Microsoft AGE OF EMPIRES III USER MANUAL

0805 Part No. X11-35580

Safety Warning

About Photosensitive Seizures

A very small percentage of people may experience a seizure when exposed to certain
visual images, including flashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games.
Even people who have no history of seizures or epilepsy may have an undiagnosed
condition that can cause these "photosensitive epileptic seizures" while watching
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These seizures may have a variety of symptoms, including lightheadedness, altered
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confusion, or momentary loss of awareness. Seizures may also cause loss of
consciousness or convulsions that can lead to injury from falling down or striking
nearby objects.

Immediately stop playing and consult a doctor if you experience any of these
symptoms. Parents should watch for or ask their children about the above
symptoms—children and teenagers are more likely than adults to experience
these seizures.

The risk of photosensitive epileptic seizures may be reduced by taking the following
precautions:

• Play in a well-lit room.

• Do not play when you are drowsy or fatigued.
If you or any of your relatives have a history of seizures or epilepsy, consult a

doctor before playing.

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Table of Contents

Getting Started

What’s New? 9
Installing the Game 9
Starting a New Game 10
Getting Help 11
Learning to Play 12
Setting Options & Using Hotkeys 13
Using the In-Game Menu 14
Saving, Loading, & Quitting a Game 15
Winning a Game 16
Improving Game Performance 17

Key Concepts

Choosing a Civilization 21
Colony Screen 24
Navigating the Colony Screen 26
Navigating the Home City Screen 29
Ways to Play Age of Empires III 31
Exploring the New World 33
Assembling an Army 34

Home City

What Is a Home City? 41
Managing Your Home City 43
Working with Your Home City 47
Your Home City’s Strategic Value 50

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Single-Player Campaign

Morgan Black 53
Elisabet Ramsey 54
John Black 55
Kanyenke 56
Amelia Black 57
Pierre Beaumont 58
Starting & Saving Campaign Scenarios 59

Multiplayer

Making the Multiplayer Connection 62
Multiplayer Game Types 64
The Home City & Multiplayer 65

Economy

Finding & Gathering Resources 68
Villagers 74
Upgrading Your Civilization’s Units 79
Advancing Through the Ages 80
Forming Alliances with Native Americans 81

Military

Creating Military Units 85
Engaging in Combat 92
Choosing a Strategy 95

Civilizations

Spanish 100
British 101
French 102
Portuguese 103
Dutch 104
Russian 105
German 106
Ottoman 107

Buildings & Units

Buildings 111
Explorers 115
Infantry 116
Cavalry 119
Artillery 121
Civilian Units 123
Ships 125
Native Americans 126
Mercenaries 129

Credits

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Once again, the Age of Empires® game series sets a new
standard for innovative technology and gameplay in
real-time strategy (RTS) gaming.

What’s New?

Age of Empires III includes several new gameplay features,
such as:

The Home City Specific to each civilization, your Home

City gives you more control over how
your civilization’s technology advances.

Single-Player An intricate storyline transports
Campaign you back in time to an age of conquest

and intrigue.

Graphical A new display engine renders scenery
Environment and action with lifelike detail.

Real-World The new physics engine adds an
Physics exciting level of realism to the game—

ships can shoot holes in each others’
sails, cannon balls careen and bowl
over infantry, and damaged buildings
crumble to pieces without warning.

Picking up where Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings®
leaves off, the latest installment, Age of Empires III, gives
you command of a European power determined to explore,
colonize, and conquer the New World.

Spectacular combat awaits you in a world with units like
rifled infantry, heavy cavalry, and tall ships bristling
with cannon. You’ll be captivated by breathtaking scenes
of discovery and power: towering European cathedrals,
courageous Native Americans, and massive armies bent
on destruction.

Installing the Game

Insert the Age of Empires III installation disc into your
disc drive, and then follow the on-screen instructions. If
Setup doesn’t start automatically, complete these steps on
Microsoft® Windows® XP:

1. On the

2. In the

click Add or Remove Programs.

3. Under

4. In the

click the CD or Floppy button, and then follow
the on-screen instructions to install the game.

Start menu, click Control Panel.

Category View, under Pick a Category,

Pick a Task, click Add a Program.

Add or Remove Programs dialog box,

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Starting a New Game

To open the Main menu, double-click the Age of Empires
III icon on your desktop.

The Main menu provides the following options:

Learn to Play Learn basic gameplay principles

and experience what’s new in

Age of Empires III.

Single Player Play the Campaign or a random

map Skirmish; load a Custom

Scenario or a Saved Game.

Multiplayer Start a multiplayer game with your

friends using Ensemble Studios® Online
(ESO) or a local area network (LAN).

Help and Tools Download game updates, get

information about specific units and
technologies, create custom scenarios,
adjust display and other game options,
or view a list of those who worked
tirelessly to create this amazing game.

Exit Close the game and return to Windows.

Getting Help

To get additional information while playing the game, go
to the Stats tab, and then click the Detailed Help button.
You can also use tooltips by placing your mouse pointer
over an icon or unit to display a brief description of that
item and its capabilities.

For updates and to interact with the Age of Empires III
community, visit: http://www.ageofempires3.com.

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Learning to Play

Setting Options &

The easiest way to learn Age of Empires III is by using
the tutorials. You’ll master gameplay basics and learn
about some of the new features in the game.

To learn basic and advanced features, on the Main menu,
click Learn to Play.

If you’re a new player, click Master the Basics, and

then complete the practice scenario to learn the core
game features.

If you’re a more experienced player, click Try

a Game to dive right in and find out what’s new.

Using Hotkeys

You can configure Age of Empires III in many
different ways. By using the Options screen you can
fine-tune such elements as in-game graphics, audio,
and multiplayer settings.

For example, to improve the frame-rate performance,
adjust the settings under Graphics Options. By selecting
Use Low Poly Models and reducing the Texture settings,
you can improve the game’s performance—particularly on
slower computers.

Hotkeys allow experienced players to find, build, and task
units quickly and efficiently. For example, pressing the
T key finds your Town Center. If you want to achieve
proficiency with
when to use hotkeys is critical. You’ll find many useful
hotkey combinations on the Quick Reference Card.

Age of Empires III, knowing how and

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Using the In-Game Menu

Saving, Loading, &

At any time during gameplay you can pause the game
and display the In-Game menu by clicking the Menu
button (in the upper-right of the screen) or pressing F10.

The In-Game menu offers the following choices:

Player Options Fine-tune in-game settings.

Resign Leave the current game.

Player Summary Offer tribute and resources to allies.

Save Preserve the current game state so

you can reload it later.

Saved Game Start a previously saved game.

Restart Return to the beginning of the

current game.

Quitting a Game

Saving On the In-Game menu, click Save.

In the Save File dialog box, type a
name in the Filename box, and then
click Save.

Loading On the In-Game menu, click Saved

Game. In the Open File dialog box,

select the filename of the game you
want to play, and then click Open.

