Dutch
The Dutch are a European civilization whose economy replaces ordinary Settlers with Merchants and adds Banks that generate Coin without assigning workers. They begin with six Merchants, an Envoy, 200 Wood and 400 Coin in starting crates. Merchants cost Coin rather than Food and have a lower train limit than ordinary Settlers, but gather Coin from mines faster. This creates a deliberately uneven opening: the worker line competes for the same resource needed to train many military units, while Bank construction consumes Wood and resources before its passive Coin flow can repay the investment. Once Banks are established, the Dutch can fund shipments and a specialized army without dedicating every Merchant to mines. The Home City is Amsterdam. The Dutch distinctive units include the Merchant, Envoy, Ruyter and Fluyt; the Bank is their unique economic building. Their army uses Skirmishers and Halberdiers alongside the ranged-cavalry Ruyter rather than a normal Musketeer. The core decision is when to accept a defensive early phase in exchange for the later income and flexible reinforcements that the Banks and Home City provide.
Economy & identity
Merchants are trained at the Town Center and replace Settlers as the regular worker. The standard Dutch limit is 50; Bank of Amsterdam and Bank of Rotterdam Home City Cards can raise the cap to 60. Their Coin cost makes worker production compete directly with military units and some upgrades, so keep a deliberate balance between a growing economy and the troops needed to protect it. Merchants gather Coin from mines faster than ordinary workers: the bonus has varied by update, with the source listing 15% in the older profile, 20% after update 20322 and before update 47581, then 15% after update 47581. The modern Merchant name and role replaced the older Dutch Settler in update 13.27885. Banks provide a second income source, producing Coin over time without tying up a worker. They repay their investment gradually, so build them while the base can withstand pressure, not at the cost of every early defense. The Envoy is a weak reconnaissance unit with strong Line of Sight; the Explorer can train Envoys. Their scouting helps find resource sites and opponents, and selected Home City Cards allow them to construct Trading Posts, Barracks, Stables, Artillery Foundries or Banks. Ruyters give the Dutch mobile ranged Cavalry against Cavalry and Artillery, while Halberdiers defend against mounted attackers at close range. Skirmishers are available earlier than for most European civilizations, in the Commerce Age, and automatically become Veteran without a separate cost. Together these units compensate for the missing standard Musketeer and let the Dutch build a defensive line while Banks mature.
Research condition
The Dutch start with six Merchants, an Envoy, two Cords of Wood (200 Wood) and four Chests of Coin (400 Coin). The Explorer can train Envoys. Merchants have a base train limit of 50, which Bank of Amsterdam and Bank of Rotterdam can increase to 60; they cost Coin instead of Food and have a faster Coin gather rate at mines. The exact gather bonus is version-sensitive: the Wiki records 15% in the original profile, 20% from update 20322 until update 47581, and 15% after that later update. The Dutch choose a Politician to advance in Age. Commerce Age options are The Governor, The Inventor, The Logistician, The Naturalist and The Quartermaster. Fortress options are The Admiral of the Ocean Sea, The Bishop, The Exiled Prince, The Mercenary Contractor and The Sergeant at Arms. Industrial options are The Cavalry Marshal, The King’s Musketeer, The Logistician, The Tycoon and The Viceroy; Imperial options are El Presidente, The General, The Mercenary Contractor, The Knight and The Royalist. The unique Bank produces Coin; the Envoy scouts; the Ruyter is ranged Cavalry armed with pistols and is effective against Cavalry and Artillery; and the Fluyt is a slow, powerful ship that resists building fire and can train units. Dutch Royal Guard choices include the Halberdier as Stadswacht, called Nassauer before Definitive Edition, and the Ruyter as Carabineer. The Skirmisher is an important early unit and can be trained in the Commerce Age, reaching Veteran automatically. The Dutch do not train a standard Musketeer. They also lack a two-Falconet Fortress Age shipment, which affects how quickly they can answer a fortified position through Home City support. Defensive and economic Home City Cards make the Dutch transition powerful after Banks are built, but the exact card deck determines whether an Envoy can construct a specific production building or whether the Merchant cap can be expanded. Dutch revolutions include Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and the United States of the River Plate in Definitive Edition; older expansion material also names George Washington and José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva. Revolution rules replace part of the ordinary worker and army economy, so confirm the target nation’s worker conversion before investing in the normal Merchant plan.
Military & matchups
Use the Dutch when the map and matchup allow time to invest in Banks and protect a slower opening. Begin by locating Coin mines, safe Food, Wood, and positions for Banks; keep enough Merchants on Food and Wood to sustain worker and building production while reserving Coin for the next army. Do not send all Coin into Merchants when an opponent can exploit a weak opening. The Envoy can scout at low military cost and reveal where to expand, but is fragile and should retreat from combat. Once Banks support the economy, increase military production and use the Home City to reinforce the army. Ruyters are useful against Cavalry and exposed Artillery, but Skirmishers are needed to fight the opposing Infantry that can threaten them. Halberdiers protect the ranged line from mounted units. The Dutch Skirmisher’s earlier Commerce Age access is a timing advantage; it can establish ranged pressure before the opponent expects ordinary European Skirmishers, but the army still needs a plan for Cavalry and structures. If the opponent pushes early, delay another Bank and use the existing resources to survive. If the opponent gives room, complete the Bank investment and let passive Coin income support the later army. On water maps, consider the Fluyt’s ability to train units and resist building fire, but remember its slower movement; escort and protect it rather than relying on it as a fast warship.
