Summary
Age of Empires 3has seen a recent spike in popularity thanks to it being available on Steam for free (for now). This might lead tobeginning playerswondering where to start. Which civilization is the best? What are the best units in the game? Often, the answer to those two questions is linked, but not always.
Unsurprisingly, many of the best units are unique to a particular civilization and are variants of standard units. This list is based on theDefinitive VersionofAge of Empires 3. The latest balancing changes have been taken into account when ranking the units below, otherwise many would be ranked much higher.
Updated on Jul 22, 2025, by Jeff Drake:It seems like every empire has a unit or two (or three) that can be spammed to victory. Some units might seem weak on paper, but when combined with another unit on the battlefield, they become almost unstoppable. Some units seem overpowered when looking at their stats, but are brought down quickly by a specific type of attack. This list identifies the best units inAge of Empires 3on a stand-alone, individual, basis.
13Rocket (and Consular Rocket)
The Ultimate Artillery Unit
The Rocket is an artillery weapon exclusive to the British. The Indian Empire has the Consular Rocket, which is statistically identical to the British version. The biggest difference between the Rocket and the Heavy Cannon is the cost; Rockets are much cheaper to produce.
In addition to being cheaper, Rockets are also better than Heavy Cannons in combat. The main reason is that Rockets aren’t as vulnerable to attacks from cavalry units. These are perfect for guarding a coastline against enemy naval units that are foolish enough to get too close.
12Cuirassier
Top Tier Heavy Cavalry
The Cuirassier is a mounted melee unit that becomes available in the Fortress Age for the French. Many players would argue that this is the best heavy cavalry unit in the game. The closest unit to the Cuirassier for other (European) empires is the Hussar, but there really is no comparison — the Cuirassier has far more hit points.
The problem with such a powerful unit like this one is there’s always a cost to be paid. The Cuirassier costs substantially more to train than the Hussar, and takes 15 seconds longer to train. The cost of this unit makes amassing a large squad of them financially prohibitive.
11Javelin Rider
A Superior Mounted Ranged Unit
This is one of those units that can be spammed for a quick rush attack. The benefit of doing this with the Javelin Rider is that they areone of the bestoverall units available in the Commerce Age. The attack bonus this unit gets against Heavy Cavalry and Hand Shock Infantry were nerfed; however, not enough to significantly affect the Javelin Rider’s combat effectiveness.
Use this unit against enemy ranged units to make use of the +20% resistance to ranged attacks. Against Heavy Cavalry, Artillery, and Hand Shock Infantry, this unit’s damage multipliers bring a quick and decisive victory.
10Cassador
A Fast-Moving Skirmisher
The Cassador is the Portuguese variant of the Skirmisher. While the Cassador can’t take as much damage as most other Skirmisher-type units, it makes up for this with a faster movement speed and better resistance to ranged damage than most Skirmishers. This allows the player to use a kiting strategy to greater effect than normal.
Under normal circumstances, players need to wait until the third age to access Cassadores, but they can be produced in the second age ifallied with the Frenchif they use the TEAM Early Skirmisher card.
9Gurkha
A Skirmisher With Stronger Attacks
The Gurkha is the Indian equivalent of the Skirmisher. In general, India has some of the most capable units in the game; which is why they are currently considered an S-tier civilization. This unit has incredible range and attack strength. Their only true weakness is against cavalry units.
The best aspect of the Gurkha is that they are available inthe second age. Most civilizations must wait until the third age for Skirmishers, and in most cases, those SKirmishers aren’t as good as the Gurkha.
8Ashigaru
One Of The Best Overall Heavy Infantry Units
The Ashigaru is a heavy infantry unit made available with The Asian Dynasties expansion, but is part of theAge of Empires: Definitive Edition; which can be played for free on Steam (at the time of publication). This unit is a Musketeer-type unit unique to the Japanese.
This unit was easily thebest overall unit in the gameuntil it was nerfed via balancing updates. Regardless of the balancing, this remains one of the best units in the game. Ashigaru possesses incredible range, ranged damage, and melee damage. Where they set themselves apart from most Musketeer types is their increased hit points.
7Sepoy
A Better (And More Expensive) Version Of The Musketeer
Even after being nerfed, the Sepoy is still one of the best Musketeer-type units inAge of Empires 3. This is due to its higher hit points and slightly stronger ranged attack damage. The downside is this unit is more expensive to produce than the standard Musketeer.
The Sepoy doesn’t have many weaknesses; it’s able to defend against cavalry and melee units fairly well. This is the staple unit of the Indian forces and can be deployed by themselves. Just watch out for siege units.
6Architect
Construct Buildings At No Cost
The Architect is a non-military unit unique to the Italians. This unit can build a small selection of buildings at no cost; their construction time is higher than villagers, but the difference is negligible. Along with a good balance of fighting units, the Architect is one of the main reasons Italy is currently considered an S-tier empire.
A winning strategy with this unit is to have several on hand to quickly build outposts at strategic points on the map. This meta-strategy makes attacking an Italian town a much riskier proposition than nearly every other civilization - the Inca are also quitegood at base defense.
5Forest Prowler
Can Use Stealth To Hide From The Enemy
This unit is unique to the Haudenosaunee and acts as a Skirmisher. The Forest Prowler is widely regarded as the best Skirmisher class unit in the game. The only weakness of the Forest Prowler is against the stronger melee units, but this is easily countered by having an escort of anti-cavalry units - they can usually dispatch non-mounted melee units before they have a chance to engage.
This unit is best used in ambush positions in force while using the stealth ability to remain unseen. Fights are usually over before the opponent has time to react.
4Huaraca
A Highly Mobile Siege Unit
This Inca unit can be used in ways that will keep opponents on the verge of rage-quitting. The Huaraca is a ranged siege unit; a highly mobile siege unit with a fast rate of fire and theability to hide in buildings. When combined with the level three stronghold, the Huaraca can defend against nearly any invading force.
Another benefit of this unit is that it behaves like a normal ranged unit but does damage as a siege unit; the Huaraca are slingers using flammable projectiles. This means their damage bypasses most ranged resistances possessed by the opponents' units.
