Ranger
Ranger is British ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through European Barracks, Fort, Galleon, American Citadel*.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · European Barracks; Fort; Galleon; American Citadel*
- Training
- 33 sec · 1 population · 12 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 95 hit points · 35% ranged resistance · 4.25 speed · 26 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 9 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 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
- Ranged attack
- 19 damage · 2-18 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 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
- 13 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through European Barracks, Fort, Galleon, or American Citadel. It has 95 hit points and 35% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.25 speed and uses 1 population. Training costs 60 Food and 60 Coin; it takes 33 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 9 damage. Ranged attack deals 19 damage. Siege attack deals 13 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 2.0× against Light ranged cavalry, 2.0× against Ranged shock trooper, 2.0× against Heavy infantry, 0.75× against Cavalry, and 0.75× against Shock troops. Ranged attack bonuses: 2.5× against Light ranged cavalry, 2.5× against Ranged shock trooper, 2.0× against Heavy infantry, 0.6× against Cavalry, and 0.6× against Shock troops*.
Matchup & timing
Use the British Ranger when its Home City unlock and production route fit the current army. The 19-damage ranged attack reaches 18 and is strongest against Light ranged cavalry, Ranged shock troops and Heavy Infantry. Protect the line from Cavalry and Shock troops, and confirm the card or mode that provides access before basing a standard British opening on Rangers.
Unlocking and using the British rifle line
The Ranger is a British light infantry unit introduced in Definitive Edition. It becomes available after the Rangers Home City Card is sent, which replaces Longbowmen with Rangers in Barracks, Fort and Galleon production. Existing Longbowmen and related shipments are converted as part of that change, so choose the card with the rest of the deck in mind. The Queen’s Rangers technology offers another route in the Industrial Age: it sends 30 Veteran Rangers and allows Rangers to replace Longbowmen in production. Roger’s Rangers, researched earlier, sends five Rangers and converts existing Longbowmen but does not itself unlock ordinary training. These are separate access effects; check the technology or card description before planning a continuous queue. A Ranger costs 60 Food and 60 Coin, trains in 33 seconds and occupies one population. Its 95 hit points, 35% ranged resistance, speed 4.25 and line of sight 26 make it mobile and relatively resistant to gunfire, but it remains fragile under concentrated attacks. Its 19-damage ranged shot fires every three seconds at range 2–18. The current multipliers are 2.5 against Light Ranged Cavalry and ranged Shock Troops, 2.0 against Heavy Infantry, and 0.6 against Cavalry and Shock Troops. The 9-damage hand attack fires every 1.5 seconds, with 2.0 against the listed infantry and light ranged cavalry classes and 0.75 against Cavalry and Shock Troops. A 13-damage siege attack at range 6 is secondary; Rangers should not be treated as a building breaker. Rangers fill a skirmisher role but have a different balance from Longbowmen and standard Skirmishers. Their rifle is more effective against Heavy Infantry than an archaic bow, and they benefit from gunpowder upgrades such as Flint Lock and Paper Cartridge. Their range is shorter than a Longbowman’s, so use speed and line of sight to reposition rather than expecting the unit to win by static range alone. A British army can pair them with Musketeers: the Musketeers hold ground and threaten cavalry while Rangers focus heavy infantry. Against cavalry, add dedicated anti-cavalry troops and retreat early; a ranged resistance value does not prevent melee units from reaching the firing line. After the card converts the unit line, Longbowman upgrades also benefit Rangers, while some Home City options are replaced by Baker Rifles and Ranger Combat. Veteran Rangers cost 200 Wood and 200 Coin for +20% hit points and damage; Guard costs 600 of each resource for +30% and requires Veteran; Imperial costs 1,500 of each for +50% and requires Guard. Those costs compete with the army’s next shipment and production, so upgrade when the force is numerous enough to benefit and can stay alive. The Industrial Queen’s Rangers option starts its contingent at Veteran level. The Chinese and Indian Consulates can access a Roger’s Ranger profile with its own statistics, including 30% ranged resistance; do not assume the British profile’s 35% applies to that unit. Recent British changes also adjusted the classification, resistance and upgrade path. For the current British unit, the useful reference points are 19 ranged damage, range 18, 95 hit points and the 35% ranged resistance profile. The unit is strongest when protected and upgraded into a sustained counter-infantry line, not when sent alone to scout or chase.
Commit to the conversion before shipping
The Rangers card changes more than the next unit in the queue: it also converts Longbowmen already on the map and changes the related Home City options. If a British deck depends on Yeomen or Siege Archery, review the replacement cards before sending it. Waiting until the Longbowmen are no longer central can avoid an awkward transition, while an early Rangers shipment can provide an immediate answer to Heavy Infantry. After conversion, use the Ranger’s gunpowder tags to benefit from the same attack improvements as Musketeers and other rifle units. The short range means it should fire from behind the British frontline rather than occupy the forward position itself. When the enemy’s composition changes, use its speed to disengage and replace it with the unit role the new matchup demands.
British ranged infantry unlocked through Home City support
The Ranger is a British ranged infantry unit available after sending the Rangers Home City Card and through the applicable production options. The documented profile costs 60 Food and 60 Coin, takes 33 seconds to train and has 95 hit points. Rangers fill a role similar to Skirmishers, with bonuses against Heavy Infantry and light ranged Cavalry. They have less range and health than a Skirmisher but deal more damage, have greater sight and move slightly faster in the documented comparison.
Use the range and avoid their counters
Rangers are strongest when protected from Heavy Cavalry and artillery. Keep a front line in place, focus on Heavy Infantry and light ranged Cavalry, and withdraw if mounted counters reach them. Their card and unit tags have changed across Definitive Edition updates, so check the current British entry for availability, upgrade class and shipment interactions. Do not assume the Ranger replaces every Longbowman or Skirmisher in the deck; use it for the matchup its profile supports.