Bosniak

Bosniak
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - Knights of the Mediterranean
Type	Cavalry Heavy cavalry Hand cavalry Lance cavalry Mercenary
Age	Fortress Age
Training
Trained at	Tavern (Europeans) Monastery (Asians) Saloon (Americans) Palace (Africans) Lombard (Italians)
Cost	350 Coin 3 Population
Train time	50 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	550
Resistance	20% Ranged
Speed	6.75
Line of Sight	15
Ability	Combat Promotion
Special ability	Lance Charge
XP train bounty	35
XP kill bounty	35
Siege attack
Damage	45 Siege
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0
Hand attack
Damage	45 Hand
Range	3
Rate of Fire	1.5
Bonus damage	1.5x Infantry 0.67x Heavy infantry
Trample attack
Damage	30 Hand
Area of Effect	3
Rate of Fire	2.0
Bonus damage	Same as hand attack

“	Mercenary lancer with a powerful lance attack that charges while fighting. Benefits from Promotions.	”
—In-game description

The Bosniak is a mercenary heavy cavalry unit in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - Knights of the Mediterranean.

Overview

The Bosniak is an expensive heavy cavalry unit with high hit points, base attack, and better siege damage than the typical Lancer. It is effective against light infantry, but vulnerable against heavy infantry and light cavalry.

As they are armed with a lance, Bosniaks have slightly more range than other melee cavalry units. Their hand attack deals additional damage against infantry units, mainly archers and Skirmishers, which can be increased with the "Caballeros" Home City Card. Players must consider that Bosniaks are not well suited to take down heavy infantry such as Pikemen or Musketeers due to their negative attack multipliers, in addition to the heavy infantry's bonus damage against cavalry in melee combat, especially if the enemy manages to mass these units.

However, their high hit points and base attack makes them more useful against artillery than other lance-wielding units, as long as they are not outnumbered by them. Also, they can take down villagers more easily in comparison with other lancer units. Due to their Combat Promotion ability, they can perform well in battle if players manage to keep them alive, being a good addition to other cavalry and artillery groups.

Promotion

Bosniaks benefit from the Combat Promotion. This ability increases their hit points and attack after defeating an enemy military unit, up to a maximum of three enemy units. These stats can be higher with Home City Cards or upgrades that benefit cavalry.

Promotion	Bronze Rank	Silver Rank	Gold Rank
Combat Promotion	+5% hit points and attack damage	+10% hit points and attack damage	+15% hit points and attack damage

Special ability

• Lance Charge: (automatically activated when attacking with a cooldown of 60 seconds): The Bosniak charges at the enemy with his lance, which deals 67.5 hand damage, has a range of 3 and an Area of Effect of 2.

Civilization differences

• The Germans' Battleships can train Bosniaks through the "Adler von Lübeck" Home City Card (if they are available in the Tavern).

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Infantry, artillery
Weak vs.	Heavy infantry, light ranged cavalry, ranged shock infantry
Improvements
Hit points	Cavalry Cuirass (+10%) 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) Wind Horses (-10% Rate of Fire)
Resistance	Kapikulu Corps (+10% hand resistance; Ottomans only) Sudanese Quilted Armor (+10% hand resistance) Pancerni (+10% ranged resistance)
Line of Sight	Town Watch (+3)
Speed	Apache Endurance (+5%) Comanche Mustangs (+5%) Wind Horses (+0.5)
Train time	Cheyenne Horse Trading (-40%) Mass Cavalry (-35%) Terror Charge (-20%; Indians only) Blue Nile Ties (-15%; Ethiopians only) Quechuan Diet (-15%) Immigrants (-10%) New Mexico Immigration (-10%; United States only) Philhellenism (-10%) Shaman Drums (-10%) Strangers' Quarters (-10%; Africans only) Wallenstein's Contracts (-10%; Germans only)
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)
Other	Multinationalism (ships 8 random European mercenaries)

Home City Cards

Click for a list of cards related to the Bosniak

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)

All

Card	Description	Age
Cavalry Damage	Cavalry get +15% damage
Cavalry Hitpoints	Cavalry get +15% hit points
Cavalry Combat	Cavalry get +15% hit points and damage
Caballeros	Lance cavalry get +1.0 hand attack bonus damage against infantry and +1 hand attack range
Liberation March	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry get +5% speed and -35% train time
Riding School	Cavalry train time -40%; Cuirassier and Oprichnik train time -35% instead; Gatling Camel train time -20% instead (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)
Outlaw Combat	Outlaws and mercenaries get +15% hit points and damage (costs 500 coin for Baja California)

• "Cavalry Damage" is available to the British and Lakota.
• "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.
• "Caballeros" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish, and also to the Germans and Italians upon revolting to Argentina.
• "Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
• "Riding School" is available to Europeans (except the Maltese and Spanish) and Indians.
• "Outlaw Combat" is available to the Mexicans upon revolting to Baja California and Europeans upon revolting to the Barbary States, Hungary, and Mexico.

