The Era of the Princes (co-op)
The Era of the Princes (co-op) is a cooperative Historical Battle in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, set in 1855. Two players share control of Ethiopians against Ethiopians. This mode uses a team-specific objective sequence based on The Era of the Princes.
Mission background
The required goals are Reach the first Ethiopian Village; Destroy the Stockpiles (Granaries) of each warlord; Retreat to the Ethiopian Villages; Destroy the Tigrayan Palace; Destroy the Gojjamian Palace; Destroy the Shewan Palace. Optional goals include Build a Palace. ( reward); Defeat the Tigrayan forces guarding the Livestock Market between you and your ally to capture them; Find all four Mountain Monasteries.
Objectives & rules
Scout the target and its approach, then preserve enough of the starting army to finish the required assault. Scout the route before moving the hero or starting force, and avoid splitting units the mission needs together. Take optional objectives when they add useful allies, routes, resources or reinforcements without putting the primary goal at risk.
Mission sequence and shared objectives
The Era of the Princes is a two-player historical battle set in 1855. The team begins with no starting resources and must advance through a scripted sequence rather than follow a standard skirmish opening. Reach the first Village, destroy each warlord’s Stockpile, retreat to the Ethiopian Villages, then destroy the Tigrayan, Gojjamian and Shewan Palaces. The order matters: after the Stockpiles are destroyed, the enemy factions stop fighting one another and turn against the players, so the team must withdraw quickly instead of continuing to trade units in the north. Reaching the allied villages is a key transition point before the final assault. Secondary objectives include building a Palace for a resource reward, defeating Tigrayan forces guarding the route between the players to capture them, and finding all four treasures. These goals can improve the team’s position, but they should not leave one player isolated while the enemy alliance advances.
Divide roles and preserve the retreat
Agree on player roles before splitting forces. One player can lead toward the first Village and engage the nearest Stockpile while the other protects the route between the allies and gathers the available captives or treasures. Keep enough mobile units in reserve to withdraw once the Stockpiles fall. The enemy alliance is the mission’s major tempo change: units used to destroy northern targets may be too far away to defend the retreat if the team waits to clear optional camps. Follow the objective markers and regroup at the Ethiopian Villages before beginning the Palace assaults. Build the optional Palace only when the team can protect its builders and the resource reward will help the next attack. The final three Palaces are separate required targets; focus siege on them while the other player keeps defenders away from artillery. In co-op, communicate when a force is retreating or when the enemy changes allegiance, since a player who continues forward can leave the partner outnumbered. Do not treat the two starting armies as interchangeable: keep both supplied and maintain a safe route back to the allied base.
Optional objectives and safe timing
The optional Palace construction, guarded captives and four treasures provide side benefits, but each requires time away from the main sequence. First determine whether the team can clear a side objective without weakening the northern push or the retreat. The guarded passage between the players is especially important because capturing its forces can support the later defense; assign one player to secure it while the other keeps the primary force moving. The Palace reward can help fund a later build, but builders should not be left exposed while enemy factions turn against the team. Find treasures along the route when they do not require a long detour, and share guardian fights so one player does not spend its entire army on a reward. Once the objective changes to retreat, prioritize survival over unfinished optional rewards. Regroup at the Ethiopian Villages, stabilize the army and only then begin the attacks on the Tigrayan, Gojjamian and Shewan Palaces. Coordinated siege and defense allow both players to pursue the final targets without leaving one side open.
Finish the Palace objectives
After the team regroups at the Ethiopian Villages, split the final attack only if both players can protect their own siege units. Clear the Tigrayan Palace first if its defenders threaten the route, then move toward the Gojjamian and Shewan targets with reinforcements close behind. Keep optional treasure hunting on the return route rather than sending a force across the map once the enemy alliance has formed.
Prepare for the enemy alliance
Use the scenario markers to anticipate when the Stockpile phase ends. Once the warlords stop fighting one another, stop optional exploration and get both forces moving toward the Ethiopian Villages.
Coordinate the warlord stockpiles and palace assaults
The co-op scenario follows Kassa Hailu’s rise in 1855. Reach the first Ethiopian Village, destroy each warlord’s Granary stockpile, retreat to the Ethiopian Villages and then destroy the Tigrayan, Gojjamian and Shewan Palaces. One player can clear stockpiles while the other protects the route back to the villages, but regroup before the Palace phase. Optional tasks include building a Palace, capturing livestock guarded by Tigrayan forces and finding four Mountain Monasteries. These goals reward exploration and economic support, but should not pull the team away from the required retreat. Clear defenders before moving the livestock or builders, and keep a reserve at the village during the final assaults. This co-op version shares the scenario’s objective chain; divide the work without leaving either player’s force too small to survive.