Quitting To leave a game while playing, you

must first resign from your current
game. On the In-Game menu, click

Resign, click Yes, and then click the
Quit button in the upper-right of

the screen.

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Winning a Game

Improving Game Performance

The bottom line: You win by commanding more territory
and resources than your opponents. Age of Empires III
offers multiple variations on this theme, depending on
how you decide to play.

Single-Player Campaign

To win, you must successfully complete all the missions
in the Campaign.

Skirmish

In a single-player or multiplayer Skirmish, whoever
conquers first is the
rules for a Skirmish—Supremacy and Deathmatch—
each with different starting conditions. In Supremacy,
you start with no resources; in Deathmatch, you start
with a stockpile of resources and play at high speed.

While a Deathmatch always ends with either resignation
or conquest, Supremacy offers a way to win without
combat—Four of a Kind. You get Four of a Kind by
building four Trading Posts either along a Trade Route
or at Native American settlements.

winner. There are two types of game

Here are some suggestions for improving the quality
and performance of Age of Empire III.

Install the Latest Device Drivers

Your computer’s graphics adapter (also known as a video
or display adapter) is critical to a great Age of Empires III
visual experience. For the game to run properly, you must
ensure that your computer has the latest version of the
graphics adapter’s driver installed.

You can obtain the latest driver from the manufacturer
of your graphics adapter.

To learn who manufactured your graphics adapter

1. On the

2. Type

3. In the

the Display tab.

4. Record the name of the manufacturer listed under

Device, and then click Exit.

Go to the manufacturer’s Web site for more information
on determining whether you have the latest driver version
and how to upgrade should you need to.

Start menu, click Run.

dxdiag, and then click OK.

DirectX Diagnostic Tool dialog box, click

Install the Latest Version of DirectX

Installing the latest version of DirectX® can prevent
performance problems with Age of Empires III and may
also enhance the quality and performance of games on
your computer.

To download the latest version of DirectX, go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/
downloads/default.asp.

Additional Suggestions

Shut Down Other Programs

Close any other open programs to free up more of your
computer’s processing power.

Install More RAM

Random access memory (RAM) is your computer’s short­term memory. Generally, the more there is, the faster your
computer can process data. Your computer needs to have
at least 256 MB of RAM to run Age of Empires III.

Upgrade Your System to a Faster Processor

To run Age of Empires III, your computer needs to have
at least a Pentium 4 1.4 GHz processor. But the faster,
the better!

Upgrade Your Graphics Adapter

You can improve your game’s video performance
by installing a more powerful graphics adapter. The
minimum recommended hardware is a 64MB graphics
adapter with HW T&L (Hardware Transform and
Lightening). HW T&L technology offloads some of the
graphics processing from your CPU. This enables the
CPU to process additional instructions, which causes the
game to execute faster.

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Your goal in Age of Empires III is to build a powerful
empire capable of conquering any and all enemy
civilizations.

You build your civilization by gathering natural resources,
constructing buildings, creating an army, researching
technological improvements, and advancing through the
five Ages:

Discovery Age

Colonial Age

Fortress Age

Industrial Age

Imperial Age

With each Age advancement you can build different
buildings, create more powerful military units, and
research and acquire more valuable technologies.

You face many challenges. You can see only a small part
of a land hidden in darkness. You don’t know where your
opponents wait and how they plan to attack you. And you
must overcome your greatest challenge: learning how to
best adapt and grow the units and resources specific to
your civilization.

Choosing a Civilization

You can choose from eight different civilizations
(shown below in order of easiest to hardest to play):

Spanish

British

French

Portuguese

Dutch

Russian

German

Ottoman

Each civilization has its own strengths and weaknesses.
For example, the British have a strong economy and can
get Settlers quickly. You’ll find the best British unit is the
Musketeer, but if you want to leverage other units, such as
the Longbowman, you have that flexibility.

Although they don’t have as many villagers as the British,
the French form alliances with Native Americans more
easily. The French also have a special villager, the
Coureur, that is more resistant to attacks.

If you play as the Spanish, you’ll find that you get more
resources and support from your Home City.

Try out the different civilizations to identify those that
best suit your style of play and strategy.

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Forming Alliances with Native Americans

Your playable civilization can also form alliances with the
Native American nations in the New World:

Aztec Iroquois

Carib Lakota

Cherokee Maya

Comanche Nootka

Cree Seminole

Inca Tupi

By forming alliances, you gain their help during battle
and can acquire extra resources such as Food or Coin.
(You only battle Native Americans when they’re allied
with enemy civilizations.)

You form an alliance by building a Trading Post next to
a Native American settlement.

To ally with a Native American nation

1. Have your Settlers gather sufficient resources to build
a Trading Post.

2. Send your Explorer or Settler to find a Native
American settlement.

3. Select your Explorer or Settler and then click the
Trading Post button on the Command panel.

You can now leverage military units and other
improvements offered by that nation. (Trading Posts you
build on Trade Routes will offer different benefits. They
generate experience points for your Home City and can
create Stagecoaches and other improvements to enhance
the flow of commerce across their routes.)

The Home City

Adding a persistent Home City is a significant difference
in gameplay between Age of Empires III and other games
in the Age of Empires franchise. Your Home City provides
your colony with resources, establishes the improvements
and units you can leverage, and gives you a level of control
over your own destiny.

You grow your Home City over time through the
acquisition of experience points, which you earn each
time your civilization does one of the following:

Discovers Treasure.

Defeats enemy units (including Treasure guardians)

or buildings.

Builds or trains units.

Achieves certain milestones (most Treasures, most

kills, and so on) that garner postgame awards.

Completes objectives in the single-player Campaign.

As your experience points mount, your Home City
level steadily advances. Higher-level Home Cities can
provide more powerful shipments of units, resources,
or improvements.

Your time spent in advancing the level of your Home City
during the single-player Campaign will hone your skills
for multiplayer games. By sticking with a civilization and
learning the intricacies of its capabilities and limits, you’ll
be able to take this knowledge and experience with you
online to compete with other Age of Empires III players.

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Age Advancement bar

Home City
icon

Experience
progress bar

Colony Screen

In-Game menu

Mini Map

Displays the entire
game map.

• Chat

• Send Alert Flare

• Find Explorer

• Filters

Resource panel

Displays stockpiled resources and
population.

• Current Population & Upper Limit

• Food

• Wood

• Coin

• Villagers

Current Unit

Command panel

Displays available:

• Units

• Buildings

• Commands

• Improvements

Stats tab

Command tab

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Navigating the Colony Screen

If you’ve already played a game from the Age of Empires
series, you’ll find the

In-Game Menu

To pause the game and open the In-Game menu, click the
Menu button (in the upper-right of the screen) or press

F10. You can select from the following menu items.

Player Options Fine-tune various in-game settings.

Resign Leave the current game.

Player Offer tribute and resources to allies.
Summary

Save Preserve the current game state so

Saved Game Start a previously saved game.

