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Chinese cavalry archer mercenary.
—In-game description

The Manchu is a mercenary mounted archer in Age of Empires III.

The unit is based on the people of the same name, which reside in modern day Northeast China, and are successors of the Jurchens.

Overview[]

The Manchu is the mercenary version of the Cavalry Archer. It has a high rate of fire and an impressive amount of hit points. It also has a very high melee armor and base damage. All these factors combined make it an extremely effective counter to cavalry, without having to worry about micro-managing them or kiting. Unlike nearly every other mercenary, it takes the same amount of population space as its base unit; this allows it to be used even in the latest stages of the games without sacrificing military size, should it be available at the Tavern/Saloon/Monastery.

This unit is of particular interest to the Chinese. They are unable to mass produce anti-cavalry, and the units it can mass are fairly weak, so the Manchu (if available at the Monastery) can be trained to fill this usual hole in their composition, without sacrificing population space or draining limited wood supplies.

Civilization differences[]

Further statistics[]

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Heavy cavalry, hand shock infantry, artillery
Weak vs. Heavy infantry, light infantry, MercType2
Improvements
Hit points Comanche Horse Breeding (+10%)
Cree Tanning (+5%)
Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only)
Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack Seminole Bowyer (+15%)
Carib Kasiri Beer (+10%)
Ranged Cavalry Caracole (+10%)
Tupi Poison Arrow Frogs (+10%)
Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only)
Yoga (+5%)
Carib Garifuna Drums (+1.0 multiplier vs. villagers)
Horsemanship (+1.0 multiplier vs. Walls; Lakota only)
Wind Horses (-10% Rate of Fire)
Carabinieri (-10% ranged Rate of Fire; Italians only)
Resistance Sudanese Quilted Armor (+10% hand resistance)
Speed Horse Secrets (+10%; Haudenosaunee only)
Apache Endurance (+5%)
Comanche Mustangs (+5%)
Wind Horses (+0.5)
Line of Sight Town Watch (+3)
Ranged Cavalry Caracole (+2)
Sarmatism (+1)
Range Ranged Cavalry Caracole (+2)
Sarmatism (+1)
Cost Blue Nile Ties (-15%; Ethiopians only)
Philhellenism (-10%)
Wallenstein's Contracts (-10%; Germans only)
Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost)
Golden Liberty (-5% coin cost)
Yemeni Relations (exchanges cost for 50% coin, 50% influence; Ethiopians only)
Train time Cheyenne Horse Trading (-40%)
Mass Cavalry (-35%)
Terror Charge (-20%; Indians only)
Blue Nile Ties (-15%; Ethiopians only)
Quechuan Diet (-15%)
Carabinieri (-10%; Italians only)
Immigrants (-10%)
New Mexico Immigration (-10%; United States only)
Philhellenism (-10%)
Shaman Drums (-10%)
Strangers' Quarters (-10%; Africans only)
Wallenstein's Contracts (-10%; Germans only)

Home City Cards[]

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Manchu
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)

