Coureur des Bois

This article is about the French version. For the Cree version, see Cree Coureur des Bois.

Coureur des Bois
Unit information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III
Type	Villager
Civilization(s)	French South Africa
Age	Exploration Age
Training
Trained at	Town Center
Population	1
Food	120
Train time	28 seconds
Train limit	80
Statistics
Hit points	180
Resistance	40% Ranged
Speed	4.5
Line of Sight	18
Ability	Gathers resources Builds buildings Claims treasures
XP train bounty	12
XP kill bounty	12
Hand attack
Damage	10 Hand
Bonus damage	×5.0 vs. Llama
Range	2
Rate of Fire	1.5
Ranged attack
Damage	8 Ranged
Bonus damage	×2.0 vs. Huntable, pet and artillery ×0.25 vs. Villager
Range	2-12 0-12 (against huntable)
Rate of Fire	3.0
Siege attack
Damage	6 Siege
Bonus damage	×3.0 vs. Resource enclosure
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0

“	Expensive but powerful villager who gathers fast.	”
—In-game description

The Coureur des Bois (plural Coureurs des Bois) is an economic unit in Age of Empires III replacing the Settler that is unique to the French. It is stronger and gathers resources faster, but is more expensive and has a lower train limit.

In standard random map games, French players starts with five Coureurs des Bois.

Overview

Coureurs des Bois cost 20% more food (120 instead of 100), train 12% slower than Settlers (28 seconds instead of 25), and have 19 less train limit (80 instead of 99), but build 20% faster and gather resources 25% faster; 80 Coureurs gather at the speed of 100 Settlers, leaving more population for military units.

Although they possess higher hit points and a greater attack than ordinary villagers, Coureurs des Bois do not make effective fighters. Their fighting skills can be improved by Home City Cards that can make them effective in exploring the map and fighting off treasure guardians. They have ranged resistance (instead of hand resistance), which make early Ranged Infantry rushes less effective (unless using Carib Garifuna Drums), but increases the danger of hand attacks from Hussars and Rodeleros. However, due to the negative modifiers versus Villagers on early attack buildings (e.g. Outposts) and their high ranged resistance, they can continue gathering resources even if the enemy tries to lock down their resources with outposts (especially if the Great Coat improvement is purchased).

Like Settlers, Coureurs cannot use ranged attacks if the enemy is too close to them. Because they lack any hand resistance and multipliers on their hand attacks this can make gathering treasures guarded by melee units very inefficient.

The French lack the Medicine card, which means they cannot lower the training time of the Coureurs by themselves. They require an ally with the TEAM Medicine card, or a map featuring a Jesuit Mission (with Christian Schools).

Civilization differences

• Other civilizations can train Cree Coureur des Bois when allied with the Cree; different in names, but identical in stats.

Revolution

• In the Definitive Edition, revolting to Canada as French increases the ranged attack of Coureurs by 17 and aesthetically turns them into Métis Voyageurs.
• Revolting to South Africa (from British and Dutch) also allows the player to train up to 30 Coureurs by sending the "Huguenots" card.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Pets, villagers, weak infantry and cavalry (when massed), Treasure guardians (with the Northwest Passage Home City Card)
Weak vs.	Everything else, especially Oprichniks and artillery
Improvements
Gathering speed	Code Napoleon (+10%) Klamath Work Ethos (+5%) Fasting (+10%) Punjabi New Year (+10% from Mills/Farms/Estates/Rice Paddies/Fields) For food: Hunting Dogs (+10% from huntable animals) Steel Traps (+20% from huntable animals) Seed Drill (+15% from Mills/Farms/Rice Paddies/Fields) Artificial Fertilizer (+30% from Mills/Farms/Rice Paddies/Fields) Large Scale Agriculture (+50% from Mills/Farms/Rice Paddies/Fields) Aztec Chinampa (+20% from Mills; Age of Empires III only) Maya Calendar (+10%) Zapotec Food of the Gods (+10%) Vegetarianism (+40% from Berry Bushes) Akan Cocoa Beans (+30% from Berry Bushes, 10% from Mills/Farms/Rice Paddies/Fields) For wood: Gang Saw (+10%) Log Flume (+20%) Circular Saw (+30%) Deforestation (+50%) Wood Clearing (+20%) Yoruba Herbalism (+10%) For coin: Placer Mines (+10% from mines) Amalgamation (+20% from mines) Bookkeeping (+10% from Estates and Rice Paddies) Homesteading (+20% from Estates and Rice Paddies) Refineries (+30% from Estates and Rice Paddies) Excessive Taxation (+50%) Quechuan Metalworking (+20% from mines) Navajo Craftsmanship (+20%) Somali Coinage (+10%)
Hit points	Nootka Bark Clothing (+50%) Berber Kings of the Desert (+35%) Frontiersmen (+35%; United States only) Great Coat (+35%) Apache Cactus Use (+15%)
Attack	Blunderbuss (+3) Chouannerie (+0.66 multiplier against infantry)
Range	Frontiersmen (+6; United States only) Blunderbuss (+4)
Line of Sight	Frontiersmen (+6; United States only) Blunderbuss (+4) Town Watch (+3)
Speed	Apache Cactus Use (+15%)
Train time	Christian Schools (-15%) Immigrants (-10%)
Other	Sharia (+8 train limit; does not stack with "Huguenots" South Africa Home City Card) Yoruba Herbalism (regenerate hit points when close to a tree or Berry Bush)
Penalties	Fasting (-40% hit points) Blunderbuss (-0.5 multiplier against huntable animals)

