Arsonist

Arsonist
Unit information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties
Type	Infantry Siege unit Ranged infantry Mercenary Grenade Trooper*
Age	Fortress Age
Training
Trained at	Tavern (Europeans) Monastery (Asians) Saloon (Americans) Palace (Africans)
Coin	250
Training time	50 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	250
Resists	50% vs. Ranged
Speed	4.0
Line of Sight	15
Population	3
XP train bounty	25
XP bounty	25
Melee attack
Damage	15
Rate of Fire	1.5
Ranged attack
Damage	28 (deals Siege damage)
Multipliers	x0.5 vs. Shock Infantry x0.5 vs. Cavalry
Range	12
Area of Effect	3
Rate of Fire	3.0
Siege attack
Damage	140
Range	12
Rate of Fire	3.0

“	Mercenary light artillery that throws fire bombs to destroy buildings. Also good against infantry.	”
—In-game description

The Arsonist is a mercenary ranged heavy infantry in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties.

Overview

Available for certain civilizations from the Home City, Arsonists can sometimes be trained from the Tavern (or equivalent building). The Arsonist costs only coin, and has a powerful ranged attack with good area effect. The Arsonist also has a high siege attack making it strong against buildings being able to level bases in short seconds.

Essentially a powerful mercenary version of the Grenadier, the Arsonist is weak against heavy cavalry, artillery, ranged cavalry, and being a mercenary, is weak against all spy units, such as the Spy, Ninja, and the Ninjitsu-Zukai (the Consulate version of the Ninja, available to Japanese players who choose the Japanese Isolationism option).

The Arsonist is similar to the Hoop Thrower, available in the Age of Empires III Act 1 campaign.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Infantry in groups, buildings
Weak vs.	Cavalry, Coyote Runners, artillery
Improvements
Hit points	Thin Red Line (+20%, British only) Cree Tanning (+5%) Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Attack	Incendiary Grenades (+15% siege attack and +1 AOE) Yoga (+5%) Clenched Fist (+30% melee attack)
Speed	Military Drummers (+10%) Quechuan Mountaineering (+20%) Apache Endurance (+5%)
Sight	Town Watch (+2)
Creation speed	Standing Army (-25%) Quechuan Diet (-25%)
Train cost	Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost)
Penalties	Thin Red Line (-25% speed, British only) Coffee Trade (-10% speed, Dutch only)

Home City Cards

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Arsonist

Green: TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team All Card Description Age HC level Fencing School Infantry train time -40% 10 The Fencing School card is not available to Chinese, Japanese, and Ottomans. Chinese Card Description Age HC level Western Reforms All units get +8% hit points and attack 40 Acupuncture Unit train time -20% 10 Dutch Card Description Age HC level TEAM Infantry Hitpoints Infantry get +15% hit points 10 Germans Card Description Age HC level Improved Mercenaries Mercenaries get +20% hit points and attack +3 Uhlans 10 Haudenosaunee Card Description Age HC level TEAM Scout Infantry Infantry get +8 LOS 10 Indians Card Description Age HC level Dravidian Martial Arts All units get +15% melee attack +1 Villager 40 TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack 25 Hire Indian Arsonists Ships 6 Arsonists +1 Villager; costs 1,000 coin 10 Hire Indian Mercenary Army Ships 5 Jat Lancers and 7 Arsonists +1 Villager; costs 2,000 coin 25 Japanese Card Description Age HC level Onin War Infantry get +33% siege attack 40 Russians Card Description Age HC level Ransack Infantry get +50% siege attack 25 TEAM Dueling School Infantry train time -25%; banner army train time -12% 25 Spanish Card Description Age HC level TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 LOS 10

Campaign

Arsonist (campaign)
Unit information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties
Type	Infantry Heavy infantry Siege infantry Ranged infantry
Training
Food	40
Coin	40
Training time	42 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	120
Resists	50% vs. Ranged
Speed	4.0
Line of Sight	15
Population	1
XP train bounty	9
XP bounty	9
Melee attack
Damage	16
Rate of Fire	1.5
Ranged attack
Damage	16
Multipliers	x0.5 vs. Shock Infantry x0.5 vs. Cavalry
Range	12
Area of Effect	3
Rate of Fire	1.5
Siege attack
Damage	27
Range	12
Rate of Fire	3.0

“	Light artillery that throws fire bombs to destroy buildings.	”
—In-game description

The Arsonist in The Asian Dynasties Act III: India campaign possesses much lower hit points and siege damage than the mercenary equivalent. However, its melee damage is slightly higher and takes up only one population. This unit is also accessible in the Scenario Editor under the Units category, as "SPC YP Arsonist".

Changelog

The Asian Dynasties

• Arsonists cost 300 coin and 2 population.

Definitive Edition

• Arsonists are now tagged as Grenade Trooper.
• Arsonists are now affected by the Incendiary Grenades technology.

Knights of the Mediterranean

• With update 13.12327, Arsonists cost 250 coin and 3 population, and all attacks inflict siege damage as well as burning damage over time.

In-game dialogue

Main article: Indians (Age of Empires III)#In-game dialogue

• आदेश [Ādeś] (command)
• तैयार [Taiyār] (ready)
• हाँ? [Hān?] (yes?)
• मैं जा रहा हूँ [Main jā rahā hūn] (I am going)
• मैं करूँगा [Main karunga] (I will do it)
• हाँ [Hān] (yes)
• युद्ध करने के लिए [Yuddh karne ke liye] (to do war – To war/To battle)
• हमला [Hamalā] (attack!)
• हाँ! [Hāṃ!] (yes!)

History

“

Before exploding into greater conflict, the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, also known as the First War of Indian Independence, consisted of series of smaller bouts of violence manifesting the Indian people’s discontent with the British occupation and the prominent role of the British East India Company in daily life. The most common of these incidents involved arson. Several months before the rebellion ignited and united the country against the foreign occupation, a number of serious fires broke out in the areas surrounding the city of Calcutta. The arson of January 24, 1857 is often considered to be the turning point between scattered uprisings and the formation of a definitive resistance movement.

”

Gallery

From left to right: Arsonist (campaign version), Arsonist (mercenary version), Repentant Arsonist

The Arsonists history portrait

The Arsonist icon from the website

Arsonist ranged attack

Campaign version

Mercenary version