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Skirmisher good against infantry
—In-game description

The Ordinance Rifleman is a gunpowder light infantry unit in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - Knights of the Mediterranean that is unique to the Portuguese and replaces the Crossbowman once Ordenança is researched. It was introduced in update 15.30007.

Overview[]

The Ordinance Rifleman shares most of its statistics with the Crossbowman, but has a reduced Line of Sight, food and wood cost, and trains slightly slower. In contrast, Ordinance Riflemen get +60% hit points and damage, and have a higher bonus damage against heavy infantry, making them more affordable than Cassadores due to their low cost, but they will not be available unless the player ages-up to the Industrial Age and researches Ordenança, which requires the "Treaty of Tordesillas" Home City Card.

Like other rifle infantry, Ordinance Riflemen will benefit from the Counter Infantry Rifling technology, allowing them to counter heavy infantry more easily than Crossbowmen; additionally, as gunpowder infantry, they benefit from technologies such as Flint Lock or Paper Cartridge. However, they have a low siege attack damage and are vulnerable against heavy cavalry and artillery.

Upgrades[]

After researching Ordenança, the Imperial Order Besteiros upgrade will be replaced with Imperial Ordinance Riflemen. Imperial Order Besteiros will also benefit Ordinance Riflemen.

Age Upgrade Cost Effect
Imperial Age
Imperial Age
Imperial Ordinance Riflemen 1,500 wood
1,500 coin
Upgrades Ordinance Riflemen to Imperial (+50% hit points and damage)

Further statistics[]

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Heavy infantry, light ranged cavalry, ranged shock infantry
Weak vs. Heavy cavalry, hand shock infantry, counter-skirmishers, artillery
Improvements
Hit points Flint Lock(+10%)
Cree Tanning (+5%)
Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack Paper Cartridge (+15%)
Smokeless Powder (+10%)
Armatoloi (+5%)
Yoga (+5%)
Clenched Fist (+25% hand attack)
Somali Jile Daggers (-35% hand attack Rate of Fire)
Counter Infantry Rifling (+1.0 multiplier vs. heavy infantry)
Kalthoff Repeaters (+0.1 multiplier vs. light infantry)
Resistance Somali Oryx Hide Shields (+5% ranged resistance)
Speed Military Drummers (+10%)
Quechuan Mountaineering (+10%)
Akan Fontomfrom (+5%)
Apache Endurance (+5%)
Line of Sight Town Watch (+3)
Schützenfest (+1)
Range Schützenfest (+1)
Train time Ordenança (-30%)
Standing Army (-25%)
Akan Fontomfrom (-20%)
Quechuan Diet (-15%)
Immigrants (-10%)
Other Ordenança (turns all Crossbowmen into Ordinance Riflemen; Ordinance Riflemen can be trained at the Barracks, Fort, and Galleon instead of Crossbowmen)
Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost)

Home City Cards[]

As Ordinance Riflemen are unique to the Portuguese, only their cards and other civilizations' TEAM cards that are shown on the following tables:

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Ordinance Rifleman
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
Blue Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)
Shared
Card Description Age
TEAM Senegalese Riflemen Ranged infantry damage +10%; French and Hausa-only ranged infantry damage +15% instead
  • "TEAM Senegalese Riflemen" is available to the French and Hausa.
Chinese
Card Description Age
TEAM Yongle Infrastructure Delivers 1 Mongol Scout; infantry, land villager, healing unit, Envoy, and Disciple speed +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
Ethiopians
Card Description Age
TEAM Coffee Consumption Ranged infantry speed +5%
Haudenosaunee
Card Description Age
TEAM Scout Infantry Delivers 1 Native Scout; infantry Line of Sight +8
Inca
Card Description Age
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
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics Unit hit points and damage +5%
Japanese
Card Description Age
TEAM Sengoku Unit upgrade cost -20%
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%
Portuguese
Card Description Age
8 Ordinance Riflemen Delivers 8 Ordinance Riflemen
10 Ordinance Riflemen Delivers 10 Ordinance Riflemen
TEAM Gunpowder Infantry Hitpoints Gunpowder trooper hit points +15%
Fencing School Infantry (except Warrior Priest and Skull Knight) and shock infantry train time -40%
Naval Infantry Enables Caravels to train Crossbowmen, Ordinance Riflemen (if available), Pikemen, and Halberdiers; Monitors and Ironclads to train Musketeers, Cassadores, and Grenadiers (if available); Frigates to train all Barracks units; Battleships to train all Barracks units and Grenadiers; Caravels, Frigates, Monitors, Ironclads, and Battleships now tagged as recruiting ships
Colombian Army Enables Imperial upgrades for Independence Guards, Cassadores, Skirmishers, Landwehrs, and Ordinance Riflemen; Imperial upgrades for Independence Guards, Cassadores, Skirmishers, and Landwehrs cost -60%
  • "8 Ordinance Riflemen" and "10 Ordinance Riflemen" replace "8 Crossbowmen" and "10 Crossbowmen" respectively after researching Ordenança technology.
  • "Colombian Army" is available upon revolting to Gran Colombia.
Spanish
Card Description Age
TEAM Spanish Inquisition Delivers 1 Inquisitor; military and economic unit Line of Sight +10

Changelog[]

Knights of the Mediterranean[]

Trivia[]

  • The Ordinance Rifleman is based on Napoleonic Wars Portuguese Ordenanças militias.
  • Similar to the Landwehr, the Ordinance Rifleman portrait is a modified Crossbowman portrait.
  • The Ordinance Rifleman reuses the history of the Skirmisher.

