Campaigns & scenarios
Story acts, historical battles and training.
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Campaigns & scenarios
A Pirate's Help
A Pirate's Help is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act I: Blood (scenario 6), set in 1566. The player commands Knights of St. John.
A Reckoning
A Reckoning is scenario two of Act II: Shadow in The WarChiefs campaign, set in 1866. The player commands the Black Family Estate while the story moves through the aftermath of the Civil War and the struggle over western expansion. Its objectives combine rescuing railroad workers with establishing control of a Trade Route.
A Rescue in the Wilderness
A Rescue in the Wilderness is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: China (scenario 4), set in 1422. The player commands Chinese.
Act I: Blood
Act I: Blood is the opening act of the original Age of Empires III campaign. Morgan Black and the Knights of St. John defend Malta, then follow the Spanish Treasure Fleet into the Caribbean. The act establishes the Black family story and the Circle of Ossus conflict that continues through the later acts.
Act I: Fire
Act I: Fire opens The WarChiefs campaign with Nathaniel Black during the American Revolution. The act introduces the Black family through conflict with the Haudenosaunee and follows Nathaniel as his allegiance moves toward the colonial cause. Its missions connect local fighting, the Black Family Estate, and the Continental Army before reaching the campaign’s Yorktown conclusion.
Act I: Japan
Act I: Japan is the five-scenario Japanese campaign in The Asian Dynasties. Set from 1598 to 1600, it follows General Kichiro through conflict surrounding Tokugawa Ieyasu and the divisions among Japan’s Daimyo, ending at Sekigahara.
Act II: China
The Chinese campaign in The Asian Dynasties is a fictional adventure loosely built around the 1421 hypothesis that a Chinese fleet reached the Americas before Columbus. Its five scenarios follow Admiral Jinhai and his companions on an expedition across unfamiliar lands.
Act II: Ice
Act II: Ice follows John Black and his mercenaries in North America during the Seven Years’ War era. The act shifts from the Malta story to a frontier conflict with British and Native forces.
Act II: Shadow
Act II: Shadow is the second part of The WarChiefs campaign. It follows Chayton Black through the Bozeman Trail and the Black Hills, where conflicts involving the Lakota, settlers, miners and U.S. forces shape his changing loyalties.
Act III: India
Act III: India is the five-scenario India campaign in The Asian Dynasties, set during the 1857 Sepoy Rebellion. Nanib Sahir begins as a Company officer in the Punjab and ends the story leading Indian resistance against Colonel Edwardson.
Act III: Steel
Act III: Steel is the concluding act of the original Age of Empires III campaign. Amelia Black and the Falcon Company travel through South America and confront the Circle of Ossus. The act brings the Black family storyline to its conclusion and includes both expedition missions and larger military scenarios.
Algiers
1516 — Play the Barbary Pirates against Spain during the capture of Algiers. The scenario follows Oruc Reis and Hizir Reis as they seize the city from a Spanish-backed ruler.
Algiers (co-op)
Algiers (co-op) is an Age of Empires III scenario in Historical Battles, set in 1516. The player commands Barbary Pirates and Ottomans against Spanish; the scenario features Hizir Reis; Oruc Reis.
Artillery (scenario)
Artillery is the tenth The Art of War training scenario, using the Russians to teach how artillery changes a ground engagement. The player must defeat two enemy armies and destroy a Fort while minimizing casualties for the medal thresholds. Protecting the guns and choosing when to bring them forward are central to the exercise.
Battle of New Orleans
1815 — The United States defends New Orleans against a British attack in the final phase of the War of 1812.
Battle of New Orleans (co-op)
Battle of New Orleans (co-op) is a cooperative Historical Battle in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, set in 1815. Two players share control of United States against British. This mode uses a team-specific objective sequence based on Battle of New Orleans.
Battle of Queenston Heights
13 October 1812 — Canadian forces and allies resist the American invasion across the Niagara River during the War of 1812.
Battle of Queenston Heights (co-op)
Battle of Queenston Heights (co-op) is a two-player Historical Battle in Definitive Edition, set in 1812. Canadians and Haudenosaunee cooperate against the United States to retake Queenston while deciding which secondary objectives they can safely complete.
Battle of the Greasy Grass
Battle of the Greasy Grass is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: Shadow (scenario 7), set in 1876. The player commands Lakota (Black Family Estate before the Definitive Edition).
Blood, Ice and Steel
Blood, Ice and Steel is the original Age of Empires III campaign trilogy. Across three acts, the fictional Black family confronts the Circle of Ossus in conflicts spanning the Caribbean, North America and the American West.
