Beluga
Beluga is a whale resource found in Age of Empires III maps, including Saguenay and Patagonia. It provides an infinite supply of Coin rather than Food and is gathered by Fishing Boats; the four-boat limit applies to each whale spot, not to the whole map. Whales are resource objects, not naval units that can fight or be trained.
Recorded values
- Durability & mobility
- 100 (invulnerable) hit points · 9 line of sight
Role, availability & values
A Fishing Boat assigned to a Beluga gathers Coin at the same rate as other whale species: the listed rate is 30 Coin per minute per boat, up to four boats at one spot. Whaling is slower than gathering from land Mines, but the resource does not run out. Home City support and Dock technologies such as Gill Nets and Long Lines can improve the water economy.
Matchup & timing
Beluga becomes useful when a safe coastline supports fishing or nearby Mines are running low. Scout the bay and protect the Fishing Boats from warships; a whale spot can sustain Coin income but concentrates workers in a vulnerable location. Add boats gradually and compare their safety with land-based gathering.
A map-placed whale, not a naval combat unit
Beluga is a map resource object and has no attack, training queue or finite Coin reserve. Its recorded profile is invulnerable, with 100 hit points and 9 Line of Sight; these are object values, not a ship that the player can control. The listed examples Saguenay and Patagonia identify where this species appears, while the local shoreline and map layout determine access.
Keep the four-boat limit in mind
Up to four Fishing Boats can gather from one whale, each at the listed base rate of 30 Coin per minute. Boats beyond that cap need another whale or a different task. Since the yield is unlimited but gathering is slow compared with a Mine, Beluga works best as a sustained supplement when the sea is protected. Keep enough naval strength to cover the boats and Dock, and compare the value of Coin with the Food a Fishing Boat could gather from a nearby school.