Outpost
The Outpost is an Exploration Age defensive tower that attacks nearby enemies and can receive Home City shipments. It costs 250 Wood, has 2,000 hit points and a limit of seven in the standard profile. Its range and garrison let it protect workers or a route, but siege can destroy it if the army leaves it unsupported.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 250 Wood
- Available
- Exploration Age
- Builder
- Settler and its counterparts, Outpost Wagon, Frontier Post Wagon, Explorer (with the "Castrametation" card), Mexican General (with the "Presidios" card)
- Ranged attack
- 30 ranged damage · range 24 · interval 3.0 · 1.5x vs. Cavalry; 1.3x vs. Shock troops; 0.5x vs. Siege unit; 0.25x vs. Villager
- Function
- Attacks nearby enemy units; Receives Home City shipments
- Construction
- 50 sec · up to 4 builders · limit 7
- Structure
- 2,000 hit points · 32 line of sight · 2x2 footprint
- Garrison
- 20 villagers, Homestead Wagons, healing units, Regent
- Building attack
- range 24 · interval 3.0 · Same as ranged attack
- Anti-siege attack
- 100 anti-siege damage · range 40 · interval 3.0 · 0.5x vs. Siege unit
Function
An Outpost takes 50 seconds to build and can be constructed by up to four workers. Its ranged attack deals 30 damage at range 24, with bonuses against Cavalry and Shock troops; it can garrison up to 20 eligible Villagers and support units and receive Home City shipments. Definitive Edition Outposts detect Stealth, unlike the original release. Cards such as Fortified Outpost can add a building attack, while civilization-specific options may change its weapons, so check the active profile before relying on the standard tower.
Placement & timing
Place Outposts to cover a valuable gathering area, approach or shipment timing rather than scattering them across the map. Keep units nearby to answer siege, and use the garrison when a raid reaches the structure. If the opponent commits artillery, withdraw workers and bring a field army; the tower’s fire does not substitute for a counter-force.
Construction and core functions
The Outpost is an Exploration Age defensive structure that also receives Home City shipments. It costs 250 Wood, takes 50 seconds to build, occupies a 2 by 2 footprint, and has 2,000 hit points with line of sight 32. Up to four builders can work on it, and the standard limit is seven. Settlers and their civilization equivalents build it; Outpost Wagons and Frontier Post Wagons can place one, while certain cards or scenario rules grant other builders. Standard European access excludes the Russians, although Federal American civilizations and other rosters can have their own Outpost rules. The long line of sight makes it useful for watching approaches and providing a safe point for shipments, but its construction cost is substantial in the early game. A forward Outpost can shorten reinforcement travel and make a Trading Post route safer, but it also presents a target that can draw enemy siege.
Defensive attacks and upgrades
An Outpost's standard ranged attack deals 30 damage at range 24 every three seconds. It deals increased damage to Cavalry and Shock troops, but reduced damage to Siege units and Villagers. The building attack uses the same basic profile and becomes available through the Fortified Outpost upgrade; the card raises its attack against buildings and adds an area of effect. Its anti-siege attack reaches 40 and is intended to help defend against siege units, though it has only half damage against them. Some civilizations have additional weapon behavior from cards, such as the Maltese Fire Towers card, which grants a close range flame attack with separate matchups. These are civilization specific additions rather than standard Outpost attacks. The Definitive Edition also lets Outposts detect Stealth, a useful scouting and defense function that was not part of the original release. Check which upgrades and cards the selected civilization has before assuming that every Outpost can attack buildings or expose hidden units.
Garrison and map control
An Outpost can garrison up to 20 Villagers along with eligible support units such as Homestead Wagons, healing units, and the Regent where available. A garrison helps protect workers during a raid and can improve the structure's defensive fire according to the game's garrison rules. This makes the Outpost more than a passive tower: it can anchor an exposed resource area, cover a settlement or Trade Route, and give nearby units a place to regroup. Its wide line of sight supports scouting, but placing it too far from friendly forces can still leave it isolated. The safest position usually covers a resource or route that matters while remaining close enough for the army to respond. Since the building accepts Home City shipments, it may also serve as a forward delivery point; that convenience is most useful when reinforcements need to arrive near a contested front, not as a substitute for protecting the shipment location.
When to build and how to answer one
Build an Outpost when the information, shipment access, or defensive coverage is worth its Wood and construction time. Early in a match, an Outpost near a vulnerable hunt or mine can deter a small raid and preserve gathering time, but excessive towers delay Villagers, military units, or an Age advance. Later, a forward Outpost can support a push by providing vision and a reinforcement location. It is vulnerable to dedicated siege, so keep mobile troops nearby and avoid treating the structure as a self-sufficient fortress. Attackers should bring Siege units or artillery rather than losing cavalry to its anti-cavalry fire; protect those siege units from the defenders while the Outpost is dismantled. A tower's range and damage depend on upgrades and civilization bonuses, so scout for Fortified Outpost, cards, and nearby garrisons before choosing an assault. If the position does not cover a useful resource, shipment route, or approach, its upkeep in resources may not justify the map control it gives.
Version and roster notes
Outposts are part of the original Age of Empires III defensive toolkit and remain in Definitive Edition, but builder access, cards, attacks, and stealth detection depend on civilization and release. The standard profile lists 30 ranged damage, range 24, and 2,000 hit points. An older Outpost attack had a 1.5 multiplier against Shock troops; update 13088 changed the standard value to 1.3. Definitive Edition added the Stealth detection property. Federal American settlements and card based builders can change how the structure is deployed, and Maltese Fire Towers is a special upgrade rather than a universal behavior. For a match reference, use the stat profile and available improvements in the chosen civilization's technology tree instead of combining values from different patches.
Placement and shipment timing
The shipment function changes how an Outpost supports the economy: a card can arrive at a forward structure without requiring the player to walk every reinforcement from the Town Center. This is strongest when the Outpost lies on a safe route behind the army, where reinforcements can join quickly but the building is not the first target of an enemy siege push. If the structure is under attack, do not assume that a shipment alone will save it; the opponent can focus fire, and losing the building may interrupt the useful forward position. A home base Outpost is less exposed and still provides vision, while a frontier location trades safety for faster response. On maps with a narrow pass or a contested Trading Post line, a single well placed tower can cover several approaches. Recheck the position as the front moves, because a static defensive building loses value once its sight and shipment access no longer serve the army.
Vision, defense and shipment access
The Outpost is a small defensive structure available from the Exploration Age for 250 Wood. It attacks nearby enemies and provides 32 line of sight, so a well-placed tower can warn the player about a raid and force attackers to spend time or siege resources. Its 30-damage shot has bonuses against Cavalry and Shock troops but reduced damage against Siege units and Villagers. The building can receive Home City shipments, which makes it a useful delivery point when the relevant card permits it. Settlers and their counterparts construct it, with wagons or card-enabled heroes providing alternatives for some civilizations.
Positioning and defensive limits
An Outpost has 2,000 hit points and a 2-by-2 footprint; the recorded build time is 50 seconds with up to four builders and a build limit of seven. Place it to cover workers, a route or a critical approach, but avoid assuming that one tower can stop an organized army. It can be overwhelmed by siege and does not prevent ranged units from firing at nearby targets. Keep mobile troops available to respond when the enemy commits artillery, and leave enough space for friendly units to move around the structure. A defensive tower is most valuable when its sight gives early warning and its shots complement an army already able to defend the area.