Bolivar's Revolt
Bolivar's Revolt is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act III: Steel (scenario 5), set in 1817. The player commands United States (campaign).
Bombard Brawl
Bombard Brawl is a timed Ottoman challenge scenario added to Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition during the 2021 Lunar New Year Festival. The player races to defeat rival armies before time runs out and receives a score for the leaderboard.
Booming (Age of Empires III)
Booming is the fourth scenario in The Art of War tutorial series. Playing as Spain, the lesson tests whether the economy can grow to 60 Settlers while advancing to the Industrial Age.
Breakout
Breakout is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act I: Blood (scenario 1), set in 1565. The player commands Knights of St. John.
Breed's Hill
Breed’s Hill is the third scenario in Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs, set during the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill. The Black Family Estate force must protect the redoubt, so success depends on keeping the defensive position intact while repelling the assault.
Bring Down the Mountain
Bring Down the Mountain is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: Ice (scenario 8), set in 1757. The player commands John Black's Mercenaries.
Brunswick
Brunswick is a British colony governed by Stuart Black in Act II: Ice of Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs. The settlement lies in Carolina, near Cherokee territory and several smaller colonies with friendly relations. Before the Seven Years’ War, Cherokee forces begin offensives against Brunswick and neighboring settlements; John Black and his mercenaries are hired to protect the colony. The story continues across Defend the Colony and Strange Alliances.
Build Orders
Build Orders is an Age of Empires III scenario in The Art of War (scenario 5). The player commands French French.
China campaign
The China campaign is one of the three independent storylines in The Asian Dynasties. It follows Jian Huang and his companions on an expedition across Asia. Rather than one continuous skirmish, its missions use scripted starting forces, travel, rescue and survival objectives alongside scenarios where the Chinese economy and military can be developed.
Christopher da Gama’s Expedition
1542 — The Portuguese expedition reaches the Horn of Africa during the Ethiopian–Adal War. Christopher da Gama’s force must link up with Ethiopian allies facing the Adal Sultanate.
Christopher da Gama's Expedition (co-op)
Christopher da Gama's Expedition (co-op) is an Age of Empires III scenario in Historical Battles, set in 1542. The player commands Portuguese and Portuguese against Portuguese; the scenario features Christopher da Gama.
Chuvash Cape
1582 — Play the Russians in Yermak Timofeyevich’s campaign into Siberia against the Tatar Khanate of Sibir.
Chuvash Cape (co-op)
Chuvash Cape (co-op) is an Age of Empires III scenario in Historical Battles, set in 1582. The player commands Russians and Russians against Tatars Tatars; the scenario features Yermak Timofeyevich.
Claims
Claims is scenario three of Act II: Shadow in The WarChiefs campaign, set in 1876. The Black Family Estate is caught in a conflict over mining and settlement claims. The scenario asks the player to break an enemy military position while keeping important resource sites and Trade Route holdings from being lost.
Clearing the Road
Clearing the Road is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act I: Japan (scenario 3), set in 1600. The player commands Japanese.
Company Confrontation
Company Confrontation is the fifth and final scenario of Act III: India in The Asian Dynasties. Set during the 1857 Battle of Jhelum, it brings Nanib Sahir’s campaign to a confrontation with Colonel Edwardson and the East India Company.
Crossing the Delaware
Crossing the Delaware is the fourth scenario of Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs, set in 1776 during Washington’s surprise campaign against the Hessian force at Trenton. The mission turns the river crossing into a route-planning problem: establish the approach, strike the enemy positions and continue into the British rear.
Defend the Colony
Defend the Colony is the first scenario of Act II: Ice in The WarChiefs campaign, set in 1756. John Black’s Mercenaries must hold a settlement during the opening of the French and Indian War storyline. It is a defense with a clear clock, while nearby villagers and refugees create additional opportunities beyond simply surviving the attack.
E3 2005
E3 2005 records four Age of Empires III beta demonstrations presented by Bruce Shelley at E3 and shown again at Gamescom, about a month before release. Each showcase highlighted a different feature: artillery and physics, combat formations, the Home City shipment interface, and a large battlefield.
Early Defense
Early Defense is the sixth The Art of War challenge, using the Portuguese to practice surviving pressure while advancing to the Fortress Age. The task tests whether the player can reserve the Age-up resources without allowing the settlement to collapse during the delay.
Early Economy (Age of Empires III)
Early Economy is the first Definitive Edition scenario in The Art of War. Playing as the Lakota, train 12 Villagers and gather 800 Food while learning to hunt Bison safely and keep Town Center production active.
