Smokeless Powder
Smokeless Powder is an alliance technology that increases damage by 10% for Gunpowder Troopers and Gunpowder Cavalry and by 5% for Artillery in its current Definitive Edition profile. Research access and cost depend on the civilization and alliance route.
Research profile
- Research location
- Trading Post or Tambo on a Jesuit Mission settlement; Mountain Monastery (Ethiopians with the Jesuit Alliance) ; Native Embassy (Mexicans)
- Research time
- 10 seconds
- Food cost
- 250
- Coin cost
- 250
- Effect
- Gunpowder trooper and gunpowder cavalry damage +10%; [[Artillery (Age of Empires III)
Effect & research conditions
Access routes include a Trading Post or Tambo on a Jesuit Mission settlement, a Mountain Monastery for Ethiopians with the Jesuit Alliance, or a Mexican Native Embassy after the Tlaxcala Alliance card. The listed cost is 250 Food and 250 Coin, or 450 Influence for African civilizations; research takes 10 seconds. The artillery value is 5% since update 38254, so do not apply an older profile’s value to the current version.
Research condition
Requires access to the Jesuit Mission alliance, the Ethiopian Jesuit Alliance, or the Mexican Tlaxcala Alliance as applicable.
When to research
Research when the army contains several affected gunpowder units or artillery. Confirm the alliance route and resource cost first, then compare the broad damage bonus with immediate production. It is less useful if the composition relies on units outside those classifications.
Check both the alliance route and version
Smokeless Powder can be reached in different ways depending on the civilization, and the cost may be paid in Influence for African factions. Its 10% bonus applies to Gunpowder Troopers and Gunpowder Cavalry; artillery receives 5% in the current post-update profile. Check the unit tags and current update before calculating damage. Secure the settlement or alliance access and research before the force enters a major battle.