Rattan Shield

Rattan Shield
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties
Type	Shock infantry Hand shock infantry Hand infantry Native warrior
Age	Commerce Age
Training
Trained at	Trading Post or Tambo on a Shaolin Temple holy site Native Embassy
Cost	50 Food 60 Wood
Train time	30 seconds
Train limit	16 per Shaolin Temple
Statistics
Hit points	185
Resistance	20% Ranged
Speed	6.25
Line of Sight	12
XP train bounty	11
XP kill bounty	11
Siege attack
Damage	10 Siege
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0
Hand attack
Damage	16 Hand
Rate of Fire	1.5

“	Fast Chinese warrior armed with a shield and a sword. Heavily armored and good against archers, skirmishers, and artillery.	”
—In-game description

The Rattan Shield is a melee shock infantry native warrior in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties that can be trained at a Trading Post built on a Shaolin Temple holy site. It is armed with a sword and a shield, and lacks any multipliers making it more of a fodder unit rather than an essential part of an army.

Overview

Rattan Shields are cheap and can get rid of long-range/ranged infantry and artillery with ease. They are very vulnerable to heavy infantry, basically working like a native warrior version of Coyote Runners, or a cheaper shock infantry version of the Totenkopf Hussar with lesser attack.

They are fast, cheap, lack any negative multipliers and are resistant to ranged attacks, making them solid raiding units against Settlers and Villagers.

Upgrades

Age	Upgrade	Cost	Effect
	Shaolin Discipline Training	100 wood 75 coin	Upgrades Rattan Shields to Disciplined (+25% hit points and damage)
	Shaolin Honor Training	400 wood 300 coin	Upgrades Rattan Shields to Honored (+35% hit points and damage); requires Shaolin Discipline Training
	Legendary Native Warriors Exalted Natives	1,500 food 1,500 wood	Upgrades native warriors to Legendary/Exalted (+50% hit points and damage)

• The Legendary Native Warriors technology is available in the Capitol for European civilizations and the Mexicans, the State Capitol for the United States, and the Town Center for Asian (as Exalted Natives) and Native American civilizations.
• For African civilizations, native warriors are upgraded automatically and for free.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Light infantry, counter-skirmishers, artillery
Weak vs.	Heavy infantry, light ranged cavalry, ranged shock infantry
Improvements
Hit points	Maya Cotton Armor (+20%) Infantry Breastplate (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Navajo Weaving (+5%) Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack	Dim Mak (+50%) 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) Pillage (+25% siege attack multiplier vs. buildings)
Resistance	Sudanese Quilted Armor (+10% hand resistance) Pancerni (+10% ranged resistance) Hualcana (+5% resistance; Inca only)
Line of Sight	Town Watch (+3)
Speed	Push of Pike (+10%; Swedes only) Apache Endurance (+5%)
Train time	Cheyenne Horse Trading (-40%) Quechuan Diet (-15%) Immigrants (-10%) New Mexico Immigration (-10%; United States only) Philhellenism (-10%) Shaman Drums (-10%) Strangers' Quarters (-10%; Africans only)
Cost	Philhellenism (-10%) Somali Oryx Hide Shields (-10%)
Penalties	Push of Pike (+10% train time; Swedes only)

Home City Cards

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Rattan Shield

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)

• Definitive Edition
• The Asian Dynasties

All

Card	Description	Age
Native Treaties	Each different allied native tribe sends a shipment of their respective native warriors (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans)
Native Alliance	Native warrior train limit +20% and cost -10% (also +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)
Native Warriors	Native warriors cost -25% (also +3 Uhlans for the Germans)
Native Warrior Combat	Native warriors get +15% hit points and damage
TEAM Native Weapon Trade	Native warrior train limit +20%
Blood Brothers	Upgrades native warriors to Elite/Disciplined/Veteran and Champion/Honored/Royal Guard; Native Embassies get +40% hit points and +5 build limit (also +4 Uhlans for the Germans)
Liberation March	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry get +5% speed and -35% train time
Fencing School	Infantry (except Warrior Priests and Skull Knights) and shock infantry train time -40% (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)

