Tiger Claw
Tiger Claw is infantry in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age; obtained through Trading Post or Tambo on a Bhakti Temple holy site, Native Embassy.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age · Trading Post or Tambo on a Bhakti Temple holy site; Native Embassy
- Training
- 30 sec · 11 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 160 hit points · 20% ranged resistance · 6.0 speed · 12 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 15 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.0x vs. Infantry; 0.5x vs. Heavy infantry
- Siege attack
- 20 damage · 6 range · 3.0 attack interval
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Trading Post or Tambo on a Bhakti Temple holy site or Native Embassy. It has 160 hit points and 20% ranged resistance. It moves at 6.0 speed. Training costs 60 Food and 50 Wood; it takes 30 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 15 damage. Siege attack deals 20 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 2.0× against Infantry and 0.5× against Heavy infantry.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Infantry (2×). Its reduced multipliers against Heavy infantry (0.5×) make it less suitable for those targets. Hold the melee attack for Infantry when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Fast shock infantry with a focused matchup
Tiger Claws are Commerce Age native Shock troops available from a Trading Post or Tambo built on a Bhakti Temple holy site. They cost 60 Food and 50 Wood, train in 30 seconds and have a limit of 18 per Bhakti Temple. The unit has 160 hit points, 20 percent ranged resistance, speed 6 and sight 12, and uses no population as a Native warrior. Its hand attack deals 15 damage every 1.5 seconds, with 2 times damage against Infantry and only half damage against Heavy Infantry. Its siege attack deals 20 damage at range 6 every three seconds. The profile makes the unit a fast pursuer and anti-infantry shock attacker, rather than an anti-cavalry unit. It is not classified as Heavy Infantry, so many Skirmishers do not receive their ordinary anti-Heavy-Infantry bonus against it. That classification advantage does not make it safe from Light Ranged Cavalry, ranged Shock units or artillery. Tiger Claws move faster than many foot Infantry and can chase exposed Skirmishers, but they should avoid Heavy Infantry, which receives their reduced attack multiplier and can survive the initial charge. Their low population cost supports a large native force, though the settlement limit and Food-Wood expense still restrict production.
Bhakti upgrades and version history
Bhakti Discipline Training upgrades Tiger Claws in the Commerce Age for 100 Wood and 75 Coin in Definitive Edition, adding 25 percent hit points and damage. Before Definitive Edition the listed cost was 200 Wood and 150 Coin. Bhakti Honor Training requires the first upgrade and costs 400 Wood and 300 Coin; it adds 35 percent hit points and damage in the current version, compared with 40 percent before Definitive Edition. The Imperial native upgrade costs 1,500 Food and 1,500 Wood and grants 50 percent more hit points and damage. Civilization determines where that final technology is researched: European civilizations and Mexico use the Capitol, the United States uses the State Capitol, Asian and Native American civilizations use the Town Center for Exalted Natives, and African native warriors upgrade automatically for free. Bhakti Discipline and Honor upgrades were extended to War Elephants in update 13.12327; that change should not be projected onto earlier patches. Before update 13.12327, the Bhakti holy site was named Sufi Mosque. Use the version appropriate to the match when comparing access or upgrade requirements.
Form an army around the charge
Tiger Claws work well as a mobile force that closes on Light Infantry, counter-skirmishers and exposed Artillery. They can raid workers and pressure a retreating ranged line because speed 6 lets them choose the engagement. Their hand attack has a 2 times bonus against Infantry, but only 0.5 against Heavy Infantry, and they have no special Cavalry multiplier. Keep another unit in the army for Heavy Infantry and Cavalry, and use the Tiger Claws to reach targets that cannot withstand a fast melee approach. Their ranged resistance helps against projectile fire during the approach, while the lack of a dedicated anti-cavalry bonus leaves them vulnerable if Heavy Cavalry catches them. Light Ranged Cavalry and ranged Shock troops are also listed counters. Avoid charging through an unscouted defensive line: their 12 sight is short, and artillery can punish a concentrated group. Against buildings they can contribute 20 siege damage every three seconds, but they are more valuable removing the units that protect a structure. A small trained group can fill the army gap in the Commerce Age; upgrade them when they remain useful later and when the resource investment will support the planned native composition.
Available through more than one native route
The standard route uses a Trading Post or Tambo placed on a Bhakti Temple holy site, which makes map control part of the unit plan. The local limit of 18 is tied to each Bhakti Temple; securing another site can provide another production source where the map permits it. Native Embassies are a separate access route for civilizations with the appropriate Home City or alliance options. The Asian Dynasties introduced the unit, and Definitive Edition retains the Bhakti identity while using the updated site name and costs. Haudenosaunee and French Home City cards can strengthen Tiger Claws, and improvements that affect Shock troops or Native warriors can make the low-population unit unusually efficient. These bonuses vary by civilization and card deck, so they are not part of the base 160 hit points or 15 damage attack. Confirm the chosen alliance and card availability before planning a rush. A Trading Post spent on Bhakti access competes with other native alliances and Trade Route control, and the army must still protect the site if it relies on continuous reinforcement.
