Quechuan Diet
Quechuan Diet is an Age of Empires III technology from the Exploration Age, researched at Trading Post or Tambo on a Quechua settlement. It reduces infantry (except Skull Knight), cavalry (except Tokala Soldier), shock troops, War Academy and Castle banner army training time by 15%.
Research profile
- Research location
- Trading Post or Tambo on a Quechua settlement
- Research time
- 10 seconds
- Food cost
- 250
- Coin cost
- 250
- Effect
- Infantry (except Skull Knight), cavalry (except Tokala Soldier), shock troops, War Academy and Castle banner army train time -15%
Effect & research conditions
Available from the Exploration Age. Research it at Trading Post or Tambo on a Quechua settlement. Effect: Infantry (except Skull Knight), cavalry (except Tokala Soldier), shock troops, War Academy and Castle banner army train time -15%. Research costs 250 food, 250 coin. Research takes 10 seconds.
Research condition
Available from the Exploration Age. Research it at Trading Post or Tambo on a Quechua settlement.
When to research
Use the 10-second research before a sustained production phase if the army includes the affected Quechua-settlement infantry, cavalry or shock troops. The 15% reduction also covers War Academy and Castle Banner Armies, with explicit exceptions for Skull Knights and Tokala Soldiers. Spend the 250 Food and 250 Coin when the matching queues are active, not for an unrelated roster.
Research value and affected unit classes
Quechuan Diet is researched at a Trading Post or Tambo on a Quechua settlement. It costs 250 Food and 250 Coin and takes ten seconds. The upgrade reduces training time by 15% for Infantry other than Skull Knights, Cavalry other than Tokala Soldiers, Shock Troops, and banner armies trained at War Academies or Castles. Artillery is not included. Skull Knights and Tokala Soldiers have offsetting effects in the listed rules, so this upgrade does not provide them the usual net reduction. Its broad effect is especially valuable during long matches or Treaty games with continuous unit production, but it gives no benefit while queues are idle. Secure the Quechua settlement and research before a sustained production phase; compare the cost with immediate units if the army needs to fight before the technology can repay its investment.
Version history
Before Definitive Edition, the research reduced training time by 25% rather than the current 15%. It was previously named Incan Chasquis Messengers and its affected unit categories changed across expansions. The current Quechuan Diet effect excludes Skull Knights and Tokala Soldiers and covers War Academy and Castle banner armies; check the active release when following an older Treaty guide.
Quechua training-time reduction
Quechuan Diet is an Exploration Age technology researched at a Trading Post or Tambo on a Quechua settlement. It costs 250 Food and 250 Coin and takes 10 seconds. The recorded effect reduces training time by 15% for Infantry other than Skull Knights, Cavalry other than Tokala Soldiers, Shock troops, War Academy units and Castle Banner Armies. Because this is a production-speed bonus, its value depends on maintaining active queues in the affected buildings; it does not reduce the resource price or speed up every unit. Secure the alliance and identify which eligible units will remain in production before researching it. It can be valuable when several affected queues are running, while a player producing mostly excluded units will receive little benefit. Check the exact roster class when a unit has a special exception.