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| This article is about the unit in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. For the unit in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, see Keshik (Age of Empires II). |
"Mongolian ranged cavalry. Good against cavalry."—In-game description
The Keshik is a mounted archer in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties that is unique to the Chinese and trained as a part of the Ming Army and Mongolian Army.
Overview 
Edit
The Keshik is a ranged cavalry unit, so they are very fast, outrunning hand cavalry and infantry units, and counters cannons and hand cavalry. The Keshik is by far the weakest ranged cavalry unit, but are also the cheapest.
Make sure that Keshiks stay away from Heavy Cavalry attacks, due to their lower hit points. Nevertheless, the Keshik is the second hardest hitting ranged cavalry after Zamburak, thanks to faster fire rate compared to Dragoons, and they take only one population slot, while Dragoons and Cavalry Archers take two.
Upgrades Edit
| Age | Upgrade | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  Disciplined Keshik
| 100 wood, 50 coin | Upgrades Keshiks to Disciplined (+20% hit points and attack) |
 |  Honored Keshik
| 300 wood, 300 coin | Upgrades Keshiks to Honored (+30% hit points and attack); requires Disciplined Keshik |
 |  Exalted Keshik
| 750 wood, 750 coin | Upgrades Keshiks to Exalted (+50% hit points and attack); requires Honored Keshik |
Further statistics Edit
As Keshiks are unique to the Chinese, only technologies that they have access to are shown in the following table:
| Unit strengths and weaknesses | |
|---|---|
| Strong vs. | Cavalry, light infantry |
| Weak vs. | Heavy infantry, ranged infantry, artillery |
| Improvements | |
| Hit points |  Comanche Horse Breeding (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Navajo Weaving (+5%)
|
| Attack |  Carib Kasiri Beer (+10%) Carib Garifuna Drums (+1.0x multiplier vs. villagers) Seminole Bowyer (+25%) Tupi Poison Arrow Frogs (+10%) Yoga (+5%)
|
| Speed |  Comanche Mustangs (+10%) Apache Endurance (+5%)
|
| Creation speed |  Cheyenne Horse Trading (-12%, Ming Army and Mongolian Army) Incan Chasquis Messengers (-18%, Mongolian Army)
|
| Other |  Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost)
|
Home City Cards Edit
As Keshiks are unique to the Chinese, only their cards and other civilizations' TEAM cards are shown in the following table:
| Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Keshik | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chinese
|
| Card | Description | Age | HC level |
|---|---|---|---|
 15 Keshiks
| Ships 15 Keshiks | | 1 |
 9 Keshiks
| Ships 9 Keshiks | | 10 |
 8 Keshiks
| Ships 8 Keshiks | | 25 |
 Western Reforms
| All units get +8% hit points and attack | | 40 |
 Mongolian Scourge
| Steppe Riders get +1.0x multiplier against villagers and +50% siege attack; Keshiks get +1.0x multiplier against heavy cavalry and light infantry; Iron Flails get +0.5x multiplier against infantry and heavy infantry |  | 25 |
 Beiyang Army
| Ships 8 Steppe Riders and 8 Keshiks, and upgrades them to Disciplined (if not already); costs 1,000 food | | 25 |
 Manchu Combat
| Qiang Pikemen, Changdao Swordsmen, Keshiks, and Meteor Hammers get +15% hit points and attack | | 25 |
 Banner School
| Banner army train time -23% | | 10 |
Germans Edit
| Card | Description | Age | HC level |
|---|---|---|---|
 TEAM Cavalry Attack
| Heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and light infantry gets +15% attack | | 10 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 TEAM Early Dragoons
| Dragoons, Cavalry Archers, Ruyters, Musket Riders, Rifle Riders, and Yabusame can be trained in the Colonial Age; Zamburak train time -15%; Ming Army and Mongolian Army train time -7% |  | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 TEAM Inquisition
| All units get +10 LOS | | 10 |
History Edit
"The mounted archers of the Mongolian Empire, the largest contiguous empire in human history, were feared for their mastery of the composite bow and their use of unpredictable light cavalry tactics. Using composite bows fashioned from a combination of materials, such as wood and animal bone, and held together with an animal hide adhesive, the keshik horsemen could fire arrows up to a range greater than 1,000 feet. They often carried two bows, one for short-range attacks and the other for distance volleys, and their quivers could contain a variety of different arrows for different purposes, including incendiary arrows, armor-piercing arrows, and whistling arrows to startle enemy units and throw them into a panic.
The keshik were renowned for their ability to maneuver and shoot while on horseback, often turning a full 360 degrees to aim and fire on an enemy target. Charging the enemy in a traditional crescent formation, they would attempt to flank and surround the enemy. If this tactic failed, they would quickly pull back, often feigning retreat in an effort to lure their enemy into a trap.
More than simple warriors, the keshik were an elite imperial guard created by Genghis Khan himself, a fierce fighting force that began with the 1,000 warriors of his personal guard and grew to an army numbering 10,000 men. During wartime, the keshik were under direct control of the emperor who only rode to war with the keshik at his side. As a royal guard, the keshik’s peacetime activities were mostly administrative. They supervised palace staff, cared for the equine, and maintained careful care of weapons and other supplies."
Gallery Edit
An in-game Keshik
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