Sharpshooter
Sharpshooter is United States, Texas ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Fortress Age; obtained through European Barracks, Fort, Steamer, American Citadel.
Recorded values
- Available
- Fortress Age · European Barracks; Fort; Steamer; American Citadel
- Training
- 34 sec · 1 population · 12 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 95 hit points · 40% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 27 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 8 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.5x vs. Heavy infantry; 2.5x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 2.25x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 0.75x vs. Cavalry; 0.75x vs. Shock troops
- Ranged attack
- 15 damage · 2-21 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 3.1x vs. Light ranged cavalry; 3.1x vs. Ranged shock trooper; 2.5x vs. Heavy infantry; 0.6x vs. Cavalry; 0.6x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 12 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through European Barracks, Fort, Steamer, or American Citadel. It has 95 hit points and 40% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.0 speed and uses 1 population. Training costs 40 Food and 75 Coin; it takes 34 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 8 damage. Ranged attack deals 15 damage. Siege attack deals 12 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 2.5× against Heavy infantry, 2.5× against Light ranged cavalry, 2.25× against Ranged shock trooper, 0.75× against Cavalry, and 0.75× against Shock troops. Ranged attack bonuses: 3.1× against Light ranged cavalry, 3.1× against Ranged shock trooper, 2.5× against Heavy infantry, 0.6× against Cavalry, and 0.6× against Shock troops.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Heavy infantry (2.5×), Light ranged cavalry (2.5×), Ranged shock trooper (2.25×). Ranged attack is especially effective against Light ranged cavalry (3.1×), Ranged shock trooper (3.1×), Heavy infantry (2.5×). 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 ranged cavalry, Ranged shock trooper, and Heavy infantry before they can close; hold the melee attack for Heavy infantry, Light ranged cavalry, and Ranged shock trooper when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Range, damage and defensive role
The Sharpshooter is the United States’ replacement for the Skirmisher, available from the Fortress Age at a Barracks, Fort, Steamer or American Citadel. It costs 40 Food and 75 Coin, trains in 34 seconds and occupies one population. The base profile is 95 hit points, 40% ranged resistance, speed 4.0 and line of sight 27. Its ranged attack deals 15 damage every three seconds at range 2–21. Multipliers make that shot particularly effective against Heavy Infantry (2.5), Light Ranged Cavalry (3.1) and ranged Shock Troops (3.1); against Cavalry and Shock Troops the multiplier is 0.6. A close-range hand attack deals 8 damage every 1.5 seconds, with a 2.5 multiplier against Heavy Infantry and Light Ranged Cavalry, 2.25 against ranged Shock Troops, and 0.75 against Cavalry and Shock Troops. These values define a long-range counter-infantry role, not a front-line duelist. Compared with a standard Skirmisher, the Sharpshooter trades durability and a little Food efficiency for stronger specialist damage and protection from ranged fire. The cited comparison lists 95 rather than 120 hit points and 40% rather than 30% ranged resistance; both units cost 115 total resources, but the Sharpshooter uses more Coin and less Food. Its 21 range, 27 line of sight and 4.0 speed let it begin firing before many infantry can respond. Those advantages disappear if cavalry reaches it or artillery attacks from beyond its practical firing line. Keep a screen between the Sharpshooters and melee units, avoid stationary volleys under artillery fire, and retreat before the screen collapses. The Long Rifles Home City Card can make the unit available in the Commerce Age, giving the United States an earlier answer to musket-heavy armies than its normal Fortress Age access. This is a deck commitment: weigh that early counter against other shipments needed for economy, defense or a later army. The Mexican revolution to Texas also gains Sharpshooters in place of Salteadores, with its own timing and transition costs. They are therefore not a universal unit for every Mexican build; access depends on the chosen revolution and its state. Sharpshooters improve with age. Veteran Sharpshooters are automatic in the Fortress Age and grant 20% more hit points and damage plus one range. Guard Sharpshooters cost 600 Wood and 600 Coin in the Industrial Age and add 30% hit points and damage plus another range. Imperial Sharpshooters require the Guard upgrade and cost 1,500 Wood and 1,500 Coin, adding 50% hit points and damage. Schützenfest is a separate range and vision improvement where available. These upgrades make the firing line more potent, but their resource cost competes with artillery and replacement troops. Invest when the army can protect the unit and the match will last long enough to benefit. The Sharpshooter is effective against Heavy Infantry, Light Ranged Cavalry and ranged Shock Troops, while Heavy Cavalry, hand Shock Troops, counter-skirmishers and Artillery are dangerous. Pairing it with Falconets or Heavy Cannon can create pressure against grouped infantry, but artillery and Sharpshooters need different protection: the former is slow siege, the latter is fragile infantry. Use the Sharpshooter’s reach to focus valuable targets and keep the army moving between volleys. Definitive Edition updates changed its attack, range, vision and multipliers; current listed values are 15 ranged damage, range 21 and line of sight 27, while older pages may show different values.
Positioning and upgrade choices
The Sharpshooter’s range rewards formation discipline. Keep it behind Heavy Infantry, cavalry screening units or terrain that limits an enemy approach, and focus units that its multipliers are designed to punish. A few Sharpshooters can remove exposed infantry, but they do not replace a frontline and should not chase into fog or around a corner where their range advantage is lost. The Long Rifles shipment is most valuable when the earlier access changes a real matchup; if the opponent has already committed to cavalry, a shipment spent on a counter may matter more. Later range upgrades can preserve a firing advantage, but Guard and Imperial costs are substantial. If resources are limited, keep producing the army’s missing role before buying an upgrade whose benefit depends on a protected, surviving group. Use the current Definitive Edition tooltip because earlier balance revisions changed damage, range and vision.
United States ranged specialist
The Sharpshooter is a United States and Texas ranged-infantry unit available from the Fortress Age. Its 15-damage shot reaches 2–21 range and has strong bonuses against Heavy infantry, Light ranged cavalry and Ranged shock troopers. The profile reduces damage against Cavalry and Shock troops, so keep a screen against those classes. With 95 hit points, 40% ranged resistance and four speed, the unit can trade at distance but is vulnerable if melee troops reach it. Use line of sight to fire from a protected position and focus targets that match its bonuses.
Production routes and steady reinforcement
European Barracks, Forts, Steamers and the American Citadel provide the listed production access. Sharpshooters cost 40 Food and 75 Coin, use one population and take 34 seconds to train. That cost supports a continuous ranged line when the economy is stable, but it competes with other Coin-heavy units and technologies. Their 12-damage siege attack is secondary and should not be used in place of dedicated siege. Pair Sharpshooters with anti-cavalry units and artillery, and avoid leaving the line unsupported at the edge of the map. Their strongest contribution is sustained fire against the classes they counter, not chasing every target.