Old Guard
Old Guard is an Age of Empires III technology available to French from the Industrial Age, researched at Church. It provides 15 Young Guards and renames them to Old Guards (also changes their visual); extends grenadier and Old Guard line of sight by 2; increases old Guard hand attack damage by 100%.
Research profile
- Civilization
- French
- Research location
- Church
- Prerequisite
- Middle Guard
- Home City Card
- Edict of Nantes
- Research time
- 15 seconds
- Food cost
- 2,500
- Effect
- Delivers 15 Young Guards and renames them to Old Guards (also changes their visual); Grenadier and Old Guard Line of Sight +2, replaces ranged and siege attacks with mortar attack; Old Guard hand attack damage +100%, hand, ranged and siege resistance +10%
Effect & research conditions
Available to French from the Industrial Age. Research it at Church. It requires Middle Guard. Effect: Delivers 15 Young Guards and renames them to Old Guards (also changes their visual); Grenadier and Old Guard Line of Sight +2, replaces ranged and siege attacks with mortar attack; Old Guard hand attack damage +100%, hand, ranged and siege resistance +10%. Research costs 2,500 food. Research takes 15 seconds.
Research condition
Available to French from the Industrial Age. Research it at Church. It requires Middle Guard.
When to research
Old Guard provides an immediate reinforcement: 15 Young Guards and renames them to Old Guards (also changes their visual); Grenadier and Old Guard Line of Sight +2, replaces ranged and siege attacks with mortar attack; Old Guard hand attack damage +100%, hand, ranged and siege resistance +10%. Research when this force fills a current army need and can reach the fight in time; reserve population and set a safe gather point rather than starting it as an emergency response. Use the Church for research. This requires Middle Guard. Research takes 15 seconds and costs 2,500 food.
French Church prerequisite and Grenadier changes
The French can research Old Guard at a Church in the Industrial Age after sending the Edict of Nantes Home City Card and completing Middle Guard. It costs 2,500 Food and takes 15 seconds. The technology delivers fifteen Young Guards and renames any remaining Middle Guards to Old Guards. The upgrade adds two line of sight to Grenadiers and Old Guards, replaces their ranged and siege attacks with a hand mortar attack, and gives Old Guards 100% more hand-attack damage plus 10% hand, ranged and siege resistance. Their specialized mortar makes them more than ordinary Grenadiers, but they should still be screened from cavalry and other close-range threats. Older versions used the name Garde Imperial 3 or Imperial Old Guard, had different costs and gave different bonuses; use the current Definitive Edition rules when planning the French Church sequence.
Research sequence and force timing
Old Guard requires the French to send Edict of Nantes, reach the Industrial Age and first complete Middle Guard at the Church. The 2,500-Food research takes 15 seconds and provides fifteen Young Guards, transforms remaining Middle Guards into Old Guards, and modifies their attacks and resistances. Since this is a large Food commitment, plan it alongside unit production and the next Home City shipment rather than leaving the economy short during the upgrade. The additional two line of sight applies to Grenadiers and Old Guards, while the +100% hand damage and 10% resistances apply to Old Guards. Their hand-mortar attack changes their engagement pattern: keep them behind a screen and use their special attack against appropriate targets instead of treating them as standard close-combat Grenadiers. Earlier name and effect changes explain why a guide for the original game may list different costs or upgrades.