Berber Camel Rider

This article is about the unit in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The African Royals. For other uses, see Camel Rider.

Berber Camel Rider
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The African Royals
Type	Cavalry Light ranged cavalry Hand cavalry Camel Native warrior
Age	Commerce Age
Training
Trained at	Trading Post or Tambo on a Berber kingdom Native Embassy
Cost	120 Food 60 Coin
Train time	40 seconds
Train limit	9 per Berber kingdom
Statistics
Hit points	300
Resistance	20% Hand
Speed	7.0
Line of Sight	12
Special ability	Musket Attack (with Berber Fantasia)
Train XP	20
Kill XP	20
Siege attack
Damage	14 Siege
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0
Hand attack
Damage	22 Hand
Rate of Fire	1.5
Bonus damage	2.0× vs. Cavalry 1.6× vs. Shock infantry 1.5× vs. Artillery 0.75× vs. Villager 0.5× vs. Light infantry
Trample attack
Damage	14.67 Hand
Area of Effect	3
Rate of Fire	2.0
Bonus damage	Same as hand attack

“	Berber light cavalry warrior riding a fast camel that terrifies horses. Good against cavalry and artillery. Countered by light infantry.	”
—In-game description

The Berber Camel Rider is a light melee cavalry native warrior in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The African Royals that can be trained at a Trading Post or Tambo built on a Berber kingdom.

In-game information

“

The Camel Rider is a powerful Berber cavalry unit that excels at fighting other cavalry units. Unlike all other Hand Cavalry, it is classed as "Light Cavalry" meaning it is more similar to and countered by the same units as Ranged Cavalry, such as Dragoons.

”

Overview

Berber Camel Riders are light ranged cavalry units which perform hand attacks. It counters both heavy cavalry and light ranged cavalry, while benefiting from improvements which affect hand cavalry. Compared to conventional light ranged cavalry, the Berber Camel Rider is especially weak to ranged heavy infantry like Musketeers because it cannot retaliate properly with hit-and-run tactics. Despite being hand cavalry, it is still weak to ranged light infantry such as Crossbowmen and Skirmishers.

Due to their unusual classification, they can be considered as strong Cavalry Archers stuck in melee mode. They do well against cavalry thanks to their bonuses and hand resistance, making them an excellent choice against raids and rushes. They also perform well against artillery. However, their usefulness is limited by their negative multipliers against light infantry and villagers, as well as their low build limit.

Special abilities

• Musket Attack: The Berber Camel Rider fires a musket shot that does 24 ranged damage from a range of 15, with the same bonus damage as the standard hand attack. Activate automatically when charged. 30 second cooldown. Requires Berber Fantasia.

Upgrades

Age	Upgrade	Cost	Effect
	Berber Warrior Societies	150 wood 100 coin	Upgrades Berber Camel Riders to Elite (+25% hit points and damage)
	Champion Berbers	400 wood 300 coin	Upgrades Berber Camel Riders to Champion (+35% hit points and damage); requires Berber Warrior Societies
Imperial Age	Legendary Native Warriors Exalted Natives	1,500 food 1,500 wood	Upgrades Berber Camel Riders to Legendary (+50% hit points and damage)

• The Legendary Native Warriors technology is available in the Capitol for European civilizations and the Mexicans, the State Capitol for the United States, and the Town Center for Asian (as Exalted Natives) and Native American civilizations.
• For African civilizations, native warriors are upgraded automatically and for free.

Civilization differences

• African civilizations can train Berber Camel Riders for 155 influence.
• The Hausa can train Berber Camel Riders at Palaces and Native Embassies after choosing the Berber Alliance. Aging up to the Fortress Age, Industrial Age, or Imperial Age with this Alliance also ships 4, 5, and 10 Berber Camel Riders respectively.
• Indian Berber Camel Riders auto gather 3 food per minute after sending the "Grazing" Home City Card.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Cavalry, shock infantry, counter-skirmishers, artillery
Weak vs.	Heavy infantry, light infantry, Ninjas
Improvements
Hit points	Comanche Horse Breeding (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Navajo Weaving (+5%) Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack	Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Yoga (+5%) Pillage (+25% siege attack multiplier vs. buildings) Horsemanship (+1.0 multiplier vs. Walls; Lakota only) Wind Horses (-10% Rate of Fire)
Resistance	Sudanese Quilted Armor (+10% hand resistance) Pancerni (+10% ranged resistance)
Speed	Cherokee War Dance (+20%) Horse Secrets (+10%; Haudenosaunee only) Apache Endurance (+5%) Comanche Mustangs (+5%) Wind Horses (+0.5)
Line of Sight	Berber Fantasia (+5) Town Watch (+3)
Cost	Philhellenism (-10%) Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost) Golden Liberty (-5% coin cost)
Train time	Cree Kinship (-45%) Cheyenne Horse Trading (-40%) Horse Secrets (-35%; Haudenosaunee only) Mass Cavalry (-35%) Horsemanship (-33%; Lakota only) Terror Charge (-20%; Indians only) Quechuan Diet (-15%) Immigrants (-10%) New Mexico Immigration (-10%; United States only) Philhellenism (-10%) Shaman Drums (-10%) Strangers' Quarters (-10%; Africans only)
Other	Berber Fantasia (get the "Musket Attack" charged ability) Jagiellonian Legacy (delivers 3/5/10 Berber Camel Riders if the Berber Alliance was chosen for the Hausa to reach the Fortress/Industrial/Imperial Age respectively) Yoruba Herbalism (regenerates hit points when close to a tree or Berry Bush) Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost)

