Lakota Axe Rider

This article is about the minor native unit in Age of Empires III. For the unit available for the Lakota civilization, see Axe Rider.

Lakota Axe Rider
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III
Type	Cavalry Heavy cavalry Hand cavalry Native warrior
Age	Commerce Age
Training
Trained at	Trading Post or Tambo on a Lakota settlement Native Embassy
Cost	40 Food 110 Wood
Train time	30 seconds
Train limit	10 per Lakota settlement
Statistics
Hit points	365
Resistance	10% Ranged
Speed	6.75
Line of Sight	12
Train XP	15
Kill XP	15
Siege attack
Damage	15 Siege
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0
Hand attack
Damage	21 Hand
Rate of Fire	1.5
Trample attack
Damage	11 Hand
Area of Effect	3
Rate of Fire	2.0

“	Lakota horseman armed with an axe.	”
—In-game description

The Lakota Axe Rider is a melee heavy cavalry native warrior in Age of Empires III that can be trained at a Trading Post built on a Lakota settlement.

After The WarChiefs expansion where the Lakota become a playable faction and replaced by the Cheyenne as a minor native, the Lakota Axe Rider was succeeded by the Axe Rider while its role as a native warrior is taken by the Cheyenne Rider.

Overview

The Lakota Axe Rider is heavy cavalry strong against light infantry and artillery. It requires fewer total resources compared to other traditional heavy cavalry, but they cost wood instead of coin for training, with an unconventional amount for a cavalry.

Upgrades

Age	Upgrade	Cost	Effect
	Lakota Warrior Societies	100 wood 75 coin	Upgrades Lakota Axe Riders to Elite (+25% hit points and damage)
	Champion Lakota	400 wood 300 coin	Upgrades Lakota Axe Riders to Champion (+35% hit points and damage); requires Lakota Warrior Societies
Imperial Age	Legendary Native Warriors Exalted Natives	1,500 food 1,500 wood	Upgrades Lakota Axe Riders to Legendary (+50% hit points and damage)

• The Legendary Native Warriors technology is available in the Capitol for European civilizations and the Mexicans, the State Capitol for the United States, and the Town Center for Asian (as Exalted Natives) and Native American civilizations.
• For African civilizations, native warriors are upgraded automatically and for free.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Light infantry, counter-skirmishers, artillery
Weak vs.	Heavy infantry, light ranged cavalry, ranged shock infantry, Ninjas
Improvements
Hit points	Cavalry Cuirass (+10%) Comanche Horse Breeding (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Navajo Weaving (+5%) Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack	Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Yoga (+5%) Pillage (+25% siege attack multiplier vs. buildings) Horsemanship (+1.0 multiplier vs. Walls; Lakota only) Wind Horses (-10% Rate of Fire)
Resistance	Sudanese Quilted Armor (+10% hand resistance) Pancerni (+10% ranged resistance)
Speed	Cherokee War Dance (+20%) Horse Secrets (+10%; Haudenosaunee only) Apache Endurance (+5%) Comanche Mustangs (+5%) Wind Horses (+0.5)
Line of Sight	Town Watch (+3)
Cost	Philhellenism (-10%)
Train time	Cree Kinship (-45%) Cheyenne Horse Trading (-40%) Horse Secrets (-35%; Haudenosaunee only) Mass Cavalry (-35%) Horsemanship (-33%; Lakota only) Terror Charge (-20%; Indians only) Quechuan Diet (-15%) Immigrants (-10%) New Mexico Immigration (-10%; United States only) Philhellenism (-10%) Shaman Drums (-10%) Strangers' Quarters (-10%; Africans only)
Other	Yoruba Herbalism (regenerates hit points when close to a tree or Berry Bush) Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost)

Home City Cards

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Lakota Axe Rider

Some cards are highlighted with:
Green	TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
Red	Shipment that can be sent twice
Blue	Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)

Shared

Card	Description	Age
Cavalry Damage	Cavalry damage +15%
Cavalry Hitpoints	Cavalry hit points +15%
Cavalry Combat	Cavalry hit points and damage +15%
Native Treaties	Each different allied native tribe sends a shipment of their respective native warriors
Native Alliance	Native warrior cost -10%, train limit +20%
Native Warriors	Native warrior cost -25%
Native Warrior Combat	Native warrior hit points and damage +15%
TEAM Native Weapon Trade	Native warrior train limit +20%
Blood Brothers	Upgrades native warriors to Elite/Disciplined/Veteran and Champion/Honored/Royal Guard; Native Embassy build limit +5, hit points +40%
Liberation March	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry train time -35%, speed +5%
Riding School	Cavalry train time -40%; Cuirassier, Oprichnik, and Hakkapelit train time -35% instead; Gatling Camel train time -20% instead

