Early Economy (Age of Empires III)
Early Economy is the first Definitive Edition scenario in The Art of War. Playing as the Lakota, train 12 Villagers and gather 800 Food while learning to hunt Bison safely and keep Town Center production active.
Recorded values
- Civilization
- Lakota
- Gold medal
- Complete within 3 minutes 30 seconds
- Silver medal
- Complete within 4 minutes
- Bronze medal
- Complete within 5 minutes
- Key threat
- Knights of St. John Outposts east of the starting base
Scenario setting & objectives
The two primary objectives are to train 12 Villagers and gather 800 Food. The medal time limits are 3:30 for Gold, 4:00 for Silver and 5:00 for Bronze. Bison near the base are the main Food source, while Knights of St. John Outposts to the east can threaten exposed Villagers. Herd animals toward the Town Center before finishing the hunt, and keep new Villagers gathering rather than collecting unrelated resources.
Mission approach
Treat it as a timed economy drill. Keep the Town Center training, move the herd toward a safe gathering area and avoid hunting within the eastern Outposts’ line of fire. If aiming for a medal, prioritize the shortest safe route between the Bison and Town Center; the optional southwest lake is not needed to meet the Food objective.
Herd toward the Town Center, away from danger
The Bison run from attacking Villagers. Begin hunting from the side that moves them toward the Town Center, shortening the later walk for the starting and newly trained workers. The enemy Outposts lie to the east and can fire on Villagers, so avoid chasing a herd into their range. Nearby food and continuous Town Center production matter more than gathering Wood or Coin for this lesson.
Use the medal clock to review the opening
The scenario’s medal limits are three minutes thirty seconds for Gold, four minutes for Silver and five minutes for Bronze. If the timer is missed, look for idle Town Center time, long Villager walks or hunts completed too far from the settlement. A short replay can improve the herd route without changing the core objective: twelve Villagers and 800 Food.
Starting resources and the map’s safer food route
The Lakota start with a few Food crates and nearby Bison, so use the crates to keep Villagers training while hunters begin gathering. The scenario is based on Carolina and eastern North American map layouts; a lake lies to the southwest and can support fishing, but the timed objective does not require a Dock or Fishing Boats. Knights of St. John Outposts stand to the east and can shoot exposed Villagers. Scout their line of fire and move the herd toward the Town Center from a safe direction so the Food route stays short without walking hunters into the defensive position. The lesson is to manage both gathering time and worker safety, not to build a full resource-balanced settlement.