Cannoneer

Cannoneer
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The African Royals
Type	Infantry Light infantry* Ranged infantry Gunpowder unit Rifle infantry Artillery trooper Mercenary
Age	Commerce Age
Training
Trained at	Tavern (Europeans) Monastery (Asians) Saloon (Federal Americans) Palace (Africans) Lombard (Italians)
Cost	140 Coin 1 Population
Train time	37 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	130
Resistance	20% Ranged
Speed	4.0
Line of Sight	22
XP train bounty	14
XP kill bounty	14
Ranged attack
Damage	28 Siege
Range	2-18
Rate of Fire	3.0
Bonus damage	2.5x Light ranged cavalry 2.5x Ranged shock infantry 1.5x Heavy infantry 0.75x Ship 0.5x Artillery 0.5x Villager 0.4x Cavalry 0.4x Shock infantry
Siege attack
Damage	13 Siege
Range	12
Rate of Fire	3.0
Bonus damage	2.0x Ship
Hand attack
Damage	15 Hand
Rate of Fire	1.5
Bonus damage	1.5x Heavy infantry 0.5x Heavy cavalry 0.5x Hand shock infantry

“	Armored cannoneer mercenary from Portugal who fires a heavy musket inflicting siege damage.	”
—In-game description

The Cannoneer is a mercenary ranged infantry unit in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The African Royals. It is similar to the Ottoman Abus Gunner but takes only one population space.

Overview

The Cannoneer is a ranged light infantry unit, based on the Abus Gunner, that is effective against all infantry due to their ranged attack, that causes siege damage. In comparison, Cannoneers have lesser ranged and siege attack, multipliers, resistance, and cost only coin, but are trained five seconds faster, have a slightly increased hand attack, range in siege combat and take only one population space.

They are cheaper compared with most of mercenaries and are available in the Commerce Age, making them a serious threat if players manage to mass Cannoneers to raid enemy settlements. However, like all light infantry units, they can be taken down by heavy cavalry like Hussars; counter-skirmishers can defeat Cannoneers due to their multipliers against light infantry, but considering that they are also infantry, they will be vulnerable against the Cannoneers' siege damage. Spies will be especially effective to counter Cannoneers due to their high multipliers against mercenaries, as long as they are not taken down by them. In any case, it is recommended to combine Spies or counter-skirmishers with heavy cavalry to handle Cannoneers.

Civilization differences

• The Ethiopians can train Cannoneers at the Palace if they select the Portuguese Alliance to age up to the Commerce Age.
• The Germans' Battleships can train Cannoneers through the "Adler von Lübeck" Home City Card (if they are available in the Tavern).
• The Maltese can train Cannoneers at the Tavern if they select the The Mercenary Contractor to age up to the Fortress Age.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Heavy infantry, light ranged cavalry, ranged shock infantry, artillery (when massed), ships
Weak vs.	Heavy cavalry, shock infantry, counter-skirmishers
Improvements
Hit points	Flint Lock (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Navajo Weaving (+5%) Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack	Paper Cartridge (+15%) Smokeless Powder (+10%) Armatoloi (+5%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Yoga (+5%) Clenched Fist (+25% hand attack) Somali Jile Daggers (-35% hand attack Rate of Fire) Counter Infantry Rifling (+1.0 multiplier vs. heavy infantry) Kalthoff Repeaters (+0.1 multiplier vs. light infantry)
Resistance	Hualcana (+5%; Inca only) Somali Oryx Hide Shields (+5% ranged resistance)
Range	Schützenfest (+1)
Line of Sight	Town Watch (+3) Schützenfest (+1)
Speed	Military Drummers (+10%) Tilly's Discipline (+20%; Germans only) Quechuan Mountaineering (+10%) Apache Endurance (+5%) Akan Fontomfrom (+5%)
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)
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)
Penalties	Tilly's Discipline (+10% cost; Germans only)

Home City Cards

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

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
TEAM Senegalese Riflemen	Ranged infantry get +10% damage; French and Hausa-only ranged infantry get +15% damage instead
Liberation March	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry get +5% speed and -35% train time
Fencing School	Infantry (except Warrior Priests and Skull Knights) and shock infantry train time -40% (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)

• "TEAM Senegalese Riflemen" is available to the French and Hausa.
• "Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
• "Fencing School" is available to the Europeans (except the French, Maltese, Ottomans, 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)
Hire Cannoneers	Delivers 12 Cannoneers; cost 1,000 influence

Chinese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Yongle Infrastructure	Delivers 1 Mongol Scout; infantry, land villagers, healing units, Envoys, and Disciples get +5% speed
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%

• "TEAM Yongle Infrastructure" does not stack with the Inca "TEAM Inca Bridges" card.

Dutch

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints	Infantry get +10% hit points; Dutch-only infantry get +15% hit points instead
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
TEAM Coffee Consumption	Ranged infantry get +5% speed
Temenyas	Gunpowder infantry get +5% damage; Neftenya can be trained in the Commerce Age
Ignatian Spirituality	All units get +5% hit points and regeneration capability even while in combat
Hire Band of Cannoneer Mercenaries	Delivers 7 Cannoneers; cost 500 influence

Europeans

Card	Description	Age
Loyal Warriors	Native warriors, mercenaries, and outlaws cost -15%; "TEAM 4 Zenata Rider", "Recruit Xebec", "Recruit Xebecs", and "15 Berber Allies" cost no coin
Wanderlust	Land military units and land villagers get +5% hit points; land villagers and construction wagons get +5% speed

• "Loyal Warriors" is available to the Italians, Maltese, Ottomans, and Portuguese upon revolting to the Barbary States.
• "Wanderlust" is available to the British and Dutch upon revolting to South Africa, and can be sent 3 times.