Home City Cards

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

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)

Shared

Card	Description	Age
Cavalry Damage	Cavalry damage +15%
Cavalry Hitpoints	Cavalry hit points +15%
Cavalry Combat	Cavalry hit points and damage +15%
Native Treaties	Each different allied native tribe sends a shipment of their respective native warriors
Native Alliance	Native warrior cost -10%, train limit +20%
Native Warriors	Native warrior cost -25%
Native Warrior Combat	Native warrior hit points and damage +15%
TEAM Native Weapon Trade	Native warrior train limit +20%
Blood Brothers	Upgrades native warriors to Elite/Disciplined/Veteran and Champion/Honored/Royal Guard; Native Embassy build limit +5, hit points +40%
Liberation March	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry train time -35%, speed +5%
Riding School	Cavalry train time -40%; Cuirassier, Oprichnik, and Hakkapelit train time -35% instead; Gatling Camel train time -20% instead

• "Cavalry Damage" is available to the British, Lakota, and Swedes.
• "Cavalry Hitpoints" is available to the British and Haudenosaunee.
• "Cavalry Combat" is available to the British, Dutch, French, Italians, Lakota, Mexicans, Ottomans, Russians, and Spanish.
• "Native Treaties" is available to Africans (in the Industrial Age), Europeans (except the Maltese), Federal Americans, and Native Americans, and ships 3 Berber Camel Riders if the player had built a Trading Post or Tambo (for the Inca) on a Berber kingdom.
• "Native Alliance" is available to the Aztecs, Inca, Indians, and Japanese.
• "Native Warriors" is available to Europeans, the Lakota and Mexicans.
• "Native Warrior Combat" is available to the French, Haudenosaunee, and Inca, and also Mexicans upon revolting to the Maya, and British upon revolting to Haiti.
• "TEAM Native Weapon Trade" is available to the Dutch and Lakota, and also British and French upon revolting to Canada.
• "Blood Brothers" is available to the Aztecs, French, Germans, Haudenosaunee, Lakota, Portuguese, Russians, and Spanish, and also British upon revolting to Canada or Haiti.
• "Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
• "Riding School" is available to Europeans (except the Maltese 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)
6 Berber Allies	Delivers 6 Berber Camel Riders; costs 500 influence

Asians

Card	Description	Age
Native Warrior Hitpoints	Native warrior hit points +30%, speed +10%
Native Warrior Attack	Native warrior train time -25%, damage +30%

• "Native Warrior Hitpoints" is not available to the Japanese.
• "Native Warrior Attack" is not available to the Indians.

Chinese

Card	Description	Age
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%

Ethiopians

Card	Description	Age
Ignatian Spirituality	Unit (except herded animals) hit points +5%, regeneration rate +1.0 (even in combat)
15 Berber Allies	Delivers 15 Berber Camel Riders; costs 1,000 influence

Europeans

Card	Description	Age
Blandengues	Hand cavalry cost -20%
Loyal Warriors	Native warrior, mercenary, and outlaw cost -15%; "TEAM 4 Zenata Rider", "Recruit Xebec", "Recruit Xebecs", and "15 Berber Allies" cost no coin
15 Berber Allies	Delivers 15 Berber Camel Riders; costs 1,000 coin
Sevites	Maroon, native warrior, and villager hit points regeneratation rate 0.25%; Yoruba Eso Riders lose 0.35% hit points per second instead, Militiamen lose 1.9% hit points per second, and for both stops at 25% hit points
Louverture Liberation	Delivers 6 Citizens; enables Citizens to be trained at Town Centers for 70 coin; enables Fishing Boats to be trained at Docks; native warrior train limit +20%, speed +5%
Junín Hussars	Hand cavalry and hand shock infantry train time -30%, speed +5% (train time -20% and no speed bonus if stacked with Liberation March)
Wanderlust	Land military and land villager hit points +5%; land villager and construction wagon speed +5% (can be sent 3 times)

• "Blandengues" is available to the Germans, Italians, and Spanish upon revolting to Argentina.
• "Loyal Warriors" and "15 Berber Allies" are available to the Italians, Maltese, Ottomans, and Portuguese upon revolting to the Barbary States.
• "Sevites" and "Louverture Liberation" are available to the British and French upon revolting to Haiti.
• "Junín Hussars" is available to the Portuguese and Spanish upon revolting to Peru.
• "Wanderlust" is available to the British and Dutch upon revolting to South Africa.

