Act I: Blood
Act I: Blood is the opening act of the original Age of Empires III campaign. Morgan Black and the Knights of St. John defend Malta, then follow the Spanish Treasure Fleet into the Caribbean. The act establishes the Black family story and the Circle of Ossus conflict that continues through the later acts.
Setting & objective
Its missions shift between defending a fortress, exploring unfamiliar ground, establishing a settlement and pursuing objectives at sea. The Knights of St. John are a campaign faction with scenario rules, not a standard civilization selected for ordinary multiplayer. Story events can change the units, allies and resources available from one mission to the next.
How to approach it
Treat the objective list as the plan for each scenario. In a defense, protect the named target and avoid sending every unit away; in an exploration or base mission, scout routes and resources before committing workers. Campaign forces may not match a normal civilization roster, so use the mission’s available units and reinforcements.
Campaign arc and scenario structure
Act I: Blood is the opening installment of the original Age of Empires III campaign, set around 1565–1566. It follows Morgan Black and the Knights of St. John from the defense of Malta into the pursuit of the Spanish Treasure Fleet and the Black family’s arrival in the Caribbean. The eight-scenario act introduces the Circle of Ossus, the main antagonist across the campaign trilogy, and establishes the characters and conflict that continue into Blood, Ice and Steel. Twelve cinematics connect the missions. The playable force is a campaign faction with scripted starting units, resources and objectives; it is not a normal civilization choice in multiplayer. Its scenarios move between fortress defense, exploration, settlement building and naval or coastal objectives, so one army composition does not carry through the entire act. Review each mission’s starting conditions and objective list before spending resources or splitting the force. The act’s title refers to the Black family’s conflict and the campaign’s early story, not a technology or game mode.
Progression, heroes and mission planning
The scenarios build Morgan’s story through events on Malta, the voyage west, contact with Lizzie the Pirate, and the discovery of the Circle’s plans. Some missions emphasize holding a position, while others require building a new base or moving a hero to a named destination. Preserve mission-critical characters and respond to objective changes rather than following a standard build order. Campaign cards and reinforcements can be selected or unlocked in some scenarios, but availability is specific to the mission; do not assume Home City shipments are always active. A safe approach is to scout with the starting force, protect builders during expansion and retain a reserve for objectives that trigger an enemy response. The act culminates in the conflict that sets up the next stage of the trilogy. The Definitive Edition retains the Act I campaign structure, while later acts received significant story changes; do not transfer Act II or Act III faction changes into this opening act. The linked scenario pages provide exact objectives and tactics for individual missions such as A Pirate’s Help and Temples of the Aztec.
Where the opening act sits in the trilogy
Blood sets up the conflict that continues in Shadow and Steel. Morgan’s journey from Malta to the Caribbean introduces the Circle of Ossus and the Black family, while the later acts follow other family members and change the playable faction. Keep Act I’s Knights of St. John roster separate from the Falcon Company and Lakota changes used in the Definitive Edition’s later campaign acts.
Use each mission’s own rules
The act contains eight scenarios and twelve cinematics, and its missions do not all provide the same economy. Some allow ordinary base building; others begin with a fixed force, restrict Home City access or make the player complete a timed objective. Check whether shipments are enabled before selecting cards, and use Experience where the scenario allows card selection. Defend named structures and heroes in missions that require survival or escort, then switch to siege when the campaign objective calls for destroying a target. A campaign faction may have a roster that resembles a civilization without sharing every multiplayer rule. Keep enough units for objectives after a story transition, and use linked scenario pages to check their exact starting forces. The act is the narrative foundation of the trilogy, but each scenario’s objective is the reliable guide to play.
Complete the act through its linked missions
The campaign page provides the plot and roster context; individual scenario entries carry the objective lists. Use those pages for mission-specific requirements, especially where the act changes from defense to construction, exploration or escort.
Read the scenario-specific shipment rules
Home City access is not identical throughout the act. Missions can allow card selection while disabling shipments, or provide a fixed campaign force. Check the scenario setup before planning around a delivery and keep the exact objective list in view.
Morgan Black’s voyage from Malta to the New World
Act I: Blood follows Morgan Black and the Knights of St. John as they pursue the Circle of Ossus from Malta toward the Americas. Its scenarios begin with Breakout and The Rescue, then move through the voyage, the Aztec alliance, A Pirate’s Help, Spanish Treasure Fleet and the search for the Fountain of Youth. The campaign combines fort defense, prisoner rescues, naval travel, settlement building and battles against the Circle and Spanish forces. Mission objectives often require protecting a hero or a named structure, so do not assume that destroying every enemy building is the goal. Definitive Edition revises presentation and some mission details; use the individual scenario pages for exact objective text and changes. This act introduces Morgan and establishes the Black family conflict that continues through later generations.