“ | Russian light cavalry. | ” |
—In-game description |
The Cossack is a melee heavy cavalry in Age of Empires III that is unique to the Russians, which replaces the Hussar, and can be trained at Stable, Fort, and Galleon.
Overview
The Cossack functions as the Russian version of the Hussar. Although they are somewhat weaker than Hussars, they are cheaper, train faster and only occupy one slot of population. This means that they can be produced in large numbers compared to most other cavalry, which take up two slots of population, and are good as raiding cavalry. With the proper cards and upgrades, an almost colossal army of Cossacks can be used to overwhelm opponents. An effective method of using them is to raid enemy Settlers and as a counter to enemy hand cavalry, as they can defeat even some of the best heavy cavalry when fully upgraded, due to their massive numbers. Only a mass of heavy infantry or ranged cavalry such as bow riders or cavalry archers can stand up against them. They are also very efficient if used against light infantry and artillery.
When training Cossacks, it is a good idea to train a complementary unit, preferably one with range, that can soften up enemy units before the Cossacks get close. Strelets and/or Cavalry Archers can be used with Cossacks to counter heavy infantry and other cavalry, and to assist in the destruction of buildings, a Russian player can mix in some Oprichniki.
Upgrades
Age | Upgrade | Cost | Effect |
---|---|---|---|
Veteran Cossacks | 200 wood 200 coin |
Upgrades Cossacks to Veteran (+20% hit points and attack) | |
Guard Cossacks | 600 wood 600 coin |
Upgrades Cossacks to Guard (+30% hit points and attack); requires Veteran Cossacks | |
Imperial Cossacks | 1,500 wood 1,500 coin |
Upgrades Cossacks to Imperial (+50% hit points and attack); requires Guard Cossacks |
Civilization differences
- The Chinese can get Cossacks by allying with the Russians at the Consulate, which provides Russian Expeditionary Company and Russian Expeditionary Force that includes 4 and 5 Cossacks (named Siberian Cossacks) respectively. These Cossacks start with +10% hit points and attack than their regular counterpart, and are automatically upgraded in every Age starting from the Fortress Age (see here for the exact values).
Further statistics
As Cossacks are unique to the Russians, only technologies that they have access to are shown in the following table:
Unit strengths and weaknesses | |
---|---|
Strong vs. | Ranged infantry, light infantry, artillery |
Weak vs. | Heavy infantry, light cavalry |
Improvements | |
Hit points | Cavalry Cuirass (+10%) Comanche Horse Breeding (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Navajo Weaving (+5%) |
Attack | Pillage (+25% siege attack) Yoga (+5%) |
Sight | Town Watch (+2) |
Speed | Comanche Mustangs (+10%) Apache Endurance (+5%) |
Creation speed | Mass Cavalry (-50%) Cheyenne Horse Trading (-25%) File:Inca Chaquis Messengers.png Incan Chasquis Messengers (-25%) |
Train cost | Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost) |
Other | Westernization (grants Veteran upgrade) Petrine Reforms (grants Guard upgrade) Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost) |
Home City Cards
As Cossacks are unique to the Russians, 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 Cossack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Green: TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team French
Germans
Indians
Japanese
Russians
Spanish
|
History
“ | The Cossacks fled a life of poverty and serfdom in Moscow to settle as a free people on the frontiers of Imperial Russia, where they became legendary and feared horsemen. Every man rode and fought; the Cossacks did not have an army, they were an army. The Russian government understood the value of having these very territorial, independent warriors as a buffer to invasion and established an alliance with them, giving the Cossacks land and property. The Cossacks wore furred caps, long overcoats, loose trousers, and tall boots. They carried lances, sabers, short pikes, and muskets. | ” |