Template:Infobox Unit Template:Infobox Unit The Pirate or Buccaneer (which is what many cards or buttons call any pirate) is an infantry unit trained at the Saloon or Galleon in Age of Empires III, it is strong against Light Infantry (once it gets within range) and exceptionally strong against hand cavalry due to it's high melee resistance. In a one on one fight it will always beat average hand cavalry (with no upgrades) in the Colonial Age. All in all the pirate is at it's best in the Colonial Age, and only situational in fortress and beyond.
With the Dance Hall card a pirate takes up the same population as 2 Hussars though it cannot kill two Hussars. While this may seem ineffective it's relatively low cost compared to those two Hussars (100 coin versus 240 food and 160 coin) balances out it's population use. Essentially 2 Hussars are worth 4 Pirates in terms of pricing, and 4 Pirates can beat any of the possible hand cavalry shipments in the Colonial Age.
Spanish Pirates
A Spanish Pirate has 323 hitpoints and inflicts 18 / 29.34 (Unction) damage with each attack if all associated cards have been sent (not including minor civilization upgrades). This totals 72 / 117.36 damage every 1.5 seconds versus light infantry and cavalry with no melee resistance.
TEAM Hand Infantry Attack (Colonial Age): +15% Attack.
Unction (Colonial Age): +5-63% damage depending on number of nearby missionaries.
Dance Hall (Colonial Age): Pirates cost 4 population instead of 6.
Wild West (Fortress Age): +35% Hitpoints, +35% Attack
Spanish Gold (Industrial Age): +50% Hitpoints
Lizzie's Buccaneers
These units can only be trained during The Fountain of Youth and Spanish Treasure Fleet battles in Act I: Blood, they are slightly more expensive and lack the heavy melee resistance of their skirmish counterparts. They have more hitpoints, speed and use fewer population as a trade off.
During the Spanish Treasure Fleet you can train alot of them very quickly due to the captured Spanish Galleons production of gold. They are an adequate replacement for the Inca you initially free, as they have better hitpoints. They are essentially fodder units used to keep the Spanish and Boneguard units from attacking more valuable targets such as the Scottish Highlanders, Falconets and Mortars.
Dialogue
The pirates speak some sort of language, possibly a French creole.
Words:
Atik
Akrivmen
Bousdalla
Ajuoh
Ajuviri
A machawer
As dam (attack)
Asili (attack)
- Note: If Lizzie's Flagship is destroyed you lose the ability to train these units.