Snaphane
Snaphane is a Danish ranged militia introduced in The Baltic Powers for Definitive Edition. It can be called from the Town Center and trained or upgraded at Watch Houses, giving the Danes a defensive infantry response tied to their unique houses.
Recorded values
- Available
- Exploration Age · Town Center (Levy/Conscription) ; Watch House; Round Church (with the "Safehouses" card)
- Training
- 28 sec · 1 population
- Durability & mobility
- 120 hit points · 15% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 15 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 13 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: Same as ranged attack
- Ranged attack
- 26 damage · 14 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Artillery; 2.0x vs. Outlaw; 2.0x vs. Pet; 2.0x vs. Siege unit; 0.5x vs. Villager; 0.25x vs. Cavalry
- Siege attack
- 5 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role & counters
Like Militiamen, Snaphane lose hit points over time after being levied. The Royal Service technology removes that health loss; later upgrades can improve the unit and Friskytter can grant a mounted form. Snaphane are specialized against artillery and Outlaws, while their attack is inefficient against Cavalry and Shock troops.
When to field it
Call them when a nearby threat needs an immediate response, or train them from Watch Houses when the timing and economy support it. Use the Royal Service upgrade for sustained use, and screen them against melee cavalry.
Danish levy unit and base profile
The Snaphane is a Danish temporary infantry unit, introduced with The Baltic Powers. Its current profile lists 120 hit points, 15% ranged resistance, speed 4 and line of sight 15. It costs 70 Food and 30 Wood in the listed profile, uses one population and can train individually from a Watch House or, with the Safehouses card, a Round Church. The Town Center can also call Snaphaner through Levy or Conscription in the Exploration Age. They are related to Militiamen in function, but the Danish unit has its own decay and upgrade rules. Their main attack deals 26 ranged damage at range 14 every three seconds, and they are strong against Artillery, Outlaws, Pets and Siege units.
Temporary health decay
Snaphaner lose hit points over time, but their decay stops when they reach 25 percent of maximum hit points. This gives them a window for rapid defense or a short offensive engagement without making them disappear completely if the fight lasts longer. Use them when the Town Center is threatened, when artillery needs to be intercepted or when an immediate mass can change a battle. Do not leave them idle in the field after the danger passes; their health loss limits how long they can remain useful. They do not decay while garrisoned in ships, which can make naval transport part of a temporary response. The unit’s limited duration means the call should have an objective and a withdrawal plan.
Anti-artillery and emergency defense
The Snaphane’s ranged attack deals double damage to Artillery, Outlaws, Pets and Siege units. It is therefore suited to an emergency in which a cannon, siege group or outlaw force is threatening the Danish position. The attack is reduced against Cavalry and Villagers, so the unit is not a good general raider or cavalry stopper. Call it near a Town Center when a defender is needed, then focus the special target rather than chasing workers. A mass can add useful ranged strength, but its health decay makes a prolonged battle unfavorable. Keep ordinary cavalry and infantry ready for the opponent’s main army so the Snaphaner can concentrate on their intended target.
Levy, Conscription and training routes
Levy and Conscription allow the Town Center to call Snaphaner in the Exploration Age, with Conscription available after sending Town Militia. The ability can respond quickly to an attack, but a long cooldown and the unit’s decay mean it should be timed deliberately. Watch Houses can train Snaphaner in the Commerce Age, and a Safehouses shipment can add the Round Church as another individual training source. Watch Houses also provide Veteran, Friskytter and Imperial improvements and other resilience upgrades in the listed Danish setup. Training from a building differs from an emergency levy: it uses a queue and resources, but allows the player to build a planned force rather than waiting for a crisis.
Cost changes, stealth and upgrades
The source lists a base Food cost of 75, while the current unit profile shows 70 Food and 30 Wood. Royal Guards increases the Food component without increasing Wood, and Royal Service changes the Wood cost to Coin. Mapuche Ad-mapu and Golden Liberty do not alter that Coin cost. Snaphaner can enter Stealth mode, and after the Friskytter upgrade they can mount and become Mounted Friskytter. Zealand Jaegers adds a gunpowder trooper tag, while Royal Service can add Light infantry and rifle infantry tags that enable additional improvements or team shipments. These changes are conditional on technology and card choices, so distinguish the baseline levy from an upgraded unit.
Civilization and version context
Snaphane is a Danish unit rather than a general European Militiaman. A Danish Explorer can convert human Treasure Guardians into Snaphaner through the Rigskansler Home City card, and the Watch House upgrade line changes their role later in the match. The unit’s resource cost, tags and special abilities depend on the chosen Danish technologies and cards. Do not use its profile to describe other civilizations’ emergency militia. Check The Baltic Powers release and its individual technology pages for the exact availability of Friskytter, Royal Service, Safehouses and the other upgrades.
Mounted Friskytter transition
After researching Friskytter, Snaphaner can mount and become Mounted Friskytter. This changes their battlefield mobility and lets the Danish player use an upgraded levy unit in a new role, but its temporary health behavior still matters. Finish the research before relying on the transformation and check the unit entry for the current mounted profile. A mounted force can reposition quickly, yet should not be treated as permanent heavy cavalry.
Use stealth and ship transport deliberately
Snaphaner can enter Stealth mode to hide their position, which can help them wait for artillery or an exposed target. Ships stop their health decay while Snaphaner are garrisoned, creating a way to transport or preserve them temporarily. These mechanics do not erase the need for timing: reveal the force when it can attack, and avoid unloading into a counter formation.
Choose levy timing carefully
Call Snaphaner when they can remove artillery, defend an immediate Town Center threat or win a short engagement. Their health loss and cooldown make them inefficient as a standing army. Once the target is gone, withdraw the remaining force or transport it safely rather than leaving it to decay in the field.
Avoid wasting the temporary force
Do not call Snaphaner when no target is nearby. Wait until artillery or a Town Center attack creates a clear reason to spend the levy, then direct the force immediately.
Return to safety after the engagement
Once the threat is removed, garrison the surviving Snaphaner in ships or retreat toward a Watch House. Their health stops decaying at one quarter, but that remaining health is not enough for another prolonged fight.
Call only what the timing needs
Use the levy when the extra troops can respond at once.
Keep an escape route
Leave a safe route back to the Town Center or Watch House before calling Snaphaner.
Danish emergency Infantry
The Snaphane is a Danish Exploration Age ranged Infantry unit available through Town Center Levy or Conscription, a Watch House, or a Round Church with the Safehouses card. It costs 70 Food and 30 Wood, takes 28 seconds to train and uses one population. Its 120 hit points, 15% ranged resistance, speed four and sight 15 make it a quick defensive force. The ranged attack deals 26 damage at range 14 every three seconds, with 2× damage against Artillery, Outlaws, Pets and Siege units, but reduced damage against Villagers and Cavalry. Snaphanes lose 2% of maximum hit points per second until their health reaches 25% of maximum, so they are temporary defenders rather than a permanent standing army.
Call them close to the threat
Because the Snaphane’s health drains over time, summon or train it when a target is close enough for the unit to contribute immediately. Use its high range and class bonuses to pressure Artillery and Siege units, and keep it away from Cavalry that can close quickly. The Round Church access requires the Safehouses card; otherwise, rely on the Town Center or Watch House route listed for the Danish profile. Snaphanes are useful for defending a threatened structure or buying time for a regular force, but they should not be used as a long-distance escort. Their one-population cost and Wood component can fit an emergency response, though the same Wood may be needed for Houses or production.