This article is about the unit in Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs. For the native unit, see Lakota Axe Rider. |
“ | Mounted warrior good against skirmishers, foot archers, and artillery. | ” |
—In-game description |
The Axe Rider is a melee heavy cavalry in Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs that is unique to the Lakota and can be trained at the Corral.
Overview[]
The Axe Rider has a higher attack than most other cavalry units, making it quick and efficient at killing Shock Infantry. However, Axe Riders also have relatively low hit points (before upgrades), so it is recommended to guard them from heavy infantry and ranged cavalry. Mass Axe Rider production relies on gathering a large amount of food so it is advisable to take control of the map early and secure as many hunts as possible to produce them in large numbers.
It is a good idea to combine them with Rifle Riders as they can break through the enemy's line of Musketeers and Pikemen, allowing the Axe Riders to reach the skirmishers or artillery they were protecting and eliminate them.
Due to the incredible number of upgrades and Home City shipments the Lakota have to upgrade their cavalry units, Axe Riders scale exceptionally well into the late stages of the game. When fully upgraded, they possess 675 hit points and 80 attack, while being quite cheap (with Mustangs) and only two population. This of course does not take into account any available native upgrades, team cards, auras or ceremonies.
In the original The WarChiefs, the "Morning Star" Home City Card, available for a level 40 Sioux Home City, grants the Axe Rider the Nature Friendship ability to convert Treasure guardians; having a group of Axe Riders accompanying the Sioux War Chief allows the player to quickly collect all treasures and convert all Treasure guardians. In the Definitive Edition, "Morning Star" instead gives all hand cavalry a 2.0x multiplier against Treasure guardians.
Special ability[]
- Nature Friendship (requires the "Morning Star" Home City Card; not available in the Definitive Edition): Converts a Treasure guardian to the Axe Rider's side with the process taking 4 seconds to complete. 90 seconds cooldown.
Upgrades[]
Age | Upgrade | Cost | Effect |
---|---|---|---|
Elite Axe Riders | 200 wood 100 coin |
Upgrades Axe Riders to Elite (+25% hit points and attack) | |
Champion Axe Riders | 400 wood 200 coin |
Upgrades Axe Riders to Champion (+25% hit points and attack); requires Elite Axe Riders | |
Legendary Axe Riders | 1,500 wood 1,500 coin |
Upgrades Axe Riders to Legendary (+50% hit points and attack); requires Champion Axe Riders |
Further statistics[]
As Axe Riders are unique to the Lakota, only technologies that they have access to are shown in the following table:
Unit strengths and weaknesses | |
---|---|
Strong vs. | Light infantry, artillery |
Weak vs. | Heavy infantry, light cavalry, ranged shock infantry |
Improvements | |
Hit points | Cavalry Cuirass (+10%) Comanche Horse Breeding (+10%) Cree Tanning (+5%) Navajo Weaving (+5%) Tar Kilns (+5%) |
Attack | Yoga (+5%) Pillage (+25% siege attack multiplier vs. buildings) Wind Horses (-10% Rate of Fire) Battle Anger (+2.0 multiplier vs. Artillery) Horsemanship (+1.0 multiplier vs. Walls) |
Resistance | Sudanese Quilted Armor (+10% hand resistance) Pancerni (+10% ranged resistance) Bonepipe Armor (+10% siege resistance) |
Speed | Apache Endurance (+5%) Comanche Mustangs (+5%) Wind Horses (+0.5) |
Train time | Cheyenne Horse Trading (-40%) Horsemanship (-33%) Quechuan Diet (-15%) Shaman Drums (-10%) |
Cost | Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost) Golden Liberty (-5% coin cost) |
Other | Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost) |
Home City Cards[]
As Axe Riders are unique to the Lakota, only their cards and other civilizations' TEAM cards are shown in the following tables:
- Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Axe 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 |
Blue | Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds) |
French[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Hand Cavalry Attack | Hand cavalry and hand shock infantry get +15% attack |
Germans[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Cavalry Attack | Heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +10% attack; Germans-only heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% attack instead |
- "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the Italian "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.
Indians[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics | All units get +5% hit points and attack |
Italians[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Cavalry Attack | Heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +10% attack; Italians-only heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% attack instead |
- "TEAM Cavalry Attack" does not stack with the German "TEAM Cavalry Attack" card.
