Armored Pistoleer

Armored Pistoleer
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - Knights of the Mediterranean
Type	Infantry Heavy infantry Ranged infantry Gunpowder trooper Musket infantry Mercenary
Age	Fortress Age
Training
Trained at	Tavern (Europeans) Monastery (Asians) Saloon (Americans) Palace (Africans) Lombard (Italians)
Cost	250 Coin 4 Population
Train time	60 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	560
Resistance	60% Hand
Speed	4.0
Line of Sight	16
Special ability	Deflection
Train XP	25
Kill XP	25
Ranged attack
Damage	45 Ranged
Area of Effect	1
Range	12
Rate of Fire	3.0
Siege attack
Damage	46 Siege
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0
Hand attack
Damage	25 Hand
Rate of Fire	1.5
Bonus damage	3.0× vs. Cavalry 2.25× vs. Shock infantry

“	Heavy ranged infantry mercenary from Savoy who uses his thick darkened armor to deflect some of the damage inflicted to nearby allies. Pistol attack deals area damage.	”
—In-game description

The Armored Pistoleer is a mercenary gunpowder infantry unit in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - Knights of the Mediterranean.

Overview

The Armored Pistoleer is a heavy ranged infantry with high hit points, hand resistance, and base attack. It is effective against cavalry and shock infantry, but vulnerable against light infantry and artillery.

Unlike other heavy infantry units, the Armored Pistoleer has more hit points and is highly resistant against hand attacks. In addition to its increased attack, which causes splash damage in ranged mode, and its melee multipliers, the Armored Pistoleer excels at defeating cavalry and shock infantry units, and is slightly effective against heavy infantry like Halberdiers or Doppelsoldners. The Armored Pistoleer also has the Deflection passive ability, which allows it to absorb some of the damage inflicted to nearby player or ally units in a radius of 12. Coupled with healing units, the Armored Pistoleer can absorb a lot of damage.

They take more population spaces, are expensive, and have slow speed and training time, but they are bulky infantry units useful to protect another units from enemy attacks. However, it is recommended to combine Armored Pistoleers with Hussars to defeat long-ranged infantry units (like Skirmishers) or artillery units, which can counter all infantry.

Special abilities

• Deflection: Absorb 25% of the damage inflicted to nearby allies within 12 range.

Civilization differences

• The Germans' Battleships can train Armored Pistoleers through the "Adler von Lübeck" Home City Card (if they are available in the Tavern).
• The Maltese can train Armored Pistoleers at the Tavern if they select The Mercenary Contractor to age up to the Fortress Age.
• The United States can get Armored Pistoleers through the "Poker" Home City Card, in the pool of random mercenaries shipped, which also randomly enables them in Saloons.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Cavalry, shock infantry
Weak vs.	Light infantry, counter-skirmishers, artillery, MercType2
Improvements
Hit points	Corselet (+25%; Spanish only) Second Guarantee (+15%; Mexicans only) Flint Lock (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Navajo Weaving (+5%) Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack	Paper Cartridge (+15%) Second Guarantee (+15%; Mexicans only) Smokeless Powder (+10%) Armatoloi (+5%) Yoga (+5%) Clenched Fist (+25% hand attack) Socket Bayonet (+20% hand attack)
Resistance	Somali Oryx Hide Shields (+5% ranged resistance)
Speed	Tilly's Discipline (+20%; Germans only) Military Drummers (+10%) Quechuan Mountaineering (+10%) Akan Fontomfrom (+5%) Apache Endurance (+5%)
Line of Sight	Town Watch (+3)
Cost	Blue Nile Ties (-15%; Ethiopians only) Wallenstein's Contracts (-15%; Germans only) Philhellenism (-10%) Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost) Golden Liberty (-5% coin cost) Yemeni Relations (exchanges cost for 50% coin, 50% influence; Ethiopians only)
Train time	Standing Army (-25%) Akan Fontomfrom (-20%) Blue Nile Ties (-15%; Ethiopians only) Quechuan Diet (-15%) Immigrants (-10%) New Mexico Immigration (-10%; United States only) Philhellenism (-10%) Strangers' Quarters (-10%; Africans only) Wallenstein's Contracts (-10%; Germans only)
Penalties	Corselet (-15% speed; Spanish only) Tilly's Discipline (+10% cost; Germans only) Second Guarantee (+30% train time; Mexicans only)

Home City Cards

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Armored Pistoleer

Some cards are highlighted with:
Green	TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
Red	Shipment that can be sent twice
Blue	Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)

Shared

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Senegalese Riflemen	Ranged infantry damage +10%; French and Hausa-only ranged infantry damage +15% instead
Liberation March	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry train time -35%, speed +5%
Fencing School	Infantry (except Warrior Priest and Skull Knight) and shock infantry train time -40%

• "TEAM Senegalese Riflemen" is available to the French and Hausa.
• "Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
• "Fencing School" is available to Europeans (except the French, Maltese, Ottomans, and Spanish) and Indians.