• "Native Treaties" is available to Africans, Europeans (except the Maltese), Federal Americans, and Native Americans, and ships 4 Rattan Shields if the player had built a Trading Post on a Shaolin Temple.
• "Native Alliance" is available to the Aztecs, Inca, Indians, and Japanese.
• "Native Warriors" is available to Europeans, the Lakota and Mexicans.
• "Native Warrior Combat" is available to the French, Haudenosaunee, and Inca, and also Mexicans upon revolting to the Maya, and British upon revolting to Haiti.
• "TEAM Native Weapon Trade" is available to the Dutch and Lakota, and also British and French upon revolting to Canada.
• "Blood Brothers" is available to the Aztecs, French, Germans, Haudenosaunee, Lakota, Portuguese, Russians, and Spanish, and also British upon revolting to Canada or Haiti.
• "Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
• "Fencing School" is available to Europeans (except the French, Maltese, Ottomans, and Spanish), the Aztecs and Indians.

Africans

Card	Description	Age
Feudal Armies	All units' train time -15%; hero respawn time -15%
Loyal Warriors	Native warriors, mercenaries, and outlaws cost -15% (also affects shipments)

Asians

Card	Description	Age
Native Warrior Hitpoints	Native warriors get +30% hit points and +10% speed (also +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)
Native Warrior Attack	Native warriors get +30% damage and -25% train time

• "Native Warrior Hitpoints" is not available to the Japanese.
• "Native Warrior Attack" is not available to the Indians.

Chinese

Card	Description	Age
Western Reforms	All units get +8% hit points and damage
Acupuncture	All units' (except monks) train time -20%; Heavy Cannon, Flying Crow, and Summer Palace banner army spawn time -5%
Hire 10 Rattan Shields	Delivers 10 Rattan Shields; costs 500 coin
Hire 26 Rattan Shields	Delivers 26 Rattan Shields; grants Shaolin Discipline Training; costs 1,000 coin
Hire 10 Rattan Shields	Delivers 10 Rattan Shields; grants Shaolin Discipline Training and Shaolin Honor Training; costs 1,000 coin

Ethiopians

Card	Description	Age
Ignatian Spirituality	All units get +5% hit points and regeneration capability even while in combat

Europeans

Card	Description	Age
Loyal Warriors	Native warriors, mercenaries, and outlaws cost -15%; "TEAM 4 Zenata Rider", "Recruit Xebec", "Recruit Xebecs", and "15 Berber Allies" cost no coin
Sevites	Maroons, native warriors, and villagers now regenerate hit points at a rate of 0.25% per second when idle; Yoruba Eso Rider hit point degeneration rate -60% and Militiaman hit point degeneration rate -10%, and for both stops at 25% hit points
Louverture Liberation	Delivers 6 Citizens; Citizens can be trained at Town Centers for 70 coin; Fishing Boats can be trained at Docks; native warriors get +20% hit points and +5% speed
Junín Hussars	Hand cavalry and hand shock infantry get +5% speed and -30% train time (only get -20% train time if stacked with "Liberation March")
Wanderlust	Land military units and land villagers get +5% hit points; land villagers and construction wagons get +5% speed

• "Loyal Warriors" is available to the Italians, Maltese, Ottomans, and Portuguese upon revolting to the Barbary States.
• "Sevites" and "Louverture Liberation" are available to the British and French upon revolting to Haiti.
• "Junín Hussars" is available to the Portuguese and Spanish upon revolting to Peru.
• "Wanderlust" is available to the British and Dutch upon revolting to South Africa, and can be sent 3 times.

Federal Americans

Card	Description	Age
Indian Friendship/Chimayo Genizarios	Each different allied native tribe sends a large shipment of their respective native warriors and upgrades them to Elite and Champion; native warriors train time -10%; native warrior shipments and "Native Treaties" arrive time -50%; costs 500 food, 500 wood

• "Indian Friendship" is available to the United States and "Chimayo Genizarios" to the Mexicans.
• "Indian Friendship"/"Chimayo Genizarios" ships 9 Rattan Shields if the player had built a Trading Post on a Shaolin Temple.