Japanese[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Sengoku | Unit upgrades cost -20% |
Lakota[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
Morning Star | Temporarily reveals all enemies and treasures; Axe Riders can loot treasures for double the resources or XP; hand cavalry get ×2.0 attack multiplier against treasure guardians | |
Akichita | All Lakota warriors get +20% hit points, but get reduced multipliers against Villagers; Tashunke Prowlers get -0.75×; Cetan Bowmen, Club Warriors, Wakina Rifles, Axe Riders, and Tokala Soldiers get -0.33×; Bow Riders and Rifle Riders get -0.25× | |
3 Axe Riders | Ships 3 Axe Riders | |
4 Axe Riders | Ships 4 Axe Riders | |
4 Axe Riders | Ships 4 Axe Riders | |
5 Axe Riders | Ships 5 Axe Riders | |
8 Axe Riders | Ships 8 Axe Riders | |
6 Axe Riders | Ships 6 Axe Riders | |
Leman Trade Muskets | Turns all Axe Riders into Rifle Riders | |
Cavalry Damage | Cavalry get +15% attack | |
Cavalry Combat | Cavalry get +15% hit points and attack | |
TEAM Mustangs | Cavalry and shock infantry cost -10% | |
Winter Counts | Training units grants +40% XP and constructing buildings grants +20% XP | |
Lakota Support | Ships 7 Axe Riders and 9 Bisons; costs 1,000 coin | |
Santee Support | Ships 6 Axe Riders; Axe Riders get +20% hit points; costs 1,000 coin |
Maltese[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Knights of the Round Table | Ships 1 Hospitaller for each Town Center owned by the player; all units get +2% hit points |
Mexicans[]
Card | Description | Age |
---|---|---|
TEAM Mariachi | For the next 30 seconds, military buildings work 400% faster and units get +10% speed |
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 | Ships 1 Inquisitor; all units get +10 Line of Sight |
French[]
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Hand Cavalry Attack | Heavy cavalry and Coyote Runners get +15% attack | 10 |
Germans[]
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Cavalry Attack | Heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% attack | 10 |
Indians[]
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics | All units get +5% hit points and attack | 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 |
---|---|---|---|
Morning Star | Axe Riders can use Nature Friendship | 40 | |
3 Axe Riders | Ships 3 Axe Riders | 1 | |
4 Axe Riders | Ships 4 Axe Riders | 1 | |
4 Axe Riders | Ships 4 Axe Riders | 10 | |
5 Axe Riders | Ships 5 Axe Riders | 10 | |
8 Axe Riders | Ships 8 Axe Riders | 25 | |
6 Axe Riders | Ships 6 Axe Riders | 40 | |
Evening Star | Turns all Axe Riders into Rifle Riders | 25 | |
Cavalry Damage | Cavalry get +15% attack | 10 | |
Cavalry Hitpoints | Cavalry get +15% hit points | 10 | |
Cavalry Combat | Cavalry get +15% hit points and attack | 25 | |
Mustangs | Cavalry cost -10% | 10 | |
Riding School | Cavalry train time -40% | 10 | |
Lakota Support | Ships 7 Axe Riders and 9 Bisons; costs 1,000 coin | 1 | |
Santee Support | Ships 6 Axe Riders; Axe Riders get +20% hit points; costs 1,000 coin | 10 |
Spanish[]
Card | Description | Age | HC level |
---|---|---|---|
TEAM Inquisition | All units get +10 Line of Sight | 10 |
Changelog[]
The WarChiefs[]
Knights of the Mediterranean[]
- With update 13.12327, Axe Riders cost 150 food, 50 coin, and although it is not listed in the patch notes, his portrait has been updated.
- With update 14.43676, Axe Riders have a ×0.75 multiplier against light cavalry.
Trivia[]
- Despite being called Axe Rider, the weapon they use is a gunstock war club, an indigenous weapon used by Native Americans. Indigenous tribes of America most likely created the design of the club based upon European firearms.
- The other units that utilise these clubs are the Kanya Horseman, Lakota Axe Rider, and Club Warrior.
History[]
“ | When the Lakota discovered horses, they were so impressed they named the new animal the Wonder Dog. It changed their entire way of life. Almost overnight, they became one of the most famous nomad peoples of history. Their effectiveness in combat is best summed up by the fact that the Lakota were long considered the best cavalry in the world. | ” |