Outlaw

Comanchero, an outlaw unit

Outlaws are units with a cheap coin cost, but use up more population than mercenaries. In the game files, since update 23511, they are referred to as AbstractOutlaw. They are not to be confused with mercenaries, even though they have a similar function to them. They are trainable from the Tavern (for European civilizations), Native Embassy (for Native American civilizations), Saloon (for American civilizations), Monastery (for Asian civilizations), and Watch Tower (for African civilizations) from the Commerce Age.

The types of outlaws available at the Tavern or Monastery depends on the map, with a selection of them available in every game. On the other hand, the Native Embassy, the Saloon, and the Watch Tower can only train preset outlaws for their respective civilizations. All outlaws requiring population can have their population cost reduced by -2 if a civilization has access to the Theaters, Atonement, Dance Hall or Cantinas cards. The Spanish can always have access to Pirates via the Spanish Gold card before the Definitive Edition.

Although they are similar to mercenaries, outlaws aren't countered by Spies and Ninjas.

List of outlaws

Age of Empires III

• Pirate (Amazonia, Caribbean, Hispaniola, New England, Orinoco, Patagonia, Saguenay): A dangerous Pirate.

The WarChiefs

• Comanchero (Andes, Araucania, California, Great Lakes, Great Plains, Northwest Territory, Painted Desert, Pampas, Patagonia, Saguenay, Sonora, Texas, Yucatán, Yukon): A dangerous outlaw on horseback.
• Pistolero (Amazonia, Araucania, Bayou, Carolina, Orinoco, Painted Desert, Pampas, Rockies, Sonora, Unknown, Yucatán, Yukon): A dangerous outlaw with a pistol.
• Renegado (Andes, Bayou, California, Carolina, Great Lakes, Great Plains, New England, Rockies, Texas): A dangerous outlaw with a rifle.

The Asian Dynasties

• Dacoit (Deccan, Indochina, Himalayas, Silk Road): A dangerous Indian highwayman armed with a pistol.
• Thuggee (Deccan): A dangerous Indian thug armed with a rifle.
• Wokou Horseman (Himalayas, Mongolia, Siberia, Silk Road, Yellow River): A nomadic horseman. Good against cavalry.
• Wokou Monk (Yellow River): A Monk with keen senses. Good against infantry.
• Wokou Pirate (Borneo, Indochina): An Eastern pirate in search of booty. Good against cavalry and buildings.
• Wokou Ronin (Honshu, Mongolia, Siberia): A Japanese swordsman with no master. Good against cavalry and buildings.

Definitive Edition

• Corsair Marksman: Corsair skirmisher armed with a Kabyle musket to ambush infantry, villagers and rival pirates.
• Gaucho (Argentina): Cavalry that hurls bolas which can slow down enemies. Gathers from livestock and builds Livestock Pens.
• Mounted Granadero (Argentina): Ranged cavalry with a powerful grenade attack. Very effective against buildings.
• Jagunço (Brazil): A dangerous outlaw on horseback armed with a rifle. Effective against Heavy Cavalry and Heavy Infantry.
• Llanero (Gran Colombia): Hand cavalry with a powerful lance attack. Very effective against infantry.
• Morochuco (Peru): Cavalry armed with a revolver who can gather from livestock and build Livestock Pens.
• Cowboy (United States): Outlaw armed with a revolver who can gather from livestock and build Livestock Pens.

With the introduction of the United States civilization, the following units are introduced as unique versions of the Comanchero, Pistolero and Renegado, respectively.

• Cowboy: A dangerous outlaw on horseback.
• Gunslinger: A dangerous outlaw with a pistol.
• Owlhoot: A dangerous outlaw with a rifle.

With the introduction of the Mexicans, the following units were introduced for this civilization as unique versions of the Comanchero, Pistolero and Renegado, respectively.

• Cuatrero: A dangerous outlaw on horseback.
• Desperado: A dangerous outlaw with a pistol.
• Bandido: A dangerous outlaw with a rifle.

The African Royals

With the introduction of the African civilizations, the following units were introduced for these civilizations as their preset outlaws.

• Desert Warrior (African maps): Hardy javelin warrior equipped with a large shield. The shield grants different armor types when switching combat stances. Good against cavalry.
• Desert Archer (African maps): Secretive, skilled archer from the desert that can hit distant targets as well as shoot fast at short range. Good against infantry.
• Desert Raider: Plundering Desert Raider. Good against buildings.

Technologies

The technologies that affect units with the outlaw tag, are shown below:

• Folk Heroes (+20% hit points and attack, and -50% train time, Europeans only)
• Compunction (+20% hit points and attack, and -50% train time, Asians only)
• Refreshing Beverages (Outlaw and Hero charged ability cooldown -30%, Americans only)
• Wild West (+20% hit points and attack, and -50% train time, Americans only)
• Peacemakers (+30% hit points and attack, Americans only)
• Nomadic Bandits (+20% hit points and attack, -30% train time; +25% hit points and attack at the Industrial Age, +50% in the Imperial Age, Africans only)

Trivia

• Update 38254 changed the word "Outlaw" to "Bandit" in the names of Wild West outlaw Treasure Guardian units, to better differentiate the trainable outlaws from the Treasure Guardian units.
• Outlaws and Treasure Guardians have different themes from popular culture: pirates, Wild West, Indian bandits, Japanese Jidaigeki, desert warriors, African natives and Victorian era colonial explorers.