French

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Hand Cavalry Attack	Hand cavalry and hand shock infantry get +15% damage
Wilderness Warfare	Coureurs des Bois, Cree Coureurs des Bois, native warriors, Skirmishers, and Settlers get +20% hit points
TEAM French Auxiliaries Combat	Native warriors get +10% hit points and damage
Royal Fencing School	Delivers 3 Royal Musketeers; infantry and shock infantry train time -40%
Cult of the Supreme Being	The player gains +10% XP from training units and other players receive -10% XP from defeating them; Sansculottes gather resources from Crates 50% faster; food from Berry Bushes and Cherry Orchards 25% faster; wood from trees and Mango Groves and coin from mines 20% faster; food from huntable and Herded animals, Mills, Farms and coin from Estates 15% faster

• "Cult of the Supreme Being" is available upon revolting to Revolutionary France.

Germans

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Cavalry Attack	Heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry get +10% damage; Germans-only heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% damage instead

• "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the Italian "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.

Haudenosaunee

Card	Description	Age
Native Warrior Conscription	Native warrior cost -25% and train limit +20%
Wampum	Training units and constructing buildings grants +35% XP; unit train time -20%, siege unit and artillery train time -5% instead

Hausa

Card	Description	Age
Sahelian Kingdoms	Native warriors get +15% hit points and damage; mercenaries and outlaws get +10% hit points and damage

Inca

Card	Description	Age
Road Building	Land military units get +10% speed
Couriers	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry train time -45%

Indians

Card	Description	Age
Dravidian Martial Arts	All units get +15% all melee attack damage; Rajputs get +20% all melee attack damage instead; +1 Hindu Villager
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics	All units get +5% hit points and damage

Italians

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Cavalry Attack	Heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry get +10% damage; Italian-only heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% damage instead
Schiavoni Swords	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% all melee attack damage

• "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the German "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.

Japanese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Sengoku	Unit upgrades cost -20%
Bakufu	Daimyo and Shogun Tokugawa get +5% speed, +10 Line of Sight and train units 15% faster; land military unit train time -20%, artillery and banner army train time -10% instead

Lakota

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Mustangs	Cavalry and shock infantry cost -10%
Black Arrow	Native warriors train time -85%
Winter Counts	Training units grants +40% XP and constructing buildings grants +20% XP

Maltese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Knights of the Round Table	Delivers 1 Hospitaller for each Town Center and Command Post build; all units get +2% hit points
Squires	Military buildings train and research work 80% faster, except Forts which train and research work 260% faster

Mexicans

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Mariachi	For the next 30 seconds, military buildings work 400% faster and units get +10% speed
Colegio de San Nicolás	Delivers Large Collection of Books (500 XP); units get +4 and buildings (except Walls) get +8 Line of Sight; sees what enemies can see for 20 seconds
National Servant	All units get +10% hit points; Padre healing 200% faster

• "Colegio de San Nicolás" is available upon selecting the Michoacán Federal State.
• "National Servant" is available upon selecting the Estado de México Federal State.

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

Russians

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Kamchatka Expeditions	Cavalry and shock infantry get +10% hit points and +4 Line of Sight

Spanish

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Hand Infantry Attack	Hand infantry get +15% damage
Archaic Infantry Hitpoints	Hand infantry and foot archers get +15% hit points; Rodeleros get +20% hit points instead
Archaic Infantry Combat	Hand infantry and foot archers get +15% hit points and damage
TEAM Spanish Inquisition	Delivers 1 Inquisitor; military and economic units get +10 Line of Sight

Swedes

Card	Description	Age
Hand Infantry/Hand Cavalry Attack	Hand infantry and hand cavalry get +15% damage
Hand Infantry/Hand Cavalry Hitpoints	Hand infantry and hand cavalry get +15% hit points

United States

Card	Description	Age
Indiana Mobilization	Delivers 1 Carbine Cavalry for each shipment sent so far this game including this one; unit train time (except Heavy Cannons), technology research time, and age-up time -10%; costs 250 food, 250 wood

• "Indiana Mobilization" is available upon selecting the Indiana Federal State.

All

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Native Treaties	Each different allied native tribe sends a shipment of their respective native warriors (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans)		1
Native Warriors	Native warriors cost -25% (also +3 Uhlans for the Germans)		10
Native Warrior Combat	Native warriors get +25% hit points and damage		25
TEAM Native Warrior Societies	Native warrior train limit +30%		25
Blood Brothers	Upgrades native warriors to Elite/Disciplined and Champion/Honored (also +4 Uhlans for the Germans)		25

• "Native Treaties" is available to Europeans and Native Americans, and ships 4 Rattan Shields if the player had built a Trading Post on a Shaolin Temple.
• "Native Warriors" is available to Europeans and Native Americans (except the Iroquois).
• "Native Warrior Combat" is available to the French and Iroquois.
• "TEAM Native Warrior Societies" is available to the Dutch and Native Americans.
• "Blood Brothers" is available to the Aztecs, French, Germans, Iroquois, Portuguese, Russians, Sioux, and Spanish.