Early Offense
Early Offense is the seventh The Art of War scenario and uses the Germans to practice an early attack against Villagers. It measures whether the player can locate and pressure the enemy economy while still using Home City shipments and production effectively.
Fall of the Hausa
Fall of the Hausa is an African Royals historical battle set in 1804, when Usman dan Fodio’s revolution challenged the Hausa kingdoms and helped establish the Sokoto Caliphate. The scenario requires the player to defeat three separate capitals.
Fall of the Hausa (co-op)
Fall of the Hausa (co-op) is a cooperative Historical Battle in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, set in 1804. Two players share control of Hausa against Hausa. This mode uses a team-specific objective sequence based on Fall of the Hausa.
Fire and Shadow
Fire and Shadow is The WarChiefs' two-act campaign, continuing the Black family story through the American Revolution and the later conflicts of the American West. Act I: Fire follows Nathaniel Black; Act II: Shadow follows Chayton Black.
Fires of Calcutta
Fires of Calcutta is scenario 2 of Act III: India in The Asian Dynasties. The 1857 mission depicts the escalation of resistance against the East India Company, with repeated small attacks as Nanib Sahir’s loyalty to the Company comes under strain.
Fort Duquesne
1754 — The French seize Fort Prince George and establish Fort Duquesne at the site of modern Pittsburgh, just before the French and Indian War.
Fort Duquesne (co-op)
Fort Duquesne (co-op) is a cooperative Historical Battle in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, set in 1754. Two players share control of French and Haudenosaunee against British. This mode uses a team-specific objective sequence based on Fort Duquesne.
Grito de Dolores
Grito de Dolores is a Mexican historical battle about Miguel Hidalgo’s 1810 call to rise against Spanish rule. In the scenario, local towns become the player’s foothold for an uprising that must ultimately destroy both Spanish bases in the southeastern mountains.
Grito de Dolores (co-op)
Grito de Dolores (co-op) is a cooperative Historical Battle in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, set in 1810. Two players share control of Mexicans against Spanish. This mode uses a team-specific objective sequence based on Grito de Dolores.
Historical Battles
Historical Battles is a collection of stand-alone scenarios in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. Each scenario recreates a conflict through its own map, faction, starting force and objectives; the collection does not share one continuous protagonist or campaign economy. Later Definitive Edition releases added further battles, so individual scenarios can belong to different updates or expansions.
Hold the Fort
Hold the Fort is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act III: Steel (scenario 2), set in 1817. The player commands United States (campaign).
Home City Shipments
Home City Shipments is an Age of Empires III scenario in The Art of War (scenario 3). The player commands Dutch.
India campaign
Act III: India follows Nanib Sahir through five missions set during the 1857 Sepoy Rebellion. The story begins with him serving the East India Company, then follows the widening conflict as he breaks with his employers and joins Indian resistance.
Into the Caves
Into the Caves is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act I: Blood (scenario 2), set in 1565. The player commands Knights of St. John.
Into the Punjab
Into the Punjab opens Act III: India in The Asian Dynasties. Set in 1857 before the wider Sepoy Rebellion, the mission casts Nanib Sahir as a Company officer sent to protect British interests while distrust grows among Indian soldiers.
Japan campaign
The Japan campaign is one of three independent storylines in The Asian Dynasties. It follows General Kichiro through the political struggle preceding the Tokugawa shogunate. Its missions combine Japanese forces and setting with scenario-specific objectives, rather than forming another act in the Black family story.
Journey Through the Andes
Journey Through the Andes is scenario six of Act III: Steel in the original game and Definitive Edition, set in 1817. The expedition led by Simon Bolivar must reach Pacamayo Valley, while the Boneguard’s scouts threaten to alert the enemy. It is a route-and-pursuit mission: reaching the destination matters, but the optional challenge rewards control of the approaches.
Land Battle (Age of Empires III)
Land Battle is an Age of Empires III scenario in The Art of War (scenario 8). The player commands French French.
Last City of the Inca
Last City of the Inca is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act III: Steel (scenario 7), set in 1817. The player commands United States (campaign).
Last Stand at Fushimi
Last Stand at Fushimi is scenario 4 of Act I: Japan in The Asian Dynasties, set during the 1600 siege of Fushimi Castle. Kichiro must clear the eastern road and get 30 Villagers to safety before the Castle falls, combining a combat advance with a timed evacuation.
Last Stand of the Boneguard
Last Stand of the Boneguard is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act III: Steel (scenario 8), set in 1817. The player commands United States (campaign) against Pierre Beaumont; the scenario features Amelia Black; Ká:nien.
