This article is about the unit in Age of Empires III. For the similar unit in other games of the series, see Halberdier. |
“ | Slow, heavy infantry with a large attack. | ” |
—In-game description |
The Halberdier is a melee heavy infantry in Age of Empires III that can be trained at a Barracks, Fort, and Galleon/Fluyt once the Fortress Age is reached.
Halberdiers are available to the Dutch, French, Italians, John Black's Mercenaries (Act II: Ice campaign), and Portuguese. Before update 14.43676, the Russians also had access to Halberdiers; now, they have Poruchiks instead.
Overview[]
The Halberdier is a powerful hand infantry unit, good against cavalry and shock infantry, but vulnerable to Skirmishers and artillery. It is similar to the Pikeman in terms of its purpose and function. However, it is more versatile, dealing much more damage to non-cavalry/shock infantry units, has more health and damage, and can be upgraded to Guard and Imperial, but has less speed and siege damage when accounted for cost. Halberdiers have extremely high attack and hit points for an infantry unit, but are slow, and thus struggling to catch up to almost anything to get into melee range. This makes them generally better for defensive purposes than as a primary offensive unit. The Dutch are somewhat able to overcome this weakness by combining the "Military Reforms" Home City Card and Military Drummers for a total of 5.525 speed. Training 5-10 Halberdiers and placing them behind artillery to guard from cavalry flanks is an extremely cost-effective way to defend cannons. Unlike Musketeers, they will automatically block and melee down cavalry, and can go into cover mode, which greatly increases their durability.
Additionally, Halberdiers are able to beat almost any melee infantry that gets into combat with them (with the notable exception of the Jaguar Prowl Knight), making them more versatile than Pikemen.
In the Definitive Edition, the Dutch can train Halberdiers as early as the Commerce Age if they Age up with The Logistician. They will then be Veteran Halberdiers already in the Commerce Age, which means they will not be upgraded once they reach the Fortress Age.
Upgrades[]
The Halberdier starts at the Veteran level, though this does not increase their hit points and damage.
Age | Upgrade | Cost | Effect | Civ. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Guard Halberdiers | 600 wood 600 coin |
Upgrades Halberdiers to Guard (+30% hit points and damage) | ||
Stadswachts | 750 wood 750 coin |
Upgrades Halberdier to Stadswachts (Guard Halberdiers with +10% hit points and damage) | ||
Imperial Halberdiers | 1,500 wood 1,500 coin |
Upgrades Halberdiers to Imperial (+50% hit points and damage); requires Guard Halberdiers | ||
Imperial Stadswachts | Upgrades Stadswachts to Imperial (+50% hit points and damage); requires Stadswachts |
Civilization differences[]
- As seen above, the Dutch can upgrade Halberdiers to Royal Guard and Imperial Guard. If they pick The Logistician for advancing to the Commerce Age, they can train them in the Commerce Age and receive one.
- The Spanish cannot train Halberdiers but can ship 13 Guard Halberdiers through Royal Halberdiers. This Halberdiers gain the Regeneration ability and Combat Promotion.
- Similarly, the Swedes can ship 16 Veteran Halberdiers through Gustavian Guards and turn all Pikemen into Halberdiers through the "Dalcarlian Rebellion" Home City Card.
- John Black's Mercenaries can only upgrade Halberdiers to Guard.
- The Haudenosaunee can ship up to 31 Halberdiers through the "Renegade Dutch" Home City Cards. Most probably, initially this card would also be available for the British, Ottomans, Germans, and Lakota, as game files contain entries of these civilizations' Halberdiers using the Dutch Halberdier's dialogue files, but this was cut out of the final version of the game.