French

Card	Description	Age
Royal Fencing School	Delivers 3 Royal Musketeers; infantry and shock infantry train time -40%
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

• "Cult of the Supreme Being" is available upon revolting to Revolutionary France.

Germans

Card	Description	Age
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

Haudenosaunee

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Scout Infantry	Delivers 1 Native Scout; infantry get +8 Line of Sight
Conservative Tactics	Infantry get +10% hit points and damage

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
TEAM Inca Bridges	Delivers 1 Chasqui; infantry, land villagers, healing units, and Envoys get +5% speed

• "TEAM Inca Bridges" does not stack with the Chinese "TEAM Yongle Infrastructure" card.

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
Zamindars	Infantry train time -20%; delivers 2 Sepoys instead of 1 Hindu Villager with each Home City shipment, including this one

Italians

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

Japanese

Card	Description	Age
Onin War	Infantry get +33% siege attack damage
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
Moccasins	Infantry get +10% speed

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
Guerrilla Tactics	Rifle infantry get +15% hit points and damage; Salteadores get the Guerrilla Tactics ability
Plan of Miramare	Turns all Salteadores into Voltigeurs; rifle infantry get +2 Line of Sight and range (including ability range); costs 750 food, 750 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
Bastimento	Villager train time -20%; infantry train time -25%, Revolutionary train time -50% instead
Pok Ta Pok	Infantry get +10% speed and -10% train time

• "Guerrilla Tactics" is also available upon revolting to Yucatán.
• "Colegio de San Nicolás" is available upon selecting the Michoacán Federal State.
• "National Servant" is available upon selecting the Estado de México Federal State.
• "Bastimento" is available upon revolting to Rio Grande.
• "Pok Ta Pok" is available upon revolting to the Maya.

Ottomans

Card	Description	Age
Matrakci School	Infantry and shock infantry train time -30%; Janissary, Azap, Nizam Fusilier, Abus Gunner, and Humbaraci train time -40% instead
Topçular	Artillery, artillery troopers, and grenade troopers get +15% hit points and damage

Portuguese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Gunpowder Infantry Hitpoints	Gunpowder infantry get +15% hit points
Hire Band of Cannoneer Mercenaries	Delivers 7 Cannoneers; cost 500 coin

• "Mercenary Loyalty" reduces cost of "Hire Band of Cannoneer Mercenaries" by 25%.

Russians

Card	Description	Age
Ransack	Infantry get +50% siege attack damage
Dueling School	Infantry train time -25%

Spanish

Card	Description	Age
Peninsular Guerrillas	Ranged infantry get +20% damage, musket infantry get +10% damage instead; Skirmishers now see the Line of Sight of enemies they attacked for 3 seconds
TEAM Spanish Inquisition	Delivers 1 Inquisitor; all units get +10 Line of Sight

Swedes

Card	Description	Age
TEAM House of Bernadotte	Heavy infantry 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
Continental Rangers	Rifle infantry get +15% hit points and damage
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

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

Changelog

The African Royals

• Originally, Cannoneers had 30 ranged damage. With update 43871, Cannoneers have 28 ranged damage.
• Cannoneers have ×1.5 melee vs. light cavalry and ranged shock infantry, ×0.5 vs. cavalry and shock infantry, ×1.5 ranged vs. light cavalry and ranged shock infantry, ×0.5 vs. cavalry and shock infantry.

Knights of the Mediterranean

• With update 13.9057, the Cannoneer is tagged as Light Infantry.
• With update 13.58326, Cannoneers have ×0.5 melee multiplier vs. heavy cavalry and hand shock infantry and ×2.5 ranged vs. light cavalry and ranged shock infantry.

In-game dialogue

The Cannoneer speaks Portuguese using the Portuguese Halberdier's dialogue files.

Trivia

• The Cannoneer was based on the Napoleonic Era mod Hand Cannoneer unit that, in turn, was based on the unit of the same name in Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. One of the developers of the mod worked on The African Royals.
• It is the first mercenary unit that can be hired from Taverns and similar buildings in the Commerce Age, with the Irish Brigadier being the second one.
• The Cannoneer and the Irish Brigadier are the only two mercenary units to take one population space.
• The Cannoneer is tagged as rifle infantry, but it does not wield a rifle. This is probably due to balance reasons, as Cannoneers are based on the Abus Gunners, which are also considered Rifle infantry.
  • Instead, the Cannoneer is armed with a heavy musket (that is fired from a hook gun), as stated in the History section. Essentially, the heavy musket is an arquebus, which is the successor of the Hand Cannon.

History

“

It was not at all uncommon for European adventurers and soldiers of fortune to pledge themselves to foreign rulers in exchange for vast sums of money. Cannoneers represent the vast number of European mercenaries who used advanced weaponry such as early muskets to carve out a niche in foreign lands, such as the Kongolese Kingdom, where military technology was not yet quite as advanced.

”

Gallery

Cannoneer image from the Compendium section

An in-game Cannoneer

Both sides of a Cannoneer