Highlander

Highlander
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III
Type	Infantry Heavy infantry Ranged infantry Gunpowder trooper Musket infantry* Mercenary
Age	Fortress Age
Training
Trained at	Tavern (Europeans) Monastery (Asians) Saloon (Federal Americans) Palace (Africans) Lombard (Italians) Barracks (with the "Dutch States Army" card)
Cost	200 Coin 2 Population
Train time	40 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	400
Resistance	40% Hand
Speed	4.0
Line of Sight	16
Train XP	20
Kill XP	20
Ranged attack
Damage	63 Ranged
Range	12
Rate of Fire	3.0
Siege attack
Damage	40 Siege
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0
Hand attack
Damage	32 Hand
Rate of Fire	1.5
Bonus damage	2.0x vs. Cavalry 1.5x vs. Shock infantry

“	Powerful Musketeer from Scotland.	”
—In-game description

The Highlander is a mercenary in Age of Empires III. It is a stronger version of the Musketeer.

Overview

Like the Musketeer, Highlanders are solid ranged units that are effective against cavalry and decent against heavy infantry. Highlanders are more effective against infantry than their counterparts simply because they have such high damage, though they are still vulnerable to Light Infantry and artillery who outrange them. They are also relatively effective against buildings.

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

Campaign appearances

In some scenarios of the Act I: Blood campaign, a number of Highlanders, while they cannot be trained by Knights of St. John, accompany the knights, most likely because of the presence of Scottish knight hero Morgan Black. In Act III: India of The Asian Dynasties, the East India Company deploys Highlanders against the rebelling Indians.

Civilization differences

• The British can upgrade Highlanders to Black Watch through the The Black Watch technology researched at the Church once the Fortress Age is reached and the "The Glorious Revolution" Home City Card has been sent. It ships 8 Black Watches, allows them to be trained at the Tavern, increases their Line of Sight by 3, ranged attack range by 1, and gives them the Regeneration ability (which regenerate 0.15% hit points per second, instead of the usual 0.25%).
• The Dutch can train Highlanders at Barracks through the "Dutch States Army" Home City Card, which also reduces their train time by 15% and increases speed by 7%.
• The Germans' Battleships can train Highlanders through the "Adler von Lübeck" Home City Card (if they are available in the Tavern).
• The United States can get Highlanders through the "Scottish Immigrants" Home City Card, which ships 1 Highlander for each Saloon, Meeting House and Trading Post built (up to 10), or get them through the "Poker" Home City Card, in the pool of random mercenaries shipped, which also randomly enables them in Saloons.

Revolutions

• Upon revolting to Canada, Highlanders are upgraded to Black Watch in the same way as descripted above. Additionally, Canada have the "14 Blackwatch Highlanders" Home City Card, which ships 14 Black Watches and can be sent an infinite number of times.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Cavalry, shock infantry
Weak vs.	Light infantry, counter-skirmishers, artillery, MercType2
Improvements
Hit points	Corselet (+25%; Spanish only) Second Guarantee (+15%; Mexicans only) Flint Lock (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Navajo Weaving (+5%) Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack	Paper Cartridge (+15%) Second Guarantee (+15%; Mexicans only) Smokeless Powder (+10%) Armatoloi (+5%) Yoga (+5%) Clenched Fist (+25% hand attack) Socket Bayonet (+20% hand attack)
Resistance	Somali Oryx Hide Shields (+5% ranged resistance) Hualcana (+5%; Inca only)
Speed	Tilly's Discipline (+20%; Germans only) Military Drummers (+10%) Quechuan Mountaineering (+10%) Akan Fontomfrom (+5%) Apache Endurance (+5%)
Line of Sight	The Black Watch (+3; British only) Town Watch (+3)
Range	The Black Watch (+1; British only)
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	Standing Army (-25%) Akan Fontomfrom (-20%) Blue Nile Ties (-15%; Ethiopians only) Quechuan Diet (-15%) Immigrants (-10%) New Mexico Immigration (-10%; United States only) Philhellenism (-10%) Strangers' Quarters (-10%; Africans only) Wallenstein's Contracts (-10%; Germans only)
Other	Multinationalism (delivers 8 random European mercenaries) The Black Watch (delivers 8 Highlanders; Highlanders can be trained at the Tavern and get the Regeneration ability; British only)
Penalties	Corselet (-15% speed; Spanish only) Tilly's Discipline (+10% cost; Germans only) Second Guarantee (+30% train time; Mexicans only)

Home City Cards

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Highlander

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)

• Definitive Edition
• The Asian Dynasties

Shared

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Senegalese Riflemen	Ranged infantry damage +10%; French and Hausa-only ranged infantry damage +15% instead
Liberation March	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry train time -35%, speed +5%
Fencing School	Infantry (except Warrior Priest and Skull Knight) and shock infantry train time -40%

• "TEAM Senegalese Riflemen" is available to the French and Hausa.
• "Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
• "Fencing School" is available to Europeans (except the French, Maltese, Ottomans, 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)

British

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Grenadier Guards	Musket infantry and grenade trooper hit points +15%

Chinese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Yongle Infrastructure	Delivers 1 Mongol Scout; infantry, land villager, healing unit, Envoy, and Disciple speed +5%
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%

• "TEAM Yongle Infrastructure" does not stack with the Inca "TEAM Inca Bridges" card.

