This article is about the Indian heavy cavalry unit. For other units called Lancer, see Lancer. |
“ | Heavy hand cavalry that inflicts wide-area damage. Exceptionally deadly against archers and skirmishers. | ” |
—In-game description |
The Mahout Lancer is a melee heavy cavalry in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties that is unique to the Indians and can be trained at Caravanserai and Galleon once the Fortress Age is reached, as well as the Agra Fort Wonder once it is upgraded to Delhi Gate. It is the strongest melee unit in the game.
The Ethiopians can train them through the Indian alliance age-up.
Overview[]
The Mahout Lancers cost considerable resources and population, but have a high hand attack with good area effect, and a huge number of hit points. They are most easily compared to the French Cuirassier. The Mahout Lancer is a durable heavy cavalry unit that is good against non-heavy infantry such as archers, and artillery, much like other units of the same class.
Unlike the Spanish Lancer, it is not as effective against heavy infantry, but it can slay many before dying. Furthermore, unlike most other cavalry, Mahout Lancers have a high siege damage, as their elephants can ram over buildings, which makes them decent building killers in absence of artillery. The Indian Two and Three Mahout Lancer cards available in the Fortress Age may be worth adding to a deck. They also have elephant combat cards that increase hit points and damage.
Unlike the elephant cavalry in Age of Empires II, they are not slow. They have the same speed as some other heavy cavalry units, which is faster than infantry. The only drawback is its high cost and population slots, but if used properly, it can be very cost effective. Mansabdar units trained at the Charminar Gate also boost the attack and hit points of Mahout Lancers by 10%. This aura is very weak in comparison to Unction for any players wishing to use aura effects.
- Note: Elephant population can be decreased by a single point through use of the Professional Handlers Home City Card, although the Mansabdar Mahout's population cost is only reduced to 13 as per the card's effect.
While Mahouts are incredibly powerful, they do suffer from a few weaknesses. Firstly they take an enormous amount of population. As they actually have a lower base damage than Hussars or Cuirassiers, they can struggle vs an equal population of most units, with the exception of the units they hard counter. Secondly, they are very poor vs Villagers, having a negative multiplier despite their underwhelming base damage. For perspective, a single Honoured Steppe Rider has a higher damage vs a single villager. In late stages of the game, Mahouts should primarily be replaced with either Sowars, consulate cavalry (Gardeners, Gendarmes, etc), or Jat Lancers.
Countering Mahouts in the earlier stages of the Fortress age can be quite difficult due to their exceptional hitpoints (similar to a Mameluke shipment). A mixture of heavy cavalry and either heavy infantry or ranged cavalry will most likely be required to take them down.
- Note: Trample Mode does nothing except slow the unit down; it does not increase area or reduce damage, and is entirely useless.
Mansabdar Mahout[]
“ | Inspires all nearby Mahout Lancers. Heavy hand cavalry that does wide area damage. Exceptionally deadly against archers and skirmishers. | ” |
—In-game description |
The Mansabdar Mahout is a stronger version of the Mahout Lancer that can be trained from the Charminar Gate wonder. As a Mansabdar unit, the Mansabdar Mahout has twice the hit points of a Mahout Lancer and Imperial Service that increases the hit points and attack of nearby Mahout Lancers, but are two times more expensive.
Special ability[]
- Imperial Service (passive): The Mansabdar Mahout increases the hit points and attack of Mahout Lancers in a radius of 24 around them by 10%.
Upgrades[]
The Mahout Lancer and Mansabdar Mahout are automatically upgraded to Disciplined (+20% hit points and attack) in the Fortress Age.
Age | Upgrade | Cost | Effect |
---|---|---|---|
Honored Mahout | 600 wood 600 coin |
Upgrades Mahout Lancers and Mansabdar Mahout to Honored (+30% hit points and attack) | |
Exalted Mahout | 1,500 wood 1,500 coin |
Upgrades Mahout Lancers and Mansabdar Mahout to Exalted (+50% hit points and attack); requires Honored Mahout |
Further statistics[]
Unit strengths and weaknesses | |
---|---|
Strong vs. | Infantry, artillery |
Weak vs. | Heavy infantry, light cavalry, ranged shock infantry |
Improvements | |
Hit points | 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%) Crushing Force (+15% hand attack; Indians only) Wind Horses (-10% Rate of Fire) |
Resistance | Sudanese Quilted Armor (+10% hand resistance) Pancerni (+10% ranged resistance) |
Line of Sight | Town Watch (+3) |
Speed | Apache Endurance (+5%) Comanche Mustangs (+5%) Wind Horses (+0.5) |
Train time | Cheyenne Horse Trading (-40%) Mass Cavalry (-35%) Terror Charge (-20%; Indians only) Immigrants (-10%) Shaman Drums (-10%) Strangers' Quarters (-10%; Ethiopians only) |
Cost | Good Will Agreements (-15%; Ethiopians only) |
Other | Good Will Agreements (-1 population take; Ethiopians only) Jagiellonian Legacy (units and resources already earned from age-ups are provided again) Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost) |
- "Jagiellonian Legacy" repeats the effect of Charminar Gate.
Home City Cards[]
- Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the (Mansabdar) Mahout Lancer
Some cards are highlighted with: | |
Green | TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team |
Blue | Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds) |
Ethiopians[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
Ignatian Spirituality | All units get +5% hit points and regeneration capability even while in combat | |
Feudal Armies | All units' train time -15%; hero respawn time -15% |
French[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Hand Cavalry Attack | Hand cavalry and hand shock infantry get +15% attack |
Germans[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Cavalry Attack | Heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +10% attack; Germans-only heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% attack instead |
- "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the Italian "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.