Restart Return to the beginning of the

current game.

Colony screen familiar.

you can reload it later.

Resource Panel

Shows current stockpiled resources, number of villagers,
and population limit. This helps you ensure that you’re
not too low in one resource while spending too much
effort gathering another. Unless you are stockpiling for
a specific reason, such as advancing your Age, keeping
your resources in relative balance is a good strategy.

Command Panel

Displays the available tasks, units, buildings, commands,
and improvements for the currently selected object. For
example, if you select a Settler, the Command panel will
display buttons for buildings and improvements that your
civilization’s Settlers can generate.

Stats Tab

Displays statistical information about the currently
selected unit or building. For example, if you select
an Explorer, the Stats tab will show such information
as name, hitpoints (total and remaining), and unit
classification.

Tooltips

When you move your mouse pointer over different game
units, a tooltip displays information about resource or
unit statistics (such as name, hitpoints, cost, and so on).
You can use tooltips to quickly find information about
practically anything that appears on-screen.

Age Advancement Bar

Displays the current Age and your civilization’s flag.

Production Queue

Shows the units you have selected to train and their
progress towards completion. Because units train over
time, you’ll find the queue particularly useful when your
units are engaged in multiple activities that require quick
action once they become ready.

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Home City Icon

Toggles between the Colony screen and the Home City
screen. You’ll need to go back and forth between your
colony and your Home City to manage improvements
and to identify and transport resources.

Settlement Mini Map

Provides a high-level view of the territory surrounding
your settlement and lets you quickly locate the
following items.

Town Center

Treasures

Explorer

Native American settlements

Trading Post locations

Resources (Food, Wood, and Coin)

Fog of War limits

Use the Mini Map regularly during gameplay to identify
the next resource to acquire, to jump to a new location,
and to locate your Explorer.

The Mini Map also acts as a control panel for both
navigation and communications.

To quickly move your view from the Colony screen

to a specific location on the
location on the Mini Map.

The Mini Map also includes buttons to filter its

display, as well as buttons for communications (Send
Flare and Chat). The communications buttons allow
you to interact with other players during a multiplayer
game—to share information, discuss strategy, or just
ask for help.

Mini Map, click that

Navigating the

Home City Screen

To view the Home City screen, click the Home City icon
on the Main menu.

Home City Mini Map

Provides a high-level view of your settlement. The Mini
Map works the same on the Home City screen as it does
on the Colony screen; simply click anywhere on the Mini
Map to go to that location.

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Resource Panel

Displays your current stockpile of resources as they
update. Check your available resources here as you
choose from the units available for transfer from your
Home City.

Shipment Panel

Displays the contents of your Deck.

Every Home City provides different improvements and
resources (also known as Cards) from which you can
choose. You manage these resources by creating a Deck
of the Cards you want to use during that game.

The Shipment panel displays the contents of your Deck:
the economic units, military units, and resources currently
available for shipment back to your colony. Click the units
and/or resources you want to select. If you lack sufficient
resources or population, or you haven’t yet reached the
right Age, the game will indicate why the unit or resource
cannot be shipped.

For more information about the Card and Deck system
and how it works, see the “Home City” chapter on
page 39.

Home City Icon

Toggles between the Home City screen and the
Colony screen.

Ways to Play

Age of Empires III

Age of Empires III gives you several different ways
to play:

Single-Player Campaign

Single-Player Skirmish

Multiplayer Skirmish

Single-Player Campaign

By accepting the challenge of the single-player Campaign,
you enter into a historical storyline that spans multiple
continents and generations.

Follow the adventures of three generations of the Black
family as they explore the New World, meet famous
figures from history, and battle a mysterious international
conspiracy.

With different missions crisscrossing the Americas,
you’ll face a series of challenges woven within a dramatic
storyline. Varying levels of difficulty and choices in Home
City upgrades make the Campaign an adventure you can
enjoy time and again.

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Single-Player Skirmish

When you don’t feel the need to explore an entire
continent, you can always test your skills against an area
(or map) in the New World.

You can set the following characteristics of your skirmish:

Your civilization.

The number of computer opponents and their

civilizations.

How the civilizations divide into teams.

The map on which you play.

The game rules (Supremacy or Deathmatch).

The starting Age.

The difficulty level.

The game speed.

Your player color.

Once you set up the Skirmish, click the Play button to
start the battle.

Exploring the New World

The first thing you should do is search for sources of
Food, Wood, and Coin. You can explore the map by
moving your Settlers and Explorers into the black area.

Gathering Food is important, as you need Food to

train (create) more Settlers.

Gathering Wood is important, as you need Wood

to construct buildings (such as houses, barracks,
and others).

To select a unit

Click the unit you want to select.

–or–

Drag a bounding outline around the unit (or units)

you want to select. (This method also lets you select
multiple units.)

You can tell a unit is selected by the circle around its base
and the Health Bar indicator above its head.

Multiplayer Skirmish

You can also play against human and AI opponents over a
local area network (LAN) or on Ensemble Studios Online
(ESO). When playing online, you get access to the same
online features you’ve come to love—taunt, flares, and
chat—while still engaging in a wide-ranging, winner-take­all battle across two continents.

You can choose from a couple different formats for
multiplayer, each of which offers different starting and
winning conditions:

Supremacy, where every player starts with nothing

and continues until final conquest or surrender.

Deathmatch, a fast-paced game where all players

begin with a stockpile of resources.

To deselect a unit

Click anywhere else on the map terrain.

The selection indicators (Health Bar and circle) will no
longer appear with the previously selected units.

To move a unit

Click the unit, and then right-click any location

on the map or on the Mini Map (in the lower-left
of the screen).

The unit will move to that location.

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Assembling an Army

Combat plays a major role in Age of Empires III as
multiple civilizations struggle to control the New World.
You’ll need to muster a military capable of defending your
territory and taking the offensive as necessary.

Creating Military Units

Every civilization has slightly different military units and
weapons, each with unique advantages and disadvantages.

Before you can create an army, your civilization must
have advanced to the Colonial Age; only then can you
start constructing military buildings, such as the Barracks
and Stable. Each of these buildings creates (trains)
different types of military units and weaponry.

As an example to get started, let’s first construct
a Barracks.

To build a Barracks

Click a Settler, click the Barracks button, and then

click a location on the map.

After the Barracks is built, you can create infantry units
there. The specific infantry units you can create depend
on your civilization.

Balancing Strengths and Weaknesses

One key to success in Age of Empires III is learning the
different strengths and weaknesses for each civilization
and then choosing the appropriate strategies and
countermeasures during gameplay.

All military units relate to one another using a built-in
hierarchy based on hitpoints, range, and speed.

In general, long-range units are better than short-range,
units with high hitpoints are better than those with lower
hitpoints, and fast units are better than slow units.

Also, slow units are generally beaten by long-range units,
which in turn are generally beaten by fast units. And fast
units are generally beaten by units with high hitpoints
(unless the fast units run away).

