Light ranged cavalry (Age of Empires III)

This article is about the unit type in Age of Empires III. For the unit type in Age of Empires IV, see ranged cavalry unit (Age of Empires IV). For more uses of light cavalry, see light cavalry.

Light ranged cavalry (light cavalry before the Definitive Edition) in Age of Empires III are mounted soldiers which generally possess quick speed and decent attack, but lack hit points and resistance required for sustained combat. Most light ranged cavalry units are used for exploring, hit-and-run-tactics, villager disruptions, and scouting. Most ranged cavalry are light ranged cavalry. In the game files, they have the AbstractLightCavalry tag. They are very good against heavy cavalry due to their multipliers, but often need protection to be effective due to their hit points. Units with bows or javelins fire twice as fast as their counterparts with firearms. All light ranged cavalry are ranged cavalry, except the Berber Camel Rider, which is a melee cavalry with no ranged attack, and the Siege Elephant, which is tagged as artillery instead of ranged cavalry.

List of light ranged cavalry

• Apache Cavalry
• Bedouin Horse Archer (bow)
• Berber Camel Rider (melee)
• Black Rider
• Bow Rider (bow)
• Californio
• Carbine Cavalry
• Cavalry Archer (bow)
• Chevauleger
• Comanche Horse Archer (bow)
• Comanchero
• Conquistador
• Cowboy
• Cowboy
• Cuatrero
• Cuerudo
• Crabat
• Dragoon
• Emir
• Gatling Camel (artillery)
• Gaucho
• Hakkapelit
• Highwayman
• Howdah
• Jagunço
• Javelin Rider (javelin)
• Kanuri Guard
• Keshik (bow)
• Lipka Tatar (bow)
• Mapuche Bolas Rider
• Manchu (bow)
• Mansabdar Howdah
• Mansabdar Siege Elephant
• Mansabdar Zamburak
• Morochuco
• Mounted Granadero
• Musket Rider
• Ras
• Rifle Rider
• Royal Dragoon
• Ruyter
• Siege Elephant (artillery)
• War Wagon
• Wokou Horseman (bow)
• Yabusame (bow)
• Yojimbo (bow)
• Zamburak
• Zenata Rider (javelin)

Despite posessing a ranged attack, the Harquebusier, Mounted Rifleman, and the Qizilbash are considered heavy cavalry. The Eagle Runner Knight performs the same role as light ranged cavalry units.

Light ranged cavalry units are hard countered by foot archers and rifle infantry at range, while being very weak against hand infantry. Altough musket infantry do not have multipliers, they are also good against them.

While they are not nearly as vulnerable against artillery as infantry, their low hit points compared to heavy cavalry and the massive ranged resistance of the artillery do make most light ranged cavalry units rather mediocre against them, even though they usually have multipliers. If no better counters against it are available, players should always consider switching their light ranged cavalry into melee mode, which is usually more effective in that situation.

All light ranged cavalry, with the exception of the Jagunço and Mounted Granadero, have a negative multiplier against villagers in their ranged attack, while the Berber Camel Rider, Comanchero, Cowboy, Cuatrero, Emir, Gatling Camel, Gaucho, Hakkapelit, Morochuco, Ras, War Wagon, and Wokou Horseman also have in their hand attack, and the Siege Elephant has in its siege attack.

Home City Cards

The cards that affect units with the light ranged cavalry tag are shown in the following table:

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the light ranged cavalry tag

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

Germans

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Cavalry Attack	The player's heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% attack; allied cavalry and shock infantry get +10% attack instead

Ottomans

Card	Description	Age
Akincis	Light cavalry get +100% multiplier against Villagers; Cavalry Archer train time -15%