Somali Issa Warrior
Somali Issa Warrior is Heavy 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
- 120 hit points · 20% hand resistance · 4.5 speed · 16 line of sight
- Ranged attack
- 14 base damage · range 2-14 · attack interval 3.0-2.0 · bonus damage: 2.0x vs. Cavalry; 1.5x vs. Shock troops
- Siege attack
- 12 base damage · range 6 · attack interval 3.0
- Hand attack
- 12 base damage · attack interval 1.5 · bonus damage: 2.5x vs. Cavalry; 2.0x vs. Shock troops
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Trading Post or Tambo on a Somali kingdom or Native Embassy. It has 120 hit points. It moves at 4.5 speed. Training costs 40 Food and 60 Wood; it takes 30 seconds to train. Attack profile: Ranged attack: 14 damage at range 2-14; every 3.0 seconds-2.0. Siege attack: 12 damage at range 6; every 3.0 seconds. Hand attack: 12 damage; every 1.5 seconds.
Matchup & timing
Use Issa Warriors as a flexible answer to Cavalry: both attacks carry bonuses, with the hand attack reaching 2.5× against Cavalry and 2× against Shock troops. Their ranged attack can fire as the line approaches, but the close-range portion remains important. Keep them with the Somali settlement force and avoid committing them as ordinary ranged infantry against every target.
Native access and recruitment
The Somali Issa Warrior is a native ranged Heavy infantry unit added by The African Royals. A player can recruit it from a Trading Post or Tambo built on a Somali kingdom, or obtain it through specific shipments and alliances. Standard training costs 40 Food and 60 Wood, takes 30 seconds in the current profile, and is limited to ten units per Somali kingdom. The unit has 120 hit points, 20 percent hand resistance, speed 4.5, line of sight 16, and uses a ranged javelin attack. Ethiopians can choose the Somali alliance when advancing to the Fortress, Industrial, or Imperial Age; those age-ups ship 7, 9, or 17 Issa Warriors respectively and unlock their production at Palaces and Native Embassies. Other cards can ship small groups when the player has established the required Somali Trading Post or Tambo. This access system makes map control central: the player needs the right settlement or alliance rather than an ordinary barracks.
Attacks and preferred targets
The Issa Warrior is related in role to the Gascenya, but its attack changes with distance. Its ranged attack deals 14 damage at a range from 2 to 14 and fires more rapidly at close range, with a dynamic interval that improves from three seconds to two seconds. It has a 2.5 times ranged multiplier against Cavalry and a 1.9 times multiplier against Shock troops in the current profile. Its hand attack deals 12 damage every three seconds, with a 2.5 times bonus against Cavalry and a two times bonus against Shock troops. The unit also has a small siege attack of 12 damage at range 6. These bonuses make it a useful answer to melee cavalry and shock units, while the shorter range firing behavior rewards disciplined positioning. It is not a general purpose long range skirmisher: Light infantry and artillery can threaten it, and its own siege damage is too low to replace dedicated siege units.
Native warrior upgrades
Native warrior upgrades depend on civilization. In African civilizations, the native warrior improvements are applied automatically and for free. Other civilizations may research Legendary Native Warriors through the Capitol, State Capitol, or Town Center according to their roster, and the upgrade adds 50 percent hit points and damage. Somali Warrior Societies is another upgrade path associated with the warrior, while Champion Somali and other high age improvements can raise its statistics further. The exact technology availability, cost, and upgrade order should be read from the selected civilization's technology tree; the same native unit can be supported by different systems depending on who recruited it. The Ethiopian alliance's delivered units arrive as a batch tied to age advancement, while a Trading Post route gives more direct control over recruitment. These differences affect whether the unit is a one time reinforcement or a repeatable part of the army.
Map rewards and battlefield use
On African maps such as Horn and Swahili Coast, Issa Warriors can appear as treasure rewards, letting a player gain them without first establishing normal production. Treasure access is separate from the Trading Post cap and does not imply that the reward units can be replaced through a standard building. In battle, use the Issa Warrior to deter cavalry charges and support ranged formations from behind a screen. Its ranged attack can be fired at long distance, while the faster close range interval improves its output when enemies approach. That close range benefit should not be confused with a reason to let Heavy infantry engage it in melee: the Issa Warrior's hand attack is limited and its mobility is moderate. Keep it behind units that can hold the line, and focus fire on the cavalry or shock troops its multipliers target. If the opponent fields artillery or Light infantry, add units that can remove those threats before the Issa Warriors take sustained fire.
Version notes and practical planning
The African Royals introduced the Somali Issa Warrior and its Somali kingdom recruitment system. Current training takes 30 seconds and speed is 4.5; before update 14.43676 the unit trained in 25 seconds and moved at speed 5.0. Older references also list different combat multipliers, so the current values should be used for a current Definitive Edition match. Although the unit is tagged as Musket infantry in some data, it visually uses a javelin; this classification affects class based upgrades and counters. Before making it a core army unit, confirm the Somali settlement is safe, check the ten unit kingdom cap, and reserve Food and Wood for production. An Ethiopian age-up shipment can deliver a sudden force for a timing attack, while a Trading Post or Palace allows continued reinforcement. These are complementary access plans, not identical production rules.
Choosing the alliance timing
An Ethiopian player choosing the Somali alliance receives a different strategic payoff at each Age because the shipment size increases from seven to nine to seventeen Issa Warriors. The smaller Fortress Age force can establish the unit type earlier, while the larger later shipment creates a stronger immediate reinforcement. Production at Palaces and Native Embassies supports replacement after the shipment. Compare that alliance with the other age-up choices and decide whether the army needs an early cavalry counter or a later mass. A Somali Trading Post also creates access for other eligible civilizations, but the kingdom's ten unit cap limits how many can be held from that settlement. Protect the Trading Post and its route if repeat recruitment is part of the plan.
Melee cavalry pressure from an African alliance
The Somali Issa Warrior is a Native warrior related to the Gascenya. It is strong against melee Cavalry, attacks faster when enemies are close and has slightly more attack range than the Gascenya in the documented profile. Players can also obtain it as a Treasure reward on African maps, so it may appear without first establishing a permanent production route.
Use the close-range bonus with support
Issa Warriors should be brought into a controlled melee rather than sent alone into a ranged formation. Pair them with light infantry that can pressure Heavy Infantry and keep artillery from focusing the cavalry. A Treasure group can create an early timing, but losses may be difficult to replace until a settlement or card grants access. Check the alliance and map before planning sustained production.