Game systems
Exploration, combat rules, unit classes and economic systems.
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Game systems
Age
Age is the five-stage progression that unlocks stronger units, buildings, technologies and shipments in Age of Empires III. The standard sequence is Exploration, Commerce, Fortress, Industrial and Imperial. Advancing changes what a civilization can build and research, but the exact options are shaped by its age-up system and release.
Akbar the Great
Akbar the Great is the Indian Skirmish AI personality in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. The profile combines Mughal-themed dialogue with a recurring army plan built around Indian Infantry, Elephant support, Consulate troops and a fortified economy. These are AI tendencies, not special bonuses attached to a unit or playable Akbar hero.
Alliance
An alliance in Age of Empires III is access to another group’s units or technologies through a civilization-specific system. Alliances can come from Native settlement Trading Posts, the Asian Consulate, African systems or scenario rules.
Archaic infantry
Archaic infantry is a support tag used for certain bow- and hand-weapon troops in Age of Empires III. It is not a synonym for every unit that looks old-fashioned, nor is it a standalone training role. The tag includes Pikemen and Foot Archers, with individual exceptions determined by the game’s unit data; for example, Rodeleros are not tagged as Archaic Infantry while War Dogs are.
Argentina
Argentina is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation for Germans, Italians and Spanish, with Buenos Aires as its Home City. Villagers become Revolutionaries; the transition also delivers Gauchos and Cows and replaces Comancheros with trainable Gauchos. This distinction matters: the converted workforce is not itself a Gaucho army. The route combines a standard revolutionary conversion with a separate mobile outlaw-cavalry and livestock economy.
Artillery
Artillery is the long-range, heavy-weapon class used to break infantry formations, buildings, and ships. Pieces are costly, slow, and take more population space than ordinary troops; cavalry, fast ranged cavalry, shock infantry, and Culverins can threaten them. The roster and production building depend on civilization and expansion.
Autoqueue
Autoqueue is a term for repeated or automatically continuing unit production in Age of Empires III, but it is not a universal command that makes every Barracks, Stable or Town Center repeat any selected unit. The useful player-facing distinction is whether a unit has a built-in automatic production rule. Ottoman Yörüks, for example, spawn automatically at the Town Center instead of being manually trained like ordinary Settlers.
Aztecs technology tree
The Aztecs technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Banner Army
A Banner Army is the Chinese military production system from The Asian Dynasties and Definitive Edition. Instead of queuing every unit separately, the War Academy produces a fixed mixed group of units as one banner.
Barbary States
Barbary States is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, available to the Italians, Maltese, Ottomans and Portuguese. Its transition converts the existing Villagers into Barbary Warriors rather than ordinary Revolutionaries and sends ten Corsair Marksmen. The route emphasizes outlaws, mercenaries, naval access and treasure play, giving the player a military conversion with several ways to keep pressure after the revolution.
Bernardo O’Higgins
In the original Age of Empires III expansion system, Bernardo O’Higgins was the leader option for the Chilean Revolution, available to the Ottomans and Spanish. Definitive Edition replaced the old leader choice with its revolutionary-nation system, so this bonus does not describe the current DE option.
Big Button
Big Button technologies are prominent, building-specific research choices introduced with The WarChiefs for Native American civilizations. The category includes Aztec, Haudenosaunee and Lakota options and the later Inca roster; each eligible civilization has its own effects and research buildings. Walls and Trading Posts do not have Big Button technologies.
Brazil
Brazil is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation with Rio de Janeiro as its Home City. It builds a large Voluntários da Pátria force supported by Town Center production. The transition changes population and army management: individual units are less durable, so Brazil relies on numbers and replenishment rather than elite efficiency.
British technology tree
The British technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Call the People Ceremony
Call the People Ceremony is the Native Community Plaza’s Exploration Age military option, summoning Warriors over time. It converts assigned Plaza workers into early defenders or attackers. Definitive Edition renamed it from Alarm Dance; Call the People Ceremony is the current name.
Canada
Canada is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation for the British and French, with Quebec as its Home City. It preserves the worker economy but changes the names and combat functions of its gatherers: Settlers or Villagers become Métis Pathfinders, while Coureurs des Bois become Métis Voyageurs. The revolution also modifies other pieces of the army, so it is more than a cosmetic worker rename.
Charging Ceremony
Charging Ceremony is a Fortress Age option for the Lakota Community Plaza. It increases siege attack for all units, supporting a coordinated attack on buildings rather than adding a new unit to the army.
Cheat codes
Age of Empires III cheat codes are entered through the in-game chat box and can grant resources, reveal the map, alter game speed, skip a campaign scenario or spawn special units. This guide groups the recorded commands by the game or expansion that introduced them, explains their effects, and separately indexes cheat-unit summon codes. These are testing and sandbox tools, not ordinary civilization options.
Chief Gall
Chief Gall is the Lakota skirmish AI personality. His profile emphasizes early military pressure and mobile raids, often investing in a fighting force before reaching the Fortress Age. This behavior makes exposed workers and distant resource sites frequent targets.
Chile
Chile is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation exclusive to the Spanish, with Santiago as its Home City. It converts Villagers into Revolutionaries, ships Hussars and upgrades both the shipment and existing Hussars into Hussars of Death. The Guard cavalry upgrade is the central payoff: Chile supports an established Hussar army and can turn a transition into a fast attack on an open map.