Further statistics[]
Unit strengths and weaknesses | |
---|---|
Strong vs. | Cavalry, shock infantry, buildings |
Weak vs. | Light infantry, counter-skirmishers, artillery |
Improvements | |
Hit points | Corselet (+25%; Spanish only) Maya Cotton Armor (+20%) Infantry Breastplate (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Navajo Weaving (+5%) Tar Kilns (+5%) |
Attack | Zapotec Cult of the Dead (+20%) Carib Kasiri Beer (+10%) Master Lessons (+10%) Yoga (+5%) Mapuche Tactics (+50% siege attack) |
Resistance | Gustavian Guards (+5%; Swedes only) Somali Oryx Hide Shields (+5% ranged resistance) |
Speed | Military Drummers (+10%) Push of Pike (+10%; Swedes only) Quechuan Mountaineering (+10%) Akan Fontomfrom (+5%) Apache Endurance (+5%) Gustavian Guards (+0.25; Swedes only) |
Line of Sight | Town Watch (+3) |
Cost | Somali Oryx Hide Shields (-10%) Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost) Golden Liberty (-5% coin cost) |
Train time | Standing Army (-25%) Akan Fontomfrom (-20%) Quechuan Diet (-15%) Immigrants (-10%) |
Other | Gustavian Guards (delivers 16 Veteran Halberdiers; Swedes only) Royal Halberdiers (delivers 13 Guard Halberdiers; Halberdiers get the Regeneration ability and Combat Promotions; Spanish only) Jagiellonian Legacy (delivers 6 Veteran Halberdiers if The Sergeant at Arms was chosen for the Dutch) Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost) |
Penalties | Corselet (-15% speed; Spanish only) |
Home City Cards[]
- Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Halberdier
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) |
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Yongle Infrastructure | Delivers 1 Mongol Scout; infantry, land villager, healing unit, Envoy, and Disciple speed +5% |
- "TEAM Yongle Infrastructure" does not stack with the Inca "TEAM Inca Bridges" card.
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
8 Halberdiers | Delivers 8 Halberdiers | |
Military Reforms | Halberdier speed +20%, but hand attack bonus damage against infantry -0.25 | |
Seventeen Provinces | Delivers 1 Halberdier for each military building present on the map (up to 17) | |
Flemish Revolution | Transforms all villagers into Halberdiers; costs 750 food, 750 wood, 750 coin | |
Belgian Revolution | Transforms all Pikemen, Halberdiers, and Ruyters into Revolutionaries; costs 500 food, 500 wood, 500 coin | |
Infantry Attack | Pikeman, Halberdier, Skirmisher, Revolutionary Sharpshooter, and Musketeer damage +15% | |
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints | Infantry hit points +10%; Dutch-only infantry hit points +15% instead | |
Infantry Combat | Pikeman, Halberdier, Skirmisher, Revolutionary Sharpshooter, and Musketeer hit points and damage +15% | |
Dutch Counter Cavalry Force | Delivers 10 Halberdiers and 4 Ruyters | |
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% | |
Wanderlust | Land military and land villager hit points +5%; land villager and construction wagon speed +5% (can be sent 3 times) |
- "Wanderlust" is available upon revolting to South Africa.
- Europeans
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
7 Halberdiers | Delivers 7 Halberdiers | |
8 Halberdiers | Delivers 8 Halberdiers | |
11 Halberdiers | Delivers 11 Halberdiers | |
13 Halberdiers | Delivers 13 Halberdiers | |
Fencing School | Infantry (except Warrior Priest and Skull Knight) and shock infantry train time -40% | |
Rhode Island Militia | Delivers 10 State Militia and 5 Militiamen; Caravels, Galleons/Fluyts, Frigates, and Ironclads get +10% ranged attack damage per garrisoned State Militia and/or Militiaman (up to +60%); transforms all Crossbowmen/Longbowmen and Pikemen into State Militia; replaces Crossbowmen, Longbowmen, Pikemen, and Halberdiers with State Militia at Barracks and Forts; grants Veteran State Militia and enables them to be upgraded to Guard |
- "7 Halberdiers" is available to the Dutch and Portuguese.
- "8 Halberdiers" is available to the Dutch, Italians, and Portuguese.
- "13 Halberdiers" is available to the Dutch and Italians.
- "Fencing School" is not available to the French.