Lost Ships
Lost Ships is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: China (scenario 3), set in 1422. The player commands Chinese.
Master the Basics
Master the Basics is an Age of Empires III scenario in Tutorial (scenario 1). The player commands British.
Naval Battle (Age of Empires III)
Naval Battle is an Age of Empires III scenario in The Art of War (scenario 9). The player commands Indians Indians.
No Empire Lasts Forever
No Empire Lasts Forever is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: China (scenario 5), set in 1422. The player commands Chinese.
Pirates!
Pirates! is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act I: Blood (scenario 3), set in 1566. The player commands Knights of St. John.
Race for the Rails
Race for the Rails is the opening scenario of Act III: Steel, set in 1817. The campaign’s expedition begins with a contest to claim every site on the Trade Route. The objective turns map exploration and worker safety into a race: the player must reach the route sites and establish posts before the opposition controls the line.
Raid in Delhi
Raid in Delhi is scenario 4 of Act III: India in The Asian Dynasties, set during the 1857 siege of Delhi. Nanib Sahir has shifted sides and leads an Indian force through the city to free the Shah and escort him out alive.
Raid on the Caribbean
Raid on the Caribbean is a Definitive Edition historical battle set in 1586, following Francis Drake’s British expedition during the Anglo-Spanish conflict. The player must destroy five Spanish colonies, with naval and pirate objectives offering optional support.
Raid on the Caribbean (co-op)
Raid on the Caribbean (co-op) is a cooperative Historical Battle in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, set in 1586. Two players share control of British against Spanish. This mode uses a team-specific objective sequence based on Raid on the Caribbean.
Resist!
Resist! is the third scenario of Act III: India in The Asian Dynasties. Set at the beginning of the 1857 Sepoy Rebellion in Meerut, it sends the Indian force from a town fight into the eastern mines.
Respect
Respect is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: Ice (scenario 6), set in 1757. The player commands John Black's Mercenaries.
Saratoga
Saratoga is the fifth scenario of Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs, set in 1777 as Burgoyne’s British invasion pushes through the Champlain Valley. The scenario is a race to establish three Forts before the British complete theirs, turning a historical campaign of stretched supply lines into a contest over construction sites and timing.
Spanish Treasure Fleet
Spanish Treasure Fleet is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act I: Blood (scenario 7), set in 1566. The player commands Knights of St. John.
Storming the Beaches
Storming the Beaches is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: China (scenario 2), set in 1421. The player commands Chinese.
Strange Alliances
Strange Alliances is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: Ice (scenario 2), set in 1756. The player commands John Black's Mercenaries.
Temples of the Aztec
Temples of the Aztec is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act I: Blood (scenario 5), set in 1566. The player commands Knights of St. John.
The Art of War
The Art of War is a ten-scenario Definitive Edition training series that isolates skills used in ordinary Age of Empires III matches. Its lessons move from economy and exploration through age advancement and Home City shipments to land combat, naval control and artillery. Each scenario has its own starting force, objectives and medal conditions rather than one continuing campaign story.
The Asian Dynasties campaigns
The Asian Dynasties adds three independent campaigns centered on Japan, China and India. They can be selected separately and are not later acts in the Black family trilogy.
The Battle of Morristown
The Battle of Morristown is the seventh scenario of Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs, set in 1780. Nathaniel’s pursuit of Colonel Kuechler becomes a race against a Hessian force threatening Morristown’s Capitol, followed by a direct confrontation with Kuechler.
The Battle of Sekigahara
The Battle of Sekigahara is the fifth and final scenario of Act I: Japan in The Asian Dynasties, set in 1600. The mission follows Kichiro’s final battle beside Tokugawa against Ishida, while the story turns on Kichiro’s decision to leave his master after the fighting.
The Battle of the Three Kings
1578 — Morocco faces the Portuguese invasion at Alcácer Quibir, the Battle of the Three Kings. The scenario’s defense changes after Sultan al-Malik’s death.
The Battle of the Three Kings (co-op)
The Battle of the Three Kings (co-op) is a cooperative Historical Battle in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, set in 1578. Two players share control of Moroccans against Portuguese. This mode uses a team-specific objective sequence based on The Battle of the Three Kings.
The Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown is the eighth and final scenario of Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs, set in 1781. Its setting reflects the final major campaign of the American Revolution, with the player pushing through British frontier defenses and establishing a base before attacking the central Town Center.
