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Religious leader who stuns Treasure guardians and has a chance to do Divine Strike damage in combat. Explores, fights, and builds Town Centers, Trading Posts, and Shrines.
—In-game description

The Sohei Archer (Ikko-Ikki before the Definitive Edition) is an archer hero in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties that is unique to the Japanese. It explores uncharted areas of the map and has some special abilities to help himself and his settlement. In standard random map games, the Japanese start with two Sohei Archers; both are counted as separate units.

Overview[]

The Sohei Archers begin with the Divine Strike ability, which allows them to occasionally instantly kill a weakened enemy, and the Smoke Bomb ability to immediately return to their Home City shipment point. Later on they can acquire more abilities and Stealth mode from improvements at the Monastery. They can also build Shrines, granting a safe and convenient way to claim remote animal herds.

Since they are the only explorer to be classified as archers, Sohei Archers are affected by archer-specific upgrades, such as Carib Garifuna Drums (×1.25 damage versus villagers) and Seminole Bowyer (+25% damage).

One of the more clever uses of the Sohei Archer involves their stealth and Sabotage abilities for undermining unique structures such as Factories and enemy Wonders. With Mountain Warriors, they will receive twice the normal resources or experience for recovering Treasures, which can be a significant early game advantage. Do note that it has no effect on Treasures based on percentage or units.

Special abilities[]

  • Stun Stun: Stuns a Treasure guardian from a range of 16 for 20 seconds. 60 seconds cooldown.
  • Smoke bomb Smoke Bomb: Returns the Sohei Archer to the Home City shipment point after 4 seconds. 60 seconds cooldown.
  • Divine strike Divine Strike (passive): Gives the Sohei Archer a 25% chance to instantly kill enemy units with lower than 30 hit points when attacking, which is affected by attack boosts.
  • Dodge Dodge (passive; requires Intonjutsu Stealth): Gives the Sohei Archer a 15% chance to evade enemy attacks.
  • Sabotage Sabotage (requires Kayakujutsu): Causes 1,500 damage to an enemy building or ship from a range of 16. 60 seconds cooldown.
  • Stream of enlightenment Stream of Enlightenment (passive; requires Stream of Enlightenment Home City Card): Reduces the attack of enemy units in a radius of 24 around the Sohei Archer by 5.0% (stacks if both Sohei Archers are close together, see below).
  • Due to sapping modified stats, the combined Stream of Enlightenment effect is more powerful than it otherwise would be if the enemy units have been improved in any way (e.g. +30% attack from Home City Cards are reduced to +17% instead of +20%). Since Stream of Enlightenment affects all enemy units in range, it can loosely be considered a TEAM card due to benefiting allied units.
  • Keep in mind that hand attacks are faster, and will thus cause more frequent Divine Strikes. If the enemies are stunned and of a weaker variety, move the Sohei Archer into melee range to quickly kill them with one hit.

Upgrades[]

The Sohei Archer is automatically upgraded on each Age starting from the Commerce Age.

  • Colonial age up +50% hit points and attack
  • Fortress age up +100% hit points and attack
  • Industrial age up +150% hit points and attack
  • Imperial age up +200% hit points and attack

Further statistics[]

As Sohei Archers are unique to the Japanese, only technologies that they have access to are shown in the following table:

