Royal Arquebusier
Royal Arquebusier is ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Vasa palace, Native Embassy. Its listed ability is Combat Promotion*.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Vasa palace; Native Embassy
- Training
- 26 sec · 10 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 150 hit points · 10% hand resistance · 4.5 speed · 18 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 8 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Light cavalry; 2.0x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 1.5x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops
- Ranged attack
- 12 damage · 2-15 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.5x vs. Light cavalry; 2.5x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 1.5x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 9 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
- Ability
- Combat Promotion*
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Trading Post or Tambo on a House of Vasa palace or Native Embassy. It has 150 hit points. It moves at 4.5 speed. Training costs 70 Food and 30 Wood; it takes 26 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 8 damage. Ranged attack deals 12 damage. Siege attack deals 9 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 2.0× against Light cavalry, 2.0× against Ranged shock trooper, 1.5× against Heavy infantry, 0.75× against Cavalry, and 0.75× against Shock troops*. Ranged attack bonuses: 2.5× against Light cavalry, 2.5× against Ranged shock trooper, 1.5× against Heavy infantry, 0.6× against Cavalry, and 0.6× against Shock troops*. Special ability or role: Combat Promotion*.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Light cavalry (2×), Ranged shock trooper (2×), Heavy infantry (1.5×). Ranged attack is especially effective against Light cavalry (2.5×), Ranged shock trooper (2.5×), Heavy infantry (1.5×). Its reduced multipliers against Cavalry (0.75×), Shock troops (0.75×), Cavalry (0.6×), Shock troops (0.6×) make it less suitable for those targets. Use ranged fire to focus Light cavalry, Ranged shock trooper, and Heavy infantry before they can close; hold the melee attack for Light cavalry, Ranged shock trooper, and Heavy infantry when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Native warrior access and cost
The Royal Arquebusier is a Commerce Age ranged Infantry native warrior introduced with Knights of the Mediterranean. It costs 70 Food and 30 Wood, takes 26 seconds to train and has a limit of 14 per House of Vasa palace. Build a Trading Post or Tambo on the appropriate palace to gain access, or use a Native Embassy where available. Its profile lists 150 hit points, 10% hand resistance, speed 4.5 and line of sight 18. Combat Promotion can raise its hit points and damage after military kills, up to three promotions. The limit and native-site requirement make it a planned detachment rather than ordinary unlimited Barracks production.
Ranged counter role
Royal Arquebusiers are designed to fight Heavy Infantry such as Musketeers. Their ranged attack has a 1.5× multiplier against Heavy Infantry, two times against Light Cavalry and ranged shock troops, while dealing 0.75× against Cavalry and shock troops. Since update 13.58326 their light-cavalry and ranged-shock ranged multiplier is 2.5×; older versions showed 2.0×. These bonuses make them versatile against several fast or durable classes, but not a replacement for every counter. In particular, melee Cavalry and Artillery can threaten them, so place the unit behind a protective frontline and use its range before entering close combat.
Hand attack and durability
The Royal Arquebusier has 10% hand resistance and a stronger hand attack than some comparable archaic ranged units. Its hand multipliers include 2.0× against Light Cavalry and ranged shock troops, 1.5× against Heavy Infantry, and 0.75× against Cavalry and shock troops. This lets it defend itself more effectively against a melee Heavy Infantry unit than a fragile archer could, but the preferred plan is still to deal damage at range. Heavy Infantry can also have their own resistance, and multiple enemies can overwhelm the arquebusier. Do not mistake a defensive hand multiplier for immunity to a charge.
Promotion and upgrades
Combat Promotion increases the Royal Arquebusier’s hit points and damage as it defeats enemy military units, up to three promotions. The promotion is available since update 13.12327. Home City Cards and technologies that affect Rifle Infantry can further improve its profile, including Flint Lock and Paper Cartridge. Because the unit’s per-palace cap is limited, preserving promoted soldiers can be more valuable than replacing them with a fresh group. Focus fire on weakened military targets when safe, and pull experienced arquebusiers away from artillery or Cavalry rather than allowing their accumulated improvement to disappear.
