Hussar (Age of Empires III)

"Light cavalry armed with cold steel."

—In-game description

The Hussar is a melee heavy cavalry in Age of Empires III that can be trained at Stable, Fort, and Galleon/Fluyt.

Hussars are available to European civilizations except Germans, John Black's Mercenaries (both of which have Uhlans instead), and Russians (who have Cossacks instead).

Overview Edit

Hussars are the basic cavalry for most of the European civilizations, and as they are the base cavalry unit, they have no distinguishing characteristics. They are effective at raiding Villagers due to their speed, with a minor advantage of ranged resistance against the Town Center attack.

Hussars, like all melee cavalry, are also effective against ranged infantry, which are too fragile to stand up to melee combat. Their speed helps in getting in close with early artillery. However, Hussars are weak against heavy infantry and light cavalry. They should be work with nearby infantry so that each can cover for the other's weakness.

A raiding party of 10 is usually sufficient.^[1] While Hussars may be used to fend off Skirmishers in the mid game, Hussars tend not to be used in the late game as melee units are vastly easier to kill using superior numbers of ranged units, such as Dragoons or even massed Musketeers. They lack the HP of the Cuirassier without costing much less, nor gaining sufficient speed to make the Hussar comparatively useful. It is simply too easy to focus down Hussars with ranged units with a bonused-attack.

The Spanish can use unction to boost their Hussars in combat, providing a sizable damage increase.

Upgrades Edit

Age	Upgrade	Cost	Effect	Civ.
	Veteran Hussars	200 wood, 200 coin	Upgrades Hussars to Veteran (+20% hit points and attack)	British Dutch French Ottomans Portuguese Spanish
	Guard Hussars	600 wood, 600 coin	Upgrades Hussars to Guard (+30% hit points and attack); requires Veteran Hussars	Dutch French Portuguese Spanish
	Life Guard Hussars	1,000 wood, 1,000 coin	Upgrades Hussars to King's Life Guard Hussars (Guard Hussars with +10% hit points and attack); requires Veteran Hussar	British
	Gardeners		Upgrades Hussars to Gardener Hussars (Guard Hussars with +10% hit points and attack); requires Veteran Hussar	Ottomans
	Imperial Hussars	1,500 wood, 1,500 coin	Upgrades Hussars to Imperial (+50% hit points and attack); requires Guard Hussars	Dutch French Portuguese Spanish
	Imperial Life Guards		Upgrades King's Life Guard Hussars to Imperial Life Guards (+50% hit points and attack); requires Life Guard Hussars	British
	Imperial Gardeners		Upgrades Gardener Hussars to Imperial Gardeners (+50% hit points and attack); requires Gardeners	Ottomans

Civilization differences Edit

• As seen above, British and Ottomans can upgrade Hussars to Royal Guard and Imperial Guard levels.
• While the Germans cannot train Hussars, they can ship 10 Guard Hussars named Winged Hussar through the Polish Winged Hussars Home City Card.
• While the Russians cannot train Hussars, they can ship 17 Guard Hussars through Bashkir Ponies.
• Knights of St. John can only upgrade Hussars to the Veteran level.
• United States can upgrade Hussars to the Imperial level.
• Chinese and Indians can get Hussars by allying with British, Ottomans, and Russians at the Consulate, which provides armies and technologies that includes Hussars (named Life Guard for the British, Gardener for the Ottomans, Bashkir for the Russians) listed below. These Hussars start with +10% hit points and attack than their regular counterpart, and are automatically upgraded in every Age starting from the Fortress Age (see here for the exact values).
  • British (Chinese and Indians): British Expeditionary Army (6 Hussars)
  • Ottomans (Indians, requires a level 40 Home City): Ottoman Expeditionary Company and Ottoman Expeditionary Force (3 Hussars)
  • Russians (Chinese): Russian Brigade (15 Hussars)

Further statistics Edit

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Ranged infantry, light infantry, artillery
Weak vs.	Heavy infantry, light cavalry
Improvements
Hit points	Cavalry Cuirass (+10%) Comanche Horse Breeding (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Attack	Pillage (+25% siege attack) Yoga (+5%)
Sight	Town Watch (+2)
Speed	Comanche Mustangs (+10%) Apache Endurance (+5%)
Creation speed	Mass Cavalry (-50%) Cheyenne Horse Trading (-25%) Incan Chasquis Messengers (-25%)
Train cost	Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost)
Other	Bashkir Ponies (ships 13 Guard Hussars, Russians only) Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost)
Penalties	Coffee Trade (-10% speed, Dutch only)

