Revolution
Revolution is an Age of Empires III civilization transition that trades the ordinary colonial economy for an independence-era nation, a replacement army and a dedicated Revolution Deck. It first appears in The WarChiefs and remains in Definitive Edition, but available nations and effects depend on the civilization, expansion and patch. It is not a normal Age advance: it does not upgrade every age-scaled unit, and the new nation may lose ordinary Settler production. The attraction is a rapid military and political change at a lower resource and time commitment than reaching the Imperial Age. The cost is structural. Home City plans, workers already in production, shipments in transit, population support and resource income can all change in one action. A useful decision compares the new nation’s actual bonuses and sustainable economy with the army and workers that would otherwise be available if the player continued aging normally.
What changes when you revolt
Researching Revolution changes the player’s flag and Home City to the selected nation and replaces the current deck with a Revolution Deck. In The WarChiefs, different leaders use a largely shared deck; later versions give nations more distinct cards and unit paths. Home City shipments already in transit are canceled and the cards used for them are refunded, so a player does not receive delayed pre-revolution cargo after changing nations. Worker conversion is a major part of the transition. In the older rule set, Settlers and equivalent workers such as Coureurs des Bois, Architects and Settler Wagons become Revolutionaries or a nation-specific replacement. Settlers still training are canceled and their Food is refunded. A worker rescued from a Treasure after the change may also become the revolutionary unit. Structures that workers were constructing are left unfinished; construction wagons are an exception. Each Settler Wagon produces two Revolutionaries or equivalent units, with the extra one delivered as a Home City shipment. Definitive Edition Canada and South Africa preserve Settlers instead of replacing the workers, and Canada, Finland and South Africa are listed exceptions to the normal removal of House and Manor House population support. The Town Center limit increases to ten on a standard revolution; Houses and Manors no longer provide the ordinary population capacity in most paths. The transition does not count as advancing an Age, so units whose statistics normally improve automatically with each Age are not upgraded merely because the player revolted. Do not assume that the post-transition force receives Imperial statistics. Revolution takes 10 seconds in The WarChiefs and 15 seconds under the later timing introduced in update 15.59076. For comparison, the Imperial Age costs 4,000 Food and 4,000 Coin and takes 90 seconds; Revolution is much faster, but its lower price reflects a different, less flexible long-term economy rather than a free Imperial upgrade.
When to choose the transition
Age, cost, leader and nation access are civilization-specific. In The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties, most European civilizations can choose between two leaders and their bonuses; the Danes are the prominent European exception. Definitive Edition expands the menu to several nations for many civilizations and assigns different access conditions, ages and rewards. Some options become available at the Industrial Age, while Mexico can revolt from the Commerce Age and has lower costs for earlier choices. Read the age requirement in the actual menu rather than applying one universal Revolution price. Classic choices illustrate how different the resulting armies can be: Argentina sent Mortars to Germans in the earlier rules; Brazil combined Tupi archers and Native upgrades for Dutch or Portuguese; Chile supplied Hussars to the Ottoman or Spanish paths; Colombia delivered Ironclads to French, Ottoman or Russian forces; Haiti improved Revolutionary hit points for British or French players; Mexico sent Outlaws to Portuguese or Spanish players; Peru strengthened all units for Germans or Russians; and the United States improved Gatling Guns for British or Dutch players. Those legacy pairings are not the complete Definitive Edition roster and should not be copied into a current deck without checking the selected version. The newer roster reorganizes options around the civilization’s identity and includes national paths such as Argentina, Barbary States, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Finland, Hungary, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Texas and others. Their rewards can deliver special units, unlock production, change the worker, improve existing troops or create a distinct economic route. For example, Argentina can ship Gauchos and livestock and enable Gaucho training; Barbary States can provide Corsair Marksmen, Dock Privateers and Barbary Warriors in place of ordinary Revolutionaries; and Canada or South Africa can preserve Settlers. Hungary creates Magyar Hussars in its path, while Finland can replace workers with Karelian Jaegers. These examples describe separate nation rules, not effects shared by every revolution. The Mexican civilization has a uniquely flexible system: it can revolt as early as the Commerce Age, choose a less expensive early transition, revolt twice from Yucatán to Maya, and in several routes undo its revolution and return to Mexico while retaining bonuses already gained from revolutionary cards. Reversing a revolution also advances the Mexican player through the next two Ages from the point of revolt. California, Maya and Texas are listed as irreversible routes. Only one teammate on a team can revolt; in The WarChiefs, a single player in the whole match can use Revolution. Other players may still advance to the Imperial Age.