Africans

Card	Description	Age
Feudal Armies	All units' train time -15%; hero respawn time -15%
Loyal Warriors	Native warriors, mercenaries, and outlaws cost -15% (also affects shipments)

Chinese

Card	Description	Age
Western Reforms	All units get +8% hit points and damage
Acupuncture	All units' (except monks) train time -20%; Heavy Cannon, Flying Crow, and Summer Palace banner army spawn time -5%

Dutch

Card	Description	Age
Dutch States Army	Mercenary train time -15% and shipments arrive time -20%; mercenaries (except Napoleon Guns and Li'l Bombards) get +7% speed; Highlanders can be trained at Barracks, Royal Horsemen at Stables, and both at the Tavern; Pikemen, Halberdiers, Skirmishers, Hussars, and Ruyters cost +10%

Ethiopians

Card	Description	Age
Ignatian Spirituality	All units get +5% hit points and regeneration capability even while in combat

Europeans

Card	Description	Age
Hire Bosniaks	Delivers 6 Bosniaks; costs 1,000 coin
Mercenary Loyalty	Mercenary and native warrior shipments cost -25% (-10% for INFINITE cards)
Blandengues	Hand cavalry cost -20%
Loyal Warriors	Native warriors, mercenaries, and outlaws cost -15%; "TEAM 4 Zenata Rider", "Recruit Xebec", "Recruit Xebecs", and "15 Berber Allies" cost no coin
Junín Hussars	Hand cavalry and hand shock infantry get +5% speed and -30% train time (only get -20% train time if stacked with "Liberation March")
Wanderlust	Land military units and land villagers get +5% hit points; land villagers and construction wagons get +5% speed

• "Hire Bosniaks" is available to the Dutch, Germans (with +1 extra Bosniak), and Ottomans.
• "Mercenary Loyalty" reduces cost of "Hire Bosniaks" by 25%.
• "Blandengues" is available to the Germans, Italians, and Spanish upon revolting to Argentina.
• "Loyal Warriors" is available to the Italians, Maltese, Ottomans, and Portuguese upon revolting to the Barbary States.
• "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, and can be sent 3 times.

French

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Hand Cavalry Attack	Hand cavalry and hand shock infantry get +15% damage
Cult of the Supreme Being	The player gains +10% XP from training units and other players receive -10% XP from defeating them; Sansculottes gather resources from Crates 50% faster; food from Berry Bushes and Cherry Orchards 25% faster; wood from trees and Mango Groves and coin from mines 20% faster; food from huntable and herdable animals, Mills, Farms and coin from Estates 15% faster
Hire Bosniaks	Delivers 7 Bosniaks; costs 1,000 coin

• "Cult of the Supreme Being" and "Hire Bosniaks" (after sending the "Napoleonic Era" Home City Card) are available upon revolting to Revolutionary France.
• "Mercenary Loyalty" reduces cost of "Hire Bosniaks" by 25%.

Germans

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Cavalry Attack	Heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry get +10% damage; Germans-only heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% damage instead
Spanish Riding School	Cavalry get +10% speed; +4 Uhlans
Improved Mercenaries	Mercenaries get +15% hit points and damage
Adler von Lübeck	Delivers 1 Battleship and 1 Privateer; Battleships can train mercenaries; costs 900 food, 900 wood, 900 coin

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

Hausa

Card	Description	Age
Sahelian Kingdoms	Native warriors get +15% hit points and damage; mercenaries and outlaws get +10% hit points and damage

Inca

Card	Description	Age
Road Building	Land military units get +10% speed

Indians

Card	Description	Age
Dravidian Martial Arts	All units get +15% all melee attack damage; Rajputs get +20% all melee attack damage instead; +1 Hindu Villager
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics	All units get +5% hit points and damage

Italians

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Cavalry Attack	Heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry get +10% damage; Italian-only heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% damage instead
Schiavoni Swords	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% all melee attack damage
Albanian Company	Delivers 4 Bosniaks and 4 Stradiots; costs 500 food, 500 wood, 500 coin

• "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the German "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.
• "Mercenary Loyalty" reduces cost of "Albanian Company" by 25%.

