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
Train XP	35
Kill XP	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 vs. Infantry 0.67x vs. 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 damage	+10% hit points and damage	+15% hit points and 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).
• The United States can get Bosniaks through the "Poker" card, in the pool of random mercenaries shipped, which also randomly enables them in Saloons.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Infantry, artillery
Weak vs.	Heavy infantry, light ranged cavalry, ranged shock infantry, MercType2
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	Sudanese Quilted Armor (+10% hand resistance) Pancerni (+10% ranged resistance)
Speed	Apache Endurance (+5%) Comanche Mustangs (+5%) Wind Horses (+0.5)
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	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)
Other	Multinationalism (delivers 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)

Shared

Card	Description	Age
Cavalry Damage	Cavalry damage +15%
Cavalry Hitpoints	Cavalry hit points +15%
Cavalry Combat	Cavalry hit points and damage +15%
Caballeros	Lance cavalry hand, trample and lance charge attack bonus damage against infantry +1.0, range +1
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.
• "Caballeros" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish, and also 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.

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)

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%

Dutch

Card	Description	Age
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
Ignatian Spirituality	Unit (except herded animals) hit points +5%, regeneration rate +1.0 (even in combat)

Europeans

Card	Description	Age
Hire Bosniaks	Delivers 6 Bosniaks; costs 1,000 coin
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
Outlaw Combat	Outlaw and mercenary hit points and damage +15%
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)

• "Hire Bosniaks" is available to the Dutch and Ottomans.
• "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.
• "Outlaw Combat" is available upon revolting to the Barbary States, Hungary, and Mexico.
• "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%
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%
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 damage +10%; Germans-only heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry damage +15% instead
Spanish Riding School	Cavalry speed +10%, +4 Uhlans
Hire Bosniaks	Delivers 7 Bosniaks; costs 1,000 coin
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

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

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
Road Building	Land military speed +10%

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%

Italians

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

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%
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

• "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.

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%
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
Seminole Ponies	Delivers 9 Hussars; cavalry train time -10%; hand cavalry hit points and damage +15%, speed +5%	Imperial Age

• "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