Asians

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Native Alliance	Native warrior train limit +20% and cost -10% (also +1 Villager for the Indians)		1
Native Warrior Hitpoints	Native warriors get +30% hit points and +10% speed (also +1 Villager for the Indians)		10
Native Warrior Attack	Native warriors get +30% damage and -25% train time		10

• "Native Alliance" is not available to the Chinese.
• "Native Warrior Hitpoints" is not available to the Japanese.
• "Native Warrior Attack" is not available to 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
Hire 10 Rattan Shields	Delivers 10 Rattan Shields; costs 500 coin		10
Hire 26 Rattan Shields	Delivers 26 Rattan Shields; grants Shaolin Discipline Training; costs 1,000 coin		25
Hire 30 Rattan Shields	Delivers 30 Rattan Shields; grants Shaolin Discipline Training; costs 2,000 coin		40

French

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Wilderness Warfare	Coureurs des Bois, native warriors, and Skirmishers get +20% hit points		25
TEAM Improved Native Warrior Combat	Native warriors get +15% hit points and damage		1

Germans

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Cavalry Attack	Heavy cavalry, light ranged cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% 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

Japanese

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Cheaper Unit Upgrades	Unit upgrades cost -20%		1

Russians

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Cavalry Scouts	Cavalry and shock infantry get +10% hit points and +4 Line of Sight		1

Sioux

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Black Arrow	Native warriors train time -85%		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

• Rattan Shields have 15 hand attack and a 15 build limit per Shaolin Temple holy site.

Definitive Edition

• Rattan Shields have 16 hand attack and a 16 build limit per Shaolin Temple holy site.
• With update 13088, Rattan Shields are tagged as hand shock infantry.

In-game dialogue

Main article: Chinese (Age of Empires III)#In-game dialogue

Words before the slash sign are rendered in simplified Chinese. Words after the slash sign are rendered in traditional Chinese.

• 准备就绪 / 準備就緒 [Zhǔnbèi jiùxù.] ("Ready")
• 怎么了 / 怎麼了 [Zénmele?] ("What [is happening]?")
• 请下命令 / 請下命令 [Qǐng xià mìnglìng.] ("Please command")
• 是的 [Shì de.] ("Yes")
• 遵命 [Zūnmìng.] ("Affirmative")
• 好的 [Hǎo de.] ("OK")
• 出发 / 出發 [Chūfā.] ("Embarking")
• 攻击! / 攻擊! [Gōngjí!] ("Attack!")
• 开战 / 開戰 [Kāizhàn!] ("To battle!")

History

“

The practice of rattan shield fighting is an art form consisting of six distinct fighting methods that is still practiced in parts of Taiwan. During the Chinese battles of Formosa in the seventeenth century, Ming military leader Koxinga expected every member of his army, from the generals to the foot soldiers, to be versed in the methods of the rattan shield. Rattan shields were widely used for a variety of reasons. Palms blanketed the regions of Taiwan and Hokkien, China, making rattan readily available. The shields were extremely light but uncommonly strong, able to block incoming projectiles, including bullets. They were even so buoyant as to be used by soldiers as flotation devices when crossing shallow bodies of water.

”

Trivia

• While the history section hints that the Rattan Shield is a unit that is meant to represent south Chinese Ming loyalist troops, they instead represent Shaolin monks.
  • Also, as with Iron Troopers, they speak Mandarin rather than Hokkien or Wu Chinese.
• Rattan Shields have only four ranged counters, Caroleans, Nizam Fusiliers, Fusiliers and Revolutionaries; all other counters to Rattan Shields must be in melee to do bonus damage.

Gallery

Rattan Shield image from the Compendium section

A group of Rattan Shields, close to the Yellow River

Player 2 Rattan Shields

Rattan Shield concept art

In-game Rattan Shield in the Definitive Edition