Chinese technology tree
The Chinese technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Civilization
A civilization is a player faction with its own workers, starting resources, units, buildings, and research options. A civilization’s distinctive economy and army determine how it develops from the Exploration Age through later Ages; expansions added new playable civilizations and, in some modes, alternate political paths.
Coin
Coin is one of the three standard resources in Age of Empires III, alongside Food and Wood. It pays for many military units, technologies and Age advances. Its in-game name is Coin; older Age of Empires titles use Gold for a comparable economic role, but the resources and systems should not be conflated.
Commerce Age
The Commerce Age is the second standard stage and the first broad point at which many civilizations can field a conventional army. Advancing opens additional military production, Market improvements, Home City options and civilization-specific rewards. Its timing often determines whether the player pressures early or builds toward the Fortress Age.
Copper Mine
Copper Mines are finite Coin deposits introduced in the original Age of Empires III. A mine contains 2,000 Coin, gathers at the standard 1-per-second rate and can be worked by up to 20 gatherers. Copper is especially associated with Araucania, but map generation determines whether a deposit is available.
Cossack Hetmanate
Cossack Hetmanate is a Fortress Age Revolutionary Nation for the Poles, with Chyhyryn as its Home City. It does not turn Settlers into ordinary Revolutionaries: Settlers become Khutorians and can still be trained at Town Centers. It also rebuilds the Polish roster around Haidamaka Riflemen, Haidamaky and Cossack Daredevils.
Cuauhtemoc (Age of Empires III)
Cuauhtemoc is the Aztec skirmish AI personality in Age of Empires III. His profile tends to develop a substantial Farm economy and favors early pressure followed by a larger infantry force. This entry concerns the AI opponent and is separate from the historical figure’s campaign or scenario appearances.
Deathmatch
Deathmatch is an Age of Empires III game mode built around a large opening reserve and immediate military production. In the standard rules, each player starts with 20,000 Food, 20,000 Wood and 20,000 Coin. Unlike Supremacy, players can afford a substantial army and infrastructure before a conventional economy has grown; the central challenge is turning that reserve into a force that can be reinforced and supported.
Delaware
Delaware is a Commerce Age Federal State for the United States in Definitive Edition. Choosing it costs 700 Food and takes 90 seconds, 100 Food less than the standard 800-Food Commerce Age price. Advancing also delivers three Food crates worth 300 Food. Delaware therefore offers an early economy and timing option before its two Federal cards are added to the Home City deck.
Duchy of Warsaw
Duchy of Warsaw is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation for the Poles, with Warsaw as its Home City. It sends two Heavy Cannons and replaces much of the Polish roster with Vistula and other upgraded units. The result is a large combined-arms change, not simply a shipment of artillery or a conversion into generic Revolutionaries.
Dutch technology tree
The Dutch technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Earth Mother Ceremony
Earth Mother Ceremony is a Fortress Age Haudenosaunee Community Plaza option that increases the population cap. It can open space for a larger army without adding a new production building.
Egypt
Egypt is a Revolutionary Nation in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. In the current option set it is available to the Ottomans; older Definitive Edition versions also offered it to the British before that option was removed. Revolting changes the player to the Egyptian Home City of Cairo, disables Imperial Age and ordinary Settler training, and turns existing Settlers into Revolutionaries. The nation is a shipment-driven military transition rather than a separate lobby civilization.
El Presidente
El Presidente is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Imperial Age; available to Europeans. Its recorded reward is Imperial Age reward: Chests of 2,000 coin + Chests of 1,000 coin (with the "Advanced Politicians" Home City Card; Italians only).
Empire Wars
Empire Wars is a faster-start mode introduced in Definitive Edition. Players begin with an established settlement and an army, moving the contest toward immediate scouting, positioning and production decisions instead of the full standard opening from a small starting force.
Experience
Experience is the progression resource that makes Home City shipments available. Unlike Food, Wood and Coin, it is not normally spent on units or buildings at the Town Center; it accumulates through actions and crosses thresholds that unlock deliveries from the selected Home City deck.
Exploration Age
The Exploration Age is the opening stage of a standard Age of Empires III match. The player establishes an economy, explores the map, collects early rewards and chooses how to reach the Commerce Age. Most civilizations have limited early military production, though civilization-specific options can create pressure before the first advance.
Export
Export is the diplomatic resource used by the Asian civilizations at the Consulate in The Asian Dynasties and Definitive Edition. It pays for foreign alliances, units, technologies and shipments, giving Japan, China and India access to options beyond their ordinary production buildings.
Federal State
The age-up choice used by the United States and Mexico in place of a standard European politician.
Finland (revolution)
Finland is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation for Russians and Swedes, with Helsinki as its Home City. Settlers become Karelian Jaegers, a Guard Skirmisher that retains several worker tasks, while four Blockhouse Wagons establish a defensive network. Unlike a standard worker-to-army conversion, Finland keeps a specialized economic unit that can gather selected resources and construct many buildings.
Fish - Carp
Carp are finite marine-resource nodes in Age of Empires III. Each has 100 hit points and yields 500 Food; the Wiki lists one recommended fisherman per fish. They are part of the Asian Dynasties map ecology rather than a separately trained unit.
