Sennar Horseman
Sennar Horseman is Heavy cavalry in Age of Empires III, available from the Fortress Age*; obtained through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Federal Americans), Palace (Africans), Lombard (Italians), Trading Post or Tambo (requires Sudanese Local Forces).
Recorded values
- Cost
- 400 Coin
- Available
- Fortress Age* · Tavern (Europeans) ; Monastery (Asians) ; Saloon (Federal Americans) ; Palace (Africans) ; Lombard (Italians) ; Trading Post or Tambo (requires Sudanese Local Forces)
- Training
- 60 sec · 4 population · 40 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 1,000 hit points · 20% ranged resistance · 6.25 speed · 24 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 32 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Artillery
- Siege attack
- 55 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
- Trample attack
- 21 damage · 2.0 attack interval · bonuses: Same as hand attack
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Tavern (Europeans), Monastery (Asians), Saloon (Federal Americans), Palace (Africans), Lombard (Italians), or Trading Post or Tambo (requires Sudanese Local Forces). It has 1,000 hit points and 20% ranged resistance. It moves at 6.25 speed and uses 4 population. Training costs 400 Coin; it takes 60 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 32 damage. Siege attack deals 55 damage. Trample attack deals 21 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 2.0× against Artillery.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Artillery (2×). Hold the melee attack for Artillery when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
A durable mercenary that targets artillery
The Sennar Horseman is a Fortress Age heavy cavalry mercenary added in The African Royals. It costs 400 Coin, takes 60 seconds to train and uses four population. Its 1,000 hit points, 20% ranged resistance and 30% siege resistance make it unusually durable, though its speed of 6.25 is slower than many ordinary cavalry units. It has line of sight 24. The 32-damage hand attack strikes every 1.5 seconds and deals double damage to Artillery. Its siege attack deals 55 damage at range 6 every three seconds, and its trample attack deals 21 damage every two seconds in an area of 3 with the hand attack’s matchup modifiers. This mixture makes it a resilient answer to artillery and a substantial siege threat when defenders are absent. The dual resistances matter because artillery’s siege attacks are often poor against cavalry and the Sennar Horseman reduces both ranged and siege damage. That does not make it invulnerable: concentrated attacks, Heavy Infantry and Light Ranged Cavalry are listed threats. Its four population and 400 Coin make every loss expensive. Keep a screen of appropriate troops around it, use the Horseman to reach exposed guns, and withdraw before the enemy surrounds it. Against infantry that can win the melee exchange, use the Horseman’s durability to absorb a limited amount of pressure while other units take the favorable targets. Mercenary access varies with the civilization. Europeans can use a Tavern, Asians a Monastery, Federal Americans a Saloon, Africans a Palace and Italians a Lombard. A Trading Post or Tambo on a Sudanese kingdom can also unlock it after Sudanese Local Forces is researched. Ethiopians and Hausa can train Sennar Horsemen for 400 Influence and ship five for 1,000 Influence in the Fortress Age. Germany can receive access through the Adler von Lübeck card if the mercenary is available in the Tavern, while the United States’ Poker card can include it in a random mercenary shipment and enable it in Saloons. These conditions affect how a player budgets and whether the unit is a repeatable production choice. The high Coin price competes with age upgrades and other mercenary shipments, while a 60-second training time makes a lost force slow to replace. Use the Sennar Horseman when the opponent’s artillery or exposed buildings justify the investment, not as a general-purpose cavalry mass. The 55-point siege attack can damage structures, but the Horseman is also valuable simply for forcing artillery to retreat. Combining it with ranged units that counter Heavy Infantry gives the force a clearer role: Horsemen pressure guns, while the supporting line handles the units designed to stop them. Patch history changed the profile. Earlier versions had more hit points, higher siege resistance, more speed, different trample damage and a shorter training time; an update moved access from the Industrial Age to the Fortress Age. Current values are 1,000 hit points, 6.25 speed, 30% siege resistance, 55 siege damage and 21 trample damage. Compare guides by patch rather than assuming every mercenary roster uses the same statistics.
Coin, population and army composition
Four population per Horseman is a significant part of its price. A player who spends 400 Coin on the mercenary should also check whether there is room for the supporting infantry needed to cover its weaknesses. The Horseman can soak attacks from guns and siege weapons, but a screen of ranged units helps discourage Heavy Infantry and Light Ranged Cavalry. It is often better to add a few Horsemen to an established army than to spend the full population limit on them. Their 60-second training time also means replacements arrive slowly; retreating a damaged Horseman is usually more efficient than trading it for an ordinary unit. When access comes through the Sudanese Local Forces technology, compare the Trading Post or Tambo location with other Native alliance benefits, and defend that route so production remains available. The unit’s trample attack can damage groups, but clustering the cavalry into an enemy formation exposes them to concentrated counterattacks. Use the area hit when troops are already engaged and the approach has been cleared.
Mercenary Heavy Cavalry against artillery
The Sennar Horseman is durable mercenary Heavy Cavalry specialized against artillery. It has very high hit points and takes significantly reduced damage from artillery in the documented profile, making it suitable for reaching enemy guns that would punish ordinary cavalry. Its performance against other targets is less exceptional, so protect it from anti-Cavalry units and use it for the role its bonuses support.
Commit after the front line is engaged
Sennar Horsemen need an open route to the artillery. Send them around the flank once the main army has occupied the enemy screen, and withdraw if Heavy Infantry or defensive fire blocks the approach. Mercenary access and replacement limits vary by map and source, so check the camp or card before relying on a large group. Their durability is valuable, but an expensive cavalry force still needs ranged support and a plan for buildings.