Use the House of Vasa site
The palace settlement that grants Royal Arquebusier access also defines the recruitment limit. Protect the Trading Post or Tambo and avoid expanding into a location that cannot be defended. Native upgrades such as Legendary Native Warriors can improve the unit later, and the Native Embassy provides another route in eligible civilizations. The unit’s 70 Food and 30 Wood cost differs from Coin-based mercenaries, so it may fit an economy with less Coin but still compete with Houses, artillery and age advancement. Build up to the cap when the matchup warrants its counter spread rather than training all fourteen automatically.
Read its class tags before choosing targets
Royal Arquebusiers are Light Infantry, ranged Infantry, gunpowder troops and Rifle Infantry. Their multipliers make them a broad answer to Light Cavalry, ranged shock troops and Heavy Infantry, but their reduced damage against general Cavalry and shock troops means those labels should not be conflated. Artillery is a separate danger and can punish their relatively low mobility. Use the unit against the target classes its profile rewards, while friendly Heavy Infantry holds off melee Cavalry. Its 10% hand resistance is useful in a close emergency, but ranged fire is the safer way to use the counter bonuses.
Native upgrades and European access
The Legendary Native Warriors technology and its Exalted Natives variant can improve Royal Arquebusiers, with the research location depending on the civilization. European civilizations and Mexicans use the Capitol, the United States uses the State Capitol, and Asian and Native American civilizations use the Town Center for Exalted Natives. These upgrade paths can increase the value of a capped native detachment in a long game. European players can also rely on Home City support for Rifle Infantry, but the available card and building must be checked for the current civilization.
Protect a limited force
The fourteen-unit cap is per House of Vasa palace, and a House of Vasa settlement must be present to train the native warrior through a Trading Post or Tambo. If the site is lost, replacements stop until access is restored. Keep the production site behind the front and avoid sacrificing all trained units in one engagement. Their 26-second training time is relatively short, but the cap and settlement condition make them less disposable than an unlimited standard unit. Let Combat Promotion reward safe kills and pull experienced soldiers away from Artillery.
Match ranged bonuses to enemy units
The current ranged multipliers are 2.5× against Light Cavalry and ranged shock troops and 1.5× against Heavy Infantry. Older references list 2.0× for the first pair. Against Cavalry and shock troops the reduced multiplier is 0.6× in the ranged attack, so a separate frontline counter remains necessary.
Place the unit behind the right screen
Its bonuses let the Arquebusier support an army against several classes, but low speed and limited resistance to ranged fire make positioning important. Keep it behind Heavy Infantry, focus fire on the opponent’s Light Cavalry or Heavy Infantry, and withdraw before Artillery can line up a shot.
Keep the cap and settlement in view
A second House of Vasa palace can expand the total native limit, while losing the Trading Post or Tambo can interrupt replacements. Protect the site before committing all fourteen units to a distant fight.
Training commitment
The native warrior’s 26-second training time is short, but its per-palace cap and Home City or native upgrades still make the unit a planned force rather than a disposable queue.
Commerce Age ranged infantry against Heavy Infantry
Royal Arquebusiers are ranged infantry available from the Commerce Age and effective against Heavy Infantry such as Musketeers. Their range and movement are comparable to other ranged infantry in the documented profile, but their role is to punish the enemy front line rather than replace it. Keep them behind a screen and focus fire on Heavy Infantry before it reaches friendly artillery or ranged units.
Vulnerable to cavalry and artillery
Melee Cavalry can close on Royal Arquebusiers, while artillery can remove them from a distance. Add anti-Cavalry troops and use terrain to protect the firing line; do not send the unit forward without support just because it has a counter bonus. Access is tied to specific Royal or alliance options, so confirm the building, card and limit before planning continuous production. Their value is highest when the opponent relies on infantry and your army can protect them.