History[]

Skirmishers were lightly armed and armored riflemen who used their speed to move quickly about the battlefield and perform a number of military roles. They defended flanks, helped artillerymen with cannon, dragged wounded soldiers off of the battlefield, and performed hit-and-run attacks on advancing enemy armies. Napoleonic-era skirmishers were effective against rigid ranks of musketeers because the fire of musketeers was less effective on the loose, informal skirmisher lines.

Many skirmishers in the nineteenth century were armed with rifles; the range and accuracy of these weapons made skirmishers dangerous enemies. Early rifles could only be fired once every minute or two, though later breechloading and repeating models could fire much more rapidly. One model fired so fast, a commander ordered his men to focus their fire on a single enemy skirmisher so that they could recover his rifle to examine it.

Gallery[]

Military units in Age of Empires III
Common/shared units
Age of Empires III Explorer · Militiaman · Crossbowman · Pikeman · Musketeer · Halberdier · Skirmisher · Hussar · Dragoon · Cavalry Archer · Grenadier · Falconet · Culverin · Mortar · Heavy Cannon · Caravel · Galleon · Frigate · Monitor
The WarChiefs Warrior · Spy · Petard · Horse Artillery · Canoe · War Canoe · Ironclad
The Asian Dynasties/ Sentry · / Irregular
Definitive Edition*/ General · Captured Mortar · Sloop · Steamer · Battleship
The African Royals Levied Spearman · Levied Bowman · Levied Gunner · Javelin Rider · Battle Canoe · Cannon Boat
Unique units
British Longbowman · Ranger · Rocket
Dutch Ruyter · Fluyt
French Cuirassier
Germans Landwehr · Doppelsoldner · Uhlan · War Wagon
Ottomans Bashibozuk · Muhbir · Janissary · Azap · Nizam Fusilier · Abus Gunner · Humbaraci · Deli · Great Bombard · Sipahi · Galley
Portuguese Ordinance Rifleman · Cassador · Organ Gun
Russians Strelet · Rekrut · Poruchik · Cossack · Oprichnik
Spanish Rodelero · Lancer
Aztecs Aztec War Chief · Eagle Scout · Warrior Priest · Coyote Runner · Otontin Slinger · Puma Spearman · Arrow Knight · Eagle Runner Knight · Jaguar Prowl Knight · Skull Knight · Tlaloc Canoe
Haudenosaunee Haudenosaunee War Chief · Aenna · Tomahawk · Forest Prowler · Kanya Horseman · Musket Rider · Ram · Mantlet · Light Cannon
Lakota Lakota War Chief · Cetan Bowman · Club Warrior · Wakina Rifle · Axe Rider · Bow Rider · Rifle Rider · Tashunke Prowler · Tokala Soldier
Chinese Shaolin Master · Disciple · Chu Ko Nu · Qiang Pikeman · Changdao Swordsman · Arquebusier · Steppe Rider · Keshik · Iron Flail · Meteor Hammer · Flamethrower · Hand Mortar · Flying Crow · Fire Junk · War Junk · Fuchuan
Indians Brahmin · Rajput · Sepoy · Gurkha · Sowar · Zamburak · Mahout Lancer · Howdah · Flail Elephant · Siege Elephant · Urumi Swordsman
Japanese Sohei Archer · Yumi Archer · Ashigaru Musketeer · Samurai · Naginata Rider · Yabusame · Flaming Arrow · Morutaru · Daimyo · Shogun Tokugawa · Yamabushi · Shinobi · Fune · Atakebune · Tekkousen
Inca Inca War Chief · Chasqui · Jungle Bowman · Plumed Spearman · Chimu Runner · Bolas Warrior · Huaraca · Maceman · Chincha Raft
Swedes Carolean · Hakkapelit · Leather Cannon
United States Minuteman · State Militia · Regular · Sharpshooter · Carbine Cavalry · Gatling Gun · Quaker Gun · Gunslinger · Cowboy · Owlhoot
Ethiopians Ras · Gascenya · Shotel Warrior · Neftenya · Oromo Warrior · Sebastopol Mortar · War Dhow
Hausa Emir · Fulani Archer · Raider · Lifidi Knight · Maigadi · Xebec
Mexicans Padre · Insurgente · Soldado · Salteador · Chinaco · Desperado · Cuatrero · Bandido
Italians Pavisier · Bersagliere · Papal Guard · Schiavone · Papal Lancer · Papal Zouave · Papal Bombard · Leonardo's Tank · Galleass
Maltese Grand Master · Hospitaller · Sentinel · Fire Thrower · Order Galley · Fire Ship
Revolution
Barbary Warrior · Bolivar · Californio · Cetbang Cannon · Corsair Captain · Cruzob Avenger · Cruzob Infantry · Cuerudo · Eclaireur · Filibuster · Gatling Gun · Gaucho · Jagunço · Javanese Spearman · Llanero · Militia Officer · Morochuco · Mounted Granadero · Revolutionary · Revolutionary Sharpshooter · San Martin · Trek Wagon