Fish - Catfish
Catfish are a gatherable fish resource in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. Each node has 100 hit points and contains 500 Food, with one fisherman listed as the recommended gathering count.
Fish - Cod
Cod is a finite marine Food resource in Age of Empires III. A cod node has 100 hit points and yields 500 Food; the species entry recommends one fisherman for gathering it.
Fish - Mola Mola
Mola Mola are fish-resource nodes introduced with The Asian Dynasties. Each contains 500 Food and has 100 hit points; one fisherman is the listed recommended gathering count. The species appears in tropical Asian map sets, including Ceylon and Borneo.
Fish - Sardines
Sardines are finite fish resources in Age of Empires III. Each school has 100 hit points and yields 500 Food, and the entry recommends one fisherman for the node. Sardines appear on Araucania and Carolina; on Carolina they share the water with Tarpons.
Fish - Squid
Squid are a fish resource in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. A squid node has 100 hit points and provides 500 Food; the species page lists one fisherman as the recommended gathering count.
Fishing
Fishing is a water-based economic system in which Fishing Ships gather Food from fish and Coin from whales. It can add income without assigning Villagers to land resources.
Food
Food is one of the three standard resources in Age of Empires III. It pays for Villagers, many infantry and cavalry units, and a large share of Age advances.
Fortress Age
The Fortress Age is the third standard stage and a major military turning point. Many civilizations gain artillery, advanced infantry or cavalry, stronger shipments and additional economic options. The new tools can break a stalemate, but reaching the Age costs resources that might otherwise have produced units immediately.
Founder Ceremony
Founder Ceremony is an Exploration Age Haudenosaunee Community Plaza option that spawns free Travoises. It can continue until the train limit of ten is reached, turning Villager time at the Plaza into mobile construction capacity.
Francisco de Paula Santander
Francisco de Paula Santander was a Colombia Revolution leader choice available to the French, Ottomans and Russians in The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties. Definitive Edition replaced this older leader-selection approach with a different, nation-based Revolution system.
Frederick the Great
Frederick the Great is the German skirmish AI personality in Age of Empires III. His army can combine ranged infantry and cavalry, then add artillery as the match advances. The name is used for an AI profile and does not indicate that Frederick appears as a controllable hero in ordinary matches.
Garland War Ceremony
Garland War Ceremony is an Industrial Age Aztec Community Plaza option that produces Skull Knights. It offers a late-game unit reward through the Plaza, complementing ordinary Aztec production when the army needs the Skull Knight’s particular battlefield role.
George Washington
George Washington was the United States revolutionary leader available to the British and Dutch in The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties. In other Age of Empires III contexts he also appears as a campaign character and a Definitive Edition AI personality; this page covers only his old revolution choice.
German Confederation
German Confederation is the second stage of a Prussian revolutionary path in Definitive Edition, with Frankfurt as its Home City. It keeps the player in the Industrial Age, changes Prussian military units back into workers and adds March Revolutionaries and six Barricade Wagons. Its central decision is when to exchange the finishing army for a temporary military ability and renewed economy.
Germans technology tree
The Germans technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Gift Ceremony
Gift Ceremony is an Exploration Age option at the Community Plaza in Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs and Definitive Edition. Native American civilizations use it to increase Experience generation, helping Home City shipments become available sooner.
Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation with Bogotá as its Home City. It converts Villagers into Independence Guards, upgrades existing Musketeers and delivers two Ironclads. The route combines a slower, tougher land force with naval control, while disabling ordinary worker production and raising the population cap.
Haiti
Haiti is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation for the British and French, with Port-au-Prince as its Home City. Workers become Maroons, while Pirates and Privateers form a separate production network. Town Centers and Taverns automatically generate Pirates, and six Privateers arrive, giving Haiti a mix of land, building-based and naval pressure.
Haudenosaunee technology tree
The Haudenosaunee technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Healers Ceremony
Healers Ceremony is a Native American Community Plaza option available from the Commerce Age. Its unit reward depends on civilization: Aztecs receive Warrior Priests, Haudenosaunee and Lakota receive Healers, and Inca receive Priestesses.
Healing Ceremony
Healing Ceremony is a Fortress Age option on the Aztec Community Plaza that lets idle units recover health. It gives the army a way to restore surviving troops between engagements, provided the Plaza workers and the recovering force can remain safe.
Heavy cavalry
Heavy cavalry is a unit tag that groups most powerful close-combat cavalry and several ranged heavy riders. These units usually have high hit points, strong attacks, and a high population or resource cost. The tag matters because many other units and technologies have bonuses tied to it.
Hiawatha
Hiawatha is the Haudenosaunee skirmish AI personality in Age of Empires III. His described approach is patient and map-focused: he builds a balanced force while contesting Trade Routes and nearby Native settlements. The profile is an AI behavior reference, not a player-controlled War Chief entry.
Historical Maps
Historical Maps are scenario-style multiplayer maps introduced with Knights of the Mediterranean. They set up a match around a historical location or conflict, often with a defined objective, map arrangement or starting situation. Their play differs from a standard random map because the scenario itself can shape the opening and route to victory.
Home City
A Home City is a civilization’s off-map capital and shipment system in Age of Empires III. It supplies selectable cards that deliver resources, units, buildings or lasting improvements to a colony during a match.
Home City Card
A Home City Card is a selectable shipment effect chosen from a civilization’s pre-game deck. Cards can send units or resource crates, unlock new options, improve units and buildings, or change how an economy works.