French

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Hand Cavalry Attack	Hand cavalry and hand shock infantry damage +15%
Wilderness Warfare	Coureur des Bois, Cree Coureur des Bois, native warrior, Skirmisher, and Settler hit points +20%
TEAM French Auxiliaries Combat	Native warrior hit points and damage +10%
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
TEAM Cavalry Attack	Heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry damage +10%; Germans-only heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry damage +15% instead
Spanish Riding School	Cavalry speed +10%, +4 Uhlans

• "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the Italian "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.

Haudenosaunee

Card	Description	Age
Native Warrior Conscription	Native warrior cost -25%, train limit +20%
Wampum	Unit train bounty +35%, train time -20%, siege unit and artillery train time -5% instead; building build bounty +35%

Hausa

Card	Description	Age
Sahelian Kingdoms	Native warrior hit points and damage +15%; mercenary and outlaw hit points and damage +10%
8 Berber Allies	Delivers 8 Berber Camel Riders; costs 500 influence

Inca

Card	Description	Age
Road Building	Land military speed +10%
Couriers	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry train time -45%

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%
Camel Attack	Camel damage +30%, +1 Hindu Villager
Grazing	Camel (except Gatling Camels) auto gather food 0.05; elephant auto gather wood 0.1; Sacred Cow auto gather coin 0.075, +1 Hindu Villager

Italians

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Cavalry Attack	Heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry damage +10%; Italians-only heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry damage +15% instead
Schiavoni Swords	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry all melee attack damage +15%

• "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the German "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.

Japanese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Sengoku	Unit upgrade cost -20%
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
Morning Star	Temporarily reveals all enemies and treasures; Axe Rider can now loot treasures for double the resources or XP; hand cavalry bonus damage against treasure guardian +2.0
TEAM Mustangs	Cavalry and shock infantry cost -10%
Black Arrow	Native warrior train time -85%
Winter Counts	Unit train bounty +40%; building build bounty +20%

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 Casa Mata	Transforms all Dragoons into Chinacos; hand cavalry speed +5%; costs 250 food, 250 wood
TEAM Mariachi	For the next 30 seconds, military building training and research work rate +400%, unit speed +10%
Chimayó Genizarios	Each different allied native tribe sends a large shipment of their respective native warriors and upgrades them to Elite and Champion; native warrior train time -10%; "Native Treaties" arrive time -50%; costs 500 food, 500 wood
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

• "Chimayó Genizarios" ships 6 Berber Camel Riders if the player had built a Trading Post on a Berber kingdom.
• "Colegio de San Nicolas" is available upon selecting the Michoacán Federal State.
• "National Servant" is available upon selecting the Estado de México Federal State.

Ottomans

Card	Description	Age
Akincis	Light ranged cavalry bonus damage against villagers +100%; Cavalry Archer train time -15%
8 Berber Allies	Delivers 8 Berber Camel Riders; costs 500 coin

Russians

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Kamchatka Expeditions	Cavalry and shock infantry hit points +10%, Line of Sight +4

Spanish

Card	Description	Age
Hand Cavalry Attack	Hand cavalry damage +15%
Hand Cavalry Hitpoints	Hand cavalry hit points +15%
TEAM Spanish Inquisition	Delivers 1 Inquisitor; military and economic unit Line of Sight +10

Swedes

Card	Description	Age
Hand Infantry/Hand Cavalry Hitpoints	Hand infantry and hand cavalry hit points +15%

United States

Card	Description	Age
Indian Friendship	Each different allied native tribe sends a large shipment of their respective native warriors and upgrades them to Elite and Champion; native warrior train time -10%; "Seminole Scouts", "Apache Scouts", "Navajo Scouts", "1st Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters", and "Native Treaties" arrive time -50%; costs 500 food, 500 wood
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
Seminole Ponies	Delivers 9 Hussars; cavalry train time -10%; hand cavalry hit points and damage +15%, speed +5%	Imperial Age

• "Indian Friendship" ships 6 Berber Camel Riders if the player had built a Trading Post on a Berber kingdom.
• "Indiana Mobilization" is available upon selecting the Indiana Federal State.
• "Seminole Ponies" is available upon selecting the Florida Federal State.

Changelog

Knights of the Mediterranean

• With update 14.43676, Berber Camel Riders have a ×0.5 melee and charged attack multiplier against light infantry.

In-game dialogue

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

History

“

Although not the primary mount of choice in most situations, camels had an attribute that made them deadly against forces of enemy cavalry: their smell terrifies horses. Armed with a straight takoba sword – a weapon typical of the Tuareg, Hausa, and Fulani – camel riders posed a formidable challenge to opposing mounted forces.

”

Trivia

• The Berber Camel Rider is the only light ranged cavalry unit that is tagged as hand cavalry.

Gallery

Berber Camel Rider image from the Compendium section

In-game Berber Camel Rider

Berber Camel Rider fires a musket