Deciding which units to build is crucial. You should
learn the strengths and weaknesses of every unit in your
civilization, pay attention to which units your opponent
builds, and build your army to counter their strengths.
Above all, try different unit strategies to see what works.

To create an infantry unit

Click the Barracks, and then click the button for the

infantry unit you want to create.

After a few seconds, your infantry unit will appear next
to your Barracks. As you advance through the Ages, you
gain access to additional and upgraded infantry units with
more capabilities.

Use the same process to create cavalry and other military
units and improvements.

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Understanding the Postgame Screens

After you finish your game session, you can view a series
of postgame screens that compare your performance with
that of your competition in the following areas.

Awards Factors the many different aspects

of how you play (units lost, resources
gathered, total experience points, and
so on).

Resources Shows how well you did in acquiring

different kinds of resources.

Economy Details how you spent your resources

during gameplay.

Military Shows how well you managed

your military both offensively and
defensively.

Experience Details how you earned your experience

points (e.g., by fighting or building).

Timeline Provides a graphical overview of your

performance in a variety of areas across
the entire timeline of the game session.

Use this information to pinpoint specific areas you can
improve. By examining your performance against the
competition, you can learn to adjust your strategy for
gathering resources, advancing through the Ages, or
handling your military.

To quit a game and view the postgame screens

1. Click

2. Click the

Resign on the In-Game menu, and then

click Yes.

View Postgame button in the upper-right

of the screen.

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The addition of the Home City is probably the most
significant new feature in

Your Home City is a critical element of your overall
gameplay and strategy. The more you develop your
Home City, the greater the rewards—improved access
to resources, better equipped units, and more advanced
improvements.

Over time, every player’s Home City evolves into
something uniquely their own. Players using the same
civilization can have entirely different capabilities. The
choices you make over time define the unique character
of your Home City.

Age of Empires III.

What Is a Home City?

Every civilization has its own Home City, which
acts as a unique symbol for that civilization—it looks
different from other Home Cities and it offers different
improvements. As such, the Home City doesn’t represent
an actual real-world city. In fact, you can choose any name
you want for your Home City.

As each game progresses, you’ll return to your Home City
to retrieve a range of resources. The way you use your
Home City’s Inventory and Deck system will guide how
your civilization advances.

Using Cards and Decks

Every Home City has a unique assortment of
improvements and resources (also known as Cards) from
which you can choose. The higher your Home City level,
the more Cards are available for your use. There are five
categories of Cards, each represented by a building in the
Home City:

Trading Company—Economic units and resources.

Military Academy—Soldiers and military upgrades.

Cathedral—Building improvements.

Manufacturing Plant—Advanced economic upgrades.

Harbor—Naval upgrades and mercenaries.

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Not all Cards are available at the same time, and many
require that your Home City attain a specific level before
they become available to you. Still others require that you
already have certain Cards available (for example, you
need Card B before you can get Card C).

You store available Cards in your Inventory. Each
civilization’s Inventory can hold up to 120 Cards, many of
which you unlock as your Home City level increases, but
you can only play a maximum of 20 cards per game.

You can gather a selection of Cards into a Deck both
before and after a game, but not during a game. This
Deck then determines which improvements and resources
get shipped from the Home City to your Town Center.

A Deck can contain up to 20 Cards. Your Home City
comes with a default Deck of 15 Cards. You can modify
this Deck or create multiple new Decks, each configured
for a specific style of play. For instance, you could
create a Deck primarily of military upgrade Cards for a
combative style, or you could create a Deck weighted for
an economic style. Once a game starts, you can choose
only one Deck to use and you cannot switch Decks during
the game.

As you play more games and your Home City grows
in capabilities, your Decks continue to advance and
change. Creating and managing multiple Decks gives you
tremendous flexibility to test new strategies and explore
how best to advance your Home City.

Managing Your Home City

Use the Home City Options menu to create, upgrade, and
customize your Home City and Card Deck. You can create
and use many different Home Cities and Decks.

When starting a new game session, you choose which
Home City and Deck to use. (In the single-player
Campaign, you are assigned a specific Home City in
each Act.)

To access the Home City Options menu, you must first
select one of the four styles of play from the game’s
Main menu:

Skirmish

Campaign

LAN

ESO

Selecting a Home City

When you choose Manage a Home City on the
Home City Options menu, a dialog box gives you the

following options:

View an existing Home City.

Create a new Home City.

Delete a Home City.

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Upgrading Your Home City Inventory

The Home City Options menu also lets you add new
Cards to your Home City Inventory. The Choose New
Cards window lists the five Card categories along with the
resources and improvements available for each category.

The number of available upgrade Cards appears in the
upper-left corner of the Card Tree panel in the Choose
New Cards window. This number increases or decreases
as you use available Cards or unlock new Cards.

To add Cards to your Inventory, click the Cards you
want from the various Card categories. A green check
mark next to the Card indicates that it was added to your
Inventory. To remove it, simply click the Card again. The
first few cards you unlock appear automatically in your
Deck—you don’t have to manually add them.

Using the Deck Builder

The Build a Deck window shows the improvements and
resources that you can use in creating Decks for your
civilization. From this window, you can add or delete
Cards in your Deck. You can also create multiple Decks.
This allows you to design Decks that support specific styles
of play, such as economic or military.

How you choose specific Cards requires planning. One
improvement might help in your current game session,
whereas another could provide greater strategic advantages
in a future game session.

The Inventory panel shows all the Cards you have
available for your Deck. Click a Card to place it in the
currently active Deck.

You start your first game with 15 Cards already in your
Inventory. These Cards are also added automatically to
your starting Deck. As you spend more time in the game
and gain experience points, additional improvements that
you can use to update an existing Deck or to create a new
Deck become available. You cannot, however, update a
Deck while it’s being used in a game session.

No civilization can amass all the possible improvements—
some have better soldiers, whereas others have better
cavalry, ships, or economies. You must play each
civilization differently to overcome its weaknesses and
exploit its strengths.

Learning your civilization and all its available units,
improvements, and upgrades is essential to mastering
Decks in single-player and multiplayer games.

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Customizing Your Home City

In the Customize window, you can create a unique and
distinctive Home City. For example, you can change the
appearance of buildings such as the Manufacturing Plant
or Trading Company.

Much like unlocking upgrades, every time your Home
City gains a level, new customizations become available.
These customizations are purely visual and do not serve
a strategic purpose or form part of your Deck.

Working with Your Home City

The Shipment panel, located in the lower-right of
the Home City screen, displays the resources and
units available to your colony from your Home City.

The units and resources available for shipment correspond
to the Cards in the Deck that you are using in the current
game session.

Whenever you acquire sufficient experience points, you
can receive military and economic units and resources
from your Home City—just select the Card you want and
it will be shipped from the Home City.

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The choices that you make depend on such factors as:

Current Your colony must have sufficient
Population population available for the units and
Limit resources chosen.