Huguenots
Huguenots is a South Africa Home City Card for the British or Dutch in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. After the Industrial Age revolution, sending the card unlocks Coureurs des Bois at Town Centers, with a train limit of 30. It enables a new worker line; the shipment does not deliver 30 workers immediately.
Hungary
Hungary is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation in Definitive Edition, available to the Germans, Maltese, Ottomans, Poles and Russians. It turns the remaining worker force into Grenzers and builds a military network around Outposts or, for the Russians, Blockhouses. Its army differs by the civilization that revolts: each of the four paths receives a distinct unit from its defensive buildings, and Hungary upgrades Hussars into powerful Magyar Hussars. The Home City is Buda in Knights of the Mediterranean and later versions.
Hunting
Hunting turns wild animals into Food without first investing in a Farm or Mill, so it can support an early economy while wood and coin go to aging up or military production. A kill leaves a finite carcass that Settlers gather directly; in Age of Empires III, huntable and herdable carcasses decay by 0.75 Food per second. Herds are distributed across the map, which makes scouting, travel distance and worker safety part of the economy rather than simple gathering details.
Imperial Age
The Imperial Age is the fifth and final standard Age in Age of Empires III. It opens the strongest unit improvements and late-game technologies, speeds several production and shipment systems, and can refresh one-time Home City deliveries; the value comes from converting those advantages into an army that can still fight over the map.
Inca technology tree
The Inca technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Independence
A game mode added with The Baltic Powers that changes the usual civilization opening.
Indians technology tree
The Indians technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Indonesia (revolution)
Indonesia is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation for the Dutch and Portuguese, with Yogyakarta as its Home City. Settlers become Javanese Spearmen, while four Cetbang Cannons arrive and further cannons can be trained. The route also unlocks Wokou Junks at Docks, making it a flexible land-and-water transition whose late-game strength depends heavily on shipments and trade-route experience.
Industrial Age
The Industrial Age is the fourth standard stage. It opens advanced military lines, late-game upgrades and stronger economic tools such as Factory access for many civilizations. It is a substantial investment: during the transition, the player has fewer resources for immediate production and must still protect the settlement.
Infantry
Infantry is a broad Age of Empires III unit tag, not a single battlefield role. It covers several foot-unit classes with different weapons and counter relationships. The Heavy Infantry and Light Infantry branches are useful starting points, but heroes, support units and unusual specialists can carry the Infantry tag without either subtag.
Influence
Influence is a sixth resource introduced with Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition — The African Royals and used by the Hausa and Ethiopians. It pays for selected Minor Civilization units and technologies, Mercenaries and Artillery, while ordinary workers, buildings and many standard units still require Food, Wood or Coin.
Ivan the Terrible
Ivan the Terrible is the Russian skirmish AI personality in Age of Empires III. His profile uses Russian infantry and cavalry and may establish Blockhouses for early defense and production. The named entry describes computer-controlled behavior, not the historical ruler as a campaign unit.
Japanese technology tree
The Japanese technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
John Black's Mercenaries roster index
John Black's Mercenaries is a campaign or scenario roster in Age of Empires III. Its entries describe story or special-faction content; this index does not imply that the faction is selectable in standard Supremacy or Skirmish.
José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva
José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva was the Brazil Revolution leader option for the Dutch and Portuguese in The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties. Definitive Edition uses a separate nation-based Revolution system, so this older leader effect does not describe the later Brazil content.
José de San Martín
José de San Martín was the German Argentina Revolution leader option in The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties. In those releases, choosing him sent six Mortars and automatically upgraded them to Imperial Howitzers; this reward does not describe the separate Argentina Revolution introduced in Definitive Edition.
Kangxi Emperor
Kangxi Emperor is the Chinese skirmish AI personality in Age of Empires III. His force uses the Chinese Banner Army system, so it arrives in associated groups of units rather than as a conventional stream of isolated infantry and cavalry choices.
Knights of St. John roster index
Knights of St. John is a campaign or scenario roster in Age of Empires III. Its entries describe story or special-faction content; this index does not imply that the faction is selectable in standard Supremacy or Skirmish.
Lakota technology tree
The Lakota technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Livonia
Livonia is a Commerce Age Revolutionary Nation, earlier than the usual Industrial routes. Its Home City is Riga. Settlers remain workers, but each spawns a Burgher Militia; the transition also supplies a Fort Wagon and High Master. It exchanges normal age progression for an early force while preserving the worker count.
Maurice of Nassau
Maurice of Nassau is a Dutch skirmish AI personality in Age of Empires III. His army profile develops from early infantry into a mixed composition that may include artillery, cavalry and mercenaries. The entry describes opponent behavior for computer matches, not a separate playable civilization or historical campaign.
Mercenary
Mercenaries are specialized units that a civilization can hire through access such as a Tavern, Monastery, Saloon, Palace, Lombard or a Home City shipment. Their roles and statistics differ from the regular unit roster.
Mexico (revolution)
Mexico is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation for the Spanish, with Mexico City as its Home City. This page describes the Spanish Revolution route, not the playable Mexican civilization and its separate paths. Settlers become Cuerudos, joining revolver fire with livestock gathering and changing the food economy after transition.
