The Jaeger is best used to counter heavy infantry; they benefit from the counter-infantry tech from the Arsenal making them very strong against any heavy infantry. As all skirmishers, they are countered by hand cavalry and artillery so they should be guarded well, ideally by ranged cavalry such as Dragoons.
The Jaeger shipment that some civilizations get in the Fortress Age is a good way of repelling large numbers of heavy infantry units. Due to their low cost and population use, a civilization should replace their normal Skirmishers with them as they have much better stats. However, the French and Germans have stronger Skirmishers, so when dealing with an army of cavalry, Jaegers should be used to support while other units fight the cavalry.
All European civilizations can pick The Mercenary Contractor for aging up to the Imperial Age, and he will improve mercenaries (including the Jaeger) by increasing their hit points and attack by 50%.
In Act II: Ice of the original Age of Empires III, John Black employs Jaegers as part of his mercenary force. In some campaign scenarios, the player starts the game with Jaegers at their disposal, or can have them shipped later from their Home City, provided they did not remove the card which ships Jaegers from their deck.
The Jaeger is one of the units that is featured in the very first stages of the Act I: Fire campaign as part of the Hessian forces under Colonel Kuechler. This time, they appear as part of the enemy forces.
Civilization differences[]
The British can train Jaegers at the Tavern if they select The Mercenary Contractor to age up to the Fortress Age.
The Germans can train Jaegers if the player sends the "Mercenary Camps" Home City Card, which upgrades the Tavern to the Mercenary Camp. Also, the Germans' Battleships can train Jaegers through the "Adler von Lübeck" Home City Card (if they are available in the Tavern).
The Swedes can train Jaegers at the Tavern by default. Also, they can train them from Barracks, Blockhouses, and Galleons if the player sends the "Contract Hessian Jaegers" Home City Card or select The Mercenary Contractor to age up to the Fortress Age. Additionaly, they can upgrade Jaegers to Savolax Jaegers through the Savolax Jaegers technology, researching at the Church once the Fortress Age is reached and the "Treaty of Roskilde" Home City Card has been sent. It ships 6 Savolax Jaegers, allows them to be trained at Barracks for 80 wood, 80 coin, increases their hit points by 5%, and gives them the Stealth ability.
The United States can get Jaegers through the "Poker" Home City Card, in the pool of random mercenaries shipped, which also randomly enables them in Saloons.
Revolutions[]
Finland has the "Savolax Jaegers" Home City Card with the same effect as the Savolax Jaegers technology.
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%
Delivers 6 Jaegers; upgrades Jaegers to Savolax Jaegers, which cost 80 wood, 80 coin, have +5% hit points and can use Stealth mode; enables Savolax Jaegers to be trained at Barracks, Forts, and Galleons; costs 400 wood
Jaeger Combat
Jaeger hit points and damage +15%; Karelian Jaeger and Counter Jaeger hit points and damage +20%
Albion Mercenary Legion
Delivers 2 Highlanders, 2 Jaegers, and 3 Harquebusiers
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.
Upgrades the Tavern to Mercenary Camp: build time -25%, cost, build bounty and hit points -50%, coin auto gather rate -60%, build limit +3; enables Landsknechts, Jaegers, Giant Grenadiers, Black Riders, and Pandours to be trained at Mercenary Camps, +3 Uhlans
Adler von Lübeck
Delivers 1 Battleship and 1 Privateer; enables Battleships to train mercenaries; costs 900 food, 900 wood, 900 coin
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
Rifle infantry hit points and damage +15%; Salteadores get Big Ability Batton: if not in combat Salteadores will automatically be stealthy with no speed penalty - for a short duration
Plan of Miramare
Transforms all Salteadores into Voltigeurs; rifle infantry Line of Sight, charged and ranged attack range +2; costs 750 food, 750 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
Outlaw Combat
Outlaw and mercenary hit points and damage +15%; costs 500 coin
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
Contract Hessian Jaegers
Delivers 10 Jaegers; enables Jaegers to be trained at Barracks, Blockhouses, and Galleons; costs 1,000 coin
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.
Jaegers cost 200 coin, give 20 XP when trained or killed, have a ×2.0 ranged multiplier against light cavalry and ranged shock infantry, and ×0.75 against cavalry and hand shock infantry.