Resources Mercenary units require the expenditure
Required of Coin; all other Shipments are free

once you acquire enough experience
points.

Experience Before you can select any units or
Points resources, you must build up enough

experience points.

Shipping Economic Units and Resources

You can choose from a wide variety of economic units,
resources, and improvements, including Settlers, Food
Crates, and animals. Each unit delivers a unique economic
asset to your colony. For example, if you ship a Furrier,
your hunting rates will improve once that Shipment
arrives. Over time, you’ll learn how to strategically choose
and build up your units and resources.

To select an economic unit or resource

1. On the
display the Home City screen.

2. Place your pointer over an available unit or resource.
(A tooltip appears describing the unit’s or resource’s
name, cost, and benefits and whether it’s available.)

3. Click the units and resources you want to add to
your Shipment.

Your Shipment of units and resources arrives at your
colony shortly after you complete these steps.

Colony screen, click the Home City icon to

Shipping Military Units

You can choose from a large number of military units,
including ships, cavalry, infantry, and even foreign
mercenaries. The specific military units available to your
colony is determined by your choice of civilization and
by the Cards you chose for your Deck.

To select a military unit for Shipment

1. On the

to display the Home City screen.

2. Place your pointer over an available military unit.

3. Click the military units you want to add to your
Shipment.

Your Shipment of military units arrives at your
colony shortly.

Colony screen, click the Home City icon

Increasing the Level of Your Home City

More improvements that you can add to your Inventory
are unlocked as your Home City advances in level. Your
Home City level increases with experience points that
you earn by:

Discovering Treasure.

Defeating enemy units or buildings.

Building or training units.

Achieving milestones that garner postgame awards.

Completing objectives in the single-player Campaign.

The more experience points you acquire, the faster your
Home City level increases.

Multiplayer and Your Home City

As your Home City level advances, it becomes a resource
that you can use in multiplayer games. The improvements,
units, and even the customizations that you’ve unlocked
carry over to multiplayer mode.

Multiplayer mode allows you to have multiple Decks and
Home Cities tied to your ESO account, providing the
opportunity to test your skills at playing with a range
of civilizations and upgrade strategies.

There isn’t a direct relation between your multiplayer
rating and your Home City level. A Home City with
a higher level simply offers more improvement
options. Skill and strategy are much more critical in
determining who wins, especially in game sessions
between seasoned players.

Multiplayer hosts can choose to restrict game sessions to
certain Home City levels. You can also choose to play with
a less powerful Deck. This is a useful option if you want
to play with a friend who has a lower Home City level
and you both want a more competitive game.

Your Home City’s

Strategic Value

The new Home City in Age of Empires III offers you
many more ways to adjust your strategies for managing
an economy and a military. Now more than ever, you
must master the basic fundamentals of gameplay, learn the
strengths and weaknesses of your civilization, and make
strategic decisions across all your game sessions.

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The single-player Campaign weaves an imaginative tale
of action and adventure set in early America.

Morgan Black

You’ll follow the story of three generations of the Black
family—fictional adventurers with a passion for the New
World and all its opportunity. You’ll join them as they
take part in wars, revolutions, and conquests.

Through their adventures, you’ll uncover secret stories of
revenge, treachery, and a malignant conspiracy that spans
the Americas.

Morgan Black is a Scotsman and a mid-level commander
in the Knights of St. John. The son of a village smith, he
was driven at an early age by a burning religious fervor
and joined the Knights of St. John. Morgan quickly gained
favor as a brutal warrior who carried out his duties swiftly
and silently.

Unmarried and with no family ties to bind him, he dreams
of restoring the Knights of St. John to their former glory.
Although the Order’s time has passed, Morgan remains a
devoted knight.

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Elisabet Ramsey

John Black

The daughter of an English nobleman, Elisabet Ramsey
fled her home at an early age—unwilling to trade her
freedom for an arranged marriage. The Americas offered
her the chance to steer her own course.

For several years, Elisabet sailed the Caribbean alongside
famous English and Dutch privateers. Eventually, she rose
to command her own pirate fleet, which she captains from
the warship Paris Burning.

John Black, grandson of Morgan, is a fierce frontiersman
and mercenary with a reputation as a cold-blooded fighter.
Renowned for his chilling calm in battle, you never want
to face John Black’s musket and blade in combat. Even in
the worst of circumstances, nothing seems to faze him—
except a desire for vengeance that can erupt to overtake
him and everyone in his path.

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Kanyenke

Amelia Black

Kanyenke is a proud Iroquois warrior. Smart, savvy,
and strong, he is a master at using a bow for ranged
attacks and delivers a lethal, lightning-fast swipe with
his tomahawk in close combat. As John Black’s faithful
friend and ally, Kanyenke has fought fierce battles and
eluded dangers alongside Black to share the spoils from
many victories.

Amelia Black, granddaughter of John, is the last living
member of the Black family. A successful industrialist
and owner of the Falcon Company, Amelia is an intense
competitor. She embodies the forceful, fiery spirit of
her ancestors.

A gifted sharpshooter in combat, Amelia’s gun delivers
a deadly sting. Even the bravest foe trembles when her
piercing gaze places him in her crosshairs.

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Pierre Beaumont

Starting & Saving

With his matted hair and unkempt beard, Pierre Beaumont
looks like he’s never left the backcountry. Far from it—
Beaumont once moved among New Orleans’ sophisticated
set. World-weary, he abandoned that life for the rugged
existence of a hunter and trapper.

When weighing whether Beaumont’s the guy to get you
out of a scrape, don’t underestimate him. He’s clever,
driven, and skilled in the use of many weapons—with a
particular preference for a pair of well-worn long knives.

Campaign Scenarios

To start the single-player Campaign

1. On the
click Campaign.

2. In the
select a Difficulty Level, and then click Play.

Completing a scenario unlocks the next scenario. You can
also go back and play any previously unlocked scenarios.

You can pause the game to save the current scenario at
any point during gameplay, after which you can resume
the game.

To save a Campaign scenario

1. Click the
screen to display the In-Game menu, and then
click Save.

2. In the
scenario in the Filename box, and then click Save.

To restart a previously saved scenario

1. On the

2. In the
want to play from the list of saved scenarios, and then
click Open. (The scenario will restart from the point
that it was saved.)

Main menu, click Single Player and then

Campaign window, select an available scenario,

Menu button in the upper-right of the

Save File dialog box, type a name for the

In-Game menu, click Saved Game.

Open File dialog box, select the scenario you

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In multiplayer games, you and your friends can connect
across a network or the Internet to play against each
other or to team up against nonplayer characters
(NPCs). Age of Empires III supports several unique
types of multiplayer games through Ensemble Studios
Online (ESO).

Ensemble Studios has significantly enhanced its ESO
service for Age of Empires III so that you can more easily
join the throng of multiplayer enthusiasts. With ESO, you
can hone your game skills by playing fans worldwide.

