Highlander

Highlander
Unit information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III
Type	Infantry Heavy infantry Ranged infantry Gunpowder unit Mercenary Musket Infantry
Age	Fortress Age
Training
Trained at	Tavern (Europeans) Monastery (Asians) Saloon (Americans) Palace (Africans)
Coin	200
Training time	40 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	400
Resists	40% vs. Melee
Speed	4.0
Line of Sight	16
Population	2
XP train bounty	20
XP bounty	20
Melee attack
Damage	32
Multipliers	x2.0 vs. Cavalry x1.5 vs. Shock Infantry
Rate of Fire	1.5
Ranged attack
Damage	63
Range	12
Rate of Fire	3.0
Siege attack
Damage	40
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0

“	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 Shock Infantry and artillery who outrange them. They are also relatively effective against buildings. With all hit point improvement upgrades (Cree or Navajo) and cards (Dutch, Indians, and Portuguese allies), the Spanish Scottish Highlander is the ranged infantry with the highest hit points, 700.

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.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Cavalry, Shock Infantry, heavy infantry
Weak vs.	Skirmishers, archers, artillery
Improvements
Hit points	Flint Lock (+10%) Thin Red Line (+20%, British only) Corselet (+25%, Spanish only) Cree Tanning (+5%) Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Attack	Socket Bayonet (+20% melee attack) Paper Cartridge (+15%) Customized Merc Weapons (+30%, John Black's Mercenaries only) Iroquois Lacrosse (+10%, vanilla Age of Empires III only) Yoga (+5%) Smokeless Powder (+30% siege attack) Clenched Fist (+30% melee attack)
Speed	Military Drummers (+10%) Tilly's Discipline (+20%, Germans only) Quechuan Mountaineering (+20%) Apache Endurance (+5%)
Sight	Town Watch (+2)
Creation speed	Standing Army (-25%) Quechuan Diet (-25%)
Train cost	Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost)
Other	The Black Watch (ships 8 Highlanders, British only)
Penalties	Thin Red Line (-25% speed, British only) Coffee Trade (-10% speed, Dutch only) Tilly's Discipline (+10% cost, Germans only) Corselet (-15% speed, Spanish only)

Home City Cards

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

Green: TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team All Card Description Age HC level Fencing School Infantry train time -40% 10 The Fencing School card is not available to Chinese, Japanese, and Ottomans. Chinese Card Description Age HC level Western Reforms All units get +8% hit points and attack 40 Acupuncture Unit train time -20% 10 Dutch Card Description Age HC level TEAM Infantry Hitpoints Infantry get +15% hit points 10 Ethiopians Card Description Age TEAM Coffee Consumption Ranged Infantry get +5% speed Europeans Card Description Age HC level Hire Scottish Highlanders Ships 9 Highlanders; costs 1,000 coin 10 Hire Highland Mercenary Army Ships 6 Highlanders, 4 Hackapells, and 8 Swiss Pikemen; costs 2,000 coin 25 The Hire Scottish Highlanders card is available to British, Russians, Spanish, and United States. The Hire Highland Mercenary Army card is not available to Ottomans and Portuguese, and ships 1 extra Highlander, Hackapell, and Swiss Pikeman for the Germans, while the Swedes have the "Hire Highland Mercenary Army" card instead. French Card Description Age HC level TEAM Ranged Infantry Attack Ranged infantry get +15% attack 10 Germans Card Description Age HC level 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% melee attack +1 Villager 40 TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack 25 Haudenosaunee Card Description Age HC level TEAM Scout Infantry Infantry get +8 LOS 10 Japanese Card Description Age HC level Onin War Infantry get +33% siege attack 40 Portuguese Card Description Age HC level TEAM Gunpowder Infantry Hitpoints Gunpowder infantry get +15% hit points 10 Russians Card Description Age HC level Ransack Infantry get +50% siege attack 25 TEAM Dueling School Infantry train time -25%; Skull Knights spawn 25% faster; banner army train time -12% 25 Spanish Card Description Age HC level TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 LOS 10 Swedes Card Description Age TEAM Heavy Infantry Hitpoints Heavy Infantry get +15% hit points Hire Highland Mercenary Army Ships 6 Highlanders, 4 Harquebusiers, and 8 Swiss Pikemen; costs 2,000 coin German Mercenary Contracts Mercenaries get +25% hit points and attack; Jaegers and Landsknechts can be trained at Barracks and Galleons; Black Riders can be trained at Stables and Galleons Contract Scottish Highlanders Ships 9 Highlanders; Highlander available at the Tavern; costs 1,000 coin

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 'ghas' (?) - I will go here
• Attack 1 Ionnsaigh! - Attack!
• Attack 2 Gu blàr! - To battle!
• Attack 3 Seadh, tha mi deiseil! - Yes, I'm ready!

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