Shared
Card Description Age
Cavalry Damage Cavalry damage +15%
Cavalry Hitpoints Cavalry hit points +15%
Cavalry Combat Cavalry hit points and damage +15%
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
Hire Manchurian Cavalry Archers Delivers 9 Manchu; costs 1,000 coin
  • "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.
  • "Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
  • "Riding School" is available to Europeans (except the Maltese and Spanish) and Indians.
  • "Hire Manchurian Cavalry Archers" is available to the Chinese and Russians.
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)
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%
Hire Mandarin Mercenary Army Delivers 10 Manchu and 7 Iron Troops; costs 2,000 coin
TEAM Imperial Manchu Vanguard Delivers 5 Manchu; costs 1,000 coin
Dutch
Card Description Age
Dutch States Army Mercenary train time -15%, speed (except Napoleon Gun and Li'l Bombard) +7%; mercenary shipment arrive time -20%; enables Highlander to be trained at Barracks and Taverns, Royal Horseman at Stables and Taverns; Pikeman, Halberdier, Skirmisher, Hussar, and Ruyter cost +10%
Ethiopians
Card Description Age
Ignatian Spirituality Unit (except herded animals) hit points +5%, regeneration rate +1.0 (even in combat)
Europeans
Card Description Age
Hire Asian Mercenary Army Delivers 7 Manchu and 5 Ronin; costs 2,000 coin
Loyal Warriors Native warrior, mercenary, and outlaw cost -15%; "TEAM 4 Zenata Rider", "Recruit Xebec", "Recruit Xebecs", and "15 Berber Allies" cost no coin
Outlaw Combat Outlaw and mercenary hit points and damage +15%
Wanderlust Land military and land villager hit points +5%; land villager and construction wagon speed +5% (can be sent 3 times)
  • "Hire Asian Mercenary Army" is available to the Ottomans and Portuguese.
  • "Loyal Warriors" is available to the Italians, Maltese, Ottomans, and Portuguese upon revolting to the Barbary States.
  • "Outlaw Combat" is available upon revolting to the Barbary States, Hungary, and Mexico.
  • "Wanderlust" is available to the British and Dutch upon revolting to South Africa.
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
Improved Mercenaries Mercenary hit points and damage +15%, +3 Uhlans
Adler von Lübeck Delivers 1 Battleship and 1 Privateer; enables Battleships to train mercenaries; costs 900 food, 900 wood, 900 coin
  • "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the Italian "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.
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%
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
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
TEAM Mustangs Cavalry and shock infantry cost -10%
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
TEAM Mariachi For the next 30 seconds, military building training and research work rate +400%, unit speed +10%
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
Imperial Age
Outlaw Combat Outlaw and mercenary hit points and damage +15%; costs 500 coin
Ottomans
Card Description Age
Akincis Light ranged cavalry bonus damage against villagers +100%; Cavalry Archer train time -15%
Russians
Card Description Age
TEAM Kamchatka Expeditions Cavalry and shock infantry hit points +10%, Line of Sight +4
Spanish
Card Description Age
TEAM Spanish Inquisition Delivers 1 Inquisitor; military and economic unit Line of Sight +10
Swedes
Card Description Age
Ranged Cavalry Combat Ranged cavalry hit points and damage +15%
German Mercenary Contracts Mercenary hit points and damage +20%; enables Landsknechts and Jaegers to be trained at Barracks, Blockhouses, Taverns (for Landsknechts), and Galleons; enables Black Riders to be trained at Stables and Galleons
United States
Card Description Age
Poker Delivers 13 random mercenaries; enables up to 3 random mercenaries at Saloons; costs 3,500 coin
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
Hamilton's Own Delivers 2 Li'l Bombards and 4 Napoleon Guns; mercenary hit points and damage +25%; costs 2,500 coin
Imperial Age
Imperial Age
Seminole Ponies Delivers 9 Hussars; cavalry train time -10%; hand cavalry hit points and damage +15%, speed +5%
Imperial Age
Imperial Age
  • "Indiana Mobilization" is available upon selecting the Indiana Federal State.
  • "Hamilton's Own" is available upon selecting the New York Federal State.
  • "Seminole Ponies" is available upon selecting the Florida Federal State.

Shared
Card Description Age HC level
Riding School Cavalry train time -40% (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Villager for the Indians)
10
Hire Manchurian Cavalry Archers Ships 9 Manchu; costs 1,000 coin
10
  • "Riding School" is available to Europeans and the Indians.
  • "Hire Manchurian Cavalry Archers" is available to the Chinese, Ottomans, and Russians.
Chinese
Card Description Age HC level
Western Reforms All units get +8% hit points and damage
40
Acupuncture All units' (except monks, Heavy Cannon, Flying Crow, and Summer Palace banner army) train time -20%
10
Hire Mandarin Mercenary Army Delivers 10 Manchu and 7 Iron Troops; costs 2,000 coin
25
TEAM 5 Manchu Delivers 5 Manchu; costs 1,000 coin
25
Europeans
Card Description Age HC level
Cavalry Combat Cavalry get +15% hit points and damage
10
Hire Asian Mercenary Army Delivers 5 Ronin and 7 Manchu; costs 2,000 coin
25
  • "Cavalry Combat" is available to the Dutch, Ottomans, and Russians.
  • "Hire Asian Mercenary Army" is available to the Ottomans, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Germans
Card Description Age HC level
TEAM Cavalry Attack Heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% damage
10
Spanish Riding School Cavalry get +10% speed; +4 Uhlans
25
Improved Mercenaries Mercenaries get +20% hit points and damage
10
Indians
Card Description Age HC level
Dravidian Martial Arts All units get +15% all melee attack damage; +1 Villager
40
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and damage
25
Ottomans
Card Description Age HC level
Irregulars Light ranged cavalry get +100% bonus damage against villagers
25
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