Making the

Multiplayer Connection

To join a multiplayer game, click Multiplayer on the
Main menu, and then choose one of the following

connections:

Ensemble Studios Online (ESO)

Local Area Network (LAN)

ESO

To play using ESO, you must first create an ESO account
by completing the ESO registration. Next, type your
nickname and associated password at the ESO logon
screen to open the ESO Home.

On your first visit to ESO, you’re assigned a default
player level. This level adjusts over time based on how
well you play the game—as your skills improve, your level
advances. You can use your player level to find players
with a similar level or to gauge another player’s skills.

Chat with your friends over ESO, and create teams for
competitions that can span the globe.

LAN

You can also play a multiplayer game over a LAN. This
connection type is generally recommended for advanced
players who are comfortable with LAN technologies.

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Multiplayer Game Types

The Home City &

In multiplayer, you can play two types of games that
require quite different skills and strategies to win:

Supremacy Players begin their game without any

resources and must achieve victory by
conquest or surrender.

Deathmatch Players begin their game with a

stockpile of resources and move
through the game at a high speed.

Multiplayer

Central to the multiplayer experience in Age of Empires
III is the new Home City, which puts a player’s economic

and military strategy skills to the test.

Before the inclusion of the Home City, a player with a
weaker economy could win simply by building a massive
military and overwhelming other players. The Home City
concept requires that players understand their civilization’s
strengths and weaknesses, develop strategies, and execute
on those strategies—good or bad—during gameplay.

Home City Levels Versus Player Level

In multiplayer mode, you can manage multiple Home
Cities, just like in a single-player Campaign, but they are
tied to your ESO account. Each Home City in multiplayer
also has its own Home City level, as in single player, but
note that your Home City level doesn’t necessarily reflect
your skills as a player.

Home City Determines the resources and
Level improvements available to you during

a game.

Player Level Represents how well you currently play

the game.

A player with a higher-level Home City does have some
advantages over players with lower-level Home Cities.
Mainly, Home Cities with a high level offer more options
and greater choices. Nevertheless, players who do not take
advantage of these strengths, develop solid strategies, and
execute on those strategies will quickly lose their edge.

A player with a higher-level Home City can play a more
evenly matched game against a player with a lower-level
Home City simply by playing with a less powerful Deck,
such as the initial default Deck.

Even with the addition of Home City levels, skill will
always play the decisive role in determining who wins,
especially among the more advanced gamers. That said,
when choosing opponents, you should always consider
another player’s Home City level and Player level. Only
during gameplay, however, will you discover whether or
not you chose a worthy opponent.

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Three principal resources—Food, Wood, and Coin—form
the foundation of your economy.

Villagers farm for Food, forage for Wood, and mine

for Coin.

Explorers gather Treasure that contains Food, Wood,

or Coin. Oftentimes, Explorers must battle a Treasure
guardian before claiming the Treasure.

Finding & Gathering Resources

As your villagers and Explorers explore the landscape,
you’ll discover sources of Food (such as sheep, deer, and
fish), Wood (trees), and Coin (mines).

Stockpiled resources of Food, Wood, and Coin help you
pay for improvements that make your civilization more
powerful.

Tracking Your Current Resources

The Resource panel, at the lower-left of your screen,
monitors the real-time values and levels of your Food,
Wood, and Coin stockpiles. It also tracks your village’s
real-time population against its population limit.

Using Your Explorer

An Explorer is a unique unit with specialized capabilities:

Sharpshooter Your Explorer can pick off Treasure

guardians with a single shot.

Trading Posts An Explorer can construct Trading

Posts on Trade Routes to boost
your economy.

Immortal Your Explorer can be hit and wounded

but never dies.

Click the Find Explorer icon on the Mini Map to locate
your Explorer.

Use your Explorer to reveal the uncharted areas of your
map and seek out:

Treasure.

Enemy or allied-player encampments.

Key territorial locations, such as mines.

Sites for new Town Centers.

By keeping your Explorer and military units together
and forming Explorer parties, they can back each other
up when taking out a Treasure guardian or taking on an
enemy scouting party.

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Determining Where to
Place Your Town Center

Your first Town Center is placed automatically at a site
that’s near resources. If you add another Town Center
later, you choose that site yourself. Nomad mode—the
exception to this—requires players to choose all their
Town Center sites.

When placing your Town Center, use your Explorer and
soldiers, also called an Explorer party, to search out the
most strategic location.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a site
for your Town Center:

Are resources readily accessible? Look for access to

animals and fishing for Food, timber for Wood, and
mines for Coin.

Can the site be defended? Look for natural defenses,

including rocky outcroppings or shoreline.

Can you develop alliances and conduct

trade? Look for nearby settlements and
places for Trading Posts.

To place a Town Center

1. Click your Covered Wagon,
which contains all the raw
materials needed to set up
your Town Center.

2. Place your pointer
on the site for your
Town Center, and
then right-click
the location.

A Covered Wagon will travel to your site, build your
Town Center, unload your villagers and resources, and
then disappear. The villagers will immediately stockpile
your Food, Wood, and Coin resources.

Exploring a Map

When you land in a new territory, most of the map
is hidden. Your civilian units (villagers, soldiers, and
Explorers) must venture into the unknown territory to
reveal what’s hidden beneath the map’s blacked-out areas.
You may find units, resources, or be surprised by enemy
encampments.

Designed for exploring and Treasure gathering, Explorers
excel at uncovering resources and discovering enemies.
By using your Explorer in this way, you can expand
your civilization and gain power. But beware—Explorers
are vulnerable to your territory’s hidden dangers. Bears,
cougars, wolves, and enemy soldiers can damage your
Explorer.

To explore hidden areas of the map using
your Explorer

Select your Explorer or an Explorer party, and

then right-click the area to explore on your map
or Mini Map.

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Fog of War

Whenever your Explorer party departs an area, a semi­transparent fog—the Fog of War—creeps in, obscuring
everything in its path. The fog remains until your unit
returns to that area on your map.

For example, if your party discovers an enemy building,
the Fog of War descends over the building as you depart
to conceal all real-time activity at the site. When your unit
returns, the fog lifts and you may find all sorts of changes
to the site—the building could be more heavily fortified or
even destroyed.

Gathering Treasure

While scouting territory,
your Explorer can gather
Treasure to increase your
stockpiles of Food, Wood,
and Coin.

Gathering Treasure is tricky
because it may be guarded.
When it’s guarded—typically
by a powerful animal or
vicious outlaws—your
Explorer must defeat the
Treasure guardian before
collecting the Treasure.

To gather unguarded Treasure

Click your Explorer, and then right-click

the Treasure.

Your Explorer gathers the Treasure and adds it to
your stockpiles.

To gather guarded Treasure

1. Select an Explorer and soldiers to create an Explorer
party. (How big you make your Explorer party
depends on how heavily the Treasure is guarded.)

2. Right-click the Treasure guardian to begin the battle.

3. After your Explorer party defeats the Treasure
guardian, right-click the Treasure.

Your Explorer gathers the Treasure and adds it to
your stockpiles.

