Explorer's Dog
Explorer's Dog is a pet unit in Age of Empires III. Its listed abilities and vision define its scouting or support role; availability depends on the scenario or civilization that provides it.
Recorded values
- Available
- Exploration Age · Town Center (ransom)
- Training
- 1 sec
- Durability & mobility
- 215 hit points · 10% hand resistance · 5.0 speed · 15 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 9 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 3.0x vs. Treasure guardian
- Ability
- Regeneration; Auto scout
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Town Center (ransom). It has 215 hit points. It moves at 5.0 speed. it takes 1 seconds to train. Attack profile: Hand attack deals 9 damage. Hand attack bonuses: 3.0× against Treasure guardian. Special ability or role: Regeneration; Auto scout. If reduced to zero hit points, it collapses rather than dying; after regenerating 100 hit points, a friendly unit or building nearby can revive it.
Matchup & timing
Hand attack is especially effective against Treasure guardian (3×). Hold the melee attack for Treasure guardian when they enter contact. Keep a frontline between this unit and threats that can reach it safely.
Availability, rescue and upgrades
The Explorer’s Dog is a European pet and hero companion in Age of Empires III, available to most European civilizations except the Maltese, who use the Lamb of the Creator, and the Spanish, who have War Dogs. It is generally unlocked through a civilization’s Home City card and can also be obtained through the House of Stuart palace’s Scottish Sheep Culture technology. Availability changes by civilization: British and French access begins in the Commerce Age, while other eligible civilizations can use it earlier. The dog has 215 hit points, 10% hand resistance, speed 5, line of sight 15 and a nine-damage hand attack with 3× damage against Treasure guardians. It regenerates health while idle after a short delay and automatically scouts when ordered to do so. If its hit points reach zero, it collapses rather than dying. A friendly unit or building nearby can revive it once it regenerates at least 100 hit points; alternatively, the player can ransom it at a Town Center for 100 Coin, where it returns with full health. Protecting a collapsed dog is often cheaper than paying the ransom, but only if the area can be held safely. It upgrades automatically with each age, gaining health and damage, so its later role is stronger than its starting profile. Use it to scout and help an Explorer contest Treasures, then pull it away from enemy troops before it collapses. The dog’s guardian bonus does not make it a general-purpose fighter; keep it with the Explorer and use its vision to avoid ambushes.
Civilization-specific routes and field care
The dog’s access conditions are tied to European Home City cards and civilization exceptions, rather than a universal Town Center production button. Most eligible Europeans can unlock it through their deck; British and French access is delayed until the Commerce Age. The Maltese instead receive the Lamb of the Creator, while Spanish armies use War Dogs. A Scottish Sheep Culture technology at the House of Stuart can provide another route where that palace is available. The dog’s 215 starting hit points and 9 attack grow automatically with age: its health and damage bonuses increase at each age, with the largest listed improvement in the Imperial Age. It is therefore worthwhile to keep it alive if a match is expected to progress, rather than sacrificing it during early exploration. At zero health it collapses and can be recovered by a nearby friendly unit or structure after regeneration restores at least 100 health, or by paying 100 Coin at a Town Center. The ransom is a fallback when the battlefield cannot be held. Its idle regeneration begins after 3.5 seconds and restores 0.25% health per second. Auto Scout can expose map routes, but manual orders are safer near enemy forces and valuable Treasures. Use the dog to assist the Explorer’s 3× Treasure guardian attack, protect it during collection and retreat when its health becomes low. A dog that survives can provide repeated vision and Treasure support throughout the match.
Auto-scouting, regeneration and treasure support
The Explorer’s Dog is a pet unit available through the Town Center ransom rule in contexts that allow it. It can auto-scout and has 15 line of sight, helping reveal nearby terrain while the Explorer handles another task. Its nine-damage hand attack gains a 3× bonus against Treasure guardians, so it can support a manageable treasure encounter. At 215 hit points and five speed, it can travel with the hero, but it should not be sent alone into an army. Use auto-scouting to reveal a safe route and check the dog’s path so it does not wander into danger.
Ransom and hero recovery rules
The dog’s Town Center access is listed as a ransom option, and its training time is one second when the rule is active. It regenerates and collapses rather than dying; after reaching 100 hit points, a nearby friendly unit or building can revive it. Keep the Explorer or another ally nearby if the dog falls, and protect the recovery area. The Treasure bonus is useful only when the force can clear the guardian and collect the reward. Do not assume the same dog access appears in every civilization or scenario; check the ransom interface and the active version before relying on it.