Dutch

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints	Infantry hit points +10%; Dutch-only infantry hit points +15% instead
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
TEAM Coffee Consumption	Ranged infantry speed +5%
Temenyas	Gunpowder trooper damage +5%; enables Neftenya to be trained from the Commerce Age
Ignatian Spirituality	Unit (except herded animals) hit points +5%, regeneration rate +1.0 (even in combat)

Europeans

Card	Description	Age
Hire Scottish Highlanders	Delivers 9 Highlanders; costs 1,000 coin
Hire Highland Mercenary Army	Delivers 8 Swiss Pikemen, 6 Highlanders, and 4 Harquebusiers; costs 2,000 coin
Mercenary Loyalty	Mercenary and native warrior shipment cost -25%, infinite shipment cost -10% instead, the "Hire Indian Jat Lancer" shipment cost -50% instead, the "Hire Ronin Army" shipment cost -33% instead
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%
14 Blackwatch Highlanders	Delivers 14 Highlanders; costs 1,000 coin
Albion Mercenary Legion	Delivers 2 Highlanders, 2 Jaegers, and 3 Harquebusiers
Wanderlust	Land military and land villager hit points +5%; land villager and construction wagon speed +5% (can be sent 3 times)

• "Hire Scottish Highlanders" is available to the British, Russians, and Spanish.
• "Hire Highland Mercenary Army" is available to the British, Dutch, Russians, and Spanish.
• "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.
• "14 Blackwatch Highlanders" is available to the British and French upon revolting to Canada.
• "Albion Mercenary Legion" is available to the Germans, Portuguese, and Spanish upon revolting to Gran Colombia.
• "Wanderlust" is available to the British and Dutch upon revolting to South Africa.

French

Card	Description	Age
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.

Germans

Card	Description	Age
Hire Highland Mercenary Army	Delivers 9 Swiss Pikemen, 7 Highlanders, and 5 Harquebusiers; costs 2,000 coin
Improved Mercenaries	Mercenary hit points and damage +15%, +3 Uhlans
Adler von Lübeck	Delivers 1 Battleship and 1 Privateer; enables Battleships to train mercenaries; costs 900 food, 900 wood, 900 coin

Haudenosaunee

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Scout Infantry	Delivers 1 Native Scout; infantry Line of Sight +8
Conservative Tactics	Infantry hit points and damage +10%
Covenant Chain	Delivers 4 Irish Brigadiers, 4 Highlanders, 3 Harquebusiers, and 2 Heavy Cannons; costs 2,000 coin

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%
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.

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%
Zamindars	Delivers 2 Sepoys instead of 1 Hindu Villager with every future Home City shipment, including this one; infantry train time -20%

Italians

Card	Description	Age
Infantry Hitpoints	Infantry hit points +15%
Schiavoni Swords	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry all melee attack damage +15%

Japanese

Card	Description	Age
Onin War	Infantry siege attack damage +33%
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
Moccasins	Infantry speed +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 Tuxtepec	Transforms all Salteadores into Soldados; musket infantry Line of Sight, ranged and mortar attack range +1; costs 500 food, 500 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
Bustamante	Field Hospital cost free, but does not grant build and kill bounty; enables the General to build Field Hospitals; enables Soldado to be trained at Field Hospitals; musket infantry hit points +10%
National Servant	Unit (except herded animals) hit points +10%; Padre heal work rate +200%	Imperial Age
Outlaw Combat	Outlaw and mercenary hit points and damage +15%; costs 500 coin
Bastimento	Villager train time -20%; infantry train time -25%, Revolutionary train time -50% instead
Pok Ta Pok	Infantry train time -10%, speed +10%

• "Colegio de San Nicolás" is available upon selecting the Michoacán Federal State.
• "Bustamante" is available upon selecting the San Luis Potosí Federal State.
• "National Servant" is available upon selecting the Estado de México Federal State.
• "Outlaw Combat" is available upon revolting to Baja California.
• "Bastimento" is available upon revolting to Rio Grande.
• "Pok Ta Pok" is available upon revolting to the Maya.

