranged multiplier values have been adjusted. When comparing older Italian build orders, account for the present wood and food requirements; the shield and stance options are what distinguish the unit, while its basic attack role remains crossbow-style.
Using stances in a mixed formation
Pavisiers perform best when their stance changes answer a clear threat. Volley Mode is useful while exchanging shots with ranged infantry; switch to Stagger Mode if artillery is targeting the formation, or Melee Mode if hand attackers reach the line. Defend Mode and Stand Ground give broad but smaller protection when several attack types are present. The shield does not make them mobile, so keep cavalry or ranged cavalry close enough to intercept a charge. The Adventurer age-up shipment is a convenient way to place eight Pavisiers into a Fortress Age force, but it should be followed by supporting units rather than treated as a complete army. Later, The Papal Guard age-up choice is what allows the Italian unit to keep pace with Guard and Imperial upgrades.
Protecting the formation
Because Pavisiers move at speed 4.0, stance selection should happen before the enemy reaches the line. Stand Ground is useful for holding a protected approach; switch back to Volley or Stagger when the incoming damage type becomes clear.
Italian Crossbowman replacement
The Pavisier is an Italian foot archer that replaces the Crossbowman. It counters Heavy Infantry and light ranged Cavalry, but is vulnerable to Cavalry and artillery. In the documented comparison its attack, range and multipliers match the Crossbowman, while it has more hit points. Use Pavisiers as early ranged support and keep a front line between them and mounted units.
Build the line around its target bonuses
Pavisiers are most effective when the opponent relies on infantry or light ranged Cavalry. Add anti-Cavalry troops before committing to a large mass, and use artillery or siege separately against buildings. Their Italian production and upgrade rules may differ from the Crossbowman they replace, so check the available Arsenal and Home City improvements before using a generic Crossbowman build order.