- "Rhode Island Militia" is available to the Dutch, French, Italians, and Swedes upon revolting to the United States.
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
Cent-Suisses | Crossbowman, Pikeman, and Halberdier hit points and resistance +10% | |
French Royal Army | Musketeers and Halberdiers now benefit from Combat promotion | |
Royal Fencing School | Delivers 3 Royal Musketeers; infantry and shock infantry train time -40% | |
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% |
- "Cult of the Supreme Being" is available upon revolting to Revolutionary France.
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Scout Infantry | Delivers 1 Native Scout; infantry Line of Sight +8 | |
Conservative Tactics | Infantry hit points and damage +10% | |
11 Renegade Dutch | Delivers 11 Halberdiers; costs 500 coin | |
20 Renegade Dutch | Delivers 20 Halberdiers; grants Stadswachten; costs 1,500 coin |
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Inca Bridges | Delivers 1 Chasqui; infantry, land villager, healing unit, and Envoy speed +5% |
- "TEAM Inca Bridges" does not stack with the Chinese "TEAM Yongle Infrastructure" card.
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics | Unit hit points and damage +5% |
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
7 Halberdiers | Delivers 7 Halberdiers | |
Roman Tactics | Pavisier, Pikeman, and Halberdier hit points +10%, and get +0.3% damage for each Pavisier, Pikeman, Halberdier, Poruchik, and African Vagabond in a radius of 34 (up to +15%) | |
Infantry Hitpoints | Infantry hit points +15% | |
Schiavoni Swords | Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry all melee attack damage +15% |
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Sengoku | Unit upgrades cost -20% |
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% |
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Mariachi | For the next 30 seconds, military building training and research work rate +400%, unit speed +10% |
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
10 Halberdiers | Delivers 10 Halberdiers | |
Constable | Pikeman, Halberdier, Hussar, and Llanero hit points and damage +15%; Spy hit points +15%, hand attack damage +6 | |
Naval Infantry | Enables Caravels to train Crossbowmen, Ordinance Riflemen (if available), Pikemen, and Halberdiers; Monitors and Ironclads to train Musketeers, Cassadores, and Grenadiers (if available); Frigates to train all Barracks units; Battleships to train all Barracks units and Grenadiers; Caravels, Frigates, Monitors, Ironclads, and Battleships now tagged as recruiting ships |
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Hand Infantry Attack | Hand infantry damage +15% | |
Archaic Infantry Hitpoints | Hand infantry and foot archer hit points +15%; Rodelero hit points +20% instead | |
Archaic Infantry Combat | Hand infantry and foot archer hit points and damage +15% | |
TEAM Spanish Inquisition | Delivers 1 Inquisitor; military and economic unit Line of Sight +10 |
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
Dalecarlian Rebellion | Transforms all Pikemen into Halberdiers | |
Hand Infantry/Hand Cavalry Hitpoints | Hand infantry and hand cavalry hit points +15% | |
TEAM House of Bernadotte | Heavy infantry hit points +15% | |
Cudgel War | Pikeman, Halberdier, and Poruchik speed +10%, hand attack Rate of Fire -10% |
- "Cudgel War" is available upon revolting to Finland.
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
11 Halberdiers | Ships 11 Halberdiers | 10 | |
8 Halberdiers | Ships 8 Halberdiers | 10 | |
Military Reforms | Halberdiers get +20% speed but -0.25 multiplier against infantry | 25 | |
Infantry Attack | Pikemen, Halberdiers, and Skirmishers get +15% attack | 10 | |
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints | Infantry get +15% hit points | 10 | |
Infantry Combat | Pikemen, Halberdiers, and Skirmishers get +15% hit points and damage | 25 | |
Dutch Counter Cavalry Force | Ships 10 Halberdiers and 4 Ruyters | 25 |
- Europeans
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
7 Halberdiers | Ships 7 Halberdiers | 1 | |
10 Halberdiers | Ships 10 Halberdiers | 1 | |
8 Halberdiers | Ships 8 Halberdiers | 10 | |
13 Halberdiers | Ships 13 Halberdiers | 25 | |
Fencing School | Infantry train time -40% | 10 |
- "7 Halberdiers", "10 Halberdiers", and "8 Halberdiers" are available to the Dutch and Portuguese.
