Italians
The Italians were introduced in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition — Knights of the Mediterranean. They begin with an Architect and a resource-heavy start, receive a free Settler for each technology researched, and can research technologies at economic buildings in any Age; their Home City shipments require extra Experience.
Economy & identity
The Architect can construct buildings without spending their usual resources, but the free construction takes longer; paying Wood speeds up work in progress. Lombards convert a deposited resource into the other two over time and also train Outlaws and Mercenaries. The Basilica supplies Papal units and supports construction nearby. Pavisier can change armor stance, while the broader roster includes specialized units such as Galleass and Leonardo’s Tank.
Military & matchups
Use the Architect for buildings whose delayed completion is acceptable, and commit Wood when a military or economic timing makes speed worthwhile. Start Lombard conversion early enough to receive its return during the match, and pair its delayed economy with immediate defense. Plan shipments around the extra Experience requirement.
Practical direction
Research useful technologies to grow Settler count, while accounting for the shipment Experience premium. Use Architects and Lombards as complementary investments: one saves construction resources, the other converts resources over time.
Free Settlers from technology research
The Italian economy gains a Settler whenever a technology is researched. This turns market, arsenal and civilization research into worker growth as well as a direct upgrade, so technology choices can have an economic return. Research is still an investment: it costs resources and time, and a free Settler does not repay an upgrade that the army cannot use. The strongest approach is to research useful technologies at moments when the economy can spare the cost and the new worker can gather safely. An Architect can construct buildings without the ordinary resource cost, but uses a limited construction system and is not a substitute for Settlers gathering. Together, these tools help the Italians boom through the mid-game while expanding their infrastructure. Protect workers and choose upgrades that support a composition rather than researching every option immediately.
Architects and building placement
Architects are a distinctive Italian builder. They can place and construct buildings without paying their usual resource cost, allowing the economy to preserve materials for units, age advancement or research. This advantage is bounded by the Architect’s availability and construction rules, so it should be used to establish the production layout the match needs. Place military buildings near safe rally routes, and use economic structures where workers can reach resources without crossing the front. An Architect can make a forward building easier to afford, but a structure that is quickly destroyed still wastes time and map control. Coordinate building placement with the free Settlers generated by technology research: one system creates infrastructure, while the other expands the workforce that uses it.
The Lombard resource exchange
Lombards allow Italians to exchange one resource for another, offering a way to address a shortage without abandoning the current economic plan. This flexibility can help convert a surplus into the resource required for an Age-up, military production or technology. The exchange is not free value; the rate and available options determine whether it is worthwhile. Check the current need before converting resources and avoid repeatedly exchanging simply because a button is available. A Lombard works well when the economy has a clear imbalance, such as excess Food while the army needs Coin, or an immediate Wood cost for infrastructure. It can also make a technology-heavy opening smoother, since Italian research produces Settlers while Lombard exchanges help cover the cost of the next production cycle.
Pavisiers and the missing Skirmisher role
The Italians do not have access to a standard Skirmisher unit. In the early Ages, Pavisiers help counter Heavy infantry and Light cavalry, while Bersaglieri become available after the Industrial Age and fill a more specialized ranged role. This absence affects army composition: Italian players should not assume that a generic European counter unit can be trained from the normal roster at any time. Use Pavisiers with supporting infantry or cavalry and transition to Bersaglieri when the Age and production plan permit. If the opponent relies on the targets those units answer, protect the ranged line and make sure the army has a response to cavalry that reaches it. The individual unit pages provide the specific class tags and multipliers for each release.
Papal units and shipment timing
Italian Home City options include Papal units and the Schiavoni, a counter-skirmisher unit. Their shipments can be delayed while the units are being produced, so card timing matters more than simply choosing a strong reinforcement. Send them when the battlefield can absorb the arrival delay or when the shipment itself prepares a later attack. Do not rely on a delayed card to stop an immediate raid. Papal support and Schiavoni can add specialist value to a larger army, but the core force still needs units for the current matchup. Pair the shipment with a plan to protect the units after arrival and use their role promptly. If the opponent has already changed composition, select another shipment or production option instead of committing to a delayed counter that no longer fits.
A technology-driven mid-game
Italian strength grows as the economy researches useful improvements and receives the associated Settlers. This rewards a stable opening that can afford both military production and technology. A rush that forces all resources into units may postpone the worker benefit, while an overly greedy research plan can leave the base undefended. Choose upgrades that support the army or economy expected in the next Age, then use the added Settlers to reinforce the relevant resource lines. The Lombard can smooth resource shortages, and the Architect can extend the production layout without spending the same building resources as other civilizations. These advantages reinforce each other when planned: research expands the workforce, resource exchange covers the next bottleneck, and free construction makes the next building available.