Home City Cards

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Coureur des Bois

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
Blue	Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)

All

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Pioneers	Villagers get +65% hit points		1
Warrior Culture	Villagers get +20 attack, and now attack enemies automatically; units affected by villager upgrades get +3 attack		25
Sawmills	Villagers gather wood from trees and Mango Groves 15% faster; trees and Mango Groves last 15% longer		1
Exotic Hardwoods	Villagers gather wood from trees and Mango Groves 20% faster		25
Establish Ironmonger	Villagers gather coin from mines and Mountain Monasteries 20% faster		1
Silversmith	Villagers gather coin from mines and Mountain Monasteries 20% faster; mines last 20% longer		10
TEAM Food Silos	Villagers gather food from Mills, Farms, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 10% faster; Haciendas auto gather food 10% faster		1
Refrigeration	Villagers gather food 20% faster; Haciendas auto gather food 20% faster		25
Furrier	Villagers gather food from huntable animals 15% faster and from Berry Bushes and Cherry Orchards 20% faster; huntable animals last 7.5% longer; Berry Bushes and Cherry Orchards last 10% longer		1
TEAM Furrier	Villagers gather food from huntable animals 10% faster and from Berry Bushes and Cherry Orchards 15% faster; huntable animals last 5% longer; Berry Bushes and Cherry Orchards last 7.5% longer		1
Spice Trade	Villagers gather food from huntable animals, Berry Bushes, and Cherry Orchards 20% faster; huntable animals, Berry Bushes and Cherry Orchards last 10% longer		10
TEAM Spice Trade	Villagers gather food from huntable animals 10% faster and from Berry Bushes and Cherry Orchards 15% faster; huntable animals and Cherry Orchards last 5% longer; Berry Bushes last 7.5% longer		1
TEAM Medicine	Villagers train time -15%		25
Rum Distillery	Villagers gather coin from Estates, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 20% faster; Haciendas auto gather coin 20% faster		1
Cigar Roller	Villagers gather coin from Estates, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 20% faster; Haciendas auto gather coin 20% faster		1
Textile Mill	Villagers gather coin from Estates, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 25% faster; Haciendas auto gather coin 25% faster		10
Stonemasons	Villagers build buildings 65% faster		10

• "Pioneers" and "Stonemasons" are available to the British, Dutch, French, South Africa, and United States.
• "Warrior Culture" is available to the Mexicans (upon revolting to the Maya) and Native Americans (except the Inca).
• "Sawmills", "Establish Ironmongerare", and "Silversmith" are available to the British, Dutch, and United States.
• "Exotic Hardwoods", "Refrigerationis", "Cigar Roller", "Textile Mill", and "Stonemasons" are available to the British, Dutch, French, and United States.
• "TEAM Food Silos" is available to the Germans and Haudenosaunee.
• "Furrier" is available to the French and United States.
• "TEAM Furrier" is available to the Haudenosaunee and Russians.
• "Spice Trade" is available to the British, French, and United States.
• "TEAM Spice Trade" is available to the Dutch and Lakota.
• "TEAM Medicine" is available to the Aztecs, Haudenosaunee, Inca, and Indians.
• "Rum Distillery" is available to the Dutch, French, and United States.

