Chimu Runner

Chimu Runner
Unit information
Introduced in	Definitive Edition
Type	Shock infantry Melee infantry
Civilization	Incas
Age	Commerce Age
Abilities	Stealth mode (with the "Cloud Warriors" Home City Card)
Special ability	Chimu Maneuver*
Training
Trained at	War Hut Stronghold
Food	70
Wood	0
Coin	35
Training time	24 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	140
Resists	10% vs. Ranged
Speed	6.25
Line of Sight	14
Population	1
XP train bounty	10
XP bounty	10
Melee attack
Damage	20
Multipliers	x1.5 vs. Artillery
Rate of Fire	1.5
Siege attack
Damage	9
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0

“	Fast moving warrior armed with a mace. Can easily get out of fights. Good against skirmishers and artillery.	”
—In-game description

The Chimu Runner is a shock infantry in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition that is unique to the Incas and can be trained at the War Hut and Stronghold. It is similar to the Aztec Coyote Runner, a fast-moving infantry that allows it to act as a substitute for cavalry.

Overview

Chimu Runners are cost-efficient shock infantry that excel at killing Shock Infantry and artillery when up close. One of their notable, unique attributes is that they are immune to snaring, but they are not capable of snaring either. In other words, they have the ability to escape from an unfavorable fight easily without getting caught by the enemy units. This makes them highly proficient from simple things like raiding and scouting to primary things like turning the course of battles. They are however, vulnerable to heavy infantry and light cavalry like their Aztec counterpart, due to their less hitpoints and low ranged resistance.

Chimu Runners cannot soak damage, and they are not good at sieging buildings. They also have an inability to snare, making it difficult to catch enemy units that are on retreat. However, It is possible to enable their snare ability by sending the Chimu Support card for 1,000 coin in the Fortress Age. Chimu Runners can counter artillery effectively due to the x1.5 multiplier. They can slip through enemy units that are trying to protect the artillery units and also perform a flank attack during a fight. Upon sending the Road Building card, they move faster than most heavy cavalry units. It is also possible to give them a stealth ability by sending the Cloud Warriors card.

Special ability

Chimu Maneuver: For the next 8 seconds, all Chimu Runners have their speed increased by 0.75 and cannot be snared, but cannot snare enemies. 90 seconds cooldown; shared across all Chimu Runners.

Upgrades

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

Further statistics

As the Chimu Runner is unique to the Incas, only technologies that they have access to are shown in the following table:

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Ranged infantry, artillery
Weak vs.	Heavy infantry, light cavalry
Improvements
Hit points	Comanche Horse Breeding (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Maya Cotton Armor (+20%) Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Attack	Carib Kasiri Beer (+10%) Mapuche Tactics (+50% siege attack) Zapotec Cult of the Dead (+20%) Yoga (+5%) Master Lessons (+10%)
Armor	Hualcana (+10% resistance)
Speed	Apache Endurance (+5%)
Creation speed	Quechuan Diet (-25%) Cheyenne Horse Trading (-25%)
Other	Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost)

Home City Cards

As the Chimu Runner is unique to the Incas, only their cards and other civilizations' TEAM cards are shown in the following tables:

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Chimu Runner

Green: TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team Violet: Shipment that can be sent an INFINITE number of times French Card Description Age HC level TEAM Hand Cavalry Attack Heavy cavalry and Coyote Runners get +15% attack 10 Germans Card Description Age HC level TEAM Cavalry Attack Heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% attack 10 Incas Card Description Age 6 Chimu Runners Ships 6 Chimu Runners 9 Chimu Runners Ships 9 Chimu Runners 16 Chimu Runners Ships 16 Chimu Runners 13 Chimu Runners Ships 13 Chimu Runners Cloud Warriors Jungle Bowmen and Chimu Runners can use stealth mode Melee Infantry Combat The Inca War Chief, Plumed Spearmen, Chimu Runners, and Macemen get +15% hit points and attack Road Building All land military units get +10% speed Couriers Infantry, shock infantry and cavalry train time -45% TEAM Inca Bridges Infantry and civilian units get +5% speed; +1 Chasqui Tupac Rebellion Turns Villagers into Revolutionaries, Plumed Spearmen into Guard Musketeers, Bolas Warriors into Veteran Dragoons, Jungle Bowmen into Guard Skirmishers, Chimu Runners into Veteran Hussars, Huaracas into Guard Grenadiers, and Macemen into Light Cannons; costs 2,000 food, 2,000 wood, 2,000 coin Chimu Support Ships 16 Chimu Runners and Chimu Runners get +15% hit points and can snare enemies; costs 1,000 coin Indians Card Description Age HC level TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack 25 Japanese Card Description Age HC level TEAM Cheaper Unit Upgrades Unit upgrades cost -20% 1 Russians Card Description Age HC level TEAM Cavalry Scouts Cavalry and shock infantry get +10% hit points and +4 LOS 1 Spanish Card Description Age HC level TEAM Hand Infantry Attack Melee infantry get +15% attack 10 TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 LOS 10

Changelog

Definitive Edition

• Originally, Chimu Runners had 21 attack and no multiplier. With update 3552, they have 20 attack and a x1.5 multiplier against artillery.
• Originally, Chimu Runners cost 65 food, 35 wood. With update 6159, they cost 65 food, 40 gold.
• Originally, Chimu Runners have a speed of 6.5. With Update 20322, they have a speed of 6.25.
• Chimu Runners cannot be snared but its melee attack cannot snare enemies.

The African Royals

• With update 47581, Chimu Runners cost 70 food, 35 coin, can be snared, its melee attack can snare enemies, and now have the Chimu Maneuver ability.

History

“	The standing army of the Inca was formed primarily by nobles, but the Sapa Inca could raise an army of able-bodied men from the general populace at will. Military discipline was strictly enforced when the troops were on the march and the army, although variously specialized, was extremely well trained. Drawing on the resources of a vast empire, the Inca recruited warriors from numerous subordinate tribes with their own military traditions. The Chimu, inheritors of the ancient Moche culture were once bitter enemies of the Inca but, once subdued, provided the Inca with some of their most formidable and loyal troops. The Chimu were known for their use of maces and clubs in warfare. Some warriors carried a mace and a small shield, charging swiftly into battle during or after the initial projectile barrage. The speed and ferocity of these light troops made them a force not to be underestimated.	”
—In-game history section

Gallery

Chimu Runner image from the Compendium section