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.
The United States can get Manchu through the "Poker" Home City Card, in the pool of random mercenaries shipped, which also randomly enables them in Saloons.
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%
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
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
Outlaw Combat
Outlaw and mercenary hit points and damage +15%; costs 500 coin
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
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
Seminole Ponies
Delivers 9 Hussars; cavalry train time -10%; hand cavalry hit points and damage +15%, speed +5%
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.
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:
Select 2Cooha belheme jurambi. (ᠴᠣᠣᡥᠠ ᠪᡝᠯᡥᡝᠮᡝ ᠵᡠᡵᠠᠮᠪᡳ) - Troop(s) ready to set out.
Select 3Temgetu selgiyen? (ᡨᡝᠮᡤᡝᡨᡠ ᠰᡝᠯᡤᡳᠶᡝᠨ) - Official order(s)?
Move 1Je (ᠵᡝ) - Yes
Move 2Je (ᠵᡝ) - Yes
Move 3Bi uthai genembi (ᠪᡳ ᡠᡨᡥᠠᡳ ᡤᡝᠨᡝᠮᠪᡳ) - I immediately go
Attack 1Bire! (ᠪᡳᡵᡝ) - Charge!
Attack 2Wa! (ᠸᠠ) - Kill!
Attack 3Je! (ᠵᡝ) - Yes!
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.
Cavalry Damage
Cavalry Hitpoints
Cavalry Combat
Liberation March
Riding School
Hire Manchurian Cavalry Archers
Feudal Armies
Loyal Warriors
Western Reforms
Acupuncture
Hire Mandarin Mercenary Army
TEAM Imperial Manchu Vanguard
Dutch States Army
Ignatian Spirituality
Hire Asian Mercenary Army
Outlaw Combat
Wanderlust
TEAM Cavalry Attack
Spanish Riding School
Improved Mercenaries
Adler von Lübeck
Sahelian Kingdoms
Road Building
Dravidian Martial Arts
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics
Schiavoni Swords
Bakufu
TEAM Mustangs
TEAM Knights of the Round Table
TEAM Mariachi
Colegio de San Nicolas
National Servant
Outlaw Combat
Akincis
TEAM Kamchatka Expeditions
TEAM Spanish Inquisition
German Mercenary Contracts
Poker
Indiana Mobilization
Hamilton's Own
Seminole Ponies
TEAM Cavalry Scouts
