Ronin function as a vastly superior version of the Doppelsoldner, their attacks dealing Area of Effect damage and having high multipliers against cavalry. The Ronin's siege damage is also extremely high, as they match those of an Imperial Doppelsoldner (without any upgrades).
When it comes to close combat, Ronin are almost invincible, capable of slaying any unit that comes in their path, including the strongest cavalry units such as the Mahout Lancers and other heavy infantry in mere seconds. Ronins can defeat any forms of infantry and cavalry relatively easily. Due to having very high hand damage, they can become nightmares to cavalry and infantry based armies. One of the ways to counter Ronin is to have artillery protected in the back with Heavy Infantry or to mix Spies and Ninjas in your army as they have large bonuses against mercenaries.
Ronin can only be sent by the Ottomans, Portuguese, and Spanish at the Industrial Age through the Asian Mercenary Army card, which consists of 7 Manchu and 5 Ronin. However, the Portuguese can hire them in the Fortress Age with the Passage to Nipon card, which sends 5 Ronin. In the original Age of Empires III, the Ronin, along with the Manchu, is the rarest mercenary due to the fact that it can only be hired by three civilizations mentioned above. In The WarChiefs, all European civilizations have the Dance Hall card which enables Ronin to be trained from the Saloon. With Update 23511, all European civilizations have the Theaters card, which enables Ronin to be trained from the Tavern.
Hatamoto Samurai[]
“
Japanese Samurai mercenary.
”
—In-game description
The Hatamoto Samurai is a counterpart of the Ronin which starts with +10% hit points and attack. It is identical to the Ronin, but is easier to access, since it can be trained from the JapaneseConsulate if Japanese Isolation is chosen. With all attack improvement upgrades (Carib Kasiri Beer and Zapotec Cult of the Dead), Home City Cards (Indian and Spanish allies), the Japanese Isolation bonus, and the Golden Pavilion hand attack bonus, the Hatamoto Samurai is the melee infantry with the highest hand attack, 147.9.
Infantry and shock infantry train time -40% (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Villager for the Indians)
Outlaw Combat
Outlaws and mercenaries get +15% hit points and attack (also upgrades Filibusters to Veteran for Baja California; costs 750 coin for Baja California, Hungary, and Revolutionary Mexicans)
"Liberation March" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish.
"Fencing School" is available to the Europeans (except the French, Maltese, Ottomans, and Spanish) and Indians.
Consulate units' train time -50%; Consulate technologies' cost -40% (-300 export for Brigades) and research time -50% (except Brigades)
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
The General, Minutemen, and heavy infantry get +15% hit points and attack
Poker
Ships 13 random mercenaries; up to 3 random mercenaries available at Saloon; costs 3,500 coin
Indiana Mobilization
Ships 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
There is an occasional glitch in the Scenario Editor where Ronins can attack, but will be unable to deal damage to other units, including other Ronin.
The Hatamoto Samurai's large bonus against cavalry is most likely a reference to the Nodachi/Odachi, a large two-handed sword intended to counter cavalry by using its size and mass to cut the horses' legs or slice into the horses' breasts.
In reality, Hatamoto Samurai were high-ranking Shogunate officers, not mercenaries. The term Hatamoto (旗本) itself roughly means bannermen and flag bearers.
Ronin were samurai who had no lord and, by extension, an uncertain role in feudal Japan. A famous group of ronin were samurai loyal to the daimyo Asano, who was disgraced and forced by the strictures of honor to commit ritual suicide, or seppuku. His death made ronin out of 47 of his samurai, who set out to avenge their master's dishonor. They killed the daimyo Kira who had lured their master into disgrace and, while admired by the people and considered heroes, these Ronin were eventually sentenced to death. They were given permission to follow their daimyo into the afterlife by commiting seppuku, rather than being executed as criminals.
Ronin, as samurai, fought with a wide array of weapons: katana, nodachi, kama, jutte, and their bare hands - though the katana is iconically associated with samurai. They wore elaborate armor, enameled and richly decorated.
”
Gallery[]
An in game Ronin/Hatamato Samurai.
Ronins are able to take out even the strongest of infantry in mere seconds