The Naturalist
The Naturalist is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Commerce Age; available to Europeans except the Italians. Its recorded reward is Commerce Age reward: 2 Settlers 2 Cows (each 150 food).
Age-up reward & access
Selected for the Commerce Age; available to Europeans except the Italians. The recorded advance cost is 800 Food and takes 90 seconds. Reward details: Commerce Age reward: 2 Settlers 2 Cows (each 150 food). The available choices and exact reward depend on civilization and game release.
When to choose it
Choose The Naturalist 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 politician and release differences
The Naturalist is a European age-up politician for the Commerce Age, but Italians cannot select it. Advancing costs 800 Food and takes 90 seconds. In the Definitive Edition, its reward is two Settlers (or a Settler Wagon where that civilization receives wagons) and two semi-fattened Cows; the older The Asian Dynasties reward instead shipped four Cows. This release difference changes what the choice contributes: the current reward adds immediate labor as well as livestock, while the older version is a larger food reserve that must be gathered over time. A Settler Wagon is a powerful worker, so a civilization-specific wagon reward should not be read as two ordinary Settlers in production value. The Cows are livestock rather than instant Food: they can be fattened before slaughter, allowing the player to choose when to convert them into a food stockpile. Select the politician when the settlement needs both workers and a future Food reserve, and compare the package against other available Commerce Age politicians. Because the politician cannot be chosen by every European civilization and rewards changed by release, verify the active civilization and game version before applying an old build order.
Livestock as a stored food resource
The two Cows are not the same as an instant Food shipment. They can remain alive and fatten, then be slaughtered when the economy needs Food, so their value depends partly on how safely they can be kept. Keep them near a protected settlement and avoid leaving them where raiders can kill or steal the livestock. The two Settlers begin gathering immediately and can help sustain the longer-term economy while the Cows build value. These rewards make the politician a mixed timing choice: labor is useful as soon as the Age advance finishes, while the livestock can be converted later.
Commerce Age workers and livestock reward
The Naturalist is a Commerce Age politician available to Europeans except Italians in the recorded profile. Advancing costs 800 Food and takes 90 seconds; the reward is two Settlers and two Cows, each costing 150 Food in the listed data. The Settlers add gathering capacity, while the Cows can become a later Food source if the civilization’s livestock rules allow it. This is an economic reward rather than an immediate army, so choose it when workers can gather safely and the match has time to repay the age-up.
Protecting the economic shipment
The extra workers can gather from nearby Hunts, Mines or other safe sources, while livestock may fatten where compatible buildings support that system. Do not place all four rewards in an exposed position: losing them wastes the advantage of the politician. Compare the Naturalist with other Commerce choices if the opponent is applying early pressure or if the economy needs a different resource. Confirm the age-up display for the selected European civilization, since the reward and access rules can vary by release.