Japanese

Card	Description	Age
Bakufu	Daimyo and Shogun Tokugawa get +5% speed, +10 Line of Sight and train units 15% faster; land military unit train time -20%, artillery and banner army train time -10% instead

Lakota

Card	Description	Age
Morning Star	Temporarily reveals all enemies and treasures; Axe Riders can loot treasures for double the resources or XP; hand cavalry get +2.0 attack bonus damage against treasure guardians
TEAM Mustangs	Cavalry and shock infantry cost -10%

Maltese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Knights of the Round Table	Delivers 1 Hospitaller for each Town Center and Command Post build; all units get +2% hit points
Squires	Military buildings train and research work 80% faster, except Forts which train and research work 260% faster

Mexicans

Card	Description	Age
Plan of Casa Mata	Turns all Dragoons into Chinacos; hand cavalry get +5% speed; costs 250 food, 250 wood
TEAM Mariachi	For the next 30 seconds, military buildings work 400% faster and units get +10% speed
Colegio de San Nicolás	Delivers Books of 500 XP; units get +4 and buildings (except Walls) get +8 Line of Sight; sees what enemies can see for 20 seconds
National Servant	All units get +10% hit points; Padre healing 200% faster

• "Colegio de San Nicolás" is available upon selecting the Michoacán Federal State.
• "National Servant" is available upon selecting the Estado de México Federal State.

Russians

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

Spanish

Card	Description	Age
Hand Cavalry Attack	Hand cavalry get +15% damage
Hand Cavalry Hitpoints	Hand cavalry get +15% hit points
TEAM Spanish Inquisition	Delivers 1 Inquisitor; all units get +10 Line of Sight

Swedes

Card	Description	Age
Hand Infantry/Hand Cavalry Attack	Hand infantry and hand cavalry get +15% damage
Hand Infantry/Hand Cavalry Hitpoints	Hand infantry and hand cavalry get +15% hit points
German Mercenary Contracts	Mercenaries get +20% hit points and damage; Jaegers and Landsknechts can be trained at Barracks, Blockhouses, Taverns, and Galleons; Black Riders can be trained at Stables and Galleons

United States

Card	Description	Age
Poker	Delivers 13 random mercenaries; adds up to 3 random mercenaries to training at the Saloon; costs 3,500 coin
Indiana Mobilization	Delivers 1 Carbine Cavalry for each shipment sent so far this game including this one; unit train time (except Heavy Cannons), technology research time, and age-up time -10%; costs 250 food, 250 wood
Hamilton's Own	Delivers 4 Napoleon Guns and 2 Li'l Bombards; mercenary get +25% hit points and damage; costs 2,500 coin
Seminole Ponies	Delivers 9 Hussars; hand cavalry get +15% hit points and damage, and +5% speed; cavalry train time -10%

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

Changelog

Knights of the Mediterranean

• Originally, Bosniaks had 600 hit points and 50 attack, and cost 300 coin. With update 13.10442, they have 550 hit points and 45 attack, and cost 350 coin.
• Originally, the Bosniak's Lance Charge causes 75 hand damage and had a range of 2. With update 13.10442, the Lance Charge causes 67.5 hand damage and has a range of 4. With update 13.27885, the Lance Charge range has been reduced to 3.
• Originally, the Bosniak's hand attack had a ×1.34 multiplier against hand cavalry. Since update 13.27885, its hand attack no longer inflicts bonus damage against hand cavalry.
• Originally, the Bosniak's Lance Charge had an Area of Effect of 3. With update 13.27885, the Lance Charge has an Area of Effect of 2.
• Originally, the Bosniak's Lance Charge had a ×1.5 multiplier against Infantry, ×1.34 multiplier against hand cavalry, ×1.2 multiplier against hand shock infantry, and ×0.67 multiplier against heavy infantry. With update 13.27885, the attack multipliers have been removed.
• Originally, the Bosniak had unit promotion, with +10%/+20%/+30% bonuses per level. With update 13.38085, the unit promotion feature and damage multiplier against shock infantry was removed.
• With update 13.58326, the Bosniak's Combat promotion was restored, but with +5%/+15%/+25% per level.
• With update 14.43676, the Bosniak's hit points and attack promotion was decreased to +10% in level 2, and +15% in level 3.

In-game dialogue

The Bosniak speaks Croatian, using the Crabat's dialogue files.

Trivia

• The Bosniak wears a "summer dress", as it appears in the artwork for the Men-At-Arms series Osprey's published book "Frederick the Great's Army" by Albert Seaton, and the Military Uniforms History Book "Uniformenkunde" by Richard Knötel.

History

“

Although nominally from Bosnia, Bosniaks were in reality drawn from all over Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans. These units served as irregular cavalry in other European armies, most notably those of Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Flourishing during the 18th century, especially during the Seven Years' War, Bosniak cavalry could immediately be recognized by their distinct hats and black uniforms with white and colored ornaments.

”

Gallery

Bosniak image from the Compendium section

An in-game Bosniak