Costs, worker conversion & economy
Revolt when the selected nation can convert the current army, worker count and resources into a decisive timing, and when the player can replace the income lost by converting workers. A large existing Settler group may become a large Revolutionary force immediately, creating a dangerous attack without first training a new army. That same conversion can remove the ability to gather and construct, so the player needs a post-transition income source and a clear finishing or stabilization plan. If the revolution retains workers, compare the benefit with the normal Settler economy rather than assuming the same risk and reward as an older revolution. Also consider what is already in motion: a shipment about to arrive is canceled and refunded, current Settler training is stopped, and a worker halfway through a building may disappear. Finish urgent structures first or include their lost progress in the decision. The lack of ordinary population housing may create room for an army in many paths, but Canada, Finland and South Africa follow exceptions that preserve or depend on housing rules. Check the exact choice before demolishing Houses or expanding production. A Revolution can be a strong response to pressure when the new deck delivers useful troops quickly, but the opposing player may scout the transition and defend likely attack routes during the completion time. If the selected nation mainly offers long-term unit bonuses or a worker card, ensure the match will last long enough to use them. If the benefit is a shipment or production unlock, plan the rally point and building before the unit arrives. Avoid revolting only because the Imperial Age feels expensive; a transition that strands the economy or produces units that lose to the opponent’s current composition can be worse than continuing to age.
Version and civilization rules
First compare the displayed Revolution cost, research time, age requirement, unit shipments, research options and worker outcome with the ordinary route to Imperial Age. Include the resources and time for the Imperial Age itself—4,000 Food, 4,000 Coin and 90 seconds in the standard comparison—then account for what that path preserves: Settlers, the existing Home City deck, ordinary building production and age-based upgrades. Revolution changes those assumptions, so its faster timing only pays off if the reward can be used immediately. Before clicking, stop or complete important Settler production, finish buildings whose workers would otherwise leave, unpack nearby crates, and send any Home City card whose benefit you require before the deck is replaced. Remember that shipments in transit do not complete; their card selections are refunded. A player who waits for a shipment to arrive before revolting may lose the timing, while one who revolts immediately may cancel a crucial reinforcement. Treat the 10-second legacy or 15-second later transition as a brief vulnerable window: keep the army near the base, do not start a fight that needs units still converting, and position the force where the national shipment can join it safely. Build the post-revolution plan around the actual resource engine. The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties let players retain or regain limited income through Trading Posts, Fishing Boats, Native Canoes, Caravels or Galleys, Banks, Factories, allied TEAM shipments, resource-trickle cards already sent, Cree Coureurs des Bois and workers rescued from Treasures after the revolution. Definitive Edition nations add their own cards, replacement workers and production structures. None of these options is universal: a landlocked map can make Fishing Boats irrelevant, an unclaimed Trade Route cannot be counted as income, and a resource trickle card that was not sent before the deck change may no longer be available. Identify at least one reliable source of Food and Coin before converting the workers, and protect the structures that generate it. The national army should be evaluated in roles rather than by its headline shipment. A card that sends Mortars or Ironclads is primarily an immediate siege or naval package; a card that grants a unit bonus improves the force over time; and a new production unlock can sustain troops only if the player has both the building and the required resources. Arrange the army so that the transition reward has support. Revolutionary infantry may be numerous but still need artillery protection, while a nation that adds cavalry or ships needs an answer to the units that counter them. Use the standard unit classes and the selected nation’s own tooltips, not a general assumption that all Revolutionaries are the same. In the classic system, Argentina for Germans, Brazil for Dutch or Portuguese, Chile for Ottomans or Spanish, Colombia for French/Ottoman/Russian, Haiti for British or French, Mexico for Portuguese or Spanish, Peru for Germans or Russians, and the United States for British or Dutch are examples of nation-to-civilization combinations. Their old rewards include Mortars, Tupi Blackwood Archers, Hussars, Ironclads, Revolutionary hit points, Outlaws, general hit points or Gatling Gun durability. These combinations belong to the older table and are useful when reading legacy campaigns or guides. Definitive Edition presents expanded and revised choices; its national menu should be treated as the current reference for which nation a civilization can actually select. Distinguish Revolution from cards that use similar political names. Flemish Revolution, Belgian Revolution, Tupac Amaru Rebellion, Sepoy Mutiny, March Revolution and Bear Flag Revolt are Home City or civilization mechanics, not necessarily the Revolution system. They do not automatically change the flag, demonym, Home City or all remaining cards. Revolutionary France’s Napoleonic Era is a special case whose effects more closely resemble a