Fort
The Fort is a strong defensive and military structure that can receive eligible Home City shipments and support production. Its long-range attacks help secure an area, but dedicated siege can make it a costly target if it is left without field support.
Recorded values
- Available
- Fortress Age
- Builder
- Fort Wagon, American General, Grand Master, Explorer (with the "Castrametation" card), Rekruts (with the "Pjotr's Toy Soldiers" card), Sentinels (with the "Fort Construction" card)
- Function
- Attacks nearby enemies; Trains most military units; Receives Home City shipments
- Construction
- 150 sec · up to 8 builders · limit 1
- Structure
- 9,000 hit points · 26 line of sight · 6x6 footprint
- Garrison
- 50 villagers, Homestead Wagons, healing units, Regent
- Building attack
- 150 building damage · range 26 · interval 3.0 · 0.75x vs. Artillery; 0.5x vs. Siege unit
- Anti-siege attack
- 300 anti-siege damage · range 40 · interval 3.0 · 0.5x vs. Siege unit
Function
Forts have substantial hit points and long-range attacks, including an anti-ship weapon. Construction access, limits and production vary by civilization, cards, scenario and game mode; some factions receive a different stronghold or defensive building. A shipment sent to a Fort still depends on the relevant card and active rules.
Placement & timing
Place a Fort to secure a strategic approach, valuable resources or a planned shipment timing. Keep field units close enough to stop siege from attacking uncontested, and avoid relying on the structure alone to control a large area. A Fort is most useful when it supports an army and a clear map objective.
Purpose and defensive profile
The Fort is an Age of Empires III military and defensive structure available from the Fortress Age through specific deliveries or builders. It attacks nearby enemies, trains many military units and accepts Home City shipments. In the current profile it costs 600 Wood and 500 Coin, takes 150 seconds to build, supports up to eight builders and has a one-Fort limit. Its 9,000 hit points, 26 line of sight, 6-by-6 footprint and garrison capacity make it a major investment that can anchor a part of the map. It is not invulnerable: the structure has a fixed location, an expensive repair bill and a single main target at a time, even though its attacks have area damage.
Attacks and targeting
The Fort has distinct attacks against ground targets and siege threats. Its building attack deals 150 damage at range 26, every 3 seconds, with a 3-tile area effect; the listed multipliers are 0.75 against Artillery and 0.5 against Siege units. It also has a 300-damage anti-siege attack at range 40 and a 3-second interval, with a 0.5 multiplier against Siege units. The attack values are separate: do not use the 300 figure as the Fort’s ordinary ground shot. Because it focuses one target at a time, a large force can overwhelm it, though splash damage affects nearby units. The Fort also sees stealth in the current building profile.
Placement and map control
Place a Fort to cover an objective that matters after construction: a Town Center, Trade Route crossing, shoreline, mine cluster or approach to the colony. A well-sited structure can protect gatherers and make the opponent take a longer route, while a poorly placed Fort may be bypassed or attacked from outside its useful support area. Leave space for units to enter and exit, keep friendly forces nearby and consider where reinforcements will arrive. The 6-by-6 footprint limits placement and can block movement or future buildings. On a coastline, combine the Fort with an army or naval defense; long-range ships such as Monitors or Ironclads can threaten a Fort from water.
How it is built
The normal access route is a Fort Wagon shipment, but several special builders are recorded. The United States and Mexican Generals can construct Forts, as can a Grand Master; an Explorer can do so after the Castrametation Home City Card. Maltese Sentinels with Fort Construction and Russian Rekruts with Pjotr’s Toy Soldiers are additional card-dependent builders. The exact access depends on civilization and edition. Fort Wagon access is generally tied to Home City progression and card selection, so do not assume that every player can replace a destroyed Fort immediately. A single-use building limit and a special shipment can make the first placement a strategic commitment.
Garrison and shipment functions
The Fort can garrison up to 50 Villagers, Homestead Wagons, healing units and the Regent in the listed profile. Garrisoning workers can protect them during a raid, but those Villagers stop gathering while sheltered. The Fort receives Home City shipments and trains most military units, allowing a forward site to reinforce itself after it is established. That combination can make it more than a static turret, but the Fort’s production roster differs by civilization and release. Check which units it can train before relying on it as the only production building. A forward Fort that cannot produce the needed counter may still need a Barracks, Stable or Artillery Foundry nearby.