• "Cavalry Damage" is available to the British, Lakota, and Swedes.
• "Cavalry Hitpoints" is available to the British and Haudenosaunee.
• "Cavalry Combat" is available to the British, Dutch, French, Italians, Lakota, Mexicans, Ottomans, Russians, and Spanish.
• "Native Treaties" is available to Africans (in the Industrial Age), Europeans (except the Maltese), Federal Americans, and Native Americans, and ships 3 Lakota Axe Riders if the player had built a Trading Post or Tambo (for the Inca) on a Lakota settlement.
• "Native Alliance" is available to the Aztecs, Inca, Indians, and Japanese.
• "Native Warriors" is available to Europeans, the Lakota and Mexicans.
• "Native Warrior Combat" is available to the French, Haudenosaunee, and Inca, and also Mexicans upon revolting to the Maya, and British upon revolting to Haiti.
• "TEAM Native Weapon Trade" is available to the Dutch and Lakota, and also British and French upon revolting to Canada.
• "Blood Brothers" is available to the Aztecs, French, Germans, Haudenosaunee, Lakota, Portuguese, Russians, and Spanish, and also British upon revolting to Canada or Haiti.
• "Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
• "Riding School" is available to Europeans (except the Maltese and Spanish) and the 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)

Asians

Card	Description	Age
Native Warrior Hitpoints	Native warrior hit points +30%, speed +10%
Native Warrior Attack	Native warrior train time -25%, damage +30%

• "Native Warrior Hitpoints" is not available to the Japanese.
• "Native Warrior Attack" is not available to the Indians.

Chinese

Card	Description	Age
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%

Ethiopians

Card	Description	Age
Ignatian Spirituality	Unit (except herded animals) hit points +5%, regeneration rate +1.0 (even in combat)

Europeans

Card	Description	Age
Blandengues	Hand cavalry cost -20%
Loyal Warriors	Native warrior, mercenary, and outlaw cost -15%; "TEAM 4 Zenata Rider", "Recruit Xebec", "Recruit Xebecs", and "15 Berber Allies" cost no coin
Sevites	Maroon, native warrior, and villager hit points regeneratation rate 0.25%; Yoruba Eso Riders lose 0.35% hit points per second instead, Militiamen lose 1.9% hit points per second, and for both stops at 25% hit points
Louverture Liberation	Delivers 6 Citizens; enables Citizens to be trained at Town Centers for 70 coin; enables Fishing Boats to be trained at Docks; native warrior train limit +20%, speed +5%
Junín Hussars	Hand cavalry and hand shock infantry train time -30%, speed +5% (train time -20% and no speed bonus if stacked with Liberation March)
Wanderlust	Land military and land villager hit points +5%; land villager and construction wagon speed +5% (can be sent 3 times)

• "Blandengues" is available to the Germans, Italians, and Spanish upon revolting to Argentina.
• "Loyal Warriors" is available to the Italians, Maltese, Ottomans, and Portuguese upon revolting to the Barbary States.
• "Sevites" and "Louverture Liberation" are available to the British and French upon revolting to Haiti.
• "Junín Hussars" is available to the Portuguese and Spanish upon revolting to Peru.
• "Wanderlust" is available to the British and Dutch upon revolting to South Africa.

French

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Hand Cavalry Attack	Hand cavalry and hand shock infantry damage +15%
Wilderness Warfare	Coureur des Bois, Cree Coureur des Bois, native warrior, Skirmisher, and Settler hit points +20%
TEAM French Auxiliaries Combat	Native warrior hit points and damage +10%
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
TEAM Cavalry Attack	Heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry damage +10%; Germans-only heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry damage +15% instead
Spanish Riding School	Cavalry speed +10%, +4 Uhlans

• "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the Italian "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.

Haudenosaunee

Card	Description	Age
Native Warrior Conscription	Native warrior cost -25%, train limit +20%
Wampum	Unit train bounty +35%, train time -20%, siege unit and artillery train time -5% instead; building build bounty +35%

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%
Couriers	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry train time -45%

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%

Italians

Card	Description	Age
Schiavoni Swords	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry all melee attack damage +15%
TEAM Cavalry Attack	Heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry damage +10%; Italians-only heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry damage +15% instead

• "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the German "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.