Indians[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
Dravidian Martial Arts | All units get +15% hand attack; Rajputs get +20% hand attack istead; +1 Hindu Villager | |
2 Mahout Lancers | Ships 2 Mahout Lancers; +1 Hindu Villager; costs 350 food | |
4 Mahout Lancers | Ships 4 Mahout Lancers; +1 Hindu Villager; costs 1,000 food | |
3 Mahout Lancers | Ships 3 Mahout Lancers; +1 Hindu Villager; costs 1,000 food | |
Elephant Combat | Elephants get +20% hit points and attack; +1 Hindu Villager | |
Professional Handlers | Mahout Lancers, Howdahs, and Flail Elephants take -1 population; Siege Elephants take -2 population; +1 Hindu Villager | |
Tame Elephants | Elephants' cost and train time -10%; +1 Hindu Villager | |
Mughal Elephant Armors | Mahout Lancers and Howdahs get +10% hand resistance, Flail Elephants get +10% siege resistance, Siege Elephants get +10% ranged resistance; +1 Hindu Villager; costs 500 wood, 500 coin | |
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics | All units get +5% hit points and attack | |
Riding School | Cavalry train time -40%; +1 Hindu Villager | |
Foreign Trading Companies | Gives a trickle of 0.75 export/sec.; banner army cost -15% export; Indian units cost +2.5% (Hindu Villagers, Fishing Boats, and Sacred Cows cost +5% instead); +1 Hindu Villager | |
Grazing | Camels generate 0.05 food/sec.; Brahmins and elephants generate 0.1 wood/sec.; Sacred Cows generate 0.075 coin/sec.; +1 Hindu Villager |
Italians[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Cavalry Attack | Heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +10% attack; Italians-only heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% attack instead |
- "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the German "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.
Japanese[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Sengoku | Unit upgrades cost -20% |
Lakota[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Mustangs | Cavalry and shock infantry cost -10% |
Maltese[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Knights of the Round Table | Ships 1 Hospitaller for each Town Center owned by the player; all units get +2% hit points |
Mexicans[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Mariachi | For the next 30 seconds, military buildings work 400% faster and units get +10% speed |
Russians[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Kamchatka Expeditions | Cavalry and shock infantry get +10% hit points and +4 Line of Sight |
Spanish[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Spanish Inquisition | Ships 1 Inquisitor; all units get +10 Line of Sight |
French[]
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Hand Cavalry Attack | Heavy cavalry and Coyote Runners get +15% attack | 10 |
Germans[]
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Cavalry Attack | Heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% attack | 10 |
Indians[]
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
Dravidian Martial Arts | All units get +15% hand attack; +1 Villager | 40 | |
2 Mahout Lancers | Ships 2 Mahout Lancers; +1 Villager; costs 350 food | 1 | |
4 Mahout Lancers | Ships 4 Mahout Lancers; +1 Villager; costs 1,000 food | 1 | |
3 Mahout Lancers | Ships 3 Mahout Lancers; +1 Villager; costs 1,000 food | 10 | |
Elephant Combat | Elephants get +15% hit points and attack; +1 Villager | 25 | |
Professional Handlers | Elephants take -1 population; +1 Villager | 10 | |
Tame Elephants | Elephants' cost and train time -10%; +1 Villager | 10 | |
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics | All units get +5% hit points and attack | 25 | |
Riding School | Cavalry train time -40%; +1 Villager | 10 | |
Grazing | Camels generate 0.05 food/sec.; Brahmins and elephants generate 0.1 wood/sec.; +1 Villager | 40 |
Japanese[]
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Cheaper Unit Upgrades | Unit upgrades cost -20% | 1 |
Russians[]
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Cavalry Scouts | Cavalry and shock infantry get +10% hit points and +4 Line of Sight | 1 |
Spanish[]
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Inquisition | All units get +10 Line of Sight | 10 |
Changelog[]
The Asian Dynasties[]
- Mansabdar Mahout Lancers cost 14 population.
- Mahout Lancers have 28 damage and 2 Area of Effect in trample mode (same as normal mode).
Definitive Edition[]
- With update 20322, Mansabdar Mahout Lancers cost 7 population.
- With update 13.27885, Mahout Lancers have 20 damage and 3 Area of Effect in trample mode.
History[]
“ | Mahout is the traditional name for one who trains and handles a domesticated elephant, a practice that has occurred for more than 3,000 years. In Hindu culture, elephants were highly respected as a manifestation of the elephant god Ganesh, the god of good luck. Having elephants participate in a festival or procession was required for every celebratory occasion, and being the mahout who cared for a great elephant on such an occasion was a great honor. Often considered the natural predecessor of the modern-day tank, the elephant brought many unique elements to its role as a battlefield unit. Early successes had more to do with surprise and intimidation than battlefield effectiveness. Enemy horses or camels, whether frightened by the beast's smell, or overwhelmed by its sheer size, proved powerless against the elephant. It trampled oncoming waves of infantry and knocked riders from their mounts, scattering ranks and causing general confusion. It had a similar effect on the human enemy, terrifying many men to the point of panic. Yet, as armies became more accustomed to fighting elephants in battle, the methods of how to defeat them became evident. The most famous event involving a triumph over elephants occurred in 1398, when the Mongol conqueror Timur invaded India to overthrow the Delhi Sultanate. At a loss for how to fight back against the Indian's elephants, Timur prayed to Allah for guidance. Then, according to legend, he attached straw to the backs of the camels in his army and sent them out to fight. When the camels neared the elephants, Timur had his men ignite the straw. The sight of the stampeding, flaming camels spooked the elephants so badly that they ended up crushing many Indian troops in their rush to escape. | ” |