Unit production roster
The unit table is broad rather than identical for every civilization. Common European Fort access can include Crossbowmen, Pikemen, Musketeers, Hussars and Grenadiers when those units are available to the faction. Civilization-specific entries expand or replace that roster: British access includes Longbowmen; Germans add Doppelsoldners and Uhlans; Italians can train Pavisiers; other civilizations have their own infantry, cavalry, artillery or special units. Costs, population use and train limits remain attached to the unit, not the Fort as a structure. Use the unit’s own entry for exact attack and counter data, then use the Fort roster to see whether the forward building can produce that unit in the current Age.
Technologies and Home City cards
Two listed Industrial Age technologies improve Forts directly. Revetment costs 500 Wood and 500 Coin and increases the Fort’s Bombard attack damage by 50%, line of sight by 6 and Bombard attack range by 6. Star Fort costs 300 Food, 300 Wood and 300 Coin and increases Fort hit points by 50%. These are separate effects and compete with other late-game research. Home City cards can change Fort access, add a Fort Wagon, improve building hit points or strengthen coastal defenses. Card eligibility varies across Europeans, Federal Americans, Asians, Mexicans and Native American civilizations. Read the card’s named restrictions and whether it affects the Fort, all buildings or only a team before adding it to the deck.
Civilization and mode differences
Forts are most broadly available to Europeans and Federal Americans in the listed Fortress Age profile. In The Asian Dynasties, Chinese players in random-map games can gain a single Fort by allying with Russia at the Consulate and sending the Fort Wagon; the Chinese Fort trains Banner Armies. The Indian campaign in Act III: India uses a related route. Revolting to the United States changes Fort behavior: Forts spawn two Gatling Guns and gain Gatling Gun training, while selected cards can replace ordinary infantry access with State Militia or Revolutionary Sharpshooters. Haiti can enable Pirate training at Forts. These are mode- and nation-specific effects and should not be applied to the base European structure.
Limitations and siege defense
A Fort can lose to artillery, long-range naval units or a large army that overwhelms its target focus. It is expensive to repair, so rebuilding its health under sustained bombardment can consume resources needed for troops. The Fort is also immobile after placement and limited in number; if its site no longer protects useful resources, the investment may not justify a prolonged defense. Keep anti-artillery forces in range, intercept siege units before they can focus fire and avoid garrisoning more workers than necessary. Retreat the main army if the opponent has established a stronger siege position, then use the Fort to cover a safer fallback rather than feeding units into range.
Timing a Fort investment
The Wood and Coin cost competes with military production, upgrades and expansion. A Fort is strongest when it protects a resource site or forces a response while the player can continue training an army. If it is built only as a reaction after the opponent’s artillery is already in position, the construction time can leave the colony exposed. Scout during the shipment or age-up that unlocks it, select a location before the wagon arrives and make sure builders can finish safely. After construction, assign production based on the enemy composition and use the Home City shipment point for a card that complements the defense. A Fort should buy space and time for the economy, not become a substitute for it.
Patch history and values
The current profile lists 9,000 hit points; the source records 8,500 before update 50830. Build Experience changed from 110 before that update to 220 in the current listing, and the Definitive Edition changed earlier build and kill Experience values. The building’s core cost and train role should still be checked in the current game, especially when using older strategy guides or campaign scenarios. A patch-era value can alter how long the Fort survives or how quickly it contributes to the Home City, so compare values from the same release before judging whether a position is safe.
Examples from the train roster
The Fort’s unit table spans more than a single generic infantry group. European access can include Crossbowmen, Pikemen, Musketeers, Hussars and Grenadiers, with national additions such as British Longbowmen, German Doppelsoldners and Uhlans, Italian Pavisiers, Russian Streltsy and Rekruts, Swedish Caroleans and Leather Cannons, Portuguese Cassadores, or Spanish Rodeleros and Lancers. Other recorded roster entries include Dutch Ruyters, French Cuirassiers, Maltese Sentinels and Hospitallers, and Ottoman Janissaries, Abus Gunners and Humbaraci. The exact available list follows the civilization and the units already unlocked in that match. Treat this as a roster reference, not a promise that all named units are trainable by every Fort.