Aztecs

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Exotic Hardwoods	Villagers gather wood from trees and Mango Groves 15% faster		25
TEAM Silversmith	Villagers gather coin from mines, Tribal Marketplaces, and Mountain Monasteries 10% faster; Abuns gather coin and influence from Mountain Monasteries 10% faster; Mountain Monasteries auto gather coin and influence 10% faster; mines last 10% longer		1

British

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Rum Distillery	Villagers gather coin from Estates, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 15% faster; Haciendas auto gather coin 15% faster		1

Europeans

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Ironmonger	Villagers gather coin from mines, Tribal Marketplaces, and Mountain Monasteries 10% faster; Abuns gather coin and influence from Mountain Monasteries 10% faster; Mountain Monasteries auto gather coin and influence 10% faster		1
Royal Mint	Villagers gather coin 25% faster; Haciendas auto gather coin 25% faster		25
Sustainable Agriculture	Villagers gather food from Mills, Farms, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 15% faster; Haciendas auto gather food 15% faster		10
Medicine	Villagers cost and train time -15%		25
Great Buffalo Hunt	Ships 10 Bison; Villagers gather food from huntable animals 10% faster		N/A
Huguenots	Coureur des Bois can be trained at the Town Centers with a train limit of 30		N/A
Wanderlust	Land units get +5% hit points; Villagers and Wagons get +5% speed		N/A

• "TEAM Ironmongers" is available to the Ottomans and Spanish.
• "Royal Mint" and "Sustainable Agriculture" are available to the British, Dutch, and French.
• "Medicine" is available to the British and Dutch.
• "Great Buffalo Hunt" is available to the British and French upon revolting to Canada.
• "Huguenots" and "Wanderlust" are available to the British and Dutch upon revolting to South Africa.

French

Card	Description	Age	HC level
2 Coureurs	Ships 2 Coureurs des Bois		1
4 Coureurs	Ships 4 Coureurs des Bois		1
3 Coureurs	Ships 3 Coureurs des Bois		10
10 Coureurs	Ships 10 Coureurs des Bois		40
Northwest Passage	Coureurs des Bois get +20% speed and +3.0 multiplier against treasure guardians		1
Wilderness Warfare	Coureurs des Bois, Skirmishers, and native warriors get +20% hit points		25
TEAM Sawmills	Villagers gather wood from trees and Mango Groves 10% faster; trees and Mango Groves last 5% longer		10
Economic Theory	Villagers and Fishing Boats gather 10% faster		40
10 Métis Voyageur	Ships 10 Métis Voyageurs		N/A

• "10 Métis Voyageur" is available upon revolting to Canada.

Inca

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Inca Bridges	Infantry, Villagers, Healing units, and Envoys get +5% speed; +1 Chasqui

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 Jujutsu	Villagers get +35% hit points; Surgeons, Priests, Architects, Native Scouts, and Envoys get +20% attack; Disciples and Shaolin Masters get +10% attack; units affected by villager upgrades get +10% hit points		1
TEAM Chonindo	Villagers, Fishing Boats, and Abuns gather 8% faster (except hunts); Haciendas auto gather 8% faster		40

Maltese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Knights of the Round Table	Ships 1 Hospitaller for each Town Center owned by the player; all units get +2% hit points

Mexicans

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Mariachi	For the next 30 seconds, military buildings work 400% faster and units get +10% speed
TEAM Copper Canyon	Ships 1 Prospector Wagon; Villagers gather wood from trees and coin from mines 10% faster

Spanish

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Spanish Inquisition	All units get +10 Line of Sight; +1 Inquisitor		10

Swedes

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Falun Mine	Ships 1 Prospector Wagon; Villagers, Abuns, and Mountain Monasteries gather yield from mines 25% longer