Africans

Card	Description	Age
Feudal Armies	Unit train time -15%; hero respawn time -15%
Loyal Warriors	Native warrior, mercenary, and outlaw cost -15% (also affects shipments)

British

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Grenadier Guards	Musket infantry and grenade trooper hit points +15%

Chinese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Yongle Infrastructure	Delivers 1 Mongol Scout; infantry, land villager, healing unit, Envoy, and Disciple speed +5%
Western Reforms	Unit hit points and damage +8%
Acupuncture	Unit (except monk) train time -20%; Summer Palace banner army, Flying Crow, and Heavy Cannon spawn time -5%

• "TEAM Yongle Infrastructure" does not stack with the Inca "TEAM Inca Bridges" card.

Dutch

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints	Infantry hit points +10%; Dutch-only infantry hit points +15% instead
Dutch States Army	Mercenary train time -15%, speed (except Napoleon Gun and Li'l Bombard) +7%; mercenary shipment arrive time -20%; enables Highlander to be trained at Barracks and Taverns, Royal Horseman at Stables and Taverns; Pikeman, Halberdier, Skirmisher, Hussar, and Ruyter cost +10%

Ethiopians

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Coffee Consumption	Ranged infantry speed +5%
Temenyas	Gunpowder trooper damage +5%; enables Neftenya to be trained from the Commerce Age
Ignatian Spirituality	Unit (except herded animals) hit points +5%, regeneration rate +1.0 (even in combat)

Europeans

Card	Description	Age
Hire Armored Pistoleers	Delivers 7 Armored Pistoleers; costs 1,000 coin
Mercenary Loyalty	Mercenary and native warrior shipment cost -25%, infinite shipment cost -10% instead, the "Hire Indian Jat Lancer" shipment cost -50% instead, the "Hire Ronin Army" shipment cost -33% instead
Loyal Warriors	Native warrior, mercenary, and outlaw cost -15%; "TEAM 4 Zenata Rider", "Recruit Xebec", "Recruit Xebecs", and "15 Berber Allies" cost no coin
Outlaw Combat	Outlaw and mercenary hit points and damage +15%
Wanderlust	Land military and land villager hit points +5%; land villager and construction wagon speed +5% (can be sent 3 times)

• "Hire Armored Pistoleers" is available to the French, Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
• "Loyal Warriors" is available to the Italians, Maltese, Ottomans, and Portuguese upon revolting to the Barbary States.
• "Wanderlust" is available to the British and Dutch upon revolting to South Africa.

French

Card	Description	Age
Royal Fencing School	Delivers 3 Royal Musketeers; infantry and shock infantry train time -40%
Cult of the Supreme Being	Unit train bounty +10%, kill bounty -10%; Sansculotte gather work rate for crates +50%, Berry Bush and Cherry Orchard +25%, tree, Mango Grove, mine +20%, huntable animals, herded animals, Mill, Farm, and Estate +15%

• "Cult of the Supreme Being" is available upon revolting to Revolutionary France.

Germans

Card	Description	Age
Improved Mercenaries	Mercenary hit points and damage +15%, +3 Uhlans
Adler von Lübeck	Delivers 1 Battleship and 1 Privateer; enables Battleships to train mercenaries; costs 900 food, 900 wood, 900 coin

Haudenosaunee

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Scout Infantry	Delivers 1 Native Scout; infantry Line of Sight +8
Conservative Tactics	Infantry hit points and damage +10%

Hausa

Card	Description	Age
Sahelian Kingdoms	Native warrior hit points and damage +15%; mercenary and outlaw hit points and damage +10%

Inca

Card	Description	Age
Road Building	Land military speed +10%
TEAM Inca Bridges	Delivers 1 Chasqui; infantry, land villager, healing unit, and Envoy speed +5%

• "TEAM Inca Bridges" does not stack with the Chinese "TEAM Yongle Infrastructure" card.

Indians

Card	Description	Age
Dravidian Martial Arts	Unit all melee attack damage +15%; Rajput hand attack damage +20% instead, +1 Hindu Villager
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics	Unit hit points and damage +5%
Zamindars	Delivers 2 Sepoys instead of 1 Hindu Villager with every future Home City shipment, including this one; infantry train time -20%

Italians

Card	Description	Age
Infantry Hitpoints	Infantry hit points +15%
Schiavoni Swords	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry all melee attack damage +15%
Savoyard Company	Delivers 9 Armored Pistoleers and 6 Royal Horsemen; costs 1,000 food, 1,000 wood, 1,000 coin
Black Company	Delivers 5 Armored Pistoleers and 5 Black Riders; costs 500 food, 500 wood, 500 coin
TEAM House of Savoy	Delivers 4 Armored Pistoleers; costs 750 coin

• "Mercenary Loyalty" reduces cost of "Savoyard Company", "Black Company", and "TEAM House of Savoy" by 25%.