Asian and Native roster options
The Asian and Native American entries add another set of choices. Chinese Forts can train Banner Armies such as Old Han, Standard, Ming or Mongolian groups, alongside units that may require the correct Banner composition. Indian access includes Rajputs, Sepoys, Gurkhas, Sowars, Zamburaks and elephant units; Japanese access can include Yumi Archers, Ashigaru Musketeers, Samurai, Naginata Riders and Yabusame. Native rosters list civilization-specific choices such as Tomahawks, Aennas, Cetan Bowmen, Chimu Runners, Wakina Rifles and Forest Prowlers. African civilizations and later expansions introduce other named units, including Shotel Warriors, Fulani Archers, Neftenya, Oromo Warriors and Lifidi Knights. Use the civilization’s current Fort table and individual unit pages for access and cost.
Federal American and revolutionary rosters
Federal Americans and revolution-based armies can change what the Fort produces. The United States path can use State Militia, Regulars, Gatling Guns and Revolutionary Sharpshooters under the relevant rules and cards. The Mexican General can build a Fort, and Mexican options include Insurgentes, Soldados, Salteadors and Chinacos where their access requirements are met. A United States Revolution makes Forts spawn Gatling Guns and enables their training; Rhode Island Militia and Morgan’s Continental Sharpshooters can further change the available infantry. Haiti can add Pirate training at Forts. These effects belong to named Revolutions or cards and should not be applied to the standard roster before the transition.
Fort shipments and fortification cards
Several Home City cards concern Fort access or durability. A Fort shipment or Fort Wagon shipment supplies the structure, while a two-wagon shipment can change the number and timing of available placements. Improved Buildings and TEAM Improved Buildings affect broader building defense; Heavy Fortifications and Extensive Fortifications are European or Federal American options with their own eligibility; Coastal Defenses support a shoreline plan. Monumental Architecture and other civilization-specific cards can also alter Fort value. Since card access and effects vary, inspect the current deck tooltip and exact civilization before calculating hit points or assuming a second Fort is possible.
Comparison with other defensive structures
A Fort occupies more space and costs more than an ordinary Outpost, but offers more hit points, a wider attack role, unit training and shipment reception. A Town Center supports workers and its own defense, while a Fort specializes in a military strongpoint. The choice depends on the purpose: protect a large resource zone or forward army with the Fort, maintain worker production and shipments at a Town Center, or use a cheaper outpost to watch a route. A Fort’s large footprint and one-building limit make it a poor replacement for a network of small vision points. Combine structures so a single siege cannot remove every defensive option.
Countering an enemy Fort
To attack a Fort, avoid sending the entire army into its range without siege support. Artillery or long-range naval units can apply pressure from a safer distance, while a broad force can exploit the building’s one-target limit if it is not screened. The Fort’s splash attack still punishes tightly grouped units, so spread the assault and protect siege engines from mobile defenders. If the Fort is supported by reinforcements, cut off the production route or threaten another location rather than trading repeatedly against the same position. The defender should move anti-siege units forward, repair only when the resource cost is sustainable and evacuate workers before the garrison becomes the only escape.
Age and expansion-specific availability
The general Fort is a Fortress Age structure, but some card or civilization effects can change when or how it enters a match. The Chinese Consulate route in The Asian Dynasties is separate from the European Home City Fort Wagon, and a campaign Fort may follow mission rules rather than skirmish availability. Definitive Edition also adds builders such as the Mexican General and Maltese card-supported Sentinels. Before including the structure in an opening, verify the required Age, Shipment Card, Consulate alliance, builder and one-Fort limit for the selected mode. An expansion name in an old guide can indicate a different route from the current Definitive Edition profile.
Production during a siege
A Fort can keep an army supplied from a forward position, but its queues still need resources and population. Choose units that complement the force already there: anti-cavalry troops can guard artillery, ranged infantry can contest enemy foot soldiers, and mobile units can respond to raids outside the Fort’s attack radius. Avoid queueing a broad mix simply because the building offers it. A focused set of reinforcements reaches the front faster and makes better use of the Fort’s limited location and population capacity.
