Somali Darood Militia
Somali Darood Militia is ranged infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through Trading Post or Tambo on a Somali kingdom, Native Embassy.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · Trading Post or Tambo on a Somali kingdom; Native Embassy
- Training
- 30 sec · 12 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 140 hit points · 30% ranged resistance · 4.0 speed · 30 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 7 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 6.0x vs. Ship; 3.0x vs. Artillery
- Ranged attack
- 11 damage · 2-22 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 6.0x vs. Ship; 3.0x vs. Artillery; 0.6x vs. Heavy cavalry; 0.6x vs. Hand shock trooper
- Siege attack
- 20 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Trading Post or Tambo on a Somali kingdom or Native Embassy. It has 140 hit points and 30% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.0 speed. Training costs 60 Food and 60 Wood; it takes 30 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 7 damage. Ranged attack deals 11 damage. Siege attack deals 20 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 6.0× against Ship and 3.0× against Artillery. Ranged attack bonuses: 6.0× against Ship, 3.0× against Artillery, 0.6× against Heavy cavalry, and 0.6× against Hand shock trooper.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Ship (6×), Artillery (3×). Ranged attack is especially effective against Ship (6×), Artillery (3×). Its reduced multipliers against Heavy cavalry (0.6×), Hand shock trooper (0.6×) make it less suitable for those targets. Use ranged fire to focus Ship and Artillery before they can close; hold the melee attack for Ship and Artillery when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Current statistics and target bonuses
The Somali Darood Militia is a Commerce Age native warrior trained from a Trading Post or Tambo on a Somali kingdom, or from a Native Embassy. It costs 60 food and 60 wood, takes 30 seconds to train, and is limited to ten per kingdom. It has 140 hit points, 30% ranged resistance, 30% siege resistance, speed 4.0, and an unusually long line of sight of 30. Its ranged attack deals 11 damage at range 2–22 every 3 seconds; its attack has a 6.0 multiplier against ships and 3.0 against artillery, but only 0.6 against heavy cavalry and hand shock troops. The hand attack deals 7 damage every 1.5 seconds with the same target multipliers. Its siege attack deals 20 damage at range 6 every 3 seconds. The long sight and very high anti-ship and anti-artillery bonuses define it as a specialist rather than a generic Skirmisher.
Strengths and limitations
Darood Militia can punish ships and artillery while resisting both ranged and siege damage. They are not light infantry with the normal heavy-infantry or light ranged cavalry multipliers, so do not expect them to replace a conventional anti-infantry line. Heavy cavalry and counter-skirmishers are dangerous. Their tags also matter against artillery: unlike units that avoid an artillery bonus through a special classification, Darood Militia can still be killed in one hit by a Falconet because it receives artillery's bonus against infantry. Keep them behind a screen and use their long range to focus a ship or artillery piece, rather than allowing the enemy battery to return fire freely. A supporting cavalry force can drive away heavy cavalry while the militia handle the high-value target.
Upgrade path and alliance access
Somali Warrior Societies costs 150 wood and 100 coin in the Fortress Age and upgrades the militia to Elite with 25% more hit points and damage plus one range. Champion Somali costs 400 wood and 300 coin in the Industrial Age, grants 35%, and requires Warrior Societies. Legendary Native Warriors later costs 1,500 food and 1,500 wood and adds 50%; African civilizations receive native warrior upgrades automatically and for free. Ethiopians can recruit Darood Militia at Palaces and Native Embassies after choosing the Somali alliance when aging up. These access and upgrade rules mean the unit may appear in an Ethiopian army without a Somali settlement, but other players depend on a Somali kingdom, Native Embassy, or map-specific route.
Practical use and technology interactions
The unit is tagged as rifle infantry, so Counter Infantry Rifling can improve its performance against heavy infantry. It also benefits from applicable infantry, gunpowder, and native warrior bonuses. Its 22 range after upgrades and line of sight 30 make it useful for scouting naval approaches or watching a coastline before a fleet arrives. Keep the ten-unit per kingdom limit in mind: repeated training is capped by the settlement, so use each militia where the ship or artillery threat is most important. Their slow 4.0 movement makes them poor pursuers; protect them with cavalry and avoid advancing so far that they cannot retreat from artillery.
Upgrade and support choices
Somali Warrior Societies upgrades the unit to Elite for 150 wood and 100 coin, adding 25% hit points and damage and one range. Champion Somali costs 400 wood and 300 coin, requires the earlier upgrade, and adds 35% with another range increase. Legendary Native Warriors adds 50% hit points and damage and two range; African civilizations receive native upgrades automatically. General gunpowder improvements also apply: Paper Cartridge adds 15% attack and Smokeless Powder adds 10%, while Counter Infantry Rifling adds a full multiplier point against heavy infantry. That technology lets the militia serve as an additional ranged answer to heavy infantry while retaining its artillery and ship bonuses. Keep it supported by cavalry so the unit can use its 22-range shot and siege resistance without being caught by a fast charge. Heavy cavalry, hand shock troops, and counter-skirmishers can still defeat it, and Falconets remain dangerous because its unit tags do not negate artillery's bonus damage.
Accessing the Somali kingdom
A Trading Post or Tambo must be placed on a Somali kingdom before the militia can be trained, and each kingdom supports a maximum of ten. The Native Embassy provides another route. Ethiopians can bypass the settlement requirement by selecting the Somali alliance and training the unit from their Palace or Native Embassy. This makes it a conditional answer to naval or artillery play: on a map without Somali access, the player must use the alliance or another counter instead. Because the unit is slow, support the militia with cavalry and keep it near the coast or artillery approach it is intended to defend.
Long-range defense
With line of sight 30 and up to 22 attack range, Darood Militia can guard an approach before ships or artillery reach the main base. Their 30% ranged and siege resistance helps them survive return fire, but they do not ignore artillery bonuses. Keep them spread enough to reduce splash damage and cover them with cavalry against a charge.
Training cost
At 60 food and 60 wood per unit, Darood Militia consumes no coin for recruitment. That makes it a useful resource exchange when wood and food are available but the player wants to preserve coin for age advancement.
Native infantry that can threaten artillery and ships
The Somali Darood Militia is a Native warrior infantry unit effective against artillery and ships. Its combination of ranged and siege resistance lets it withstand some incoming attacks from both sources. Unlike many light infantry units, it lacks bonuses against Heavy Infantry and light ranged Cavalry, so it should not be sent to fight those targets without support. Use it to pressure guns or naval units while another unit handles the enemy’s main infantry line.
Keep the unit away from Heavy Cavalry
Darood Militia are weak against Heavy Cavalry, which can close on the formation and exploit its lack of an anti-infantry bonus. Pair them with suitable anti-Cavalry troops and use terrain to protect their approach. Their access depends on the relevant Somali settlement or alliance, so secure the Trading Post and check the training limit before counting on replacements. They fill a specialized role; a mixed army is needed to protect them and exploit their artillery counter.