second political transformation because it changes the demonym, deck and flag. A player should inspect the card effect instead of inferring a full transition from the word Revolution or Rebellion. Historical framing changes by release as well. The legacy system sometimes paired European civilizations with Latin American independence leaders and destinations that were not historically accurate to those colonies. Definitive Edition adds options that more closely reflect each source civilization, although the mechanic remains an alternate-history gameplay system. Revolutionary Home Cities generally reuse the Black Family Estate model with a changed national flag; the French Revolution can retain the name Paris while using that model. These visual details identify the transition but do not grant a combat bonus. The national roster explains why the selected flag matters. Common support across revolutionary nations includes Citizens trained for Coin through the relevant card, Revolutionary infantry, Ironclads and Gatling Guns. Revolutionary infantry is general-purpose support rather than a guarantee that every converted worker can gather. A national variant may trade health for range, add a bonus against a particular target, or continue a worker task. Argentina adds Gauchos that work livestock and use bolas, with Mounted Granaderos as a ranged mounted option. Barbary States adds Corsair Marksmen and Barbary Warriors, while Brazil can automatically spawn Voluntários at Town Centers. Canada converts workers into Métis Pathfinders with a stronger attack while keeping the worker economy. Chile supplies Hussars of Death, which have twice the attack of regular Hussars in the listed version. Finland converts workers to Karelian Jaegers who can gather crates and trees and build Blockhouses. Hungary adds Grenzers and connects shipments or outposts to units such as Pandours, Magyar Hussars and Hungarian Grenadiers. Indonesia enables Javanese Spearmen and Cetbang Cannons. These examples are distinct country packages; the universal Revolutionary description does not describe every replacement unit. Definitive Edition has additional age gates and sequential paths. The Poles can choose the Commerce Age Cossack Hetmanate, whose Khutorians replace Settlers and whose infantry roster changes, or the later Duchy of Warsaw with Heavy Cannons and modern European Guard units. Mexico can revolt in the Commerce Age, move through routes such as Yucatán, Rio Grande or Baja California, and can sometimes return or revolt again. Those choices can alter Insurgentes, Hacienda access, worker replacement, militia levies and Guard upgrades; the route is not one generic Mexican bonus. Other examples include Egypt for the Ottomans, which adds a Mameluke to shipments; Livonia, which supplies a Fort Wagon and High Master while Settlers spawn Burgher Militia; Prussia for the Germans, where Settlers become Musketeers; and Gran Colombia, which gives Ironclads and Independence Guards to Portuguese or Spanish players. Some rewards are one-time shipments, some enable ongoing production, and others change each later shipment. The menu age and card text determine which kind of benefit applies. Examples from the current nation table make those differences concrete. Canada lets British or French Settlers remain workers and gives them a stronger ranged attack. Finland sends four Frontier Blockhouse Wagons and turns Settlers into Karelian Jaegers, who can gather crates and trees and build Blockhouses. Egypt gives Ottoman players an extra Mameluke with every shipment. The German Confederation, reached through Prussia, sends six Barricade Wagons and changes Prussian Heavy Infantry back into Citizens. Gran Colombia sends two Ironclads and converts Portuguese or Spanish Settlers into Independence Guards. Haiti changes Settlers into Maroons and enables Pirate recruitment through Town Centers, Galleons, Forts and Taverns. Indonesia ships four Cetbang Cannons, enables their production and replaces Settlers with Javanese Spearmen. Livonia sends a Fort Wagon and High Master; Settlers remain workers but each one spawns a Burgher Militia. Peru uses Simón Bolívar to grant nearby units 5% more hit points. Prussia turns German Settlers into Musketeers and upgrades the army to modern European Guard units. Each reward suggests a different plan: Finland needs useful crate and tree access; Egypt benefits from continued shipments; Haiti needs room to recruit Pirates; and Canada can still assign workers between resources. A nation name alone does not predict how its economy will work. Age labels also separate routes that may look similar. The Cossack Hetmanate and Livonia are Commerce Age options, while the Duchy of Warsaw is later. The German Confederation is reached through Prussia, rather than selected as a first revolution. Maya is a follow-on route for Mexico, not a starting choice. The selected nation can arrive by direct selection, by evolving a prior revolution, or by a special civilization card; these paths do not share a universal cost or age requirement. The actual nation menu is the useful reference for an active match. The unit and building unlocks change what the player should produce after the transition. A path that grants a unit with a new combat role may let the army replace ordinary production; a path that only delivers a one-time group still needs follow-up resources. Finland Karelian Jaegers retain crate and tree gathering and can construct Blockhouses, but that is not the same worker toolkit as a normal Settler. Canada retains workers, so the player can maintain resource gathering while using the ranged-worker bonus. Egypt adds Mamelukes to shipments, making shipment frequency part of the army plan. Haiti adds Pirates and changes which structures can recruit them. Indonesia supports artillery production, so the player must protect the cannons and provide the resources and