Repair and preservation
The Fort’s hit points make it durable, but repairing it during concentrated siege consumes resources that could replace units or protect workers. Preserve the structure by interrupting artillery fire, removing siege units or forcing the attacker to withdraw. If repair is necessary, do it while a screen prevents the enemy from continuing uninterrupted damage. A destroyed Fort may not be replaceable until another eligible shipment or builder is available, so avoid exposing its last placement to a fight that cannot be supported.
Research order
Revetment and Star Fort target different weaknesses. Revetment improves the Fort’s Bombard output, sight and range, helping it influence an area from farther away; Star Fort raises hit points, helping it endure an assault. Choose the former when the position needs greater reach or siege damage and the latter when the site is likely to be attacked directly. Their resource costs are substantial and should be compared with reinforcements. Neither upgrade makes the Fort immune to artillery or naval siege.
Use the Fort as a base
Keep the main army close enough to support it, but do not stack every unit inside its footprint. The structure protects an area; mobile troops still need room to screen the flanks and pursue siege units. A safe reinforcement route makes the Fort more durable than its hit points alone.
Check the active unit list
Fort production depends on civilization, Age, expansion, card access and current unit unlocks. Use the current roster before queueing.
Summary
Secure a useful area and support the position.
Preserve the site
Patrol the approaches and prevent easy artillery access.
Final check
Keep the reinforcement route open.
Summary
Use the current unit roster.
Check location
Choose the strategic site.
Construction, garrison and firing profile
A Fort is a Fortress Age military and defensive structure available to Europeans and Federal Americans, with additional access through House of Wettin and specific civilization or campaign rules. It costs 600 Wood and 500 Coin, takes 150 seconds to construct, is limited to one and has 9,000 hit points. The 6-by-6 structure can garrison up to 50 Villagers and selected support units, receives eligible Home City shipments, and trains most military units. Its defensive attack has range 26 and deals 150 damage every three seconds with an area of three; an anti-ship attack reaches range 40 and deals 300 damage. Siege units are less affected by the Fort’s ordinary attacks, so a garrison alone does not guarantee that the structure survives.
Choose a position that supports the army
A Fort is a long-term map investment as well as a defensive point. Place it near a resource corridor, a shoreline or a route where its production and shipment access can reinforce the field army. A forward Fort can anchor a push, but its 150-second construction time leaves a long period when builders need protection. Keep mobile units nearby to intercept Culverins, Mortars and other Siege rather than expecting the structure to defeat them. A Fort’s attack and garrison can protect a base during a raid, while a shipment rallied there can create an immediate reinforcement. Use the defensive radius deliberately: it cannot secure several distant resource lines at once.
Access and alternatives vary by faction
The Fort’s builder and availability depend on civilization, card and mode. A Fort Wagon is the normal delivery for many civilizations, but the American General, Maltese Grand Master, Explorer with Castrametation and card-enabled units can provide other construction routes. Some civilizations use a different defensive structure or cannot build a standard Fort in ordinary play. Campaigns may also grant scripted forts with different objectives or limits. Check the current entry for the selected faction before building a strategy around one. The Fort is expensive in Wood and Coin, so compare it with a Blockhouse, Stronghold or other production-and-defense option when the goal is to support an early army rather than establish a permanent strongpoint.
Age and civilization access
The standard Fort is unlocked in the Fortress Age, but access depends on civilization, card and mode. Fort Wagons are normally Home City shipments; eligible builders also include the United States or Mexican General and, with the relevant cards, an Explorer, Maltese Sentinels or Russian Rekruts. The House of Wettin’s Königstein allows an earlier Commerce Age Fort. In The Asian Dynasties, European civilizations could build at least one Fort and most could build two, while the Definitive Edition’s Castrametation card lets European Explorers construct one. Check the active rules before planning around the building limit or builder.
Hold the position against siege
A Fort’s range and garrison make it a strong anchor, but its fixed position and single-target focus leave it vulnerable to a coordinated force. Mortars and other artillery can attack from outside the Fort’s ordinary ground range, while a Monitor or Ironclad can threaten it from the water. Keep field troops nearby to screen siege units and use the Fort’s own splash damage to punish clustered attackers. Its 6-by-6 footprint and 600 Wood plus 500 Coin cost make location important: protect a route, coastline or settlement objective that justifies the investment.