Miguel Hidalgo
Miguel Hidalgo was the Mexico Revolution leader choice for the Portuguese and Spanish in The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties. The older leader-selection system differs from Definitive Edition’s later Mexican Revolution options, which use their own nation-specific rules.
Military Frontier
Military Frontier is an infinite Hungary Home City shipment that lets Grenzers construct Outposts or, for the Russian path, Blockhouses. The shipment also makes each Outpost or Blockhouse spawn one Grenzer and adds an Outpost Wagon and one to the matching structure build limit. It extends the defensive network after Hungary converts the worker force and turns settlement control into forward military production.
Minor civilization
A Minor civilization is a map-based ally that a player can access through a Trading Post at its settlement. The alliance extends the main civilization’s options with a distinct roster of units and technologies. The available allies depend on the map and rules, so a Minor civilization is a strategic map feature rather than a universally available building choice.
Monk
Monk is the hero type used by the Asian civilizations introduced in The Asian Dynasties. Each civilization starts with a distinct hero: the Japanese Sohei Archer, the Chinese Shaolin Master, or the Indian Hindu Brahmin. Like other heroes, Monks explore and collect Treasures.
Multiplier
An attack multiplier changes how much base attack a unit deals to a target carrying a specified tag. Age of Empires III combines applicable multipliers multiplicatively, then accounts for the target’s resistance; a counter can therefore come from damage bonuses, speed, health, or positioning.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte is the French skirmish AI personality in Age of Empires III. His profile favors aggressive play and can combine cavalry with artillery as the match advances. It is an opponent behavior guide for computer games rather than a separate campaign protagonist or civilization.
Native warrior
Native warriors are units recruited through alliances with Minor civilizations. Their roster reflects the settlement or alliance, so it can add a specialist role that the player’s main civilization lacks. Many Native warriors use a training limit tied to each settlement.
Ottomans technology tree
The Ottomans technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Outlaw
Outlaws are map- and civilization-dependent units available from outlaw-recruiting buildings such as Saloons. Their roster includes bandits, pirates, and other regional fighters. They use varied unit classes, so “Outlaw” describes a gameplay tag rather than a single battlefield role.
Peru
Peru is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation for the Portuguese and Spanish, with Lima as its Home City. Its transition delivers Simón Bolívar, strengthens Manco Inca, upgrades several native unit lines and changes access to Stronghold production. The route therefore has more effects than the nearby-unit bonus associated with Bolívar.
Politician
A Politician is an Age-up reward option used by many European civilizations. The chosen Politician provides a shipment, units, resources or a lasting bonus when the colony advances.
Population
Population is the cap on the total units a colony can field. Most combat units and workers occupy population space, while housing and civilization-specific effects raise the available limit.
Prince Henry the Navigator
Prince Henry the Navigator is the Portuguese skirmish AI personality and the default Portuguese computer opponent in Age of Empires III. His profile is associated with exploration and economic expansion, reflecting the Portuguese strength of receiving a Covered Wagon when advancing to a new Age.
Prussia
Prussia is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation for Germans, with Berlin as its Home City. It converts the worker base into Guard Musketeers and replaces or upgrades much of the German roster, including Landwehr, Giant Grenadiers, Needle Gunners, Prussian Uhlans and Litauer Dragoons. It can also unlock a second-stage route to German Confederation.
Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth is the British skirmish AI personality in Age of Empires III. Her army commonly combines Longbowmen with Native units and Mercenaries, while using fewer Musketeers and Falconets than some opponents. The British Manor House economy can continue adding Settlers as her forces develop.
Queen Isabella
Queen Isabella is the Spanish skirmish AI personality in Age of Empires III. Her profile can reach the Commerce Age early but may progress through later Ages more slowly, using Home City shipments to provide early military support. This can produce sharp shipment timings without an equally large standing army.
Random map
Random map is the skirmish setup in which a selected Age of Empires III map script generates a new layout for each game. Resource sites, wildlife, routes and water positions make scouting part of the opening.
Ransom
Ransom is a Town Center recovery option for eligible heroes in Age of Empires III. When an Explorer, Explorer’s Dog or Monk is reduced to zero hit points, it collapses rather than immediately leaving play. If the owner cannot rescue it, paying Coin returns the hero to the game and transfers the payment to the player credited with the final blow.
Regicide
Regicide is a mode introduced in The Baltic Powers in which each side fields a Regent whose survival is central to victory. It makes protection and target selection part of the standard economy-and-army contest.
Revolution
Revolution is an Age of Empires III civilization transition that trades the ordinary colonial economy for an independence-era nation, a replacement army and a dedicated Revolution Deck. It first appears in The WarChiefs and remains in Definitive Edition, but available nations and effects depend on the civilization, expansion and patch. It is not a normal Age advance: it does not upgrade every age-scaled unit, and the new nation may lose ordinary Settler production. The attraction is a rapid military and political change at a lower resource and time commitment than reaching the Imperial Age. The cost is structural. Home City plans, workers already in production, shipments in transit, population support and resource income can all change in one action. A useful decision compares the new nation’s actual bonuses and sustainable economy with the army and workers that would otherwise be available if the player continued aging normally.
Revolutionary France
Revolutionary France is an Industrial Age Revolution for the French with Paris as its Home City. Coureurs des Bois upgrade to Sansculottes instead of being removed from the economy. The route also changes Native Scouts, unlocks Church technologies and Field Hospitals, and can advance again into the Napoleonic Era with a larger Home City deck.
