Shaolin Master
Shaolin Master is Chinese hero in Age of Empires III, available from the Exploration Age; obtained through Town Center. Its listed ability is Claims treasures; Builds Town Centers and Trading Posts; Trains Disciples; Regeneration.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 300 Coin
- Available
- Exploration Age · Town Center
- Training
- 30 sec
- Durability & mobility
- 450 hit points · 10% ranged resistance · 4.5 speed · 18 line of sight
- Healing
- range 12 · requires Temple of Heaven
- Siege attack
- 15 base damage · range 6 · attack interval 3.0
- Hand attack
- 7 base damage · attack interval 1.5 · bonus damage: 3.0x vs. Treasure guardian; 0.75x vs. Hero; 0.25x vs. Villager
- Roundhouse attack
- 170 base damage · range 2 · attack interval 2.0 · area of effect 3 · bonus damage: 0.25x vs. Villager; 0.25x vs. MercType2 · requires Snatch the Pebble card
- Ability
- Claims treasures; Builds Town Centers and Trading Posts; Trains Disciples; Regeneration
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Town Center. It has 450 hit points and 10% ranged resistance. It moves at 4.5 speed. Training costs 300 Coin; it takes 30 seconds to train. Attack profile: Healing: range 12. Siege attack: 15 damage at range 6; every 3.0 seconds. Hand attack: 7 damage; every 1.5 seconds. Roundhouse attack: 170 damage at range 2; every 2.0 seconds; area of effect 3. Special ability or role: Claims treasures; Builds Town Centers and Trading Posts; Trains Disciples; Regeneration. If reduced to zero hit points, it collapses rather than dying; after regenerating 100 hit points, a friendly unit or building nearby can revive it.
Matchup & timing
Use the Shaolin Master’s healing only after the Temple of Heaven requirement is met; before then, its Town Center construction, Trading Post access and Disciple training remain useful. Keep its 450 hit points out of the first clash and reserve the Roundhouse card ability for a suitable target. As a Chinese hero it also claims Treasures, so scout the guardian before committing.
Chinese hero abilities and disciple support
The Shaolin Master is the Chinese Explorer in The Asian Dynasties and begins in the Exploration Age with a Disciple. It can collect Treasure, build Town Centers and Trading Posts, train Disciples and detect stealth. The hero costs 300 Coin to train or revive, takes 30 seconds, and is limited to one unless Walk the Rice Paper provides a second. Its 450 hit points, 10% ranged resistance, speed 4.5 and line of sight 18 support exploration, but it has no ranged weapon. Its basic hand attack deals seven damage every 1.5 seconds, with three times damage against Treasure Guardians; it deals only 0.25 against Villagers. A 15-damage siege attack at range 6 is secondary. It should be protected from cavalry and enemy heroes rather than sent into ordinary fire alone. The Master heals nearby units for six hit points per second at range 12 when the Temple of Heaven condition is met. It can stun a Treasure Guardian from range 16 for 20 seconds, with a 40-second cooldown. This gives the Chinese a way to secure difficult Treasure encounters and preserve the starting force. Critical Strike is passive and gives a 20% chance to deal double damage; Slow Motion Routines raises the chance to 40%. From the Commerce Age, Make Disciple gives a 10% chance to convert a defeated enemy into a Disciple. These abilities reward keeping the hero near the army, but the Master’s normal damage remains modest compared with its special attacks. Training Forms unlocks Monastic Sangha, which raises the hit points and attack of Disciples within radius 24 by 10%. A group of Disciples is more valuable when the Master remains close enough to maintain the benefit. The Snatch the Pebble Home City Card unlocks Roundhouse Attack: 170 damage in an area of 3, with only 0.25 damage against Villagers and MercType2 mercenaries. It also raises the Critical Strike chance to 100% for eight seconds and has a 120-second cooldown. The ability affects nearby targets, so use it when enemies are clustered and avoid wasting the charge on a low-priority unit. The Master improves automatically with age from the Commerce Age onward: +50% hit points and damage in Commerce, +100% in Fortress, +150% in Industrial and +200% in Imperial. Roundhouse damage rises to 190, 225 and 270 across the first three upgrade steps listed for that attack. These automatic upgrades help a surviving hero remain relevant without a separate research cost. It collapses rather than dying at zero hit points and can be revived after a friendly unit or building allows it to recover at least 100 health. Pull it back from a losing fight and protect the recovery window. Use the hero to explore for Treasure, establish the first Trading Post, and lead a mixed Chinese army without replacing the Disciple’s role. The hero can support healing and the disciple formation, but it remains vulnerable to Villagers, heroes, cavalry and certain mercenaries. The Walk the Rice Paper card changes the one-hero limit, while Temple of Heaven and Training Forms determine other abilities. Keep the Chinese wonder and Home City conditions separate when reading guides; they unlock different parts of the Master’s toolkit.
Use the hero between treasure fights
The Master’s healing and stun make it especially useful during exploration, where a protected hero can shorten a Treasure fight and recover the units that took damage. Stun a dangerous guardian before it reaches the Disciple or other fragile troops, then use the 20-second window to defeat it. The 40-second cooldown means the ability should be reserved for a high-value guardian rather than used automatically. When the hero reaches the Commerce Age, defeated enemies can occasionally become Disciples; keep the Master near the army if that chance is useful, but do not rely on it as the only way to build a Disciple force. The School and Home City options improve different abilities, so choose a shipment based on whether the next stage needs tougher Disciples, a second Master or the Roundhouse attack.
Protect the revival window
If the Shaolin Master collapses, move nearby friendly units or a building into position and give the hero time to regenerate at least 100 hit points. Reviving it preserves the one-unit limit and returns the healing, exploration and Disciple-support abilities to the army. Do not spend Roundhouse Attack immediately before a risky retreat; its 120-second cooldown may be more valuable in the next battle.
Chinese hero with construction and disciple training
The Shaolin Master is a Chinese hero available through the Town Center from the Exploration Age. Treasure claiming, Regeneration and the ability to build Town Centers or Trading Posts make him an early map-control unit; the ability to train Disciples adds a way to reinforce his local force. His 450 hit points and 4.5 speed let him accompany an expedition, while a 170-damage Roundhouse with area effect can punish enemies that close around him. This powerful attack is situational and should not encourage fighting a large force alone. Use construction to extend safe map presence, and train Disciples from a protected position where the hero can remain available for the next objective.
Recovery and management of the hero
The Shaolin Master collapses rather than dying when reduced to zero hit points. Once he regenerates 100 hit points, a nearby friendly unit or building can revive him. Keep an escort near the recovery point and prevent the enemy from controlling it; do not mistake collapse for invulnerability. His 300-Coin cost and 30-second production time also make replacement a meaningful expense. Use the ranged healing ability at 12 range to support damaged units, then retreat when the enemy can focus the hero. The Master’s Town Center and Trading Post construction can create lasting value, but only if the location can be held. Treat him as an explorer, builder and trainer who can fight when needed—not a solo frontliner.