Mameluke (Age of Empires III)

This article is about the unit in Age of Empires III. For the unit in Age of Empires II, see Mameluke (Age of Empires II).

Mameluke
Unit information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III
Type	Cavalry Heavy cavalry Melee cavalry Mercenary
Age	Industrial Age
Training
Trained at	Saloon (Europeans) Monastery (Asians)
Coin	400
Training time	60 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	1,450
Resists	40% vs. Ranged
Speed	6.5
Line of Sight	15
Population	4
XP train bounty	40
XP bounty	40
Melee attack
Damage	34
Rate of Fire	1.5
Siege attack
Damage	40
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0

“	Bold cavalry mercenary from Egypt.	”
—In-game description

The Mameluke is a mercenary heavy cavalry in Age of Empires III. In contrast to the Age of Empires II version, the Mameluke in Age of Empires III rides a white horse instead of a camel.

Overview

The Mameluke boasts some of the highest hit points for a cavalry unit (1,450 in any age, without upgrades). This is far greater than even the two other non-Lancer hand cavalry mercenaries (namely, Stradiots and Hackapells), though their attack is lower than both (around that of a Hussar). Naturally, this excessive durability allows them to best even anti-cavalry units, such as Rodeleros and Pikemen. With all hit point improvement upgrades (Comanche) and cards (Indian and Russian allies), the German Egyptian Mameluke is the unit and/or melee cavalry with the highest hit points, 2,465.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Ranged infantry, light infantry, artillery
Weak vs.	Heavy infantry, light cavalry
Improvements
Hit points	Cavalry Cuirass (+10%) Comanche Horse Breeding (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Attack	Pillage (+25% siege attack) Customized Merc Weapons (+30%, John Black's Mercenaries only) Yoga (+5%)
Sight	Town Watch (+2)
Speed	Comanche Mustangs (+10%) Apache Endurance (+5%)
Creation speed	Mass Cavalry (-50%) Cheyenne Horse Trading (-25%) Incan Chasquis Messengers (-25%)
Train cost	Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost)
Penalties	Coffee Trade (-10% speed, Dutch only)

Home City Cards

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Mameluke

Green: TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team All Card Description Age HC level Riding School Cavalry train time -40% 10 The Riding School card is not available to Chinese and Japanese. Chinese Card Description Age HC level Western Reforms All units get +8% hit points and attack 40 Acupuncture Unit train time -20% 10 Europeans Card Description Age HC level Cavalry Combat Cavalry get +15% hit points and attack 10 Hire Egyptian Mamelukes Ships 5 Mamelukes; costs 1,000 coin 10 Hire Mediterranean Mercenary Army Ships 4 Stradiots, 6 Barbary Corsairs, and 3 Mamelukes; costs 2,000 coin 25 The Cavalry Combat card is available to Dutch, Ottomans, and Russians. The Hire Egyptian Mamelukes card is available to Ottomans and Portuguese. The Hire Mediterranean Mercenary Army card is not available to Dutch and Russians, and ships 1 extra Barbary Corsair and Mameluke for the Germans. 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 light infantry get +15% attack 10 Spanish Riding School Cavalry get +10% speed +4 Uhlans 25 Improved Mercenaries Mercenaries get +20% hit points and attack +3 Uhlans 10 Indians Card Description Age HC level Dravidian Martial Arts All units get +15% melee attack +1 Villager 40 TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack 25 Russians Card Description Age HC level TEAM Cavalry Scouts Cavalry and light infantry get +10% hit points and +4 LOS 1 Spanish Card Description Age HC level TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 LOS 10

In-game dialogue

The Mameluke speaks Egyptian Arabic.

• Select 1 Aywa? (أيوا؟) - What?
• Select 2 Mosta'ed (مستعد) - I am ready
• Select 3 Amrak (أمرك؟) - Your order?
• Move 1 Na'am (نعم) - Yes
• Move 2 Hader (حاضر) - OK
• Move 3 Hanaffez (حا أنفذ) - I will do it.
• Attack 1 Hogoom! (!هجوم) - Attack!
• Attack 2 Ella alma'araka! (!إلى المعركة) To battle!
• Attack 3 Na'am! (!نعم) - Yes!

History

“

Mamelukes got their name from an Arabic word meaning "slave" or "owned." They were formed as a core soldiery of slave warriors, like the janissaries, valued because they had no allegiances except to their sultan. Eventually they grew so powerful that they installed themselves as the rulers of Egypt. Comprised originally of Turks and Mongols, and later to include Circassians and Georgians, the mamelukes were powerful soldiers and rulers in the Middle East for hundreds of years. Napoleon fought and defeated the mamelukes in the late eighteenth century when he attacked Cairo, later raising his own mameluke regiments. Rustam, a Georgian mameluke and one of Napoleon's personal bodyguards, came from these regiments. Mamelukes fought mounted with sword and shield. They adopted firearms much later - too late, perhaps, to maintain their military power.

”

Gallery

An in-game Mameluke

The Mameluke's history potrait

Reconstruction of a Mameluke on horseback

Arabian horse led by a Mamaluke, by Carle Vernet, 1815

Add a photo to this gallery