Rickshaw
Rickshaw is a category of special units in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. It covers Asian civilization construction wagons and the separate neutral unit that travels on a Trade Route. Construction Rickshaws arrive through specific Home City or game effects and turn into their assigned building for free; the route Rickshaw is owned by Mother Nature and cannot be controlled by players. These uses share a name but have different purposes and rules.
Romania
Romania is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation for Ottomans and Russians, with Bucharest as its Home City. It converts workers into Dorobanți, improves Dragoons into Roșior Dragoons and turns Outposts or Blockhouses into recurring cavalry producers. Shipments also provide wagons to extend that network.
Russians technology tree
The Russians technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Salt Mine
Salt Mines are a large but slow Coin deposit introduced with The African Royals. Each holds 10,000 Coin, twice the stock of a Gold Mine, but gathers at 0.7 per second—30% slower than standard mines. Up to 20 gatherers can work the deposit.
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí is a Fortress Age Federal State for the Mexicans in Definitive Edition. Advancing costs 1,200 Food and 1,000 Coin, takes 105 seconds and delivers a 500-Coin crate. The choice adds Bustamante and San Luis Patriots to the Mexican Home City deck. Its value is a combination of immediate Coin, access to Field Hospitals and a shipment-scaling Chinaco option.
Scenario Editor
The Scenario Editor is Age of Empires III’s construction tool for custom maps and missions. It combines terrain painting, player setup, object placement and trigger scripting, so a creator can build both the battlefield and the rules that govern it. A scenario can use a custom objective sequence or scripted victory condition instead of the standard Skirmish flow.
Shock infantry
Shock Infantry is an Age of Empires III unit class divided into Hand Shock Infantry and Ranged Shock Infantry. These units occupy cavalry-like battlefield roles while using infantry classifications, so their tags determine which bonuses and counters apply.
Shock Troops
Shock Troops is the current in-game name for the Age of Empires III combat class previously called Shock Infantry. The class covers infantry that fills cavalry-like battlefield roles, so its armor tags and counter relationships differ from ordinary Heavy Infantry or Light Infantry. The name changed in Definitive Edition Update 19.18309; earlier guides and older article titles may still use Shock Infantry.
Silver Mine
Silver Mines are finite Coin deposits available in Age of Empires III. Each contains 2,000 Coin and uses the standard mine gather rate of 1 per second, with a maximum of 20 gatherers. The deposit is smaller than a Gold Mine but can provide an important early or mid-game Coin source.
Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar was the Peru Revolution leader choice for the Germans and Russians in The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties. His older Revolution effect strengthens a mixed force broadly, while Definitive Edition’s Peru Revolution is a separate later system.
South Africa
South Africa is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation in Definitive Edition, available to the British and Dutch. Unlike most revolutions, it keeps the Villagers instead of converting them into a military unit. The retained Villagers gather resources 10% faster, while Banks gather Coin 10% faster. This makes South Africa an economic transition with military tools, rather than an immediate all-in worker-to-army conversion. Its Home City is Pretoria, and the nation’s distinctive unit is the Trek Wagon.
South Carolina
South Carolina is an Industrial Age Federal State for the United States in Definitive Edition. The age-up costs 2,000 Food and 1,200 Coin and takes 90 seconds. It delivers 600 Wood and adds Moultrie’s Militia and Marion’s Diversions to the U.S. Home City deck. This is a specialized choice for State Militia and artillery, with the immediate Wood helping pay for the structures or units that use those cards.
Spanish technology tree
The Spanish technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Starting crate
Starting crates are the fixed resources and units a civilization receives at the beginning of a match. Their composition differs by civilization and helps define its first gathering and production choices. Some earlier releases also added random resource crates to all players.
Stealth mode
Stealth mode lets certain Age of Empires III units hide from ordinary enemy line of sight. It is a unit-specific ability, not a universal stance, and some heroes and buildings can reveal hidden units.
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent is the Ottoman skirmish AI personality in Age of Empires III. His profile favors artillery and large armies, often committing heavily to a major engagement. This entry describes the AI’s battlefield tendencies rather than a campaign character or trainable Ottoman unit.
Supay Ceremony
Supay Ceremony is an Industrial Age option at the Inca Community Plaza in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. Assigned Villagers turn Plaza activity into a continuing supply of Macemen, adding military production without using a conventional Barracks queue.
Swedes technology tree
The Swedes technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Tag
Unit tags are the shared classes that Age of Empires III uses to connect units to damage bonuses, penalties, and technology effects. A unit can have several tags at once, and some tags are visible in its information panel while others are hidden.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a Fortress Age Federal State for the United States in Definitive Edition. Its age-up costs 1,200 Food and 1,000 Coin and takes 105 seconds. The reward is four Sharpshooters, and the choice adds Overmountain Settlers and Watauga Association to the U.S. Home City deck. The package combines a ranged unit shipment, worker combat and gathering bonuses, and a defensive building plan.
The Admiral of the Ocean Sea
The Admiral of the Ocean Sea is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Fortress Age; available to British; Dutch; Maltese; Ottomans; Portuguese; Spanish. Its recorded reward is Fortress Age reward: Others: 1 Caravel Cords of 300 wood; Maltese: 1 Order Galley Cords of 200 wood; Ottomans: 1 Galley Cords of 300 wood.
