Skirmisher (Age of Empires III)

"Skirmisher with low hitpoints, but a long-ranged attack. Good against infantry."

- In-game description

The Skirmisher is a long-ranged light infantry unit that effectively counters infantry in Age of Empires III.

Overview
Skirmishers are strong at countering and defeating heavy infantry and light cavalry with their long-ranged attack, but highly vulnerable to cavalry and artillery due to their low hit points.

Dutch Skirmishers can be trained from Colonial Age since they do not have any other ranged infantry.

The Portuguese have Cassadores instead of Skirmishers, while the Russians have Streltsy instead of Skirmishers.

The British cannot train Skirmishers, but can ship 26 Guard Skirmishers through Roger's Rangers.

The Spanish Unction boosted Skirmishers will inflict 54.675 damage before multipliers with all attack upgrades that do not require an ally, or minor native upgrade.

Upgrades
The Skirmisher is automatically upgraded to Veteran (+20% hit points and attack) at the Fortress Age.

Further statistics
As the Skirmisher can only be trained by Dutch, French, Germans and Spanish, only improvements available to them (including the campaign-only John Black's Mercenaries and United States, the British who can ship a limited number of Skirmishers, and native improvements) are listed here.

Home City Cards
As the Skirmisher is exclusive to Dutch, French, Germans and Spanish, only other civilizations' TEAM cards that affects them are listed here.

Since the British can ship a limited number of Skirmishers but cannot train them otherwise, British cards that affects Skirmishers are included as well. {| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width: 100%;" ! sab="1148" | Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Skirmisher Green : TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
 * - sab="1147"
 * - sab="1149"
 * sab="1150" |

Europeans

 * The 7 Skirmishers, 9 Skirmishers, and 8 Skirmishers cards are not available to the Spanish.
 * The 12 Skirmishers card is not available to Dutch and Spanish.
 * The 14 Skirmishers card is not available to Germans and Spanish.

Spanish

 * }

Trivia

 * French Royal Guard Skirmishers are named after the Voltigeurs.
 * German Royal Guard Skirmishers are named after the Dreyse needle gun they apparently use.

History
"Skirmishers were lightly armed and armored riflemen who used their speed to move quickly about the battlefield and perform a number of military roles. They defended flanks, helped artillerymen with cannon, dragged wounded soldiers off of the battlefield, and performed hit-and-run attacks on advancing enemy armies. Napoleonic-era skirmishers were effective against rigid ranks of musketeers because the fire of musketeers was less effective on the loose, informal skirmisher lines. Many skirmishers in the nineteenth century were armed with rifles; the range and accuracy of these weapons made skirmishers dangerous enemies. Early rifles could only be fired once every minute or two, though later breechloading and repeating models could fire much more rapidly. One model fired so fast, a commander ordered his men to focus their fire on a single enemy skirmisher so that they could recover his rifle to examine it."