Home City Cards Edit

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

Green: TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team Europeans Edit Card Description Age HC level 3 Hussars Ships 3 Hussars 1 4 Hussars Ships 4 Hussars 1 7 Hussars Ships 7 Hussars 10 5 Hussars Ships 5 Hussars 10 8 Hussars Ships 8 Hussars 25 Cavalry Combat Cavalry gets +15% hit points and attack 10 Riding School Cavalry train time -40% 10 The 3 Hussars card is available to Dutch, French, and Ottomans. The 4 Hussars and 7 Hussars cards are not available to the Portuguese. The 5 Hussars card is not available to Dutch, French and Portuguese. The 8 Hussars card is available to British and Ottomans. The Cavalry Combat card that affects all cavalry is available to Dutch, Ottomans and Russians; the British Cavalry Combat that only affects Hussars and Dragoons are listed separately. British Edit Card Description Age HC level Cavalry Damage Hussars and Dragoons get +15% attack 10 Cavalry Hitpoints Hussars and Dragoons get +15% hit points 10 Cavalry Combat Hussars and Dragoons get +15% hit points and attack 25 French Edit Card Description Age HC level TEAM Hand Cavalry Attack Heavy cavalry and Coyote Runners get +15% attack 10 Germans Edit Card Description Age HC level TEAM Cavalry Attack Heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and light infantry gets +15% attack 10 Polish Winged Hussars Ships 10 Winged Hussars (Guard Hussars) 25 Spanish Riding School Cavalry gets +10% speed +4 Uhlans 25 Indians Edit Card Description Age HC level TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack 25 Japanese Edit Card Description Age HC level TEAM Cheaper Unit Upgrades Unit upgrades cost -20% 1 Portuguese Edit Card Description Age HC level Dragoon Combat Dragoons get +20% hit points and attack; Hussars get +15% hit points and attack 10 Russians Edit Card Description Age HC level TEAM Cavalry Scouts Cavalry and light infantry gets +10% hit points and +4 LOS 1 Spanish Edit Card Description Age HC level Hand Cavalry Hitpoints Hussars and Lancers get +15% hit points 10 Hand Cavalry Attack Hussars and Lancers get +15% attack 10 Hand Cavalry Combat Hussars and Lancers get +15% hit points and attack 25 TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 LOS 10

Trivia Edit

• British Royal Guard and Consulate Hussars are named after the Life Guards.
• Ottoman Royal Guard and Consulate Hussars are named after the Bostancı, which literally means "gardener".
• German Hussars are named after the Polish Hussars, who are notable for their huge wing ornament.

History Edit

"Lasalle, Napoleon's most dashing and competent light cavalry commander, boldly stated that any Hussar who lived to see the age of 30 was "a blackguard." Hussars were known for their daring and flamboyant displays in and out of combat. They could be an unruly and rowdy lot, though some, like the Prussian Death's Head Hussars, looked quite severe. Hussars were used to scout, gather intelligence, run down their enemy counterparts, and in flanking and screening maneuvers. They were excellent horsemen and daring to a fault.

The Prussian hussars, who served under Wellington at Waterloo, wore uniforms of almost entirely unrelieved black, with a large white skull and crossbones on the front of their short-brimmed, tall cylindrical hats. Hussars were typically armed with curved cavalry sabers and sometimes muskets or pistols."

Gallery Edit

An in-game Hussar

The in-game stats of an Imperial Life Guard (British Hussar)

A painting of a group of Napoleonic Hussars

Add a photo to this gallery

References Edit

See also Edit

• Uhlan – German counterpart
• Cossack – Russian counterpart

Military units in Age of Empires III
Age of Empires III
General	Explorer · Pikeman · Musketeer · Crossbowman · Skirmisher · Minuteman · Halberdier · Grenadier · Hussar · Dragoon · Cavalry Archer · Falconet · Culverin · Mortar · Heavy Cannon · Caravel · Galleon · Frigate · Monitor · Horse Artillery* · Petard* · Spy*
British	Longbowman · Rocket
Dutch	Ruyter · Fluyt
French	Cuirassier
Germans	Doppelsoldner · Uhlan · War Wagon
Ottomans	Janissary · Abus Gun · Great Bombard · Galley · Spahi
Portuguese	Cassador · Organ Gun
Russians	Strelet · Cossack · Oprichnik
Spanish	Rodelero · Lancer
The WarChiefs
Aztecs	Aztec War Chief · Warrior · Coyote Runner · Macehualtin · Puma Spearman · Arrow Knight · Eagle Runner Knight · Jaguar Prowl Knight · Warrior Priest · Skull Knight · Canoe · War Canoe · Tlaloc Canoe
Iroquois	Iroquois War Chief · Warrior · Aenna · Tomahawk · Forest Prowler · Kanya Horseman · Musket Rider · Ram · Mantlet · Light Cannon · Canoe · War Canoe
Sioux	Sioux War Chief · Warrior · Cetan Bow · War Club · Wakina Rifle · Axe Rider · Bow Rider · Rifle Rider · Tashunke Prowler · Dog Soldier · Canoe · War Canoe
Revolution	Colonial Militia · Gatling Gun · Ironclad
The Asian Dynasties
Chinese	Shaolin Master · Disciple · Sentry · Irregular · Chu Ko Nu · Qiang Pikeman · Changdao Swordsman · Arquebusier · Steppe Rider · Keshik · Iron Flail · Meteor Hammer · Flamethrower · Hand Mortar · Flying Crow · Fire Junk · War Junk · Fuchuan · Monitor
Indians	Brahmin · Sentry · Irregular · Rajput · Sepoy · Gurkha · Urumi · Sowar · Zamburak · Mahout Lancer · Howdah · Flail Elephant · Siege Elephant · Caravel · Galleon · Frigate · Monitor
Japanese	Ikko-Ikki · Sentry · Irregular · Samurai · Ashigaru Musketeer · Yumi Archer · Naginata Rider · Yabusame · Flaming Arrow · Morutaru · Daimyo · Shogun Tokugawa · Yamabushi · Shinobi · Fune · Atakabune · Tekkousen · Monitor
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