Zenata Rider

Zenata Rider
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The African Royals
Type	Cavalry Light ranged cavalry Ranged cavalry Archer Mercenary
Age	Fortress Age
Training
Trained at	Tavern (Europeans) Monastery (Asians) Saloon (Federal Americans) Palace (Africans) Lombard (Italians) Berber Sultan (with Berber Dynasties)
Cost	250 Coin 3 Population
Train time	42 seconds
Statistics
Hit points	375
Resistance	25% Ranged
Speed	7.25
Line of Sight	14
XP train bounty	25
XP kill bounty	25
Ranged attack
Damage	27 Ranged
Range	14
Rate of Fire	1.5
Bonus damage	2.5x vs. Heavy cavalry 2.0x vs. Hand shock infantry 2.0x vs. Artillery 0.5x vs. Villager
Siege attack
Damage	11 Siege
Range	6
Rate of Fire	3.0
Hand attack
Damage	14 Hand
Rate of Fire	1.5
Bonus damage	2.5x vs. Heavy cavalry 2.0x vs. Hand shock infantry 2.0x vs. Artillery

“	Mercenary Rider of the Berber Zenata armed with a shield and javelins. Good against cavalry and artillery.	”
—In-game description

The Zenata Rider is a mercenary light ranged cavalry unit in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - The African Royals.

Overview

The Zenata Rider is essentially a stronger version of the Javelin Rider. Its overall stats are enhanced at the cost of being expensive, surpassing the Javelin Rider. However, Its hand attack multiplier is lower than its weaker version.

It is strong against heavy cavalry and artillery, vulnerable against light infantry, and weak vs. heavy infantry in melee.

Oddly, the Zenata Rider requires the Berber Fantasia technology to unlock its special ability, which becomes impossible if a Berber settlement is not present. Considering it can appear randomly in the mercenary random pool, it becomes less attractive outside of the African maps.

Special abilities

• Musket Attack (automatically activated when attacking; requires Berber Fantasia): The Zenata Rider fires a musket shot that does 35 ranged damage (with a ×2.5 multiplier against heavy cavalry, ×2.0 against hand shock infantry and artillery, and ×0.5 against villagers) from a range of 15. Recharge time 30 seconds.

Civilization differences

• The Germans' Battleships can train Zenata Riders through the "Adler von Lübeck" Home City Card (if they are available in the Tavern).
• The United States can get Zenata Riders through the "Poker" Home City Card, in the pool of random mercenaries shipped, which also randomly enables them in Saloons.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Heavy cavalry, hand shock infantry, artillery
Weak vs.	Heavy infantry, light infantry, ranged shock infantry, MercType2
Improvements
Hit points	Comanche Horse Breeding (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Navajo Weaving (+5%) Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack	Seminole Bowyer (+15%) Carib Kasiri Beer (+10%) Ranged Cavalry Caracole (+10%) Tupi Poison Arrow Frogs (+10%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Yoga (+5%) Carib Garifuna Drums (+1.0 multiplier vs. villagers) Horsemanship (+1.0 multiplier vs. Walls; Lakota only) Wind Horses (-10% Rate of Fire) Carabinieri (-10% ranged Rate of Fire; Italians only)
Resistance	Sudanese Quilted Armor (+10% hand resistance)
Range	Ranged Cavalry Caracole (+2) Sarmatism (+1)
Line of Sight	Berber Fantasia (+3) Town Watch (+3) Ranged Cavalry Caracole (+2) Sarmatism (+1)
Speed	Horse Secrets (+10%; Haudenosaunee only) Apache Endurance (+5%) Comanche Mustangs (+5%) Wind Horses (+0.5)
Train time	Cheyenne Horse Trading (-40%) Horse Secrets (-35%; Haudenosaunee only) Mass Cavalry (-35%) Horsemanship (-33%; Lakota only) Terror Charge (-20%; Indians only) Blue Nile Ties (-15%; Ethiopians only) Quechuan Diet (-15%) Carabinieri (-10%; Italians only) Immigrants (-10%) New Mexico Immigration (-10%; United States only) Philhellenism (-10%) Shaman Drums (-10%) Strangers' Quarters (-10%; Africans only) Wallenstein's Contracts (-10%; Germans only)
Cost	Blue Nile Ties (-15%; Ethiopians only) Philhellenism (-10%) Wallenstein's Contracts (-10%; Germans only) Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost) Golden Liberty (-5% coin cost) Yemeni Relations (exchanges cost for 50% coin, 50% influence; Ethiopians only)
Other	Berber Dynasties (can be trained at Berber Sultan, Tavern/Mercenary Camps, Monastery, Saloon, and Palaces) Berber Fantasia (gets the "Musket Attack" charged ability)

Home City Cards

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Zenata Rider

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)

All

Card	Description	Age
Cavalry Damage	Cavalry get +15% damage
Cavalry Hitpoints	Cavalry get +15% hit points
Cavalry Combat	Cavalry get +15% hit points and damage
Liberation March	Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry get +5% speed and -35% train time
Riding School	Cavalry train time -40%; Cuirassier and Oprichnik train time -35% instead; Gatling Camel train time -20% instead (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)
Outlaw Combat	Outlaws and mercenaries get +15% hit points and damage (costs 500 coin for Baja California)

• "Cavalry Damage" is available to the British and Lakota.
• "Cavalry Hitpoints" is available to the British and Haudenosaunee.
• "Cavalry Combat" is available to the British, Dutch, French, Italians, Lakota, Mexicans, Ottomans, Russians, and Spanish.
• "Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
• "Riding School" is available to Europeans (except the Maltese and Spanish) and Indians.
• "Outlaw Combat" is available to the Mexicans upon revolting to Baja California and Europeans upon revolting to the Barbary States, Hungary, and Mexico.

