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This article is about the mercenary in the original Age of Empires III. For the Swedish unit in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, see Hakkapelit.

Heavy cavalry mercenary from Finland.
—In-game description

The Hackapell is a mercenary cavalry in Age of Empires III. Hackapells are a very delicate heavy cavalry that function as improved Uhlans.

In the Definitive Edition, Hackapells are replaced with Harquebusiers due to the introduction of Hakkapelits for the Swedes, yet Hackapells are still available in the campaigns and some unknown maps. At the introduction of the new unit, Harquebusiers have almost same stats as the Hackapells, plus the short ranged attack.

Overview[]

Although Hackapells can strike with great force (they can kill Zamburaks with one hit), they should not be used on their own during battle, since their low hit points make them vulnerable to enemy attacks. They excel at raiding enemy Villagers - In two strikes, a Villager or Coureur is dead. Hackapells should be used like Hussars, but mixed with regular hand cavalry or other Heavy Cavalry mercenaries. Hackapells have significantly more attack but significantly fewer hit points than the Mameluke. With 12 Missionaries (Japanese ally), Unction, all attack improvement upgrades (Bhakti Temple) and cards (French and Indian allies), the Spanish Finnish Hackapell is the melee cavalry with the highest attack, 281.93.

All European civilizations can pick The Mercenary Contractor for aging up to the Imperial Age, and he will improve mercenaries (including the Hackapell) by increasing their hit points and damage by 50%.

Further statistics[]

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Light infantry, counter-skirmishers, 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)
Line of Sight Town Watch (+3)
Speed Comanche Mustangs (+5%)
Apache Endurance (+5%)
Wind Horses (+0.5)
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 Wild Geese (delivers 5 Hackapells; Spanish only before update 5208)

Home City Cards[]

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Hackapell
Some cards are highlighted with:
Green TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
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%
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.
  • "Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
  • "Riding School" is available to Europeans (except 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
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)
  • "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%
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
Improved Mercenaries Mercenary hit points and damage +15%, +3 Uhlans
  • "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
  • "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the German "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.
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
Imperial Age
Outlaw Combat Outlaw and mercenary hit points and damage +15%; costs 500 coin
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
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
Imperial Age
Seminole Ponies Delivers 9 Hussars; cavalry train time -10%; hand cavalry hit points and damage +15%, speed +5%
Imperial Age
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.

Shared
Card Description Age HC level
Riding School Cavalry train time -40%
10
  • "Riding School" is available to Europeans and Indians.
Chinese
Card Description Age HC level
Western Reforms All units get +8% hit points and attack
40
Acupuncture Unit train time -20%
10
Europeans
Card Description Age HC level
Cavalry Combat Cavalry get +15% hit points and damage
10
Hire Finnish Hackapells Ships 6 Hackapells; costs 1,000 coin
10
Hire Highland Mercenary Army Ships 6 Highlanders, 4 Hackapells, and 8 Swiss Pikemen; costs 2,000 coin
25
  • "Cavalry Combat" is available to the Dutch, Ottomans, and Russians.
  • "Hire Finnish Hackapell" is available to the Dutch, Germans (which ships 2 extra Hackapells), Portuguese, and Russians.
  • "Hire Highland Mercenary Army" is not available to the Ottomans and Portuguese, and ships 1 extra Highlander, Hackapell, and Swiss Pikeman for the Germans.
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 ranged cavalry, and Coyote Runners get +15% attack
10
Spanish Riding School Cavalry get +10% speed; +4 Uhlans
25
Improved Mercenaries Mercenaries get +20% hit points and attack; +3 Uhlans
10
Indians
Card Description Age HC level
Dravidian Martial Arts All units get +15% hand attack; +1 Villager
40
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack
25
Russians
Card Description Age HC level
TEAM Cavalry Scouts Cavalry get +10% hit points and +4 Line of Sight
1
Spanish
Card Description Age HC level
TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 Line of Sight
10

In-game dialogue[]

The Hackapell speaks Finnish.

Trivia[]

  • One Hackapell is still available for the player during Saratoga, the fifth scenario of Act I: Fire.
  • The original Hackapell's icon and the art in the history portrait depicted a flintlock pistol and a saber, while the unit only wields the saber in combat.
  • The in-game history section states that Gustavus Adolphus was a Finnish king; he was actually Swedish, though Finland was part of Sweden at that time. It also describes the warcry as "Hakka paalle", though the correct form would be "Hakkaa päälle".

History[]

The Hackapells, or Hakkapeliitta, were an elite cavalry of Finnish King Gustav II Adolph during the Thirty Years War. They get their name from their battle cry of, "Hakka paalle!" It roughly translates to "Cut them down!" but in spirit means, "Charge on!" Crying this, they were apparently so fearsome that their enemies thought they were protected by witchcraft.

Hackapells were very lightly armored, using their speed in the charge to get them into the thick of a fight quickly where they fought with swords and, later, small firearms.
—In-game history

Gallery[]

Mercenary and outlaw units in Age of Empires III
Mercenaries
Infantry Armored Pistoleer · Arsonist · Askari · Barbary Corsair · Cannoneer · Dahomey Amazon · Fusilier · Giant Grenadier · Highlander · Irish Brigadier · Iron Troop · Jaeger · Landsknecht · Ninja · Pandour · Ronin · Swiss Pikeman · Zouave
Cavalry Black Rider · Bosniak · Elmetto · Gatling Camel · Hackapell · Harquebusier · Jat Lancer · Kanuri Guard · Mameluke · Manchu · Mounted Rifleman · Royal Horseman · Sennar Horseman · Stradiot · Yojimbo · Zenata Rider
Artillery Li'l Bombard · Napoleon Gun · Gatling Camel
Ship Battleship · Privateer · War Dhow · Wokou Junk · Xebec
Outlaws
Infantry African Vagabond · Colonial Looter · Corsair Marksman · Cossack Daredevil · Desert Archer · Desert Warrior · Hajduk · Highwayman · Inquisitor · Marathan Dacoit · Marathan Thuggee · Pistolero · Renegado · Wokou Monk · Wokou Ronin
Shock infantry Pirate · Wokou Pirate
Cavalry Comanchero · Cossack Daredevil · Crabat · Desert Raider · Highwayman · Wokou Horseman
Artillery Captured Mortar
Ship Marathan Catamaran
Federal Americans Desperado · Cuatrero · Bandido · Gunslinger · Cowboy · Owlhoot