With update 13.58326, the Jaeger has a ×2.5 ranged multiplier against light cavalry and ranged shock infantry, ×0.6 vs. cavalry and ×0.5 vs. shock infantry.
With update 14.43676, Marauding Jaeger speed was changed from 5.0 to 7.0, and kill bounty from 20 to 18.
In-game dialogue[]
The Jaeger, similar to the units of the Germans, speaks modern Standard German with a standard theater pronunciation ("Bühnendeutsch"), although this does not represent the form of German spoken in the Age of Empires III timeframe.
Select 1Ja? - Yes?
Select 2Bereit - Ready
Select 3Auftrag? - Order?
Move 1Jawohl - Yes
Move 2Verstanden - Understood
Move 3Wird erledigt - It will be done
Attack 1Angriff! - Attack!
Attack 2In den Kampf! - Into the fight!
Attack 3Jawohl! - Yes!
History[]
“
Many nations in the late eighteenth century had one version or another of lightly armed huntsmen turned soldiers. They were highly mobile and good marksmen. Companies of these jaegers (German for hunters) were sold into mercenary service by their rulers to accompany British troops during the American Revolution, and they participated in every major engagement. Some were actual hunters, while others were debtors or criminals. The bulk of these jaegers were from Hesse-Cassel in Germany, and the whole group of them came to be known as Hessians. George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Eve in 1776 to make a surprise attack on the British at Trenton. His attack captured hundreds of Hessian soldiers and was a turning point for the flagging morale of Washington's troops and the American Revolution in general.
Jaegers carried rifles and a hunting sword called a hirschfaenger used for dressing elk. They wore green coats, wool pants, and three-cornered hats (or sometimes tall, pointed Grenadier miters). When mounted, Hessian jaegers carried carbines and sabres.
”
Trivia[]
The word Jaeger means "hunter" in German. It is usually spelled Jäger, but the alternative spelling is used when no umlaut is available. When tasking a villager to hunt while playing with Germans, they will say Jäger (male) or Jägerin (female).
The Jaeger unit is based on the Hessian mercenaries employed by the British during the American Revolutionary War.
The Jaeger in Age of Empires III is wearing a fatigue cap.
Gallery[]
The Jaeger's history portrait
An in-game Jaeger
Hessian mercenary reenactor similar to the Jaeger
Jaeger model
In-game Jaeger in the Definitive Edition
In-game Jaeger after researching Savolax Jaegers since update 14.43676
Jaegers in the Summoned cinematic in the Act II: Ice campaign in the Definitive Edition
Age of Empires III[]
TEAM Senegalese Riflemen
Liberation March
Fencing School
Feudal Armies
Loyal Warriors
Hire Hessian Jaeger Division
TEAM Yongle Infrastructure
Western Reforms
Acupuncture
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints
Dutch States Army
TEAM Coffee Consumption
Temenyas
Ignatian Spirituality
Hire Hessian Jaegers
Hire Holy Roman Army
Mercenary Loyalty
Outlaw Combat
Savolax Jaegers
Albion Mercenary Legion
Wanderlust
TEAM House of Bonaparte
Royal Fencing School
Cult of the Supreme Being
Hire Hessian Jaegers
Hire Holy Roman Army
TEAM Soldier Trade
Improved Mercenaries
Mercenary Camps
Adler von Lübeck
TEAM Scout Infantry
Conservative Tactics
Sahelian Kingdoms
Road Building
TEAM Inca Bridges
Dravidian Martial Arts
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics
Zamindars
Infantry Hitpoints
Schiavoni Swords
German Company
Onin War
Bakufu
Moccasins
TEAM Knights of the Round Table
Guerrilla Tactics
Plan of Miramare
TEAM Mariachi
Colegio de San Nicolas
National Servant
Outlaw Combat
Hire Hessian Jaegers
Bastimento
Pok Ta Pok
Matrakci School
TEAM Gunpowder Infantry Hitpoints
Ransack
Dueling School
Peninsular Guerrillas
TEAM Spanish Inquisition
German Mercenary Contracts
Contract Hessian Jaegers
Continental Rangers
Poker
Indiana Mobilization
Hamilton's Own
TEAM Ranged Infantry Attack
TEAM Dueling School