naval access its buildings require. Check whether an option gives a single delivery, ongoing training, an automatic spawn or a permanent unit bonus before judging its long-term value. Timing with a teammate is another constraint: only one player on a team can use Revolution, so coordinate the transition before the match reaches the stage where both economies need the option. The WarChiefs imposes the stricter rule that only one player in the entire match may revolt, although the others can still advance to Imperial Age. In later team matches, a teammate who keeps the ordinary economy may be the source of shared TEAM shipments or naval support, while the revolting player spends population on the national army. Map control matters as well: a water route, Trade Route or defensible Bank can sustain a nation that has converted its workers, but only if those assets are already protected. A revolution deck is a commitment, so leave a route to complete the match even if the first shipment is held off or its building is destroyed. Revolutionary Home Cities commonly reuse the Black Family Estate appearance with a changed flag; Revolutionary France may still show Paris as its city name. This is visual presentation, not an additional economy or combat bonus. Check the age label as carefully as the nation. Most paths are Industrial Age options, but Cossack Hetmanate and Livonia are earlier Commerce Age revolutions, and several Mexican routes are also available earlier than the standard path. German Confederation is reached through Prussia, not selected as a first direct nation. Maya may only be reached after a preceding Mexican choice. Those requirements decide whether the choice competes with a normal Imperial advance or modifies an earlier revolution. Use the current menu for the selected civilization; older guides may show a different set of leaders and destinations. The practical test is whether the selected nation supplies a clear objective: a short attack, a durable economy, access to a specific unit, or a way to change the match-up. If the only benefit is a larger army but all workers become soldiers, determine how the player will pay for the next reinforcement. If the benefit preserves Settlers, compare the continuing economy with an Imperial age-up. If the reward changes the roster or card deck, revisit every old plan that assumed the former civilization’s units and shipments. A successful Revolution is a deliberate exchange of flexibility for a specialized national timing, followed by a plan that keeps the new army supplied and the remaining economy protected.
What changes when the revolt begins
A Revolution is a major political transition rather than an ordinary age-up. The player adopts a new revolutionary nation, gains its units and cards, and may exchange the old worker economy for a military conversion or different production. The result depends on civilization and selected path: some revolutions preserve Settlers, some transform workers into troops, and others introduce a new worker type or economic rule. The Home City deck and production options can change too. Before triggering one, inspect the destination’s units, shipments, buildings and return options. A revolt that creates a large army can still fail if it leaves too few gatherers, no replacement queue or inadequate population for reinforcements.
Cards, resources and the return decision
Treat a revolt as a resource and shipment timing. Save Food, Wood or Coin for the transition and first production buildings, and send cards that remain useful to the new nation. Complete upgrades that will be lost only when their cost is justified; do not assume the old deck continues unchanged. After the first force arrives, check whether the new economy can replenish losses and whether the opponent survived the attack. Some paths permit a return or later change, but those options have conditions and opportunity costs. Returning is not a free reset: weigh the new roster, retained benefits and time spent away from the original economy before switching back.
Revolutionary nations are not interchangeable
The roster and rules belong to the civilization that revolts. Mexico, the United States and European civilizations can unlock different destinations, worker conversions and follow-up cards; similarly named paths may still have different units or economic effects. Use the specific civilization’s Revolution list and distinguish playable nations from scripted campaign factions. Identify what the new army counters: converted infantry can pressure a timing but needs support against artillery or Heavy Cavalry, while preserved workers sustain production but may not supply a huge immediate force. Compare army, workers, production, shipments and return options—not unit count alone.
Deck transition and shipment timing
A Revolution changes the player’s flag and Home City to a new nation and replaces the current deck with a dedicated Revolution Deck. Shipments already in transit are canceled and the cards used are refunded, so pre-revolution cargo does not arrive afterward. The transition can also cancel Settlers still training and refund their Food, while buildings workers were constructing may remain unfinished; construction wagons are an exception. Check what is in production before triggering the change.
Worker conversion and follow-up economy
Many Revolutions convert Settlers and equivalent workers into Revolutionary units, so the player gains an army but may lose ordinary gathering and construction. Each Settler Wagon can produce two revolutionary units, with the extra unit arriving as a shipment. Canada and South Africa preserve Settlers, while other paths have nation-specific worker rules. Plan the new income source, production buildings and population before the transition. The value of an immediate force depends on whether the player can replenish it or stabilize the economy afterward.