When to add Tiger Claws and when to stop
Add Tiger Claws when the opponent relies on ranged Infantry, counter-skirmishers or artillery that can be reached by fast melee troops. Their speed and attack bonus help convert a small opening into pressure, while their free population lets the army retain more space for conventional units. Stop or reduce production when the opponent pivots to Heavy Infantry, Light Ranged Cavalry or ranged Shock troops. The 0.5 multiplier against Heavy Infantry is a direct warning against chasing that matchup, and no anti-Cavalry bonus protects them from cavalry. Keep a ranged or anti-heavy unit beside them to handle targets they do not counter. The 20 damage siege attack can help after defenders are removed, but 60 Food and 50 Wood are often better spent on additional army support than on a large unsupported siege group. Check remaining settlement capacity and Bhakti upgrades before committing to a long queue.
Technology interactions and army support
Tiger Claws benefit from upgrades that affect Native warriors, Shock troops, hit points, attack and speed. Listed cross-civilization improvements include Reinforced Gauntlets for a large hit point increase, Maya Cotton Armor and Infantry Breastplate for additional durability, and attack bonuses such as Zapotec Cult of the Dead, Carib Kasiri Beer, Master Lessons and Yoga. Some cards are only available to specific civilizations or revolutions, so the list is not a universal technology tree. Mapuche Tactics increases siege attack, while Pillage improves the siege multiplier against buildings. Speed bonuses such as Comanche Mustangs or Apache Endurance can help the unit reach a ranged line sooner, but do not change its weak matchup against Heavy Infantry. Training-time reductions can also change whether a local Trading Post can reinforce a timing before the opponent ages. Research only the upgrades available to the current civilization and consider whether the army has enough remaining population-free slots and resource income to use the improved units.
Keep the Bhakti site secure
Native production depends on a Trading Post or Tambo at the Bhakti Temple. If the opponent destroys that access point, reinforcements stop and the local limit cannot be used elsewhere. Protect the site with nearby troops and avoid spending the entire army far from its rally route. A Native Embassy can support access for civilizations with the correct cards, but that route also needs a safe building and the relevant unlock. Bhakti Honor Training and the local site combine to make Tiger Claws more useful later; without continued access, plan them as a finite force rather than an endlessly replaceable unit.
Matchups in a native army
Tiger Claws complement units that can absorb Heavy Infantry and cavalry pressure. Keep them behind a screen until the ranged line is exposed, then use their speed to reach Skirmishers and siege weapons. Their 20 ranged resistance and free population make them efficient, but they have only 160 base hit points and no ranged attack. A mass without support can be kited, intercepted by ranged Cavalry or stopped by Heavy Infantry. Use the Bhakti upgrades when you expect the native force to remain active, and retain another unit for targets Tiger Claws counter poorly.
Protect the access point during a long game
The Bhakti Trading Post is both the training site and a map investment. Keep a route open to reinforce it, and use the free-population force to defend other valuable native access points. If the site is lost, treat surviving Tiger Claws as a limited group and preserve them for favorable anti-infantry fights.
Recognize the poor Heavy Infantry matchup
Tiger Claws are designed to reach light ranged units, not to fight every Infantry class. Heavy Infantry takes only half damage from their standard hand strike, so use other troops to break that screen before committing the shock units. Their charge is most effective after scouting has identified a safe flank.
Use siege damage after the fight
Once defenders are removed, Tiger Claws can help pressure a building with 20 siege damage at range six. Their primary value remains the anti-infantry attack, so do not sacrifice the force against a fortified structure.
Choose upgrades that fit the map
If the Bhakti site remains secure and the game continues into later Ages, the Discipline and Honor technologies improve the army without using population. If the opponent has already switched away from Infantry, preserve resources for a different counter rather than upgrading a unit that no longer fits the fight.
Use speed to select a favorable engagement
Speed 6 lets Tiger Claws flank ranged Infantry, but keep them with a screen when Cavalry or Heavy Infantry is nearby.
Keep a second unit for heavy targets
Their infantry bonus drops sharply against Heavy Infantry.
Screen the ranged line
Protect the approach with support units.
Bhakti specialist against ordinary Infantry
Tiger Claws are recruited from a Bhakti Temple holy site or a Native Embassy, with a limit of 18 per temple. They cost 60 Food and 50 Wood, take 30 seconds, have 160 hit points and move at speed 6. Their 15-damage hand attack fires every 1.5 seconds, deals 2× damage against Infantry and only half damage against Heavy Infantry. That class distinction is central: the unit is a fast shock attacker for softer Infantry, not the answer to every soldier on the field. Its 20 siege damage can help pressure a structure after the enemy screen has been removed, but committing the group to a defended building lets its poor Heavy Infantry matchup become a liability. Use mobility to choose a fight, attack the target class that rewards its bonus, and withdraw if the opponent brings a heavier frontline. The temple cap and alliance route matter when replacing losses, so keep the site secure if Tiger Claws are an ongoing part of the army.
When speed is more useful than a frontal charge
At speed 6.0, Tiger Claws can move between the frontline and a flank more quickly than many foot units. Their mobility is most valuable for reaching exposed ranged Infantry or changing direction when the opponent is committed elsewhere. Avoid sending them into a prepared Heavy Infantry block: the listed 0.5 multiplier means that their rapid hand attack is inefficient there, even before accounting for the enemy’s screen. A ranged ally can soften a formation while the Tiger Claws wait for a gap, and a durable unit can prevent the opposing Infantry from turning onto them. Their low population profile and native access make them a flexible reinforcement, but the Food and Wood still compete with the economy. Stop producing them when the opponent’s composition no longer offers favorable targets and use the Bhakti alliance for upgrades or a different unit in its roster.