Xebec
Xebec is Hausa naval unit in Age of Empires III, available from the Fortress Age; obtained through Port. Its listed ability is Transports land units; The closer the target, the lower the Rate of Fire.
Recorded values
- Available
- Fortress Age · Port
- Training
- 40 sec · 120 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 2,200 hit points · 75% ranged resistance · 8.0 speed · 38 line of sight
- Ranged attack (long)
- 180 base damage · range 16-32 · attack interval 3.0 · area of effect 1 · bonus damage: 0.5x vs. Artillery
- Ranged attack (short)
- 60 base damage · range 0-16 · attack interval 1.0 · area of effect 1 · bonus damage: 0.5x vs. Artillery
- Broadside attack
- 15 (7) base damage · range 32 · attack interval 0.05 · area of effect 1 · bonus damage: 2.0x vs. Ship
- Ability
- Transports land units; The closer the target, the lower the Rate of Fire
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Port. It has 2,200 hit points and 75% ranged resistance. It moves at 8.0 speed. Training costs 700 Coin and 500 Influence; it takes 40 seconds to train. Attack profile: Ranged attack (long): 180 damage at range 16-32; every 3.0 seconds; area of effect 1. Ranged attack (short): 60 damage at range 0-16; every 1.0 seconds; area of effect 1. Broadside attack: 15 damage (7) at range 32; every 0.05 seconds; area of effect 1. Special ability or role: Transports land units; The closer the target, the lower the Rate of Fire.
Matchup & timing
Use this transport for a planned crossing or landing rather than sending it alone into contested water. Its listed speed is 8.0, so load the army before the route becomes unsafe and allow time for the return trip. Unload where the force has room to form up, keep an escort near the ship, and protect the shore while the last units disembark.
Range-dependent attacks and transport
The Hausa Xebec is a Fortress Age mercenary warship with a two-ship limit and capacity for 50 land units. It costs 700 Coin and 500 Influence, trains in 40 seconds and has 2,200 hit points, 75% ranged resistance, 8.0 speed and 38 line of sight. Its long-range attack deals 180 siege damage at ranges 16–32 every three seconds; inside 16 range it switches to a 60-damage attack every second. This unusual profile means moving closer increases firing rate but reduces the damage per shot. Its Broadside Attack deals 15 damage in a seven-shot volley and has a 2× modifier against Ships. Both ordinary attacks deal only half damage to Artillery. The Xebec also transports land units, so it can deliver troops and then support the landing with its flexible cannon profile. Plan its route around the range bands: hold distance for heavier individual shots, or close when the faster short attack will be more useful. It is agile, but its resource cost makes an unsupported crossing risky.
Age upgrades and fleet coordination
The Xebec’s base limit is two, and its Industrial and Imperial Age improvements automatically increase durability and attacks. Its 50-seat transport capacity can move a full land force, but loading a ship is only useful if a safe shore and follow-up route are ready. At long range the 180-damage shot fires every three seconds; within 16 range it switches to the lower-damage, faster attack. Broadside recharges every 60 seconds and is most effective against Ships because of its 2× multiplier. Coordinate the Xebec with other vessels so it can use its range profile while escorts protect it from concentrated fire.
Use the range band that matches the target
The Xebec switches between two siege attacks based on distance. At range 16–32 it deals 180 damage every three seconds; within range 0–16 it uses a 60-damage attack with a one-second interval. The close attack fires more often, but both profiles produce the same nominal damage per second before resistance, and both deal half damage to Artillery. Its Broadside is separate: seven 15-damage hits at range 32, with a 2× bonus against Ships and a 60-second cooldown. This gives the Hausa warship a strong answer to enemy fleets when its broadside is ready, while the ordinary attacks cover targets at different distances. It also carries land units, so a crossing can support an assault, but the 700 Coin plus 500 Influence cost and two-ship limit make it a major commitment. Keep escorts nearby and unload only after the landing route is secure.