- "13 Halberdiers" is available to the Dutch and Russians (at a level 1 Home City).
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics | All units get +5% hit points and damage | 25 |
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
Infantry Attack | Infantry get +15% attack | 10 | |
Infantry Hitpoints | Infantry get +15% hit points | 10 | |
Infantry Combat | Infantry get +15% hit points and damage | 25 | |
TEAM Scout Infantry | Infantry get +8 Line of Sight | 10 | |
11 Renegade Dutch | Ships 11 Halberdiers; costs 500 coin | 1 | |
20 Renegade Dutch | Ships 20 Halberdiers; costs 1,000 coin | 10 |
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Cheaper Unit Upgrades | Unit upgrades cost -20% | 1 |
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
9 Halberdiers | Ships 9 Halberdiers | 1 | |
15 Halberdiers | Ships 15 Halberdiers | 10 | |
Ransack | Infantry get +50% siege attack | 25 | |
Dueling School | Infantry (except Skull Knights), Old Han Army, and Territorial Army train time -25%; Black Flag Army, Standard Army, Ming Army, and Imperial Army train time -12% | 25 |
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Hand Infantry Attack | Hand infantry get +15% attack | 10 | |
TEAM Inquisition | All units get +10 Line of Sight | 10 |
Treasure guardian[]
The Corrupted Watchman is a Treasure guardian variant of the Halberdier. It uses slightly modified stats from the base unit.
Changelog[]
Age of Empires III[]
- Halberdiers have 25 hand damage, 10% hand resistance, and 4.0 speed.
- The Russians can train Halberdiers.
- Halberdiers shipped by Royal Halberdiers use the Dutch Halberdier dialogue files.
Definitive Edition[]
- Halberdiers now have 28 hand damage and 20% hand resistance.
- The Logistician introduced for the Dutch.
- Halberdiers shipped by Royal Halberdiers now use the Spanish Pikeman dialogue files instead of the Dutch Halberdier's.
The African Royals[]
- With update 50830, Halberdiers have 4.25 speed.
Knights of the Mediterranean[]
- With update 14.43676, the Russians can train Poruchiks instead of Halberdiers.
- With update 14.43676, Halberdiers shipped by Royal Halberdiers, Gustavian Guards, and the Stadswachts upgrade received new models.
- With update 14.43676, the Royal Halberdier benefits from the Combat Promotion.
Trivia[]
- The Halberdier's function and its availability in the third age is similar to the Hoplite and Phalangite from the original Age of Empires.
- Despite being a weapon of German origin that was also used by the British and Spanish, none of them use it for balancing reasons.
- Dutch Royal Guard Halberdiers' name, Stadswacht, translates to "City Guard".
- Before the Definitive Edition, they are named Nassauer, which refers to Maurice of Nassau who was the first to utilize linear infantry tactics on a large scale in Europe (confirmed by the Royal Guard upgrade, which is named Nassau's Linear Tactics). Contrary to the in-game upgrade, however, the tactic was introduced to Dutch musketeers rather than melee troops.
History[]
“ | Riders with lances had better range than halberdiers, so halberdiers often fought alongside Pikemen. The axe blade of a halberd was more than capable of cleaving plate armor, flesh and bone alike, but because the halberdier had to swing the long weapon with both hands, he was virtually defenseless when attacking. This required tight coordination and unwavering resolve within a regiment of halberdiers. The halberd is essentially a very long-handled axe. It was a six foot staff of stout oak or ash topped by a long, stabbing spear point and a heavy axe blade balanced by a spike. The spear point was used to thrust and stab, the axe blade to cut through a mounted warrior's heavy armor, and the spike opposite the axe blade to push, or pull, riders off balance. |
” |