Militiamen quickly loses hit points over time, which only stops when they have only 1 hit point remaining. Any damage taken after that will kill them, making them almost useless once this occurs; however, Militiamen are quite strong against siege units. Militiamen are also useful in temporary battles or to react quickly to an immediate crisis.
Militiamen are a good tool for quickly defending Town Center. They are also effective in large infantry armies due to their good attack and being protected by the numbers around them. This is especially true of the Portuguese because of their free multiple Town Centers.
Players can essentially create endless armies of Militiamen by having their Explorer continually build Town Centers and deploying Militiamen from them. However, given their health degeneration and the time it takes to build a Town Center (unless a Covered Wagon is assisting), it is not recommended to do so.
By the Industrial Age, it is possible to have up to twenty Militiamen included in an army for low cost. But the fact that Militiamen automatically lose hit points should be kept in mind: they should not attack distant areas, as they arrive at such locations drained of hit points.
Militiamen do not lose hit points while garrisoned in ships.
Civilization differences[]
(Definitive Edition) Revolting to the United States gives access to the "Lexington Minutemen" Home City Card which makes Militiamen retain their hit points 80% longer, and allows them to be called from Outposts and Forts.
Town Center and Command Post damage +50%, can use Conscription
Quebec
Delivers 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1; enables Militiamen to be called from Outposts and Forts
Permanent Active Militia
Delivers 16 Militiamen; Militiamen no longer lose hit points, can be healed, and give 11 XP train or kill bounty
Militia Officer
Delivers 1 Militia Officer; enables Militia Officer to train Militiamen
Sevites
Maroon, native warrior, and villager hit points regeneratation rate 0.25%; Yoruba Eso Riders lose 0.35% hit points per second instead, Militiamen lose 1.9% hit points per second, and for both stops at 25% hit points
Delivers 16 Militiamen; upgrades Militiamen to Lexington Minuteman, which lose 0.4% hit points per second and can be called from Outposts and Forts
Rhode Island Militia
Delivers 10 State Militia and 5 Militiamen; Caravels, Galleons/Fluyts, Frigates, and Ironclads get +10% ranged attack damage per garrisoned State Militia and/or Militiaman (up to +60%); fully replaces Crossbowmen/Longbowmen, Pikemen, and Halberdiers with State Militia at Barracks, Forts, and on the map; grants Veteran State Militia; enables Guard State Militia
Continental Army
Transforms all Revolutionaries into Regulars; State Militia, Regular, Revolutionary Sharpshooter, Carbine Cavalry, Revolutionary, and Militiaman hit points and damage +15%; the General and Legion Grenadier hit points and damage +10%; costs 500 coin
Pennsylvania Long Rifles
Skirmisher, Ranger, Bersagliere, and Papal Zouave Line of Sight +3, ranged attack range +2; State Militia, Militiaman, and Spy Line of Sight and ranged attack range +4
"Quebec", "Permanent Active Militia", and "Militia Officer" are available to the British and French upon revolting to Canada.
"Sevites" is available to the British and French upon revolting to Haiti.
"Wanderlust" is available to the British and Dutch upon revolting to South Africa.
"Lexington Minutemen", "Rhode Island Militia", "Continental Army", and "Pennsylvania Long Rifles" are available to the British, Dutch, French, Italians, and Swedes upon revolting to the United States.
For the next 30 seconds, military building training and research work rate +400%, unit speed +10%
Niños Héroes
A Militiaman (Minuteman after revolting into Texas, Marine if the "Texas Marines" Home City Card is sent) is spawned when the General and Padre falls
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
Trías Fortifications
Delivers 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1; enables Militiamen to be called from Outposts and Forts
National Servant
Unit (except herded animals) hit points +10%; Padre heal work rate +200%
Militiamen were recruited from the local population and could be quickly called to arms to defend cities and support professional armies in a case of war. In times of peace they often acted as police force to uphold public order. The level of organization, training and equipment differed greatly and was highly dependent on funds. The Minutemen were American militiamen who vowed to be ready in a minute's notice to fight against British soldiers leading up to and during the American Revolutionary War. They had no formal training and used their own weapons as arms, relying on hunting skills for marksmanship and guerilla tactics learned from the Native Americans in the recent French and Indian War. Monuments stand at the North Bridge in Concord and Battle Green Square in Lexington to commemorate the first fighting of the American Revolution, fighting done by Minutemen.
”
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Minutemen were groups of irregular soldiers who vowed to be ready in a minute's notice to fight against British soldiers leading up to and during the American Revolutionary War. They had no formal training and used their own weapons as arms, relying on hunting skills for marksmanship and guerilla tactics learned from the Native Americans in the recent French and Indian War. These tactics made the farmers and tradesmen who took up arms against the British unpredictable and effective. Monuments stand at the North Bridge in Concord and Battle Green Square in Lexington to commemorate the first fighting of the American Revolution, fighting done by militia and Minutemen.
”
Trivia[]
The Militiaman portrait in the Definitive Edition shows a bayonet on their musket, although in-game Militiamen do not have bayonets (since the Definitive Edition) or any multipliers against cavalry in melee mode.
Grand Encampment (+25%; campaign United States only)
Cree Tanning (+5%)
Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Tar Kilns (+5%)
Iroquois Lacrosse (+10%; vanilla Age of Empires III only)
Yoga (+5%)
Clenched Fist (+25% hand attack)
Somali Oryx Hide Shields (+5% ranged resistance)
Tilly's Discipline (+20%; Germans only)
Military Drummers (+10%)
Quechuan Mountaineering (+10%)
Akan Fontomfrom (+5%)
Apache Endurance (+5%)
Town Watch (+3)
Levy (spawns 6 Militiamen)
Conscription (spawns 15 Militiamen; Europeans only)
Yoruba Wrestling (-25% hit points degeneration rate, hit points degeneration stops at 25% hit points remaining)
TEAM Senegalese Riflemen
Liberation March
TEAM Yongle Infrastructure
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints
TEAM Coffee Consumption
Quebec
Permanent Active Militia
Militia Officer
Sevites
Wanderlust
Lexington Minutemen
Rhode Island Militia
Continental Army
Pennsylvania Long Rifles
TEAM Scout Infantry
TEAM Inca Bridges
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics
Infantry Hitpoints
Schiavoni Swords
TEAM Knights of the Round Table
TEAM Mariachi
Niños Héroes
Colegio de San Nicolas
Trías Fortifications
National Servant
Pok Ta Pok
Ransack
Peninsular Guerrillas
TEAM Spanish Inquisition
TEAM Ranged Infantry Attack
Age of Empires III[]