In-game dialogue[]

Unlike other units native to China, the Manchu speaks their own Manchu language (Manju Gisun),[1] an endangered language of Tungusic origin native to Manchuria and one of the official languages of the Qing dynasty:

History[]

The Manchu people overthrew the Ming dynasty in the middle of the seventeenth century. They established the Ch'ing dynasty and tried to remain separate from the general populace of China. They had been a nomadic people once, riding and fighting from horseback, and tending crops and herds. The Ch'ing dynasty ruled China for about 300 years.

Manchurian soldiers and warriors fought with recurve bows, swords, lances, halberds, and even their bare hands. They wore heavy robes that hung to the knee, allowing free movement on foot and horseback.
—In-game compendium section

Trivia[]

  • The Manchu's history portrait mistakenly shows a Cavalry Archer.
  • The In-game history section mistakenly refers to Manchus as nomadic, but Manchus in real life were sedentary farmers who lived in villages and cities in the forests and were not steppe nomads, unlike the Mongols. The in-game history even contradicts itself by later saying they tended crops which nomads did not do.
    • The misconception of Manchus being nomadic is primarily because the Manchus (and their ancestors in the Age of Empires II timeframe, the Jurchens) had a horse culture and clan structure similar to the Mongols (even adapting the "khan" title for their leaders).
      • Coincidentally, their Age of Empires II counterpart, the Jurchens, have access to the Steppe Lancer to reflect said misconception of them being nomadic.
  • The Qing (Ch'ing) dynasty which fell in 1912 also lasted 268 years in northeastern China where the northern Ming fell in 1644, and less than that in all of China since the Southern Ming still lasted until 1683.

Gallery[]

References[]

Mercenary and outlaw units in Age of Empires III
Mercenaries
Infantry Armored Pistoleer · Arsonist · Askari · Barbary Corsair · Cannoneer · Dahomey Amazon · Fusilier · Giant Grenadier · Highlander · Irish Brigadier · Iron Troop · Jaeger · Landsknecht · Ninja · Pandour · Ronin · Swiss Pikeman · Zouave
Cavalry Black Rider · Bosniak · Elmetto · Gatling Camel · Hackapell · Harquebusier · Jat Lancer · Kanuri Guard · Mameluke · Manchu · Mounted Rifleman · Royal Horseman · Sennar Horseman · Stradiot · Yojimbo · Zenata Rider
Artillery Li'l Bombard · Napoleon Gun · Gatling Camel
Ship Battleship · Privateer · War Dhow · Wokou Junk · Xebec
Outlaws
Infantry African Vagabond · Colonial Looter · Corsair Marksman · Cossack Daredevil · Desert Archer · Desert Warrior · Hajduk · Highwayman · Inquisitor · Marathan Dacoit · Marathan Thuggee · Pistolero · Renegado · Wokou Monk · Wokou Ronin
Shock infantry Pirate · Wokou Pirate
Cavalry Comanchero · Cossack Daredevil · Crabat · Desert Raider · Highwayman · Wokou Horseman
Artillery Captured Mortar
Ship Marathan Catamaran
Federal Americans Desperado · Cuatrero · Bandido · Gunslinger · Cowboy · Owlhoot