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Treasure guardian, infantry
Weak vs. Villagers, cavalry, MercType2
Improvements
Hit points Sikh Gurus Sikh Gurus (+50%)
Infantry Breastplate Infantry Breastplate (+10%)
Cree Tanning Cree Tanning (+5%)
Navajo Weaving Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Tar kilns Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack Seminole Bowyer Seminole Bowyer (+15%)
Carib Kasiri Beer Carib Kasiri Beer (+10%)
Tupi Poison Arrow Frogs Tupi Poison Arrow Frogs (+10%)
Armatoloi Armatoloi (+5%)
Yoga Yoga (+5%)
Clenched Fist Clenched Fist (+25% hand attack)
Carib Garifuna Drums Carib Garifuna Drums (+1.0 multiplier vs. villagers)
Resistance Somali oryx shields Somali Oryx Hide Shields (+5% ranged resistance)
Range Sarmatism Sarmatism (+1)
Line of Sight Town Watch Town Watch (+3)
Sarmatism Sarmatism (+1)
Speed Quechuan Mountaineering Quechuan Mountaineering (+10%)
Akan Drums Akan Fontomfrom (+5%)
Apache Endurance Apache Endurance (+5%)
Other Reiki Reiki (can heal friendly units)
Intonjutsu Stealth Intonjutsu Stealth (gives stealth mode and the Dodge ability)
Kyudo Kyudo (+50% Divine Strike hit points threshold)
Kayakujutsu Kayakujutsu (gives the Sabotage ability)
Carib Ambush Party Carib Ambush Party (train Carib Ambushers)
Loyal Nootka Warchief Loyal Nootka War Chief (train Nootka War Chief)
Tupi Animal Lore Tupi Animal Lore (train Buttercup the Pet Cougars)

Home City Cards[]

As Sohei Archers are unique to the Japanese, 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 Sohei Archer
Some cards are highlighted with:
Green TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
Blue Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)

All[]

Card Description Age
Team ranged infantry damage TEAM Senegalese Riflemen Ranged infantry get +10% attack; French and Hausa-only ranged infantry get +15% attack instead
Age III tech tree aoe3
  • "TEAM Senegalese Riflemen" is available to the French and Hausa.

Chinese[]

Card Description Age
Chinese Home City 1 (TEAM Yongle Infrastructure) TEAM Yongle Infrastructure Ships 1 Mongol Scout; infantry, land villagers, healing units, Envoys, and Disciples get +5% speed
Age II tech tree aoe3
  • "TEAM Yongle Infrastructure" does not stack with the Inca "TEAM Inca Bridges" card.

Dutch[]

Card Description Age
Dutch Home City 2 (Infantry Hitpoints) TEAM Infantry Hitpoints Infantry get +10% hit points; Dutch-only infantry get +15% hit points instead
Age II tech tree aoe3

Ethiopians[]

Card Description Age
Ethiopian Home City 2 (TEAM Coffee Consumption) TEAM Coffee Consumption Ranged infantry get +5% speed
Age IV tech tree aoe 3

Haudenosaunee[]

Card Description Age
Iroquois Home City 2 (Scout Infantry) TEAM Scout Infantry Ships 1 Native Scout; infantry get +8 Line of Sight
Age II tech tree aoe3

Inca[]

Card Description Age
Inca Home City 2 (TEAM Inca Bridges) TEAM Inca Bridges Ships 1 Chasqui; infantry, land villagers, healing units, and Envoys get +5% speed
Age I tech tree aoe3
  • "TEAM Inca Bridges" does not stack with the Chinese "TEAM Yongle Infrastructure" card.

Indians[]

Card Description Age
Shivajis tactics TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack
Age IV tech tree aoe 3

Japanese[]

Card Description Age
Mountain warrior Mountain Warrior Monks get +50% hit points and attack (except Sabotage attack); Sohei Archers get double resource or XP rewards from treasures
Age I tech tree aoe3
Stream of enlightenment card Stream of Enlightenment Gives Sohei Archers Stream of Enlightenment
Age III tech tree aoe3
Onin war Onin War Infantry get +33% siege attack
Age II tech tree aoe3
Japanese Home City 3 (Genbukan Dojo) Genbukan Dojo Ships 1 Dojo Rickshaw; Dojo build limit +1; Sohei Archers can build Dojo
Age III tech tree aoe3
Japanese Home City 3 (Renpeiken Dojo) Renpeikan Dojo Ships 1 Dojo Rickshaw; Dojo build limit +1; Sohei Archers can build Dojo
Age III tech tree aoe3

Maltese[]