The Boneguard's Lair
The Boneguard’s Lair is scenario three of Act III: Steel in the original campaign, set in 1817. Amelia Black’s expedition searches the mines for Beaumont and the information needed to continue its route through South America. The mission is an exploration and pursuit scenario in which the objective chain leads from locating a character to recovering a map.
The Bozeman Trail
The Bozeman Trail is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: Shadow (scenario 1), set in 1866. The player commands Black Family Estate.
The Burning of USS Philadelphia
The Burning of USS Philadelphia is the tenth Historical Battle in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition and launched with the Mexicans DLC. Command Stephen Decatur’s United States volunteers in a harbor operation: capture the corsair Mastico, reach the captured frigate USS Philadelphia, load explosives, then escort Mastico back to the friendly frigates. The mission combines naval combat, guarded landings, optional rescue and a sustained defense phase.
The Burning of USS Philadelphia (co-op)
The Burning of USS Philadelphia (co-op) is a cooperative Historical Battle in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, set in 1803. Two players share control of United States against Barbary Pirates. This mode uses a team-specific objective sequence based on The Burning of USS Philadelphia.
The Era of the Princes
1855 — Kassa Hailu’s rise marks the end of Ethiopia’s Zemene Mesafint, a period of competing regional warlords.
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.
The Fountain of Youth?
The Fountain of Youth? is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act I: Blood (scenario 8), set in 1566. The player commands Knights of St. John.
The Great Lakes
The Great Lakes is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: Ice (scenario 5), set in 1756. The player commands John Black's Mercenaries.
The Lost Spanish Gold
The Lost Spanish Gold is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act III: Steel (scenario 4), set in 1817. The player commands United States (campaign).
The Ottoman Fort
The Ottoman Fort is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act I: Blood (scenario 4), set in 1566. The player commands Knights of St. John.
The Rescue (Fire)
The Rescue is scenario 2 of Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs. After Nonahkee is kidnapped, Nathaniel Black and Ká:nien search for her, and the mission introduces Colonel Kuechler as a continuing enemy in the campaign.
The Rescue (Ice)
The Rescue is scenario three of Act II: Ice in The WarChiefs campaign, set in 1756. John Black’s Mercenaries must organize an attack from the southern side to rescue the captives. The mission combines a developing economy with a directional assault, so force composition and the route of approach matter as much as raw unit count.
The Seven Years' War (scenario)
The Seven Years' War is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: Ice (scenario 4), set in 1756. The player commands John Black's Mercenaries.
The Siege of Osaka
The Siege of Osaka begins Act I: Japan in The Asian Dynasties in 1600. The opening mission introduces General Kichiro and his ally Torii Mototada amid the violence that follows Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s death, as Tokugawa’s forces move to seize Osaka.
To Finish a Fleet
To Finish a Fleet is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: China (scenario 1), set in 1421. The player commands Chinese.
To Stop a War
To Stop a War is scenario five of Act II: Shadow in The WarChiefs campaign, set in 1876. The player begins on one side of a conflict and the story later changes the player’s allegiance. Its two-stage objective makes the side switch central to the mission: the first target belongs to the opening phase, and the second appears after control changes.
Treasures
Treasures is the second The Art of War training scenario, using the Ottomans to teach how map exploration can support the economy. The mission’s primary target is a Food threshold, with a Treasure pickup as an optional objective. It demonstrates that the Explorer and nearby scouts can secure resources in addition to revealing the map.
Trust
Trust is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: Shadow (scenario 6), set in 1876. The player commands Black Family Estate.
Try a Game
Try a Game is an Age of Empires III scenario in Tutorial (scenario 2). The player commands British.
Uprising!
Uprising! is scenario 2 of Act I: Japan in The Asian Dynasties. In 1600, Uesugi Kagekatsu’s eastern clans rebel against Tokugawa, and Kichiro must turn threatened villages into support before Uesugi’s army arrives.
Urgent News
Urgent News is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: Shadow (scenario 4), set in 1876. The player commands Black Family Estate.
Valley Forge
Valley Forge is the sixth scenario of Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs, set during the Continental Army’s winter encampment of 1777–1778. The mission first asks the player to establish a settlement and gather supplies, then send the force out to attack the British position at Barren Hill.
War Ceremony (scenario)
War Ceremony is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act I: Fire (scenario 1), set in 1775. The player commands Black Family Estate.
Warwick's Stronghold
Warwick’s Stronghold is scenario seven of Act II: Ice in the original game and Definitive Edition, set in 1757. John Black’s mercenaries attack Lord Warwick’s fortified position. The main target is the Town Center inside the stronghold; additional goals can weaken Warwick’s map control before the assault.
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