Japanese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Sengoku	Unit upgrade cost -20%
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
Morning Star	Temporarily reveals all enemies and treasures; Axe Rider can now loot treasures for double the resources or XP; hand cavalry bonus damage against treasure guardian +2.0
TEAM Mustangs	Cavalry and shock infantry cost -10%
Black Arrow	Native warrior train time -85%
Winter Counts	Unit train bounty +40%; building build bounty +20%

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 Casa Mata	Transforms all Dragoons into Chinacos; hand cavalry speed +5%; costs 250 food, 250 wood
TEAM Mariachi	For the next 30 seconds, military building training and research work rate +400%, unit speed +10%
Chimayó Genizarios	Each different allied native tribe sends a large shipment of their respective native warriors and upgrades them to Elite and Champion; native warrior train time -10%; "Native Treaties" arrive time -50%; costs 500 food, 500 wood
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

• "Chimayó Genizarios" ships 7 Lakota Axe Riders if the player had built a Trading Post on a Cheyenne settlement.
• "Colegio de San Nicolas" is available upon selecting the Michoacán Federal State.
• "National Servant" is available upon selecting the Estado de México Federal State.

Russians

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Kamchatka Expeditions	Cavalry and shock infantry hit points +10%, Line of Sight +4

Spanish

Card	Description	Age
Hand Cavalry Attack	Hand cavalry damage +15%
Hand Cavalry Hitpoints	Hand cavalry hit points +15%
TEAM Spanish Inquisition	Delivers 1 Inquisitor; military and economic unit Line of Sight +10

Swedes

Card	Description	Age
Hand Infantry/Hand Cavalry Hitpoints	Hand infantry and hand cavalry hit points +15%

United States

Card	Description	Age
Indian Friendship	Each different allied native tribe sends a large shipment of their respective native warriors and upgrades them to Elite and Champion; native warrior train time -10%; "Seminole Scouts", "Apache Scouts", "Navajo Scouts", "1st Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters", and "Native Treaties" arrive time -50%; costs 500 food, 500 wood
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
Seminole Ponies	Delivers 9 Hussars; cavalry train time -10%; hand cavalry hit points and damage +15%, speed +5%	Imperial Age

• "Indian Friendship" ships 7 Lakota Axe Riders if the player had built a Trading Post on a Cheyenne settlement.
• "Indiana Mobilization" is available upon selecting the Indiana Federal State.
• "Seminole Ponies" is available upon selecting the Florida Federal State.

Changelog

Age of Empires III

• Lakota Warrior Societies cost 200 wood, 150 coin.
• Champion Lakota gives +40% hit points and damage.

Definitive Edition

• Lakota Warrior Societies cost 100 wood, 75 coin.
• Champion Lakota gives +35% hit points and damage.

In-game dialogue

Main article: Lakota (minor native)#In-game dialogue

Trivia

• Despite being called an Axe Rider, the weapon used by the Lakota Axe Rider is a gunstock war club, an indigenous weapon used by Native Americans. Indigenous tribes of America most likely created the design of the club based upon European firearms.
  • The other units that utilise these clubs are the Kanya Horseman, Axe Rider, and the Club Warrior units.

History

Age of Empires III

“

The Lakota form one part of a related group of people who speak the Sioux language. They lived on the Great Plains of the western United States and survived by hunting. Their favorite game was the American Bison, or Buffalo, which provided food, clothing, and shelter to the Lakota people. The Lakota wore elaborately beaded and fringed leathers made from the hides of the animals they hunted. Weapons, and many other items, were made from the buffalo they hunted, with buffalo bones becoming both armor and weapons.

”

Definitive Edition

“

The Lakota form one part of a related group of people who speak the Lakota language. They lived on the Great Plains of the western United States and survived by hunting. Their favorite game was the American Bison, or Buffalo, which provided food, clothing, and shelter to the Lakota people. The Lakota wore elaborately beaded and fringed leathers made from the hides of the animals they hunted. Weapons, and many other items, were made from the buffalo they hunted, with buffalo bones becoming both armor and weapons.

”

Gallery

Lakota Axe Riders on the Great Plains

The Lakota Axe Rider's history portrait

Lakota Axe Rider image from the Compendium section in the Definitive Edition