Card Description Age
Maltese Home City 2 (TEAM Knights of the Round Table) TEAM Knights of the Round Table Ships 1 Hospitaller for each Town Center owned by the player; all units get +2% hit points
Age I tech tree aoe3

Mexicans[]

Card Description Age
Mexican Home City 2 (TEAM Mariachi) TEAM Mariachi For the next 30 seconds, military buildings work 400% faster and units get +10% speed
Age I tech tree aoe3

Spanish[]

Card Description Age
TEAM Explorer Combat TEAM Fencing Instructor Heroes get +20% hit points and attack (except Shaolin Masters' Roundhouse Kick attack and Sohei Archers' Sabotage attack)
Age I tech tree aoe3
Spanish Home City 3 (Inquisition) TEAM Spanish Inquisition Ships 1 Inquisitor; all units get +10 Line of Sight
Age II tech tree aoe3

Dutch[]

Card Description Age HC level
Dutch Home City 2 (Infantry Hitpoints) TEAM Infantry Hitpoints Infantry get +15% hit points
Age II tech tree aoe3
10

French[]

Card Description Age HC level
French Home City 2 (Ranged Infantry Attack) TEAM Ranged Infantry Attack Gunpowder infantry and archers get +15% attack
Age II tech tree aoe3
10

Indians[]

Card Description Age HC level
Shivajis tactics TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
25

Iroquois[]

Card Description Age HC level
Iroquois Home City 2 (Scout Infantry) TEAM Scout Infantry Infantry get +8 Line of Sight
Age II tech tree aoe3
10

Japanese[]

Card Description Age HC level
Mountain warrior Mountain Warrior Monks get +50% hit points and attack (except Sabotage attack); Sohei Archers get double resource or XP rewards from treasures
Age I tech tree aoe3
1
Stream of enlightenment card Stream of Enlightenment Gives Sohei Archers Stream of Enlightenment
Age III tech tree aoe3
10
Onin war Onin War Infantry get +33% siege attack
Age II tech tree aoe3
40

Spanish[]

Card Description Age HC level
TEAM Explorer Combat TEAM Explorer Combat Heroes get +20% hit points and attack (except Shaolin Masters' Roundhouse Kick attack and Sohei Archers' Sabotage attack)
Age I tech tree aoe3
1
Spanish Home City 3 (Inquisition) TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 Line of Sight
Age I tech tree aoe3
10

Random names[]

Changelog[]

The Asian Dynasties[]

  • The unit is named Ikko-Ikki.

Definitive Edition[]

  • The unit is renamed to Sohei Archer.

Trivia[]

  • Since the Definitive Edition, the Sohei Archer reuses the history of the Sohei Naginata.

History[]

The Asian Dynasties[]

Like the yamabushi and the sohei, the ikko-ikki are an order of Japanese warrior monks devoted to a form of ascetic Buddhism, specifically the Jodo Shinshu, or True Pure Land Sect. This sect believed that all believers were equally saved by the grace of the Buddha.

The ikko-ikki lived for years as scattered mountain hermits until the fifteenth century, when the eccentric Jodo Shinshu abbot, Rennyo, established a temple in the Echizen province and began to rally the local citizenry behind him. Even though Rennyo was a pacifist, he advocated the use of pragmatic violence during dark times, such as the years of conflict that defined Japan's warring states period. With the support of villagers and ikko-ikki monks behind him, Rennyo led an uprising against the samurai rulers of Kaga province in 1488. His army claimed the region and declared themselves its rulers. This act represented the first time in Japanese history that a group of commoners ruled a province. For the next one hundred years, the ikko-ikki fought against and alongside many powerful daimyo, including Tokugawa Ieyasu, Oda Nobunaga, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, depending on their aims. Occasionally, they even found themselves facing warrior monks of other sects in battle.

The ikko-ikki monks wore clothes symbolic of their origin as countryside mobs, with traditional monk robes and varying degrees and types of armor. Many wore helmets, while others opted for the straw hat and cloak of a peasant. Naginata remained very common along with a variety of other blades, and a limited number of firearms. As they charged into battle, the ikko-ikki often carried banners ahead of them proclaiming, "Hail to the Amida Buddha!" and "Renounce this world and attain the Pure Land!"

