Arsonist

Arsonist
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties
Type	Infantry Siege trooper Ranged infantry Grenade trooper* Mercenary
Age	Fortress Age
Training
Trained at	Tavern (Europeans) Monastery (Asians) Saloon (Americans) Palace (Africans) Lombard (Italians) Castle (with the "Rocketeers" card)
Cost	250 Coin 3 Population
Train time	50 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	250
Resistance	50% Ranged
Speed	4.0
Line of Sight	15
Train XP	25
Kill XP	25
Ranged attack
Damage	28 Siege
Area of Effect	3
Range	0-12
Rate of Fire	3.0
Bonus damage	0.4× vs. Cavalry 0.4× vs. Shock infantry
Rocket attack
Damage	28 Siege
Area of Effect	3
Range	12-20
Rate of Fire	4.0
Bonus damage	0.25× vs. Cavalry 0.25× vs. Shock infantry
Requires	"Rocketeers" card
Siege attack
Damage	140 Siege
Range	12
Rate of Fire	3.0
Hand attack
Damage	15 Siege
Rate of Fire	1.5

“	Mercenary siege infantry that is good against infantry. Throws fire bombs to destroy buildings.	”
—Arsonist in-game description

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

The Arsonist is a mercenary ranged heavy infantry unit 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 and Ninja.

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

Their ability 'Burning Damage' affects their target with a burning effect dealing 1 siege damage per second for 10 seconds, which can stack with multiple hits. It deals full damage when applied to buildings, and 0.4x damage to cavalry and shock infantry. Note that the effect is only applied by their siege, melee, and rocket attacks. Their default ranged attack does not apply any burning damage.

Special Abilities

• Burning Damage (Passive): Burning damage inflicts further damage after the target was hit.

Civilization differences

• The Germans' Battleships can train Arsonists through the "Adler von Lübeck" Home City Card (if they are available in the Tavern).
• The Indians can upgrade Arsonists to Rocketeers through the "Rocketeers" Home City Card, that attack units with rockets at longer range and can be trained at Castles and the Monastery.
• The United States can get Arsonists 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.	Infantry in groups, buildings
Weak vs.	Cavalry, shock infantry, artillery, MercType2
Improvements
Hit points	Cree Tanning (+5%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Navajo Weaving (+5%) Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack	Armatoloi (+5%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Yoga (+5%) Clenched Fist (+25% hand damage) Incendiary Grenades (+15% siege attack multiplier vs. buildings and +1 ranged attack Area of Effect)
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	Tilly's Discipline (+10% cost; Germans only)

Home City Cards

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

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

• Definitive Edition
• The Asian Dynasties

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
British Grenadiers	Grenade trooper damage +15%, siege attack damage +20%; Grenadier Line of Sight +2 and replaces it ranged attack with a mortar attack; card plays a jingle upon arrival
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%
Siege Hitpoints	Artillery and Flamethrower hit points +15%; grenade trooper hit points +20%
Siege Attack	Artillery and Flamethrower damage +15%; grenade trooper damage +20%
Siege Combat	Artillery hit points and damage +15%; Flamethrower and grenade trooper hit points and damage +20%
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%
Ignatian Spirituality	Unit (except herded animals) hit points +5%, regeneration rate +1.0 (even in combat)

Europeans

Card	Description	Age
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)

• "Loyal Warriors" is available to the Italians, Maltese, Ottomans, and Portuguese upon revolting to the Barbary States.
• "Outlaw Combat" is available upon revolting to the Barbary States, Hungary, and Mexico.
• "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

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
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
Rocketeers	Upgrades Arsonists to Rocketeers: bonus damage against infantry 1.25x, gets a rocket attack, and enables it to be trained at Castles and the Monastery, +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%
Hire Indian Arsonists	Delivers 6 Arsonists, +1 Hindu Villager; costs 1,000 coin
Hire Indian Mercenary Army	Delivers 7 Arsonists and 5 Jat Lancers, +1 Hindu Villager; costs 2,000 coin

Italians

Card	Description	Age
Infantry Hitpoints	Infantry hit points +15%
Schiavoni Swords	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry all melee attack damage +15%

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

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
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
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 Nicolas" is available upon selecting the Michoacán 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
Kuleli School	Janissary, Azap, Nizam Fusilier, Abus Gunner, grenade trooper, and Bashibozuk hit points and damage +15%
Cebeci	Abus Gunner and grenade trooper hit points +20%
Topçular	Artillery, artillery trooper, and grenade trooper hit points and damage +15%
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
Artillery Hitpoints	Grenade trooper hit points +30%; artillery 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
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
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.
• "Indiana Mobilization" is available upon selecting the Indiana Federal State.