Practical direction
Dutch play is organized around two complementary economies. Merchants provide active gathering and can be moved quickly between Food, Wood and Coin, while Banks create a steady Coin stream without worker assignment. This passive income does not solve every resource need: the player still needs Food for workers and many troops and Wood for Banks, Houses and production buildings. The early sequence should therefore match available crates and map resources. With six starting Merchants and a Coin reserve, the Dutch can establish the economy, but training additional Merchants consumes Coin that could otherwise become Ruyters, upgrades or shipments. A disciplined player avoids treating the 50-worker cap as a target to reach regardless of circumstance; the Bank cards can expand it to 60, but extra workers are only useful if there are resources to gather and the base can protect them. The Dutch military develops as the economic investment pays back. Skirmishers are available in the Commerce Age and give early ranged Infantry pressure. Ruyters provide the mobile response to Cavalry and Artillery, but their role is not identical to a Heavy Cavalry charge; keep them at range and use their speed to choose engagements. Halberdiers are the close-range protection that helps hold the line against mounted units. Because the Dutch lack a standard Musketeer, use the unit selection and Home City shipments deliberately rather than following a generic European build order. The Bank economy can support a specialized army, but specialization creates counter risks: if the opponent changes to a unit your Ruyters or Skirmishers handle poorly, add a suitable unit instead of continuing to mass the same roster. A Fortress Age army may need siege support from a Home City shipment, an Artillery Foundry, mercenaries, or allies rather than assuming a two-Falconet shipment is available. The Envoy links scouting with infrastructure. Its high Line of Sight helps the player find Trading Posts, mines and attack routes, but its combat weakness means it should not accompany the main army into a fight. The Explorer can train more Envoys, and Home City Cards can grant them construction roles. The Peace of Munister and The Dutch East India Company are cited for unlocking Envoy construction of buildings such as Trading Posts, Barracks, Stables, Artillery Foundries and Banks. These are card-dependent permissions rather than universal Envoy abilities; check the deck before moving the unit across the map to build. When the relevant option is available, the Envoy can help establish forward production or claim a Trade Route while Merchants remain at home gathering. The source article describes a defensive opening that changes after Banks are placed. That shift is the Dutch timing window: survive while the Coin economy develops, then expand more confidently with a larger army and upgraded production. Home City Cards support economic and defensive play, and Politician choices create different rewards at each Age. Bank of Amsterdam and Bank of Rotterdam extend Merchant capacity; a card that improves defense or technology can make the investment safer; the Mercenary Contractor option can fit a plan that needs hired troops. Compare each reward in the current version rather than assuming the same age-up package is optimal every match. The Dutch also appear as the player faction in The Art of War Home City Shipments scenario. Their units speak modern Dutch; that is a presentation feature rather than a change to the economy or combat rules. The Dutch identity in a match remains defined by Coin-cost Merchants, passive Bank income, the Envoy and the Ruyter-centered army, with the exact pace shaped by map resources, Home City deck and update version. The historical setting behind these mechanics emphasizes Dutch maritime commerce. Dutch traders moved goods through the Baltic, North Atlantic and Rhine routes, using efficient ships with small crews; limited land also encouraged intensive agriculture and reclamation. Political and religious conflict with Spain led to revolt, and by 1609 Holland was virtually independent. Dutch merchants then pursued business in the Americas and the East Indies. In North America, a trading outpost near Albany and a settlement on Manhattan preceded New Amsterdam falling to a British fleet in 1664; the Dutch briefly regained it in 1673 before ceding it in 1674. The Dutch East India Company also took a major role in Asian trade. The Definitive Edition changes the flag presentation from the older modified Prince’s Flag to a standard Prince’s Flag design. These historical notes explain the civilization’s trade-oriented presentation, while the in-game economy remains defined by Merchants, Banks and the current patch rules. The Dutch do not appear as a standard playable faction in the main campaign or Historical Battles listed by the source, but they are the player faction in the third scenario of The Art of War. Their Merchants speak modern Dutch; a small dialogue detail is that female Merchants have a dedicated building line while male Merchants use generic move lines instead. This helps distinguish campaign availability and presentation from the civilization’s skirmish rules.
Bank economy and the Merchant workforce
The Dutch economy is built around two linked choices: ordinary Settlers are replaced by Merchants, and Banks create Coin without assigning workers to them. A Merchant costs Coin and gathers Coin from mines faster than a standard worker, but the civilization has a lower worker train limit. Banks therefore add reliable income while freeing the player to place more workers on Food and Wood. They are expensive structures, however, and each one delays military production, housing or an Age advance if built too early. Keep the Town Center producing Merchants, then add Banks when the initial hunt and wood economy can support the investment. A Bank does not replace the need for active Food and Wood gathering, and its passive Coin is only useful if the player can convert it into units and upgrades at the right time.
Army roles and shipment planning
The Dutch roster asks the player to connect its specialist units rather than rely on one line. Ruyters provide mobile ranged Cavalry support, while Halberdiers can deter enemy Cavalry from diving onto them or onto artillery. Skirmishers help address Infantry, and Falconets can break a defended position once the economy can pay their Coin cost. The Dutch also have the Envoy for scouting and access to Fluyts for naval play. Build production for the opponent’s current composition instead of filling every role at once: an army with only Ruyters can struggle to hold a position, while an unprotected Skirmisher line can be raided. Home City shipments may reinforce the army or accelerate the Bank plan. Protect Banks near the core and use military control to keep Merchants on mines; a passive income structure cannot compensate for losing access to the rest of the economy.