The Adventurer
The Adventurer is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Fortress Age; available to British; Italians; Maltese; Russians; Spanish. Its recorded reward is Fortress Age reward: British: 7 Longbowmen; Italians: 8 Pavisiers; Russians: 17 Streltsy; Spanish & Maltese: 8 Crossbowmen.
The Bishop
The Bishop is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Fortress Age; available to Europeans except Ottomans and Portuguese. Its recorded reward is Fortress Age reward: 1 Covered Wagon; * + Books of 300 experience (with the "Advanced Politicians" Home City Card; Italians only).
The Cavalry Marshal
The Cavalry Marshal is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Industrial Age; available to Europeans except the British, Maltese, and Portuguese. Its recorded reward is Industrial Age reward: See article.
The Engineer
The Engineer is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Industrial Age; available to Europeans except the Dutch. Its recorded reward is Industrial Age reward: Portuguese: 2 Organ Guns Others: 2 Falconets + 1 Falconet (with the "Advanced Politicians" Home City Card; Italians only).
The Exiled Prince
The Exiled Prince is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Fortress Age; available to Europeans except the British, Italians, Maltese and Spanish.It offers the civilization-specific reward shown in its Age-up selection.
The General
The General is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Imperial Age; available to Europeans. Its recorded reward is Imperial Age reward: British: 3 Rockets; Italians: 2 Papal Bombards; Ottomans: 2 Great Bombards Others: 2 Heavy Cannons.
The Gentleman Pirate
The Gentleman Pirate is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Fortress Age; available to French; Germans; Italians; Russians; Swedes. Its recorded reward is Fortress Age reward: Chests of 300 coin 1 Privateer + 1 Privateer (with the "Advanced Politicians" Home City Card; Italians only).
The Governor
The Governor is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Commerce Age; available to Europeans except Germans, Ottomans, Portuguese, and Russians. Its recorded reward is Commerce Age reward: 1 Outpost Wagon Chests of 200 coin + 1 Outpost Wagon and Chests of 300 coin (with the "Advanced Politicians" Home City Card; Italians only).
The Grand Vizier
The Grand Vizier is an Ottoman Industrial Age politician choice in Age of Empires III. Its recorded reward is three Sipahis, so the age-up provides a direct cavalry reinforcement alongside the usual transition into the Industrial Age.
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.
The King's Musketeer
The King's Musketeer is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Industrial Age; available to Europeans except the Germans, Italians, Maltese, and Ottomans. Its recorded reward is Industrial Age reward: See article.
The Knight
The Knight is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Imperial Age; available to Europeans except Italians. Its recorded reward is Automatically researches Knighthood and Peerage Automatically researches Sapieha Hetmans, Tarnowski Hetmans, and Chodkiewicz Hetmans for the Poles.
The Logistician
The Logistician is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Commerce Age (except Ottomans) Industrial Age (except French, Germans, Portuguese, Spanish); available to Europeans. Its recorded reward is See civilization bonuses.
The Marksman
The Marksman is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Fortress Age; available to Danes; French; Germans; Italians; Ottomans; Poles; Portuguese; Swedes. Its recorded reward is Fortress Age reward: See article.
The Mercenary Contractor
The Mercenary Contractor is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Fortress Age; available to Europeans. Its recorded reward is Fortress Age Unlocks certain mercenaries Imperial Age Mercenary hit points and damage +50%; Industrial Age mercenary hit points and damage +35% instead + 2 Royal Horsemen (with the "Advanced Politicians" Home City Card; Italians only); Imperial Age reward: See article.
The Mohawk Statesman
The Mohawk Statesman is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Fortress Age; available to British. Its recorded reward is Fortress Age reward: 7 Haudenosaunee Tomahawks 1 Native Scout.
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).
The Papal Guard
The Papal Guard is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Industrial Age; available to See description. Its recorded reward is Industrial Age reward: See description.
The Philosopher Prince
The Philosopher Prince is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Commerce Age; available to Europeans except the Dutch, French, and Maltese. Its recorded reward is Commerce Age reward: Crates of 500 food + Crates of 250 food (with the "Advanced Politicians" Home City Card; Italians only).
The Quartermaster
The Quartermaster is a Commerce Age politician in Age of Empires III. For eligible European civilizations, the 800 Food advance takes 90 seconds and sends 400 Wood (four Cords of Wood) to the Home City shipment point. The reward is a flexible stock of building material, not troops or an automatically collected resource.
The Scout
The Scout is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Fortress Age; available to Danes; Ottomans; Poles; Russians; Spanish. Its recorded reward is Fortress Age reward: Danes: 4 Dragoons; Ottomans: 4 Delis; Poles: 3 Winged Hussars; Russians: 5 Cossacks; Spanish: 4 Hussars.
The Sergeant at Arms
The Sergeant at Arms is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Fortress Age; available to Dutch; Germans; Maltese; Spanish. Its recorded reward is Fortress Age reward: Dutch: 6 Halberdiers; Germans: 4 Doppelsoldners; Maltese: 4 Hospitallers; Spanish: 8 Pikemen.
The Tycoon
The Tycoon is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Industrial Age; available to British; Dutch; French; Germans; Portuguese; Ottomans. Its recorded reward is Industrial Age reward: Chests of 1,000 coin.