Definitive Edition[]

The sohei were an order of Japanese warrior monks living between the tenth and sixteenth centuries, a period when several militant religious sects held sway over local lords, challenging even the samurai warrior class for dominance.

The Japanese word "sohei" is roughly translated into English as monk ("so") and warrior ("hei"). The sohei fought in large, extended, but not always officially ordained, brotherhoods that were geographically spread throughout smaller temples, all of which fell under the influence of a home temple's monastic order. These central institutions, most notably those in Nara, and on Mount Hiei outside of Kyoto, held huge private armies of warrior monks. These armies often became embroiled in feudal clan rivalries, as many daimyo and samurai looked to ally with the sohei because of their technologically advanced weaponry and skills in battle. In addition, the sohei had a special form of spiritual weaponry, the kind only available to warriors of a religious order. They could intimidate their enemies by denouncing them at the Kasuga Shrine in Nara, which was considered a fate worse than death. They also used prayer beads to deliver curses on those who opposed them.

In battle, the sohei wore a form of light cuirass armor beneath a traditional kimono. They were known for fighting with the naginata blade, although they expertly wielded a variety of weapons, including the katana, the bow, and the arquebus.

Gallery[]

See also[]

Military units in Age of Empires III
Common/shared units
3Icon48px Age of Empires IIIExplorer aoe3de Explorer · Militiaman de Militiaman · Crossbow aoe3de Crossbowman · Pikeman aoe3de Pikeman · Halberdier de Halberdier · Musketeer icon aoe3de Musketeer · Skirmisher aoe3de Skirmisher · Grenadier de Grenadier · Hussar aoe3de Hussar · Dragoon aoe3de Dragoon · Cavalry archer portrait aoe3de updated Cavalry Archer · Falconet aoe3de Falconet · Culverin icon aoe3de Culverin · Mortar de Mortar · Heavy cannon de Heavy Cannon · Caravel aoe3de Caravel · Galleon aoe3de Galleon · Frigate aoe3de Frigate · Monitor aoe3de Monitor
3WCIcon48px The WarChiefsWarrior de Warrior · Horse art de Horse Artillery · Petard aoe3de Petard · Spy aoe3de portrait updated Spy · Native canoe aoe3de Canoe · War canoe aoe3de War Canoe · Ironclad aoe3de Ironclad
Age3DE Icon Definitive Edition*Captured mortar aoe3de Captured Mortar · Sloop aoe3de Sloop · Steamer aoe3de Steamer · Battleship portrait Battleship
The African RoyalsLevied spearman portrait aoe3de Levied Spearman · Levied bowman portrait aoe3de Levied Bowman · Levied gunner portrait aoe3de Levied Gunner · Javelin rider aoe3de Javelin Rider · Desert warrior portrait aoe3de Desert Warrior · Desert archer portrait aoe3de Desert Archer · Desert raider portrait aoe3de Desert Raider · Battle canoe portrait aoe3de Battle Canoe · Cannon boat portrait aoe3de Cannon Boat
Unique units
Flag BritishDE BritishLongbow aoe3de Longbowman · Ranger portrait Ranger · Rocket de Rocket
Flag DutchDE DutchRuyter de Ruyter · Fluyt aoe3de Fluyt
Flag FrenchDE FrenchCuirassier de Cuirassier
Flag GermanDE GermansGermans landwehr portrait Landwehr · Doppel de Doppelsoldner · Uhlan portrait aoe3de updated Uhlan · War wagon de War Wagon