Version and expansion context
The Italians entered Age of Empires III in Definitive Edition content and use civilization-specific systems that differ from the older European rosters. Exact technology availability, unit names and balance values can change with updates. Campaign or scenario Italian forces may also have scripted units that are not ordinary multiplayer production. When planning a build, distinguish the base Italian civilization from Papal shipments, mercenaries and scenario armies. Check the unit, technology and building entries for the current version, especially for the post-Industrial Bersaglieri transition and research effects that generate Settlers.
Technology timing and Settler value
Technology research provides the Italian economy with an extra Settler, but the worker arrives only after the research has completed. Queue upgrades when the army can remain safe during the research time and when the new worker can gather productively. An upgrade that strengthens the unit line being trained provides both a military effect and additional economic capacity. Researching unrelated technologies only for Settlers can drain resources required for production, so compare the direct benefit and delayed worker. As the economy expands, use the Lombard to correct shortages and let the Architect place buildings without spending the same resource reserve as other civilizations.
Covering the missing Skirmisher role
The lack of a standard Skirmisher is a composition constraint throughout much of an Italian match. Pavisiers help cover Heavy infantry and Light cavalry in the early game; after the Industrial Age, Bersaglieri provide the later ranged answer. Until that transition, use a combination of Pavisiers, cavalry and artillery support rather than trying to force one unit into every role. Keep the counter unit protected, because its job depends on surviving long enough to remove the opposing target. Plan the Age transition before the opponent’s infantry mass becomes difficult to contain, and use shipments or Papal units to stabilize the army if the required later unit is not yet available.
Architect logistics and military production
An Architect can save the resource cost of buildings, but placement still consumes time and exposes a location. Establish the production network in a defensible area, then add forward production only when the army can hold it. A Lombard near the economy can exchange a surplus into a missing resource, while research can increase the Settler count. These systems make a mid-game boom possible, but they do not remove the need for scouting or a military screen. A well-timed Stable, Barracks or Artillery Foundry is more useful than several free structures that the economy cannot staff or defend.
Manage delayed shipments
Papal units and Schiavoni can arrive later because their shipment is delayed while the units are being produced. Account for that production time in the attack schedule. Send the card before the army urgently needs the reinforcement, or use a different shipment when defense cannot wait. Once they arrive, immediately assign the specialists to a clear target and protect them; an expensive delayed unit that idles at the base does not justify the lost timing.
Build around the next battlefield role
Italian flexibility does not mean every unit is available at every Age. Use Pavisiers while the army needs an early answer to Heavy infantry, and plan for Bersaglieri only after reaching the Industrial Age. Add cavalry or artillery for roles those infantry cannot cover, and let the Architect establish only the production buildings that the economy can use. If the opposing army changes, adjust the next technology and Lombard exchange to support a counter rather than continuing a production queue that no longer fits.
Choose Lombard exchanges deliberately
Use the Lombard when a resource shortage would otherwise interrupt a planned queue or Age advance. Keep the value of the exchanged resources in mind, and avoid converting a surplus that will be needed for the next round of research. The free Settler from technology research adds capacity, but it does not immediately replace resources spent on the upgrade.
Protect the growing economy
Use technology-created Settlers to reinforce safe resource lines and keep the army between them and enemy raids.
Use the extra worker safely
After a technology completes, assign the new Settler to a resource line that supports the next queue, and protect it before expanding farther from the base.
Free Settlers and Lombard investment
Italian advancement rewards careful management of the free Settlers granted as Ages progress. They add workers without replacing the need for continued Town Center production, so time each age-up around resources and population space. Lombards turn Coin and other resources into economic flexibility through investment and return mechanics. An investment ties up resources before paying back, which is more useful when income is stable and there is time to wait. Do not pull every worker from Food or Wood simply to fund several Lombards: Villagers, military units and buildings still need ordinary resources. Free workers and investments complement a functioning gather plan.
Architect construction and building tempo
Architects let Italy construct buildings without spending the same ordinary Wood cost as a Villager-built structure, but they are limited and build at their own pace. An Architect occupied on a low-priority building cannot immediately place a Stable, Barracks or defense elsewhere. Queue important structures around the planned army and age transition, and use Villagers when a location or timing cannot wait. Architects save resources and support planned expansion; they do not remove the need to protect the economy or wait for buildings to finish.
Order units around the age-up workforce
Italy can shift from economic growth into a specialized army, but free Settlers do not arrive as an instant military force. Preserve stable Food and Coin income, then add production buildings for units revealed by scouting. Papal units and Italian specialists fill roles beyond ordinary infantry or cavalry, while Royal Guard upgrades support selected lines later. No unique unit answers every counter: add anti-Cavalry support against mounted pressure, siege against fortified positions and mobile units to protect guns. Consider Lombard return timing so investments mature before the match is decided.