The Bishop
The Bishop is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Fortress Age; available to Europeans except Ottomans and Portuguese. Its recorded reward is Fortress Age reward: 1 Covered Wagon; * + Books of 300 experience (with the "Advanced Politicians" Home City Card; Italians only).
Age-up reward & access
Selected for the Fortress Age; available to Europeans except Ottomans and Portuguese. The recorded advance cost is 1,200 Food and 1,000 Coin and takes 105 seconds. Reward details: Fortress Age reward: 1 Covered Wagon; * + Books of 300 experience (with the "Advanced Politicians" Home City Card; Italians only). The available choices and exact reward depend on civilization and game release.
When to choose it
Choose The Bishop when its listed reward supports the next economic or military objective. Compare its cost and advance time with other available politicians, and check that the reward belongs to the current civilization and release.
A Fortress Age Town Center investment
In Definitive Edition, The Bishop is a Fortress Age politician for the British, Dutch, Germans, French, Italians, Maltese, Russians, Spanish and Swedes. Advancing with him costs 1,200 Food and 1,000 Coin, takes 105 seconds and sends one Covered Wagon to the Home City delivery point. Unpacking it builds an additional Town Center, increasing the player’s Town Center capacity by one. The new center can train Settlers, provide a safe gather point and accept Home City shipments. Choose its location based on the economy or a defended forward position; a Town Center placed too close to the enemy may lose the investment before it produces value. The additional Town Center supports booming because it creates a second production queue for villagers and offers another defensive building. The cost and age-up time still delay the army, so pair it with an economy that can fund Settlers and military production afterward. The Quartermaster can provide Wood for a third Town Center plan, while a Covered Wagon shipment or Cords of Wood can improve the expansion timing. A forward Town Center is useful when a map position must be held, but in most matches the safer economic placement makes the added production more reliable. The choice should match the intended timing rather than follow a fixed rule. The Bishop combines with earlier economic politicians such as The Naturalist, The Philosopher Prince or The Medici. An economy-focused earlier age-up followed by this Fortress Age Town Center can support a fast Industrial plan, provided the player maintains villager production and secures the resources needed for the next age. For an eventual Imperial Age, The Tycoon, The Pope or The Viceroy can provide later economic support; the Imperial advance still requires 4,000 Food and 4,000 Coin. Take Trade Routes and use the additional Town Center to protect the gathering economy rather than allowing the new structure to sit idle. Civilization cards change the value of the wagon. Italians with Advanced Politicians receive 300 experience when choosing The Bishop, and can combine shipment-oriented options such as The Inventor or The Pope. Maltese team strategies can count each player’s Town Centers for the Knights of the Round Table shipment, which sends a Hospitaller per Town Center and raises allied unit hit points by 2%. That strategy requires team coordination and compatible Town Center access; it is not the Bishop’s ordinary reward. German cards can improve Town Centers or add Covered Wagons, while British and Spanish cards can enhance Manor Houses, Settler capacity or Hacienda development. Select cards that reinforce the intended economy rather than assuming all factions share the same bonuses. The Town Center is also useful when preparing a revolution. It can train Settlers and their revolutionary replacements while saving the 500 Wood normally needed to construct another center. After revolting and sending Citizenship or its equivalent, the Town Center can help restore the economy. Dutch and Italian plans may use Brazil; British and French plans may use Haiti, where the revolution can enable free unit spawning from Town Centers. These interactions depend on the selected revolution and its card effects. Edition differences are substantial. Before Definitive Edition, The Bishop advanced the player during the Colonial Age and granted two Settlers, or one Settler Wagon to Germans; it was available to a different civilization roster and sometimes required Home City levels. In Definitive Edition, it advances to the Fortress Age and delivers a Covered Wagon, Portuguese access was removed, and Dutch and French access was added. Do not compare the older villager shipment to the current Town Center without stating the version. For Italians, Advanced Politicians also adds the listed 300 experience reward. The Bishop is therefore a flexible economy selection whose value comes from an extra production center and the follow-up plan that can protect and use it.
Make the extra Town Center productive
After unpacking the wagon, begin Settler production promptly and use the new center’s location to shorten travel from a resource line or cover a valuable route. Keep a military building and defensive force nearby if choosing a forward position. Home City deliveries can arrive at the additional Town Center, which can make it a useful rally point for a push, but the army still needs to defend it while the wagon investment pays back. A second queue adds value only while Food income can support it; if the economy falls behind, pause villager production briefly and restore the resource balance before starting more upgrades or another age advancement. This practical constraint is why the Bishop rewards a plan with sustained economy rather than a single building placement.
Fortress Age Covered Wagon reward
The Bishop is a Fortress Age politician available to Europeans except the Ottomans and Portuguese in the recorded profile. The advance costs 1,200 Food and 1,000 Coin and takes 105 seconds. Its reward includes one Covered Wagon, which can establish a Town Center and expand worker production or map presence. Italians with the Advanced Politicians Home City Card can also receive Books of 300 experience. This card condition and civilization-specific reward should be checked before choosing the politician.
Town Center placement after the advance
A Covered Wagon is valuable when a second Town Center can be built safely and supported by nearby resources. Scout the location during the age-up, keep population and resources available for the expansion and protect the wagon while it constructs. A Town Center placed too close to the opponent may be destroyed before its Villager production repays the investment. Compare The Bishop with military politicians if the base is under pressure; an expansion reward is strongest when the army can defend it. The 300-experience book is conditional on the Italian card and should not be counted in other civilizations’ plans.