Ottomans

Card	Description	Age
Matrakci School	Infantry and shock infantry train time -30%; Janissary, Azap, Nizam Fusilier, Abus Gunner, and Humbaraci train time -40% instead

Portuguese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Gunpowder Infantry Hitpoints	Gunpowder trooper hit points +15%

Russians

Card	Description	Age
Ransack	Infantry siege attack damage +50%
Dueling School	Infantry train time -25%

Spanish

Card	Description	Age
Peninsular Guerrillas	Ranged infantry damage +20%, musket infantry damage +10% instead; Skirmishers now see the Line of Sight of enemies they attacked for 3 seconds
TEAM Spanish Inquisition	Delivers 1 Inquisitor; military and economic unit Line of Sight +10

Swedes

Card	Description	Age
TEAM House of Bernadotte	Heavy infantry 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
United States Army	The General, Minuteman, and heavy infantry hit points and damage +15%
Scottish Immigrants	Delivers 1 Highlander for each Trading Post, Meeting House, and Saloon present on the map (up to 10); costs 400 coin
Poker	Delivers 13 random mercenaries; enables up to 3 random mercenaries at Saloons; costs 3,500 coin
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

• "Indiana Mobilization" is available upon selecting the Indiana Federal State.
• "Hamilton's Own" is available upon selecting the New York Federal State.

Shared

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Fencing School	Infantry (except Skull Knights) train time -40% (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Villager for the Indians)		10

• "Fencing School" is available to Europeans (except the Ottomans), and the Indians.

Chinese

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Western Reforms	All units get +8% hit points and damage		40
Acupuncture	All units' (except monks, Heavy Cannon, Flying Crow, and Summer Palace banner army) train time -20%		10

Dutch

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints	Infantry get +15% hit points		10

Europeans

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Hire Scottish Highlanders	Delivers 9 Highlanders; costs 1,000 coin		10
Hire Highland Mercenary Army	Delivers 6 Highlanders, 8 Swiss Pikemen, and 4 Hackapells; costs 2,000 coin		25

• "Hire Scottish Highlanders" is available to the British, Russians, and Spanish.
• "Hire Highland Mercenary Army" is available to the British, Dutch, Germans (with +1 extra Highlander, Swiss Pikeman, and Hackapell), Russians, and Spanish.

French

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Ranged Infantry Attack	Gunpowder trooper and archers get +15% damage		10

Germans

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Improved Mercenaries	Mercenaries get +20% hit points and damage		10

Indians

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Dravidian Martial Arts	All units get +15% all melee attack damage; +1 Villager		40
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics	All units get +5% hit points and damage		25

Iroquois

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Scout Infantry	Infantry get +8 Line of Sight		10

Japanese

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Onin War	Infantry get +33% siege attack damage		40

Portuguese

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Gunpowder Infantry Hitpoints	Gunpowder trooper get +15% hit points		10

Russians

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Ransack	Infantry get +50% siege attack damage		25
TEAM 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

Spanish

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Inquisition	All units get +10 Line of Sight		10

Treasure guardian

Marauding Highlander
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - Knights of the Mediterranean
Type	Guardian
Civilization(s)	Mother Nature
Statistics
Hit points	300
Resistance	20% Hand
Speed	7.0
Line of Sight	24
Kill XP	20
Ranged attack
Damage	33 Ranged
Range	4-12
Rate of Fire	3.0
Siege attack
Damage	20 Siege
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0
Hand attack
Damage	15 Hand
Rate of Fire	1.5

The Marauding Highlander is a treasure guardian variant of the Highlander. It uses slightly modified stats from the base unit.

Changelog

Definitive Edition

• With update 23511, Highlanders are tagged as musket infantry.

Knights of the Mediterranean

• With update 14.43676, Highlanders shipped by The Black Watch received new models.

In-game dialogue

The Highlander speaks Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic language, which is also spoken by Morgan Black.

• Select 1 Seadh? - Yes?
• Select 2 Deiseil - Ready
• Select 3 Dé'n t-òrdugh? - What is your order?
• Move 1 Tha mi a'tuigsinn - I understand
• Move 2 Nì mi sin - I'll do that
• Move 3 Mi cuir an seo a-nis - I will go here now
• Attack 1 Thoir Ionnsaigh! - Attack!
• Attack 2 Gu blàr! - To battle!
• Attack 3 Seadh, tha mi deiseil! - Yes, I'm ready!

Trivia

• The Highlander is based on Seven Years' War period Highlander regiments.
• The Black Watch version is based on Napoleonic Wars period Highlander regiments.

History

“

The Highlanders were clansmen warriors and soldiers from the highlands of Scotland. A group of Highlanders raised in 1745 under the banner of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charles or the Young Pretender, fought against English royalist armies with the goal of restoring the Scottish line of kings (the Stuarts) to the throne of England. They were ultimately unsuccessful and many highlanders scattered to mainland Europe and America to escape the ruthless oppression of the Scottish Highlands. In their new homes, regiments of these Scotsmen fought as part of other armies. Highlanders carried swords, daggers and rifles. They wore kilts, bonnets (a seamless and brimless woolen cap typically with a strip of tartan around the headband) and double-breasted coats.

”

Gallery

An in-game Highlander

The Highlander's history portrait

Highlander model

An in-game Highlander in the Definitive Edition

In-game Highlander after researching The Black Watch technology since update 14.43676

Highlander image from the Compendium section

In-game Highlander and Marauding Highlander