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Villagers

Villagers are vital to your civilization. Their work forms
the backbone of your economy. Without them, you would
have no economy and your civilization would collapse.

Villagers are superior gatherers and stockpilers of Food,
Wood, and Coin. The more villagers you have gathering
resources, the faster your stockpiles grow and, in turn, the
faster your civilization grows in wealth and power.

Creating Villagers

Creating villagers requires an investment that differs
for each civilization. For instance, some civilizations
create one villager at a time, requiring a time investment,
whereas others create multiple villagers at once but for a
cost, requiring a resource investment.

To create a villager

Click your Town Center, and then click the Create

Villager button in the Command panel.

Your newly created villager or villagers will appear near
your Town Center. You should immediately put them to
work gathering resources.

Keeping Your Villagers Busy

Villagers add to your experience points and enhance your
economy only when they’re working—gathering Food,
chopping Wood, mining Coin, constructing buildings,
and so on. When idle, villagers contribute nothing to
your civilization. It’s best to keep them adding to your
stockpiles by checking in on them often.

Gathering Food and Wood

Villagers can gather Food and Wood at any time. To find
out if an animal (Food) or tree (Wood) is a resource that
can be gathered, simply place your pointer on it and, if
it is a resource, a tooltip appears identifying it.

You can gather the Food or Wood by selecting a villager,
and then right-clicking the animal or tree. The villager
gathers the resource and adds it to your stockpile.

As you add resources to your stockpiles, they increase
in value. Conversely, as you use your stockpiles or are
unable to add to them, they decrease. For instance, if you
gather all the Wood from your forest, you can no longer
stockpile it, and your stockpile values decrease. This
makes it important to strategically manage your resources
throughout the game.

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Gathering Coin

You must find a silver or gold
mine before gathering Coin.

When you find a mine, select
a villager (or villagers) and
right-click the mine to gather
the Coin.

Constructing Buildings

A Town Center without
buildings doesn’t do much
for your economy. That said,
you can’t construct a building
without using resources—usually Wood, Coin,
or a combination of the two. So, you must first build
your stockpiles of Wood and Coin before you can
construct any buildings.

Along with Houses for your villagers, your Town Center
can have Mills to stockpile Food, Stables to train cavalry,
Markets to conduct trade, and other structures that can
help you advance your civilization.

As you advance your civilization through the Ages and as
your Home City increases in level, the types and number
of buildings available to you also increases.

To construct a building

1. Select a unit to construct the building you want.
(For example, select a villager if you want to build
a House.)

2. In the

3. Place your pointer where you want your building on

Increasing Your Population

Each civilization has a population limit that applies to
soldiers, villagers, and other such units. Before adding any
new units and increasing your population, you must build
additional Houses to support that increase.

Command panel, click the building type that

you want to construct.

the map and click. (Note that if the building turns red
when you try to place it, then it cannot be built on
that terrain and you should try another location.)

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Protecting Your Villagers from Attack

Attacking villagers is a highly effective way to impede the
gathering of Food, Wood, and Coin, which can devastate
an economy, so it’s important you protect your villagers
when they come under enemy attack. One of the best ways
to do this is by garrisoning them in your Town Center.

To garrison specific villagers

1. Select the villager or villagers you want to garrison.

2. Click the
the screen.

3. Click your Town Center.

Garrison button at the lower-right of

Upgrading Your

Civilization’s Units

You can use upgrades to gather Food faster, add hitpoints,
increase the rate of trade, and so forth. Each upgrade,
however, has its price—typically, Food, Wood, Coin, or a
combination of resources. The Command panel displays
the upgrades available to you at any given time.

While most units have upgrades, the upgrades available
to you depend on both your unit and your civilization.

The selected villagers will disappear into your
Town Center.

To put garrisoned villagers back to work

1. Click the Town Center.

2. Click the
of the screen.

The garrisoned villagers emerge from your Town Center
and resume gathering Food, Wood, and Coin.

To garrison all your villagers at one time, click the Town
Bell button. Click it again to have all your villagers leave
the Town Center.

Garrison button at the lower-right side

To upgrade a unit

1. Select the building associated with the unit you want

to upgrade. The Command panel will display the
upgrades currently available to that unit.

2. Make sure you have enough Food, Wood, and Coin
resources for the upgrade.

3. Click the

Command panel.

Upgrade button for that unit in the

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Advancing Through the Ages

Forming Alliances

Advancing to the next Age lets you build different
buildings, create more powerful military units, and
research more valuable technologies.

The five Ages are the:

Discovery Age

Colonial Age

Fortress Age

Industrial Age

Imperial Age

As you gain experience points and stockpile resources, you
earn opportunities to advance your civilization through
all five of the Ages. How well you use these opportunities
determines how quickly and successfully you advance
your civilization.

with Native Americans

You form alliances with Native Americans by building
Trading Posts, which helps you earn experience points and
provides other useful benefits.

Explorers and villagers can build Trading Posts on
Trading Post sites near Native American settlements and
along Trade Routes.

To build a Trading Post

1. Locate a Trading
Post site.

2. Select a unit that can
build a Trading Post (for
example, your Explorer).

3. In the

4. Move your pointer to

5. Click that location to place the Trading Post.

The unit you selected builds the Trading Post at the
chosen location.

Command panel,

click the Trading Post
button.

drag the Trading Post
building to your site.

Creating Native American Warriors for Battle

Trading Posts built next to a Native American
settlement are able to train Native American warriors
for battle. (Your population limit does not apply to Native
American warriors.)

The Native American warriors available to you depends
on a variety of factors, including the map and the
Age that you’re in. Each warrior you train will cost a
certain amount of resources, typically Food, Wood, or
a combination of the two.

To create a Native American warrior

Click your Trading Post, and then click the

appropriate Warrior button on the Command panel.

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Executing on military strategy and leveraging your
civilization’s inherent strengths in combat is critical to
your success. This chapter discusses how to build your
military to achieve its maximum effectiveness.

Creating Military Units

There are three basic types of military units in

Age of Empires III:

Infantry

Cavalry

Artillery

Although some military units can only come from your
Home City, most are created from buildings that are
located in your colony. You cannot build any military
units until you’ve built the necessary buildings:

The Barracks creates infantry units.

The Stable creates cavalry units.

The Artillery Foundry creates
artillery units.

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To create a military unit

1. Click the appropriate building for the type of unit you
want to create.

2. In the

3. Repeat Step 2 to

Command panel, click the Create Unit button

for that unit.

queue up and create additional units,

or hold down the SHIFT key and left-click to queue
up to five military units at one time.

To set a Gather Point

1. Click the building you want to create units for.

2. On the lower-right of the screen, click the

appropriate Set Gather Point icon (economy unit
or military unit).

3. Move the pointer to the location where you want the
units to gather, and then click that location to set the
Gather Point Flag.