Flag OttomanDE OttomansOttomans bashibozuk portrait Bashibozuk · Janissary aoe3de Janissary · Ottomans azap portrait Azap · Nizam icon Nizam Fusilier · Ottomans deli portrait Deli · Ottomans abus gunner portrait Abus Gunner · Ottomans humbaraci portrait Humbaraci · Great bombard de Great Bombard · Spy ottoman portrait Muhbir · Spahi de Sipahi · Galley aoe3de Galley
Flag PortugueseDE PortugueseOrdinance rifleman portrait Ordinance Rifleman · Cacador de Cassador · Organ aoe3de Organ Gun
Flag RussianDE RussiansStrelet de Strelet · Russians rekrut portrait aoe3de Rekrut · Russians poruchik portrait aoe3de Poruchik · Cossack de Cossack · Oprichink de Oprichnik
Flag SpanishDE SpanishRandelero de Rodelero · Lancer portrait aoe3de updated Lancer
Flag AztecDE AztecsAztecChief AoE3DE Aztec War Chief · Eagle scout aoe3de Eagle Scout · Coyote runner aoe3de Coyote Runner · Otontin slinger Otontin Slinger · Puma spearman de Puma Spearman · Arrow knight de Arrow Knight · Eagle runner knight de Eagle Runner Knight · Jaguar prowl knight de Jaguar Prowl Knight · Warrior priest de Warrior Priest · Skull knight aoe3de Skull Knight · Tlaloc aoe3de Tlaloc Canoe
Flag IroquoisDE HaudenosauneeIro warchief aoe3de Haudenosaunee War Chief · Aenna de Aenna · Tomahawk de Tomahawk · Forest prowler de Forest Prowler · Kanya de Kanya Horseman · Musket rider de Musket Rider · Ram aoe3de Ram · Iro mantlet de Mantlet · Light cannon de Light Cannon
Flag SiouxDE LakotaSx warchief aoe3de Lakota War Chief · Cetan de Cetan Bowman · Club warrior de Club Warrior · Wakina de Wakina Rifle · Axe rider de Axe Rider · Bow rider de Bow Rider · Rifle rider de Rifle Rider · Tashunke de Tashunke Prowler · Tokala soldier portrait updated Tokala Soldier
Flag ChineseDE ChineseShaolin master aoe3de Shaolin Master · Shaolin monk aoe3de Disciple · Sentry cn jp de Sentry · Irregular cn jp de Irregular · Chu ko nu aoe3de Chu Ko Nu · Qiang pikeman de Qiang Pikeman · Changdao de Changdao Swordsman · Arquebusier de Arquebusier · Steppe rider de Steppe Rider · Keshik de Keshik · Iron flail de Iron Flail · Meteor hammer de Meteor Hammer · Flamethrower de Flamethrower · Hand mortar de Hand Mortar · Flying crow de Flying Crow · Fire ship aoe3de Fire Junk · War junk aoe3de War Junk · Fuchuan aoe3de Fuchuan
Flag IndianDE IndiansBrahminDE Brahmin · Sentry IN de Sentry · Irregular IN de Irregular · Rajput de Rajput · Sepoy de Sepoy · Gurkha de Gurkha · Urumi de Urumi Swordsman · Sowar de Sowar · Zamburak mansabdar de Zamburak · Mahout de Mahout Lancer · Howdah aoe3de Howdah · Flail elephant de Flail Elephant · Siege elephant de Siege Elephant
Flag JapaneseDE JapaneseIkkoIkkiDE Sohei Archer · Sentry cn jp de Sentry · Irregular cn jp de Irregular · Yumi archer de Yumi Archer · Ashigaru de Ashigaru Musketeer · Samurai aoe3de Samurai · Naginata de Naginata Rider · Yabusame de Yabusame · Flaming arrow aoe3de Flaming Arrow · Morutaru de Morutaru · Daimyo kiyomasa aoe3de Daimyo · Tokugawa aoe3de Shogun Tokugawa · Yamabushi aoe3de Yamabushi · Shinobi aoe3de Shinobi · Fune aoe3de Fune · Atakabune aoe3de Atakebune · Tekkousen aoe3de Tekkousen
