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This article is about the unit in Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs. For other uses of the term, see Ninja.

Japanese assassin. Highly effective against mercenaries, Explorers, War Chiefs, and Monks.
—In-game description

The Ninja is a mercenary melee heavy infantry unit in Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs. It is a stealthy unit that excels against heroes and mercenaries, similar to the Spy.

Overview[]

Ninjas are infantry units that are very effective against heroes and mercenaries. Ninjas themselves are mercenaries, so are easily countered by Spies. The Ninja can also use Stealth Mode, which can be detected by an Explorer or Town Center (or other units or buildings).

The Ninja differs from the Spy in that it is classified as a mercenary, in contrast to the Spy, making the Spy very effective against Ninjas. The Ninja also has much higher cost, slightly less speed, much lower Line of Sight and much lower multipliers, but it has more hit points and much higher base damage and siege damage. Ninjas also take up 4 population per unit, despite only costing 200 coin, whereas Spies take up only 1 population per unit, despite costing 125 coin. Ninjas are slightly more deadly against mercenaries, but less effective against heroes, and are far less useful for scouting. Exclusively, Ninjas have multipliers against native warriors.

As is the case with Spies, Ninjas are not cost effective against any units other than mercenaries and heroes. However, they do much better against normal units than Spies do, because of their higher base damage. This makes them more well-rounded than Spies. Ninjas are classified as heavy infantry and infantry, making them especially vulnerable to light infantry, counter-skirmishers, and artillery.

The Ninja also has worse accessibility than Spies, as Spies are always available from the Church/Mosque from the Commerce Age onward, can be sent from the Home City by European civilizations, while the Ninja can sometimes be trained at the Saloon/Monastery, or sent with Home City shipments by certain civilizations.

Ninjas are very useful in the third and fourth scenarios of the Chinese campaign (by choosing Japanese Mercenaries at the Consulate) because most enemies on these maps (namely, Aztec Jaguar Warriors and Aztec Eagle Warriors) are classified as native warriors, which the Ninja has bonuses against.

Civilization differences[]

Ninjutsu-Zukai[]

Japanese assassin. Highly effective against mercenaries, Explorers, War Chiefs, and Monks.
—In-game description

The Ninjutsu-Zukai is a counterpart of the Ninja which starts with +10% hit points and damage. It is identical to the Ninja, but is easier to access, since it can be trained from the Japanese Consulate if Japanese Isolation is chosen.

Upgrades[]

The Ninjutsu-Zukai is automatically upgraded in the Industrial Age and Imperial Age:

  • +30% hit points and damage
  • +50% hit points and damage

Further statistics[]

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Heroes, mercenaries, native warriors, buildings
Weak vs. Cavalry, light infantry, counter-skirmishers, artillery, MercType2
Improvements
Hit points Corselet (+25%, Spanish only)
Maya Cotton Armor (+20%)
Infantry Breastplate (+10%)
Cree Tanning (+5%)
Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only)
Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack Zapotec Cult of the Dead (+20%)
Carib Kasiri Beer (+10%)
Master Lessons (+10%)
Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only)
Yoga (+5%)
Mapuche Tactics (+50% siege attack)
Resistance Somali Oryx Hide Shields (+5% ranged resistance)
Speed Tilly's Discipline (+20%; Germans only)
Military Drummers (+10%)
Quechuan Mountaineering (+10%)
Akan Fontomfrom (+5%)
Apache Endurance (+5%)
Line of Sight Town Watch (+3)
Cost Blue Nile Ties (-15%; Ethiopians only)
Wallenstein's Contracts (-15%; Germans only)
Philhellenism (-10%)
Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost)
Golden Liberty (-5% coin cost)
Somali Oryx Hide Shields (-10%)
Yemeni Relations (exchanges cost for 50% coin, 50% influence; Ethiopians only)
Train time Standing Army (-25%)
Akan Fontomfrom (-20%)
Blue Nile Ties (-15%; Ethiopians only)
Quechuan Diet (-15%)
Immigrants (-10%)
New Mexico Immigration (-10%; United States only)
Philhellenism (-10%)
Strangers' Quarters (-10%; Africans only)
Wallenstein's Contracts (-10%; Germans only)
Penalties Corselet (-15% speed; Spanish only)
Tilly's Discipline (+10% cost; Germans only)

Home City Cards[]