Japanese

Card	Description	Age
Onin War	Infantry siege attack damage +33%
Bakufu	Daimyo and Shogun Tokugawa speed +5%, Line of Sight +10, training and research work rate +15%; land military train time -20%, artillery and banner army train time -10% instead

Lakota

Card	Description	Age
Moccasins	Infantry speed +10%

Maltese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Knights of the Round Table	Delivers 1 Hospitaller for each Town Center and Command Post present on the map; unit hit points +2%

Mexicans

Card	Description	Age
Plan of Tuxtepec	Transforms all Salteadores into Soldados; musket infantry Line of Sight, ranged and mortar attack range +1; costs 500 food, 500 wood
TEAM Mariachi	For the next 30 seconds, military building training and research work rate +400%, unit speed +10%
Colegio de San Nicolas	Delivers 1 Large Collection of Books (500 XP); unit Line of Sight +4; building (except Wall) Line of Sight +8; reveals enemy units' positions for 20 seconds
Bustamante	Field Hospital cost free, but does not grant build and kill bounty; enables the General to build Field Hospitals; enables Soldado to be trained at Field Hospitals; musket infantry hit points +10%
National Servant	Unit (except herded animals) hit points +10%; Padre heal work rate +200%	Imperial Age
Outlaw Combat	Outlaw and mercenary hit points and damage +15%; costs 500 coin
Bastimento	Villager train time -20%; infantry train time -25%, Revolutionary train time -50% instead
Pok Ta Pok	Infantry train time -10%, speed +10%

• "Colegio de San Nicolás" is available upon selecting the Michoacán Federal State.
• "Bustamante" is available upon selecting the San Luis Potosí Federal State.
• "National Servant" is available upon selecting the Estado de México Federal State.
• "Outlaw Combat" is available upon revolting to Baja California.
• "Bastimento" is available upon revolting to Rio Grande.
• "Pok Ta Pok" is available upon revolting to the Maya.

Ottomans

Card	Description	Age
Matrakci School	Infantry and shock infantry train time -30%; Janissary, Azap, Nizam Fusilier, Abus Gunner, and Humbaraci train time -40% instead

Portuguese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Gunpowder Infantry Hitpoints	Gunpowder trooper hit points +15%

Russians

Card	Description	Age
Ransack	Infantry siege attack damage +50%
Dueling School	Infantry train time -25%

Spanish

Card	Description	Age
Peninsular Guerrillas	Ranged infantry damage +20%, musket infantry damage +10% instead; Skirmishers now see the Line of Sight of enemies they attacked for 3 seconds
TEAM Spanish Inquisition	Delivers 1 Inquisitor; military and economic unit Line of Sight +10

Swedes

Card	Description	Age
TEAM House of Bernadotte	Heavy infantry hit points +15%
German Mercenary Contracts	Mercenary hit points and damage +20%; enables Landsknechts and Jaegers to be trained at Barracks, Blockhouses, Taverns (for Landsknechts), and Galleons; enables Black Riders to be trained at Stables and Galleons

United States

Card	Description	Age
United States Army	The General, Minuteman, and heavy infantry hit points and damage +15%
Poker	Delivers 13 random mercenaries; enables up to 3 random mercenaries at Saloons; costs 3,500 coin
Indiana Mobilization	Delivers 1 Carbine Cavalry for each shipment sent so far this game, including this one; unit train time, technology research time, Age up time -10%; costs 250 food, 250 wood
Hamilton's Own	Delivers 2 Li'l Bombards and 4 Napoleon Guns; mercenary hit points and damage +25%; costs 2,500 coin	Imperial Age

• "Indiana Mobilization" is available upon selecting the Indiana Federal State.
• "Hamilton's Own" is available upon selecting the New York Federal State.

Changelog

Knights of the Mediterranean

• Originally, Armored Pistoleers had 37 hand damage and 53 ranged damage. With update 13.10442, they have 25 hand damage and 45 ranged damage.
• With update 13.12327, the Armored Pistoleer image from the Compendium section was updated.
• Originally, Armored Pistoleers had 660 hit points. With update 13.18214, they have 560 hit points.

In-game dialogue

The Armored Pistoleer speaks French using the French Mortar's dialogue files.

Trivia

• The Armored Pistoleer is based on the Cuirassiers from the Duchy of Savoy, which eventually became part of the Carabinieri (the Italian gendarmerie).
  • Its in-game appearance is based on the Cuirassiers from the 16th century, as the unit wears a Savoyard style three quarter armor with a closed burgonet helm which resembles a human face. Three quarter armor was used until the late 17th century, when the limb armor was discarded and Cuirassiers kept only the breast and backplate.
• The Armored Pistoleer is tagged as musket infantry, although he does not wield a musket.
• Despite not using a musket, he is seen with one in its Compendium section image. This was corrected in update 13.12327.

History

“

During the early-modern period, one military innovation made by Franco-Italian states in particular was the use of dismounted elite infantry in instances where fighting on foot was preferable to being astride a horse. One such group, the Savoyard cuirassiers, flourished during the 17th century, fighting in full plate armor while wielding pistols and swords. The sight of these troops, particularly their peculiar burgonet helms – which resembled an otherworldly face – struck fear into even the most hardened adversaries.

”

Gallery

Updated Armored Pistoleer image from the Compendium section

Armored Pistoleer image from the Compendium section, before update 13.12327

An in-game Armored Pistoleer

Armored Pistoleers fighting in melee mode