United States

Card	Description	Age
Washington Lumber Mills	Ships 400 wood; Villagers gather wood from trees and Mango Groves 10% faster
Minneapolis Mills	Ships 800 food; Villagers gather food from Mills 10% faster
Dutch Immigrants	[Immigrant] Ships 1 Bank Wagon; Villagers gather coin from mines and Mountain Monasteries 5% faster; mines last 10% longer; Bank Wagon available at the State Capitol; costs 350 coin
French Immigrants	[Immigrant] Ships 3 Coureur des Bois; villagers get +35% hit points, +100% ranged attack, +0.5 speed, and now resist ranged attacks; units affected by villager upgrades get +10% hit points and speed; costs 225 wood
Russian-American Company	[Immigrant] Ships 2 Blockhouse Wagons wich can construct Frontier Blockhouses; Villagers gather food from huntable animals 30% faster
Slater Textile Mill	Gives 30 food for each Villager and 20 wood for each Fishing Boat; Villagers cost -30 food; Fishing Boats cost -20 wood
Overmountain Settlers	Ships 4 Settlers; Villagers get +12 ranged attack; natural resources last 25% longer
Vermont Coppers	Estate technologies are free and researched instantly; Villagers and Fishing Boats gather coin 5% faster; all coin autogather and trickle 5% faster
Bear Flag Revolt	Turns all Villagers into Californios; General gains access to the Inspiring Bear Flag ability; costs 1,000 food, 1,000 wood, 1,000 coin
Deere Steel Plow	Villagers gather food from Mills, Farms, Rice Paddies, and Haciendas and coin from Estates, Rice Paddies, and Haciendas 10% faster; Haciendas autogather food and coin 10% faster

• "Slater Textile Mill" is available upon selecting the Rhode Island Federal State.
• "Overmountain Settlers" is available upon selecting the Tennessee Federal State.
• "Vermont Coppers" is available upon selecting the Vermont Federal State.
• "Bear Flag Revolt" is available upon selecting the California Federal State.
• "Deere Steel Plow" is available upon selecting the Illinois Federal State.

Changelog

Age of Empires III

• Coureurs des Bois train in 29 seconds.

Definitive Edition

• Originally, the Canada revolution improves the ranged attack of Coureurs des Bois and Cree Coureurs des Bois by +13 damage. With update 5208, it improves them by +17 damage.

The African Royals

• With update 50830, Coureurs des Bois have a ×3.0 siege multiplier against Mountain Monasteries and can now be healed by healers whilst they are gathering resources or constructing buildings.

Knights of the Mediterranean

• Although it is not listed in the patch notes, with update 13.9057, Coureurs des Bois have a ×3.0 siege multiplier against Depots and Athos Monasteries.
• With update 13.27885, Coureurs des Bois train in 28 seconds and have a ×3.0 siege multiplier against Shrines.

History

“

Coureur des Bois is French for "runner in the woods," the name given to a group of French fur traders. They came from all walks of French and colonial French life to hunt and trap animals for their pelts in North America. One of the first native-born Canadian explorers was Louis Joliet, who at a young age determined that he would become a Coureur des Bois. He and a handful of other Coureurs des Bois paddled down the Mississippi river in canoes, determining that it would empty into the Gulf of Mexico, but feared to travel as far as the mouth into the hands of the Spanish. They noted rivers to the west as they went, hoping that one would flow into the seas of China or Japan. He became well-established in the fur trade and had several land holdings that he traveled between. It was on a trip to one of these that he died in 1700.

”

Trivia

• Historically, the King of France had a monopoly on the fur trade until the Hudson Bay Company claimed land in Canada. The official fur traders were called Voyageurs, while Coureurs des Bois were not commissioned by the King of France, and therefore were illegal.
• Canadian Coureurs' name is a reference to the Métis people, descended from both the Native Americans and European settlers.
• South Africa being able to have Coureurs through the "Huguenots" Home City Card is a reference to the presence of Huguenots in South Africa.
• In the game, there are unused "Select", "Move" and "Attack" dialogue files, different from those of a French male Settler which the Coureur des Bois ended up using. Since update 23511, these unused files are used by the Zouave.

Gallery

In-game Coureur des Bois in the Definitive Edition

A group of Coureurs des Bois in-game

In-game stats of a Coureur des Bois in the Exploration Age

In-game stats of a fully upgraded Coureur des Bois

In-game Métis Voyageur

In-game Huguenot