Battle of New Orleans (co-op)
Battle of New Orleans (co-op) is a cooperative Historical Battle in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, set in 1815. Two players share control of United States against British. This mode uses a team-specific objective sequence based on Battle of New Orleans.
Mission background
The required goals are Prepare the defense of New Orleans; Withstand the British attacks; The British must not reach New Orleans; Destroy the British camp. Optional goals include Arm the Choctaw with gunpowder weaponry by bringing one Black Powder Wagon to their settlement; Build a Trading Post in Jean Lafitte's camp (reward: three free shipments); Eliminate the enemy troops guarding the broken Fixed Gun on the Mississippi riverbank.
Objectives & rules
Scout the target and its approach, then preserve enough of the starting army to finish the required assault. Keep the named demolition unit protected until it reaches the target, then use it only on the obstacle or structure required by the mission. Scout the route before moving the hero or starting force, and avoid splitting units the mission needs together. Take optional objectives when they add useful allies, routes, resources or reinforcements without putting the primary goal at risk.
Coordinate the two defenses before counterattacking
The co-op scenario begins in the Industrial Age with a population cap of 200 and approximately 460 Food, 280 Wood and 315 Coin. Player A controls General Jackson, seven Volunteers, four Regulars, a Falconet, a Town Center, Manor Houses and an established economy. Player B begins with a Militia Officer, eight Volunteers and two Regulars; the New Orleans settlement has its own Town Center and economic buildings. The British objective is to reach the American flag at New Orleans, so protecting that position is a mission condition, not simply a way to preserve an ally. The players should divide attention between the exposed approaches and keep a mobile force ready to reinforce the threatened side. The opening defense should use the starting army and buildings to buy time while resources accumulate. The British attack from a fortified southeastern base in successive waves, with troops and cannon positions spread across the surrounding field. Keep the Falconet behind the infantry screen and use it against clustered infantry or artillery targets rather than allowing it to be caught by cavalry. General Jackson is a valuable hero and should survive; use the heroes to support combat and exploration, not as substitutes for a complete formation. The final assault includes Imperial Redcoats and Rockets. Wait until that wave has been stopped and the army is organized before crossing the map to destroy the British camp. A premature attack can leave both towns without a reserve when another force moves toward the flag. The map offers two optional objectives that materially improve the mission. Deliver a Black Powder Wagon to the Choctaw settlement in the northeast to arm the allied force with gunpowder weapons. The wagon behind British patrols is reported to fail to advance this objective in some updated versions; training a replacement at the Town Center is the documented workaround. Since the objective can be version-sensitive, verify that the quest registers before committing the only available wagon to another task. The Choctaw already have a War Hut and Longhouses and can contribute troops once the condition is fulfilled, giving the players another defensive point and a useful northern ally. Jean Lafitte's camp lies southwest of the player base. Build a Trading Post on the nearby Trade Route to receive three free shipments. These shipments can accelerate reinforcement or economy and are especially useful before the heavy later waves. The camp includes a Saloon and a Privateer, while the trade route makes this a separate objective from the Choctaw alliance. A small detachment can establish the post while the main army remains near the threatened settlement. Also clear the British contingent around the damaged Fixed Gun on the Mississippi riverbank; destroying the guarding troops completes the optional objective and removes a dangerous emplacement from the route. Once the final wave is defeated, shift from defense to a deliberate siege. The enemy base contains a Town Center, Field Hospital, three Artillery Foundries, Barracks, Stables and Outposts, with additional British troops and cannon positions outside. Remove outer guns and defensive buildings methodically, then push into the camp with infantry protecting artillery. The optional Trading Post shipments and Choctaw troops can help build the force for this stage. The mission is complete only after the British camp is destroyed, so simply surviving all attacks is not enough. This scenario is specific to the Definitive Edition co-op version introduced with update 61213; its two-player setup, objectives and bugged wagon behavior should not be merged with the single-player Historical Battle.
Use the mission rewards to prepare the siege
The three free shipments from Jean Lafitte can bridge the transition from holding the town to attacking the British base. Coordinate their timing between waves so the delivery point is not left exposed, and choose reinforcements that complement the army already on the field. The Trading Post also secures a Trade Route connection, so defend it after construction rather than treating the reward as automatic. On the Choctaw side, deliver the qualifying wagon only after checking the objective state; if the scripted wagon does not register, a Town Center trained Black Powder Wagon is the documented alternative. Once the Choctaw have gunpowder weapons, their support can cover the northeastern approach while the two players regroup. Keep one force near the New Orleans flag until the British attack has ended, then combine both armies and advance toward the southeast. This division reduces the chance that a successful optional objective leaves the ally undefended.
Coordinate preparation, defense and the final camp assault
The co-op Battle of New Orleans uses three clear phases: prepare the city’s defense, withstand British attacks without letting them reach New Orleans, then destroy the British camp. Divide preparation tasks so one player can reinforce the city while the other handles optional support. A Black Powder Wagon delivered to the Choctaw settlement arms their force; a Trading Post at Jean Lafitte’s camp rewards three free shipments; and clearing the Mississippi riverbank Fixed Gun adds another route option. Finish distant tasks before the heaviest attack if the city can be covered, then regroup to hold the British line. Once the enemy cannot reach New Orleans, combine the players’ armies to destroy the camp. Keep a reserve inside the city during the defensive phase; a co-op partner’s forward force cannot help if the main settlement is left open.