Sentry
Sentry is Asians Heavy infantry in Age of Empires III, obtained through Town Center (Sentry Uprising, Sentry Revolt), Village (Rural Sentry Uprising).
Recorded values
- Available
- Town Center (Sentry Uprising, Sentry Revolt) ; Village (Rural Sentry Uprising)
- Training
- 1 population
- Durability & mobility
- 120 hit points · 10% hand resistance · 5.0 speed · 12 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 7 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 4.0x vs. Cavalry; 2.25x vs. Shock troops; 0.25x vs. Villager
- Siege attack
- 6 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Town Center (Sentry Uprising, Sentry Revolt) or Village (Rural Sentry Uprising). It has 120 hit points. It moves at 5.0 speed and uses 1 population. Training costs 20 Food and 20 Coin. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 7 damage. Siege attack deals 6 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 4.0× against Cavalry, 2.25× against Shock troops, and 0.25× against Villager. Special ability or role: Loses 1% of maximum hit points over time until left with only 1 HP (except for the Chinese with the "Boxer Rebellion" Home City Card).
Matchup & timing
Sentries are Asian one-population Heavy Infantry available through Sentry Uprising or Sentry Revolt cards at a Town Center or Village. Their 7-damage hand attack has 4× damage against Cavalry and 2.25× against Shock troops, matching the role of a short-lived anti-cavalry call-in. They cost 20 Food and 20 Coin, have 120 hit points and move at 5.0 speed. Their health falls by 1% of maximum per second until one remains; the Chinese Boxer Rebellion card prevents the decay for eligible Sentries. Use them as a timed screen for an incoming mounted force, not as long-term garrison troops.
Temporary Asian defense
Sentries are Asian heavy infantry provided through Town Center or Village abilities such as Sentry Uprising, Sentry Revolt and Rural Sentry Uprising. They cost 20 Food and 20 Coin and use one population, with a profile of 120 hit points, 10% hand resistance, speed 5 and line of sight 12. The unit has a seven-damage hand attack and six siege damage; its multipliers make it particularly dangerous to Cavalry and Shock troops, but damage against Villagers is only 0.25×. Sentries lose 1% of maximum hit points over time until one hit point remains, so they are a temporary defense rather than a permanent infantry line. Use them to stop a cavalry raid or protect a building when the Town Center or Village ability is needed. Move them into combat promptly and do not leave them idle while their health drains. Chinese players with the Boxer Rebellion Home City Card are an exception to the normal decay rule. One population per Sentry makes the force broad, but it still needs ranged support and a plan for after the temporary units disappear. Distinguish Sentry Uprising from Irregular shipments: their health-loss rates and attack profiles differ.
Sentry Uprising and health loss
Sentries are temporary defensive units summoned through Asian abilities rather than a permanent training queue. They cost 20 Food and 20 Coin, use one population and lose 1% of maximum health over time until only one hit point remains. Their hand attack deals seven damage with 4× bonus against Cavalry and 2.25× against Shock troops; damage against Villagers is only 0.25×. Call them when a raid is near the Town Center or Village so they can reach the fight before their health drains. Chinese Boxer Rebellion is the listed exception to decay. They are not interchangeable with Irregulars, which have a different weapon profile and health-loss rate.
Call near a threat
Sentries lose health over time, so summon them only when an enemy is approaching. Their anti-cavalry and anti-shock multipliers make them effective in the immediate defense, not as permanent patrols.
Short-lived anti-cavalry response
A Sentry is best viewed as a temporary answer to an imminent attack. Its 4× Cavalry and 2.25× Shock troop multipliers give a small summoned force a clear defensive job, while the 0.25× Villager modifier makes worker hunting particularly inefficient. Since the unit loses 1% of maximum hit points over time until it reaches one hit point, calling it too early wastes its lifespan before the opponent arrives. Use the Town Center or Village ability near the threatened area, let the Sentries intercept the cavalry or shock troops, and support them with permanent units. The cost is 20 Food and 20 Coin per one-population unit, but their temporary nature means they cannot replace a normal production line. China’s Boxer Rebellion Home City Card is the stated exception to health decay. Sentry abilities and their names vary among Asian civilizations and cards, so check which source is available in the selected mode; do not confuse Sentries with Irregulars, whose profile and decay behavior are different.
Timing the call-in
The one-percent health loss applies over time, so the useful window begins when the Sentries can reach the threatened point and ends quickly. Call them close to a likely raid, focus the opposing Cavalry or Shock troops, then use permanent units to finish the defense. Their listed bonuses do not make them effective against every unit type: avoid wasting their brief duration on Villagers or a distant chase.
Quick response with permanent support
A summoned Sentry should join a nearby army instead of chasing an enemy alone. Use its heavy-infantry class and target bonuses to blunt the charge, then let ordinary troops hold the area after its health has drained.
Temporary anti-cavalry force from uprising cards
Sentries are heavy infantry created through uprising or revolt effects rather than ordinary military production. The Town Center can provide them through Sentry Uprising or Sentry Revolt, while the Village access belongs to Rural Sentry Uprising. Their low listed price of 20 Food and 20 Coin and one-population footprint can rapidly reinforce a timing, but the card or scenario condition determines when they are available. A 7-damage hand attack gains a 4× bonus against Cavalry and 2.25× against Shock troops, giving the temporary group a clear defensive task. Their 120 hit points and 5.0 speed help them reach a threatened area, but the modest base attack is weak outside those matchups.
Health decay and the Boxer Rebellion exception
Most Sentries lose 1% of maximum hit points over time until only one hit point remains. They are therefore temporary troops: assemble the force, move it toward the objective and take the fight while enough health remains. Waiting at home or sending them on a long detour wastes their active window. The recorded exception is Chinese Sentries affected by the Boxer Rebellion Home City Card, which changes this decay rule. Confirm the card and civilization context before assuming a Sentry will persist. Use the group to intercept Cavalry or Shock troops and protect the main army, then exploit their short siege attack only when no better target is available. Their reduced damage against Villagers also discourages using them as a raiding force.