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Ninja
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
Liberation March Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry train time -35%, speed +5%
Fencing School Infantry (except Warrior Priest and Skull Knight) and shock infantry train time -40%
  • "Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
  • "Fencing School" is available to the Europeans (except the French, Maltese, Ottomans, and Spanish) and Indians.
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
TEAM Yongle Infrastructure Delivers 1 Mongol Scout; infantry, land villager, healing unit, Envoy, and Disciple speed +5%
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%
  • "TEAM Yongle Infrastructure" does not stack with the Inca "TEAM Inca Bridges" card.
Dutch
Card Description Age
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints Infantry hit points +10%; Dutch-only infantry hit points +15% instead
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
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)
  • "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.
French
Card Description Age
Royal Fencing School Delivers 3 Royal Musketeers; infantry and shock infantry train time -40%
Cult of the Supreme Being Unit train bounty +10%, kill bounty -10%; Sansculotte gather work rate for crates +50%, Berry Bush and Cherry Orchard +25%, tree, Mango Grove, mine +20%, huntable animals, herded animals, Mill, Farm, and Estate +15%
Germans
Card Description Age
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
Haudenosaunee
Card Description Age
TEAM Scout Infantry Delivers 1 Native Scout; infantry Line of Sight +8
Conservative Tactics Infantry hit points and damage +10%
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%
TEAM Inca Bridges Delivers 1 Chasqui; infantry, land villager, healing unit, and Envoy speed +5%
  • "TEAM Inca Bridges" does not stack with the Chinese "TEAM Yongle Infrastructure" card.
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%
Zamindars Delivers 2 Sepoys instead of 1 Hindu Villager with every future Home City shipment, including this one; infantry train time -20%
Italians
Card Description Age
Infantry Hitpoints Infantry hit points +15%
Schiavoni Swords Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry all melee attack damage +15%
Japanese
Card Description Age
Onin War Infantry siege attack damage +33%
Good Faith Agreements Consulate unit train time -50%; Consulate technology cost -40% (-300 export for Brigades), research time -50% (except Brigades)
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
Hire Ninja Assassins Delivers 10 Ninja; costs 1,000 coin
TEAM 10 Ninja Assassins Delivers 10 Ninja; costs 1,000 coin
  • "Good Faith Agreements" only affects Ninjutsu-Zukai.
Lakota
Card Description Age
Moccasins Infantry speed +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
Bastimento Villager train time -20%; infantry train time -25%, Revolutionary train time -50% instead
Pok Ta Pok Infantry train time -10%, speed +10%
Ottomans
Card Description Age
Matrakci School Infantry and shock infantry train time -30%; Janissary, Azap, Nizam Fusilier, Abus Gunner, and Humbaraci train time -40% instead
Portuguese
Card Description Age
Hire Japanese Ninja Delivers 12 Ninja; costs 1,000 coin
Russians
Card Description Age
Ransack Infantry siege attack damage +50%
Dueling School Infantry train time -25%
Spanish
Card Description Age
TEAM Hand Infantry Attack Hand infantry damage +15%
Archaic Infantry Hitpoints Hand infantry and foot archer hit points +15%; Rodelero hit points +20% instead
Archaic Infantry Combat Hand infantry and foot archer hit points and damage +15%
TEAM Spanish Inquisition Delivers 1 Inquisitor; military and economic unit Line of Sight +10
Swedes
Card Description Age
Hand Infantry/Hand Cavalry Hitpoints Hand infantry and hand cavalry hit points +15%
TEAM House of Bernadotte Heavy infantry hit points +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
United States Army The General, Minuteman, and heavy infantry hit points and damage +15%
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
  • "Indiana Mobilization" is available upon selecting the Indiana Federal State.
  • "Hamilton's Own" is available upon selecting the New York Federal State.

All
Card Description Age HC level
Fencing School Infantry (except Skull Knights) train time -40% (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Villager for the Indians)
10
  • "Fencing School" is available to Europeans (except the Ottomans), and the Indians.
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
Dutch
Card Description Age HC level
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints Infantry get +15% hit points
10
Europeans
Card Description Age HC level
Hire Japanese Ninja Delivers 12 Ninja; costs 1,000 coin
10
Germans
Card Description Age HC level
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
Iroquois
Card Description Age HC level
Infantry Attack Infantry get +15% damage
10
Infantry Hitpoints Infantry get +15% hit points
10
Infantry Combat Infantry get +15% hit points and damage
25
TEAM Scout Infantry Infantry get +8 Line of Sight
10
Japanese
Card Description Age HC level
Onin War Infantry get +33% siege attack damage
40
Good Faith Agreements Consulate units' train time -50%; Consulate technologies' cost -40% (Brigades cost 2,000 export) and research time -50% (except for Brigades)
1
Hire Ninja Assassins Delivers 10 Ninja; costs 1,000 coin
10
TEAM 10 Ninja Assassins Delivers 10 Ninja; costs 1,000 coin
25
  • "Good Faith Agreements" only affects Ninjutsu-Zukai.
Russians
Card Description Age HC level
Ransack Infantry get +50% siege attack damage
25
TEAM Dueling School Infantry (except Skull Knights), Old Han Army, and Territorial Army train time -25%; Black Flag Army, Standard Army, Ming Army, and Imperial Army train time -12%
25
Sioux
Card Description Age HC level
Wind Runner Infantry get +10% speed
10
Spanish
Card Description Age HC level
TEAM Hand Infantry Attack Hand infantry get +15% damage
10
TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 Line of Sight
10

Changelog[]

The Asian Dynasties[]

Definitive Edition[]

  • Ninjutsu-Zukai now no longer has a ×5.0 multiplier against native warriors.

Knights of the Mediterranean[]

  • With patch 15.59076, Ninjutsu-Zukai have a ×5.0 multiplier against native warriors.

In-game dialogue[]

The Ninja speaks Japanese but with different lines than the Japanese civilization's ones, which is also shared with the Ronin.

History[]

Shrouded by the mists of time, the exploits of the ninja continue to fire imaginations across the globe. During the turbulent years of Japan's sixth and seventh centuries, a secret class of warrior priests emerged. Rulers of opposing factions came to value the ninja for their skills in stealth, combat, and espionage.

As the centuries passed, the legendary powers of the ninja grew: invisibility, shape-shifting, flight; even the ability to pass through solid walls. Modern filmmakers blend historical fact with ancient myth to fashion a portrait of a warrior class that continues to fascinate and terrify.

Gallery[]

Video[]

See also[]

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