Axe Rider

"Mounted warrior good against skirmishers, foot archers, and artillery."

—In-game description

The Axe Rider is a melee heavy cavalry in Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs that is unique to the Sioux and can be trained at the Corral.

Overview Edit

The Axe Rider has a higher attack than most other cavalry units, making it quick and efficient at killing light infantry. However, Axe Riders also have relatively low HP, so it is recommended to guard them from heavy infantry and ranged cavalry. Mass Axe Rider production relies on gathering a large amount of food so it is advisable to take control of the map early and secure as many hunts as possible to produce them in large numbers.

It is good idea to combine them with Rifle Rider as the Rifle Riders can break through the enemy's line of Musketeers and Pikemen, allowing the Axe Riders to reach the Skirmishers or Artillery they were protecting and eliminate them.

The Morning Star card, available for a level 40 Sioux Home City, grants the Axe Rider the ability to convert Treasure Guardians. Having a group of Axe Riders accompanying the Sioux War Chief allows the player to quickly collect all treasures and convert all Treasure Guardians.

Abilities Edit

Ability	Effect
Nature Friendship	Converts a Treasure Guardian to the Axe Rider's side with the process taking 4 seconds to complete; 90 seconds cooldown, requires Morning Star Home City Card

Upgrades Edit

Age	Improvement	Cost	Effect
	Elite Axe Riders	200 wood, 100 coin	Upgrades Axe Riders to Elite (+25% hit points and attack)
	Champion Axe Riders	400 wood, 200 coin	Upgrades Axe Riders to Champion (+25% hit points and attack); requires Elite Axe Riders
	Legendary Axe Riders	1,500 wood, 1,500 coin	Upgrades Axe Riders to Legendary (+50% hit points and attack); requires Champion Axe Riders

Further statistics Edit

As the Axe Rider can only be trained by the Sioux, only improvements available to them (including native improvements) are listed here.

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Ranged infantry, light infantry, artillery
Weak vs.	Heavy infantry, light cavalry
Improvements
Hit points	Horsemanship (+10%) Cavalry Cuirass (+10%) Comanche Horse Breeding (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Attack	Bonepipe Armor (+1.0x multiplier vs. artillery) Pillage (+25% siege attack) Yoga (+5%)
Speed	Comanche Mustangs (+10%) Apache Endurance (+5%)
Creation speed	Cheyenne Horse Trading (-25%) Incan Chasquis Messengers (-25%)
Train cost	Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost)
Other	Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost)

Home City Cards Edit

As the Axe Rider is exclusive to the Sioux, only other civilizations' TEAM cards that affects them are listed here.

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Axe Rider

Green: TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team Purple: Shipment that can be sent an INFINITE number of times French Edit Card Description Age Home City level TEAM Hand Cavalry Attack Heavy cavalry and Coyote Runners get +15% attack 10 Germans Edit Card Description Age Home City level TEAM Cavalry Attack Heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and light infantry gets +15% attack 10 Indians Edit Card Description Age Home City level TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack 25 Japanese Edit Card Description Age Home City level TEAM Cheaper Unit Upgrades Unit upgrades cost -20% 1 Russians Edit Card Description Age Home City level TEAM Cavalry Scouts Cavalry and light infantry gets +10% hit points and +4 LOS 1 Sioux Edit Card Description Age Home City level Morning Star Axe Riders can use the Nature Friendship ability 40 Evening Star Turns all Axe Riders into Rifle Riders 25 3 Axe Riders Ships 3 Axe Riders 1 4 Axe Riders Ships 4 Axe Riders 1 4 Axe Riders Ships 4 Axe Riders 10 5 Axe Riders Ships 5 Axe Riders 10 8 Axe Riders Ships 8 Axe Riders 25 6 Axe Riders Ships 6 Axe Riders 40 Cavalry Damage Cavalry gets +15% attack 10 Cavalry Hitpoints Cavalry gets +15% hit points 10 Cavalry Combat Cavalry gets +15% hit points and attack 25 Mustangs Cavalry costs -10% 10 Riding School Cavalry train time -40% 10 Lakota Support Ships 7 Axe Riders and 9 Bisons; costs 1,000 coin 1 Santee Support Ships 6 Axe Riders and Axe Riders get +20% hit points; costs 1,000 coin 10 Spanish Edit Card Description Age Home City level TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 LOS 10

Trivia Edit

• Despite being called Axe Rider, the weapon used by the Axe Rider is a gunstock war club, an indigenous weapon used by Native Americans. Indigenous tribes of America most likely created the design of the club based upon European firearms.
  • The other units that utilise these clubs are the Kanya Horseman, Lakota Axe Rider and the War Club.

History Edit

"When the Sioux discovered horses, they were so impressed they named the new animal the Wonder Dog. It changed their entire way of life. Almost overnight, they became one of the most famous nomad peoples of history. Their effectiveness in combat is best summed up by the fact that the Sioux were long considered the best cavalry in the world."

Gallery Edit

An in-game Axe Rider

An in-game Elite Axe Rider

An in-game Champion/Legendary Axe Rider

The Axe Rider from the in-game History section

Add a photo to this gallery

Units in Age of Empires III
Age of Empires III
General	Explorer · Pikeman · Musketeer · Crossbowman · Skirmisher · Minuteman · Halberdier · Grenadier · Hussar · Dragoon · Cavalry Archer · Falconet · Heavy Cannon · Culverin · Mortar · Caravel · Galleon · Frigate · Monitor · Horse Artillery* · Petard* · Spy*
Revolution*	Colonial Militia · Gatling Gun · Ironclad
British	Longbowman · Rocket
Dutch	Ruyter · Fluyt
French	Cuirassier
Germans	Doppelsoldner · Uhlan · War Wagon
Ottomans	Janissary · Abus Gun · Great Bombard · Galley · Spahi
Portuguese	Cassador · Organ Gun
Russians	Strelet · Cossack · Oprichnik
Spanish	Rodelero · Lancer
The WarChiefs
Aztecs	Aztec War Chief · Coyote Runner · Macehualtin · Puma Spearman · Arrow Knight · Eagle Runner Knight · Jaguar Prowl Knight · Warrior Priest · Skull Knight · Canoe · War Canoe · Tlaloc Canoe
Iroquois	Iroquois War Chief · Aenna · Tomahawk · Forest Prowler · Kanya Horseman · Musket Rider · Ram · Mantlet · Light Cannon · Canoe · War Canoe
Sioux	Sioux War Chief · Cetan Bow · War Club · Wakina Rifle · Axe Rider · Bow Rider · Rifle Rider · Tashunke Prowler · Dog Soldier · Canoe · War Canoe
The Asian Dynasties
Chinese	Shaolin Master · Disciple  · Chu Ko Nu · Qiang Pikeman · Changdao Swordsman · Arquebusier · Steppe Rider · Keshik · Iron Flail · Meteor Hammer · Hand Mortar · Flamethrower · Flying Crow · Fire Junk · War Junk · Fuchuan · Monitor
Indians	Brahmin · Rajput · Sepoy · Gurkha · Urumi · Sowar · Zamburak · Mahout Lancer · Howdah · Flail Elephant · Siege Elephant · Caravel · Galleon · Frigate · Monitor
Japanese	Ikko-Ikki · Samurai · Ashigaru Musketeer · Yumi Archer · Naginata Rider · Yabusame · Flaming Arrow · Morutaru · Daimyo · Yamabushi · Shinobi · Hatamoto Samurai · Fune · Atakabune · Tekkousen · Monitor
*   introduced in The Warchiefs
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