Flag IncanDE IncaInca-war-chief-icon-aoe3 Inca War Chief · Chasqui-icon-aoe3 Chasqui · Jungle-bowman-icon-aoe3 Jungle Bowman · Plumed-spearman-icon-aoe3 Plumed Spearman · Chimu-runner-icon-aoe3 Chimu Runner · DE Bolas Warrior Icon Bolas Warrior · Huaraca-icon-aoe3 Huaraca · Inca Maceman Icon Maceman · Chincha raft aoe3de Chincha Raft
Flag SwedishDE SwedesCarolean Carolean · Hakkapelit-icon-aoe3 Hakkapelit · Leather-cannon-icon-aoe3 Leather Cannon
Flag American act3 aoe3de United StatesUs general aoe3de General · Us marine aoe3de Minuteman · State militia aoe3de State Militia · Regular aoe3de Regular · Sharpshooter icon aoe3 Sharpshooter · Carbine cavalry aoe3de Carbine Cavalry · Gatlin de Gatling Gun · Quaker gun icon Quaker Gun · Gunslinger aoe3de Gunslinger · Cowboy aoe3de Cowboy · Owlhoot aoe3de Owlhoot
Flag MexicanDE MexicansGeneral mx portrait General · Padre revolution portrait Padre · Insurgente portrait Insurgente · Soldado portrait Soldado · Emboscador portrait Salteador · Chinaco portrait Chinaco · Desperado portrait Desperado · Vaquero portrait Cuatrero · Bandido portrait Bandido
Flag Ethiopian aoe3de EthiopiansRas portrait aoe3de Ras · Oromo warrior portrait aoe3de Oromo Warrior · Gascenya portrait aoe3de Gascenya · Shotel warrior aoe3de Shotel Warrior · Neftenya portrait aoe3de Neftenya · Sebastopol mortar portrait aoe3de Sebastopol Mortar · War dhow portrait aoe3de War Dhow
Flag Hausa HausaEmir aoe3de portrait Emir · Fulani Fulani Archer · Raider aoe3de portrait Raider · Lifidi knight aoe3de portrait Lifidi Knight · Maigadi aoe3de portrait Maigadi · Xebec portrait aoe3de Xebec
Flag ItalianDE ItaliansItalians pavisier portrait Pavisier · Italians bersagliere portrait Bersagliere · Italians papal guard portrait Papal Guard · Italians schiavone portrait Schiavone · Italians papal lancer portrait Papal Lancer · Italians papal zouave portrait Papal Zouave · Italians papal bombard portrait Papal Bombard · Italians leonardo tank portrait Leonardo's Tank · Galleass portrait Galleass
Flag MalteseDE MalteseAlain icon aoe3de Grand Master · Hospitaller portrait Hospitaller · Maltese sentinel portrait Sentinel · Hoop thrower aoe3de Fire Thrower · Order galley portrait Order Galley · SPC Fire ship aoe3de Fire Ship
Revolution Revolution
Barbarystates rev barbary warrior portrait aoe3de updated Barbary Warrior · Bolivar icon aoe3de Bolivar · Californio portrait Californio · Cetbang aoe3de Cetbang Cannon · Oruc Reis Icon Corsair Captain · Berber arquebusier aoe3de Corsair Marksman · Cruzob avenger portrait Cruzob Avenger · Cruzob infantry portrait Cruzob Infantry · Comanchero icon aoe3de Cuerudo · Rev france eclaireur portrait aoe3de Eclaireur · Filibuster aoe3de Filibuster · Gatlin de Gatling Gun · Comanchero icon aoe3de Gaucho · Comanchero icon aoe3de Jagunço · Java spearman aoe3de Javanese Spearman · Comanchero icon aoe3de Llanero · Militia Officer portrait Militia Officer · Comanchero icon aoe3de Morochuco · Mounted Granadero Portrait Mounted Granadero · Colonial militia aoe3de Revolutionary · Us volunteer icon Revolutionary Sharpshooter · San martin portrait San Martin · Covered wagon aoe3de Trek Wagon
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