The Viceroy
The Viceroy is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Industrial Age; available to British; Dutch; Germans; Portuguese. Its recorded reward is Industrial Age reward: British: 5 Settlers Crates of 500 food.
The War Minister
The War Minister is an Age-up politician in Age of Empires III. Selected for the Industrial Age; available to Maltese; Russians; Spanish. Its recorded reward is Industrial Age reward: Maltese: 5 Dragoons; Russians: 7 Oprichniks; Spanish: 12 Rodeleros.
Tin Mine
Tin Mines are finite Coin deposits introduced in The WarChiefs. Each contains 1,500 Coin, gathers at 1 per second and supports up to 20 gatherers. This makes tin the smallest of the standard finite mine stocks, despite using the regular mining rate.
Tokala Ceremony
Tokala Ceremony is an Industrial Age Lakota Community Plaza option that spawns Tokala Soldiers. It provides a named late-game unit reward rather than an army-wide statistic increase.
Toussaint L’Ouverture
Toussaint L’Ouverture is a Revolution leader choice associated with the British and French in The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties. In those releases, selecting him improves Revolutionary units. Definitive Edition’s Haiti Revolution is a separate nation-based system, so the older leader choice should not be treated as its current Haiti roster.
Town Ceremony
Town Ceremony is a card-gated Community Plaza option available to the Aztecs, Haudenosaunee and Lakota. It increases the hit points and attack of buildings, while Walls are excluded. Its benefit is defensive infrastructure and building durability rather than a direct increase to unit strength.
Trade Monopoly
Trade Monopoly is an alternate team victory condition introduced in The WarChiefs. In a Standard game, a team that controls more than half of all Trading Post sites—including Trade Routes and Native settlements—can research the Industrial Age technology at a Trading Post to begin a five-minute countdown. The opposing team can stop it by reducing that control to half or fewer.
Trade Route
A Trade Route is a map path containing sites where players can build Trading Posts. Controlling route sites can provide recurring rewards and turns the road into a contested line of income, shipment Experience or other map benefits. Its value depends on the route layout and the match’s available sites.
Treasure
A Treasure is a guarded map reward that can grant resources, units, Experience or another benefit. It creates an early scouting objective and can shape which parts of the map an Explorer contests.
Treasure guardian
A Treasure guardian protects a map Treasure. Guardians can be human, animal, or naval units, and their strength generally signals the value of the reward. They do not become hostile until attacked, but attacking one in a group can draw the whole group into the fight.
Treaty
Treaty is a multiplayer mode in which players agree not to attack during a set opening period. The quiet interval lets each side develop its economy, advance through Ages, claim map resources and prepare an army before combat is allowed. The lobby’s treaty length and other settings determine how much development fits into the opening.
Tribal Council
The Tribal Council is the age-up decision system used by the Aztecs, Haudenosaunee and Lakota in The WarChiefs and Definitive Edition. It replaces the European Politician choice with Native council members whose rewards are designed for their own civilization.
Unit stance
Unit stances, called Tactics in the game interface, control how military units move and fight. The available choices depend on the unit class. A stance may change spacing, pursuit, speed, damage, or resistance, so the same army order can behave differently when its Tactics change.
Unit upgrade
Unit upgrades improve a unit type’s attack and hit points, with new upgrade tiers becoming available as the civilization advances. Common tier names are Veteran for European and Federal American units, Elite for Native American and African units, and Disciplined for Asian units; later Imperial Age tiers use names such as Imperial, Legendary, and Exalted.
United States (revolution)
United States is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation available through eligible European civilizations, with New York City as its Home City. It converts Villagers into Revolutionaries, sends a General and Fort Wagon and makes existing as well as new Forts spawn Gatling Guns. Guard upgrades for Regulars and, for most eligible civilizations, Carbine Cavalry add further army changes.
United States roster index
United States is a campaign or scenario roster in Age of Empires III. Its entries describe story or special-faction content; this index does not imply that the faction is selectable in standard Supremacy or Skirmish.
United States technology tree
The United States technology tree index links recorded Age of Empires III units, buildings and research to their individual reference pages. It emphasizes entries whose game data directly identifies this faction and is not a complete reconstruction of every shared option in the in-game tree; check unit and technology pages for additional civilization access.
Wagon Warfare
Wagon Warfare is a South Africa Home City Card for the British or Dutch revolution in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. It replaces the normal Dragoon or Ruyter light-cavalry production route with War Wagons, granting access to Guard War Wagons and unlocking a separate Imperial War Wagon research. This is a continuing military-production option rather than a shipment of a ready-made army.
War Ceremony
War Ceremony is a Commerce Age Community Plaza option for Native American civilizations that increases hand and ranged attack for all units. It improves the army broadly rather than supporting only one unit line.
War Chief Ceremony
War Chief Ceremony is an Exploration Age Community Plaza option for Native American civilizations that improves the War Chief’s hit points and allows the hero to respawn at the Plaza.
Water Ceremony
Water Ceremony is an Exploration Age Community Plaza option for Aztecs, Haudenosaunee and Inca. With the Water Ceremony Home City Card, it increases ship hit points and attack.
Wood
Wood is a standard resource used mainly for buildings, ships, housing and many ranged or support units. Its demand often rises sharply when a colony expands production or controls water.
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