Strengths
- Deletes Halberdiers.
- Range 7.
Hand Cannoneer
Partialarchers · Archery Range · imperial Age
Imperial gunpowder infantry. High attack vs infantry. Inaccurate vs moving micro.
Idle Villager is current for Update 177723, with minor updates through 180059. Facts on this page were checked on 2026-09-19. Counters are not unconditional. Numbers, upgrades, terrain, and micro change the fight.
What it does
A late answer to pike masses when you have Chemistry and the civ access.
Weaknesses
- Accuracy.
- Cavalry.
- Gold.
Strong counters
Strategic advice built on verified armor classes and unit access. Not unconditional.
Knight · cost-effective · can win in equal numbers
Cavalry close before enough shots land.
- Pikes in front of the guns.
- Onagers.
Situational counters
Mangonel · cost-effective · needs numbers, surround, or micro
Onagers delete the clump. Micro required.
- Range 7 guns can snipe a lone Onager.
What it counters
No published reverse rows yet. Use the strengths list above.
Why matchups work
Bonus vs infantry plus huge attack. Cavalry close before enough shots land.
Line, cost, and age
Verified fact from the aoe2techtree dat extract. Base stats, no civ bonuses.
| Unit | Age | HP | Attack | Range | Armor | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand Cannoneer | imperial | 40 | 17 pierce | 7 | 1/0 | 45f 50g |
- Hand Cannoneer: Bonus vs infantry.
Upgrades
- Chemistryimperial Age
Required to unlock Hand Cannoneers.
Common mistakes when fighting it
- Making them before you can protect them.
- Using them as Khmer without realizing you still have no BBC.
Supporting units
Civilization-specific exceptions
These sit on top of the generic matchup, not inside it.