Shared

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Fencing School	Infantry (except Skull Knights) train time -40% (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Villager for the Indians)		10

• "Fencing School" is available to Europeans (except the Ottomans), and the Indians.

Chinese

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Western Reforms	All units get +8% hit points and damage		40
Acupuncture	All units' (except monks, Heavy Cannon, Flying Crow, and Summer Palace banner army) 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 damage		10

Indians

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Dravidian Martial Arts	All units get +15% all melee attack damage; +1 Villager		40
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics	All units get +5% hit points and damage		25
Hire Indian Arsonists	Delivers 6 Arsonists; costs 1,000 coin; +1 Villager		10
Hire Indian Mercenary Army	Delivers 5 Jat Lancers and 7 Arsonists; costs 2,000 coin; +1 Villager		25

Iroquois

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Scout Infantry	Infantry get +8 Line of Sight		10

Japanese

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Onin War	Infantry get +33% siege attack damage		40

Russians

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Ransack	Infantry get +50% siege attack damage		25
TEAM Dueling School	Infantry (except Skull Knights), Old Han Army, and Territorial Army train time -25%; Black Flag Army, Standard Army, Ming Army, and Imperial Army train time -12%		25

Spanish

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Inquisition	All units get +10 Line of Sight		10

Variants

• Campaign
• Outlaw

Indian Arsonist
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties
Type	Infantry Siege trooper Ranged infantry
Internal name	SPC YP Arsonist
Training
Cost	40 Food 40 Coin 1 Population
Train time	42 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	120
Resistance	50% Ranged
Speed	4.0
Line of Sight	15
Train XP	8
Kill XP	8
Ranged attack
Damage	16 Siege
Area of Effect	3
Range	12
Rate of Fire	1.5
Bonus damage	0.5× vs. Cavalry 0.5× vs. Shock infantry
Siege attack
Damage	27 Siege
Range	12
Rate of Fire	3.0
Hand attack
Damage	16 Hand
Rate of Fire	1.5

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

The Indian Arsonist in The Asian Dynasties Act III: India campaign possesses much lower hit points and siege damage than the mercenary equivalent. However, its hand 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".

Marathan Arsonist
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition
Type	Infantry Siege trooper Ranged infantry Grenade trooper Outlaw
Age	Commerce Age
Training
Trained at	Tavern (Europeans) Monastery (Asians) Lombard (Italians)
Cost	180 Coin 4 Population
Train time	50 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	200
Resistance	20% Ranged
Speed	4.5
Line of Sight	15
Train XP	36
Kill XP	36
Ranged attack
Damage	20 Siege
Area of Effect	3
Range	16
Rate of Fire	3.0
Bonus damage	0.5x vs. Cavalry 0.5x vs. Shock infantry 0.5x vs. Villager 0.5x vs. Artillery
Siege attack
Damage	27 Siege
Range	12
Rate of Fire	1.5
Hand attack
Damage	8 Hand
Rate of Fire	1.5

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

The Marathan Arsonist is an Outlaw variant of the Arsonist, exclusive to Unknown maps.

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

The Arsonist speaks Modern Hindi.

• Select 1 Hān? (हाँ?) - Yes?
• Select 2 Taiyār (तैयार) - Ready
• Select 3 Aadesh (आदेश) - Command
• Move 1 Hān (हाँ) - Yes
• Move 2 Main karoonga (मैं करूँगा) - I will do it (masculine)
• Move 3 Main jā rahā hūn (मैं जा रहा हूँ) - I am going (masculine)
• Attack 1 Hamalā (हमला) - Attack!
• Attack 2 Yuddh karne ke liye (युद्ध करने के लिए) - To Battle!
• Attack 3 Hān! (हाँ!) - 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.	”
—In-game compendium section

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

Arsonist image from the Compendium section

In-game Arsonist in the Definitive Edition

In-game Rocketeer