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)

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%

Dutch

Card	Description	Age
Dutch States Army	Mercenary train time -15% and shipments arrive time -20%; mercenaries (except Napoleon Guns and Li'l Bombards) get +7% speed; Highlanders can be trained at Barracks, Royal Horsemen at Stables, and both at the Tavern; Pikemen, Halberdiers, Skirmishers, Hussars, and Ruyters cost +10%

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
TEAM 4 Zenata Rider	Delivers 4 Zenata Riders; costs 500 coin
Wanderlust	Land military units and land villagers get +5% hit points; land villagers and construction wagons get +5% speed

• "Loyal Warriors" and "TEAM 4 Zenata Rider" are available to the Italians, Maltese, Ottomans, and Portuguese upon revolting to the Barbary States.
• "Wanderlust" is available to the British and Dutch upon revolting to South Africa, and can be sent 3 times.

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
Spanish Riding School	Cavalry get +10% speed; +4 Uhlans
Improved Mercenaries	Mercenaries get +15% hit points and damage
Adler von Lübeck	Delivers 1 Battleship and 1 Privateer; Battleships can train mercenaries; costs 900 food, 900 wood, 900 coin

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

Hausa

Card	Description	Age
TEAM 4 Zenata Rider	Delivers 4 Zenata Riders; costs 1,000 influence
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
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%

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
Akincis	Light ranged cavalry get +100% bonus damage against villagers; Cavalry Archer train time -15%

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 Spanish Inquisition	Delivers 1 Inquisitor; military and economic units get +10 Line of Sight

Swedes

Card	Description	Age
Ranged Cavalry Combat	Ranged cavalry get +15% hit points and damage
German Mercenary Contracts	Mercenaries get +20% hit points and damage; Jaegers and Landsknechts can be trained at Barracks, Blockhouses, Taverns, and Galleons; Black Riders can be trained at Stables and Galleons

United States

Card	Description	Age
Poker	Delivers 13 random mercenaries; adds up to 3 random mercenaries to training at the Saloon; costs 3,500 coin
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
Hamilton's Own	Delivers 4 Napoleon Guns and 2 Li'l Bombards; mercenary get +25% hit points and damage; costs 2,500 coin
Seminole Ponies	Delivers 9 Hussars; hand cavalry get +15% hit points and damage, and +5% speed; cavalry train time -10%

• "Indiana Mobilization" is available upon selecting the Indiana Federal State.
• "Hamilton's Own" is available upon selecting the New York Federal State.
• "Seminole Ponies" is available upon selecting the Florida Federal State.

Changelog

The African Royals

• Originally, Zenata Riders cost 220 coin and had 20% ranged resistance. With update 43871, they cost 250 coin and have 25% ranged resistance.
• Zenata Riders take 2 population, have 14 Line of Sight, 400 hit points, and give 22 XP when trained or killed.

Knights of the Mediterranean

• With update 13.27885, Zenata Riders have 375 hit points.
• With update 13.58326, Zenata Riders give 25 XP when trained or killed.
• With update 14.43676, Zenata Riders take 3 population and have 16 Line of Sight.

In-game dialogue

The Zenata Rider speaks Kabyle/Taqbaylit using dialogue files of the Berbers, specifically those of the Berber Camel Rider.

History

“	The Zenata Rider is a mercenary ranged cavalry unit. Like the Javelin Rider, it is effective against cavalry but weak against most other units. The Zenata are a Berber or Amazigh people-group famed for their historical use of cavalry, a mantle dating back at least to the medieval period. These swift light cavalry charged into battle armed with heart-shaped shields and several spears that could be hurled or thrust. They were so effective that their arrival in Spain spawned a new military designation, the Jinete or Genitour, whose name and fighting style were directly derived from the Zenata cavalry. Their use persisted well into the early modern period.	”
—In-game compendium section

Trivia

• The Zenata Rider uses an Adarga, an apple-shaped leather shield originally from Fes, Morocco that was used by light ranged cavalry in Muslim Spain before it was adopted by the Christians. This same shield is used by the Spanish Lancer, and is the civilization icon of the Berbers in Age of Empires II (it is also used by a Berber unique unit, the Genitour, which is very similar to the Zenata Rider). The Adarga's unusual shape was designed to deflect arrows and javelins more than stop them.
  • The painted symbol on the shield is a Yaz (ⵣ), which symbolizes the "free man" (Amazigh in Berber), and is in turn the name Berbers give to themselves in their own language.

Gallery

Zenata Rider image from the Compendium section

In-game Zenata Rider