Whaling Ship
Whaling Ship is naval unit in Age of Empires III, available from the Commerce Age. Its listed ability is Gathers from fishes and whales; Transports land units; Trains outlaws and Fishing Boats; Builds Docks.
Recorded values
- Available
- Commerce Age
- Training
- 35 sec · 35 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 1,500 hit points · 75% ranged resistance · 8.5 speed · 24 line of sight
- Bleeding damage
- 50 base damage · range 18 · attack interval 2.0 · area of effect 0.5 · bonus damage: 0.5x vs. Artillery; 0.25x vs. Villager
- Grenade harpoon attack
- 37 base damage · range 18 · attack interval 2.0 · area of effect 4 · bonus damage: 0.5x vs. Artillery; 0.25x vs. Villager
- Ability
- Gathers from fishes and whales; Transports land units; Trains outlaws and Fishing Boats; Builds Docks
Role, availability & values
It has 1,500 hit points and 75% ranged resistance. It moves at 8.5 speed. Training costs 100 Wood and 400 Coin; it takes 35 seconds to train. Attack profile: Bleeding damage: 50 damage at range 18; every 2.0 seconds; area of effect 0.5. Grenade harpoon attack: 37 damage at range 18; every 2.0 seconds; area of effect 4. Special ability or role: Gathers from fishes and whales; Transports land units; Trains outlaws and Fishing Boats; Builds Docks.
Matchup & timing
Use this transport for a planned crossing or landing rather than sending it alone into contested water. Its listed speed is 8.5, so load the army before the route becomes unsafe and allow time for the return trip. Unload where the force has room to form up, keep an escort near the ship, and protect the shore while the last units disembark.
Fishing, whaling and shipboard work
The Whaling Ship is a naval support vessel with a broad set of economic and logistical actions. It can gather Fish and Whales, transport land units, train Fishing Boats and map-dependent Outlaws, and build Docks. Its 1,500 hit points, 75% ranged resistance and speed 8.5 help it move between offshore tasks, while its 24 line of sight provides useful water vision. Gathering rates differ by resource: the recorded figures are 0.5 resource per second for one source and 0.67 for the other, so use the appropriate tooltip rather than assuming one rate applies to all targets. Building a Dock takes 60 seconds for the Whaling Ship, three times the ordinary rate cited for the relevant builder. The ship does not need to return to shore to train Fishing Boats; land units it trains remain garrisoned aboard until disembarked. Its outlaw roster varies by map and excludes Asian Outlaws, while certain maps grant unique outlaw options. Those conditions make it a scenario- and map-sensitive unit rather than a universal Dock replacement.
Harpoon attacks and transport risk
The Whaling Ship has two unusual siege attacks. Bleeding damage deals 50 at range 18 every two seconds with a small area, while the grenade harpoon deals 37 at the same range and interval with a larger area effect. These attacks let it threaten targets from the water, but its main value remains the combination of gathering, transport and shipboard production. Use the harpoon profile when enemies cluster or a suitable target is exposed, and avoid trading the vessel into a fleet that can focus it. Transporting troops requires a safe landing plan: unload where the units can form up, not into a position covered by shore defenses. Because the ship can construct a Dock and train vessels without close shore access, it can establish a forward naval foothold, but the 60-second construction period gives opponents time to respond. Protect it with allied ships, choose an offshore route and keep enough room to withdraw. The Commerce Age label in the encyclopedia does not guarantee access in every civilization; shipments, maps and scenario rules can determine availability. Check the selected mode before investing in a plan that depends on Whaling Ship functions.
Offshore logistics and safe operations
Because the Whaling Ship can gather, build and transport, losing it can interrupt more than naval combat. Keep it in friendly waters when gathering, and use its speed to leave a contested area before enemy ships trap it. A Dock takes 60 seconds to construct from the ship, so begin only when an escort can protect the full build period. The shipboard Fishing Boat queue helps expand water economy without returning to shore, while land units can be trained and kept garrisoned until a landing is ready. Check the map’s available Outlaw roster before relying on ship production: different maps provide different types, and the source specifically excludes Asian Outlaws. The recorded gather rates are 0.5 and 0.67 per second depending on the resource, so use the displayed rate for Fish or Whales instead of comparing both resources as if they yielded the same income. Keep a route for loaded units, and do not send the vessel into bombard range simply because its 1,500 hit points appear substantial.
Choose resource and production priorities
Fish and Whales provide separate gathering rates, and the ship’s production can create Fishing Boats without a return to shore. If the water is contested, stop gathering and use the vessel for transport or a safe retreat instead of allowing the economy role to strand it in danger.
Use the harpoon against appropriate targets
Its two ranged harpoon attacks are siege attacks, not a reason to challenge a full naval fleet. Use the larger area grenade harpoon against a cluster and the bleeding profile for a more focused shot, then move away before enemy ships can retaliate.
A special naval platform with multiple jobs
The Whaling Ship is a large special naval unit with 1,500 hit points and 75% ranged resistance. It can gather from Fish and Whales, transport land units, train Outlaws and Fishing Boats, and build Docks, so it can serve as a mobile support platform as well as a ship. Its 8.5 speed is slower than some smaller vessels, which makes a planned route important. The ship’s abilities can help establish a foothold on water or restore production after a landing, but performing several roles at once can leave it exposed. Keep it near friendly naval cover and decide whether it is gathering, transporting or supporting the next operation.
Harpoon attacks and shoreline pressure
At 100 Wood and 400 Coin, the Whaling Ship is a substantial Commerce Age investment with a 35-second train time. Its Bleeding and Grenade harpoon attacks both reach 18 range; the grenade profile’s area effect can damage clustered targets. Use these attacks to support a controlled shoreline push or punish an enemy formation that cannot safely answer. The ship’s siege damage does not mean it can replace a fleet: fast enemy vessels can close on the large target, and a lost Whaling Ship sacrifices its production and transport abilities. Scout the water, guard the ship and build a Dock only where it can be protected. If the match is decided by fishing or transport, preserve the vessel instead of exposing it for speculative damage.