The Inventor
The Inventor is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Commerce Age; available to Commerce Age: All Europeans. Its recorded reward is Commerce Age reward: Explorers gain 22px Hot Air Balloon ability; Imperial Age reward: 1 Hot Air Balloon.
Age-up reward & access
Selected for the Commerce Age; available to Commerce Age: All Europeans. The recorded advance cost is Commerce Age: 800 Imperial Age: 4,000 Food and Imperial Age: 4,000 Coin and takes 90 seconds. Reward details: Commerce Age reward: Explorers gain 22px Hot Air Balloon ability; Imperial Age reward: 1 Hot Air Balloon. The available choices and exact reward depend on civilization and game release.
When to choose it
Choose The Inventor 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.
Commerce Age scouting reward
The Inventor is a European age-up politician whose Commerce Age reward grants Explorers a 22-pixel Hot Air Balloon ability, adding a scouting option to the hero. Its recorded Imperial Age reward is one Hot Air Balloon, with the Imperial transition costing 4,000 Food and 4,000 Coin and taking 90 seconds. Politician availability and rewards vary by age and release, so the Commerce and Imperial options should not be confused. The balloon ability can reveal terrain and help locate resources, Treasures or enemy positions, supporting an informed expansion or attack. Choose The Inventor when information has strategic value and the Explorer can use the ability safely. Scouting does not replace a military escort: a hero or balloon used near enemy defenses can be exposed, and the vision gained should guide a plan rather than invite a blind attack. Compare the reward with other age-up politicians and check the active age-up screen for the current civilization’s exact options. The Imperial reward’s high resource requirement makes it a late-game commitment, while the Commerce reward changes how early map information can be gathered.
When vision is valuable
The balloon ability is useful before committing to an attack or expansion because it can reveal a route and identify nearby objectives. Use it early enough for the information to affect the plan, while keeping the Explorer out of danger.
Imperial reward cost
The Imperial Age option records 4,000 Food and 4,000 Coin for the transition and one Hot Air Balloon as its reward. Compare the long-term vision benefit against other politicians before spending those resources.
Using the Balloon for reconnaissance
The Hot Air Balloon is a vision tool, not a combat unit. Send it to reveal approaches and identify an enemy position, then use that information to choose a route while keeping the Explorer and army safe.
Politician comparison
The balloon reward competes with other age-up packages. Select The Inventor when reconnaissance can change the next decision; choose another politician if the army needs immediate combat or economic support.
Scout before committing
Use the balloon’s vision to check a route before moving the main army. If it reveals a defended position, change the approach rather than sending the Explorer into danger.
Commerce politician and Hot Air Balloon access
The Inventor is a Commerce Age politician available to Europeans in the recorded profile. Its reward gives Explorers the Hot Air Balloon ability, allowing reconnaissance to become part of the age-up choice. The profile also records an Imperial reward of one Hot Air Balloon, with a 90-second transition and civilization-specific conditions. Because the listed Commerce cost differs by version and entry, use the in-game advance interface to confirm the current resource requirement before committing. The reward is strongest when vision can reveal a threatened route, an enemy composition or a safe expansion.
Use reconnaissance to guide the next decision
A Hot Air Balloon provides information, not combat strength. Send it to inspect likely approaches and military positions, then use the information to place production or choose a counter composition. Do not fly it over a defended area without considering how the opponent can respond. The age-up takes time, so begin from a safe base and keep enough resources for units afterward. Compare The Inventor with politicians that deliver workers, troops or resources; select it when the scouting advantage will change a decision. Check whether the current choice grants an ability to the Explorer or a separate Balloon shipment, as the reward differs by age and release.