The military unit (or units) you created will appear near
its building.

You can train different units at the same building at the
same time. Units are created in the order in which you
queued them. The appropriate resources are deducted from
your stockpiles when you add the unit to the queue.

Choosing Where New Units Gather

All buildings that create units also let you choose where
the new units gather. As an example, if you’re creating
villagers at your Town Center, you can set the silver mine
as a Gather Point, so that as your villagers are created they
automatically gather Coin from the mine.

Many buildings have economic and military Gather
Points, allowing you to have different units go to
different places.

Units generated from that building will now gather at
the location you specified. Setting a new Gather Point
moves the Gather Point from its original location to
a new location.

Reconnaissance

It’s important that you continue to explore your map
during gameplay. Until you send your Explorer or other
units into the hidden areas, large parts of your map will
remain unexplored.

Enemy buildings, walls, and units will remain hidden
until you explore your map and discover the areas
where they’re located. Only by uncovering your enemy’s
locations and military unit choices can you devise an
effective counter-strategy.

After you’ve explored an area, its buildings and units will
remain visible. Ongoing changes to those buildings and
units, however, will not be visible to you, unless they are
within sight of a unit or building from your civilization.

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Moving Units

When you select two or more units and order them
to move or attack, they automatically maneuver into
positions to create a formation.

Fast units, like cavalry, are at the front of the formation.
Ranged units are placed behind them. And weaker units
get placed at the rear—typically behind the ranged units.

The entire formation moves at the speed of the
slowest unit.

When you order a group to attack, it falls into a line
formation. The units then break formation to attack.

For example, if you order a group of Pikemen,
Musketeers, and Falconets to attack, the Musketeers
and Falconets will start the attack from a distance as
the Pikemen close in on the target.

To move a unit

Click the unit (or select a group of units), and then

right-click the location.

How quickly your units move depends on their speed
and the types of units that make up the formation.

Grouping Military Units

Grouping units lets you command several military units
at the same time.

To select multiple units

Drag your pointer around the military units you

want to group.

-or-

Hold down the CTRL key, and then click the

individual units you want to group.

To group all visible units of the same type

Double-click a unit. (For example, double-click a

Musketeer to select all visible Musketeers.)

To create a group of units

1. Select all the units you want to group.

2. Hold down the CTRL key and press the number you
want to assign to the group. For example, to assign
the number 2 to the group, press CTRL+2.

A Group Banner will appear at the top of the screen for
each group you create. Once you’ve assigned a number
to a group, you can just click the Banner or press that
number key to select the group. For example, to select
group 2, press the 2 key.

To add units to a group

1. Select the unit or units you want to add to the group.

2. Hold down the SHIFT key, and then press the
number key of the group you want the units added to.

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Moving a Unit Using Waypoints

You can move a unit, such as a Musketeer or Falconet,
along a precise course using Waypoints.

To move a unit
using Waypoints

1. Click the unit (or units)
you want to move.

2. Hold down the SHIFT
key, and then right­click the terrain to set
a Waypoint. (Repeat
this step until all your
Waypoints are set,
mapping the course you
want your unit to take.)

3. At the last Waypoint,
release the SHIFT key, and then right-click.
Your unit now moves along the Waypoints.

Transporting Units Across Water

When you need to cross deep bodies of water, you can
transport your units by loading them onto a ship, such
as a Caravel.

You can load any unit onto a ship. If you’re in a
multiplayer game, allies can transport each other’s units.
Each ship carries a limited number of units.

To load a ship

Select the unit (or units), and then right-click the

ship. Your units board that ship.

To unload a ship

1. Click the ship you previously loaded. The units the
ship contains appear as icons in the lower-right of
the screen.

2. Click the unit icons one at a time to unload your units
onto shore in a specific order,
button to unload them all at once.

or simply click the Eject

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Engaging in Combat

Even though you can get satisfaction from building Mills,
gathering Coin, and chopping Wood, there’s nothing like
proving your mettle in combat. After all, why include
muskets and cannon if you don’t use them?

Building Your Military

When choosing the specific units that define your military,
it’s important to understand and weigh several factors:

Your civilization’s strengths and weaknesses relative

to other civilizations.

Your preferred strategy against each civilization.

For example, the British are economically quite strong in
the early game, not gaining their full military power until
later on. In contrast, even though the Spanish military
ramps up quickly, they don’t achieve their full economic
potential until late in the game.

It’s also important to keep tabs on your opponents
through scouting and reconnaissance. Check to see how
their military evolves. Choose units that can effectively
counter their units. For example, if you discover an
enemy army with a superior cavalry, counter with a
strong Musketeer force.

Learn and leverage the balance of forces that underlie
all military unit relationships in Age of Empires III. By
creating a fighting force that can balance effectively
against your opponents, you increase your odds of success.

Age of Empires III was designed to provide you with
many different choices in how you develop and use your
military. The Inventory and Deck system offers multiple
paths through the different units and resources available.

We strongly advise you to try many different
configurations until you find those that work best with
your particular strategies, interests, and individual style
of play.

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Ordering an Attack

After building up your forces and deciding on a strategy,
it’s time to make a move. Your opponent stands before
you. Charge!

Your military units, warships, and towers automatically
attack enemy units within their line of sight, unless you
order them to attack a different unit.

Choosing a Strategy

Age of Empires III gives you total flexibility in choosing
how to balance economic development versus military
advancement. The game continually provides you with
meaningful choices that can both define and undermine
your style of play.

To order an attack

1. Select the unit (or units) you want to use in
your attack.

2. Right-click all the enemy units to attack.

And thus, the battle begins!

Attack Notification

Whenever your military units attack or come under attack,
a battle horn sounds. Whenever your civilian units or
buildings are attacked, the Town Center bell rings. These
alerts allow you to quickly react to a range of threats and
are especially useful when your Explorer is away scouting
hidden areas of your map.

Over the years, several core strategies have emerged as
useful tools for experienced gamers: Rushing, Booming,
and Turtling.

Rushing

This strategy focuses on building up your military quickly
for early attacks. The goal of Rushing is to catch your
enemies unprepared.

By taking out your opponent’s core economic resources—
such as villagers, Houses, and Markets—you dramatically
impede your enemy’s ability to advance their civilization.

Booming

Instead of focusing on your military, Booming involves
turning your civilization into an economic powerhouse.
To be successful at Booming, you establish multiple Town
Centers with a huge population of villagers, all gathering
resources at a high rate.

By maximizing your economy in this manner early on,
you build immense resources that you can later spend on
creating a massive military.

Turtling

Turtling is a strategy that involves immediately taking
strong defensive measures. From the start, you begin
walling off your Town Centers and protecting your
economic resources from a potential Rush.

To use Turtling successfully, you build your defensive and
economic resources first, while your attacks come later in
the game.

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Age of Empires III is set during a time of massive growth,
exploration, and opportunity in the world. Fortunes are
pursued and forsaken. Empires emerge and vanish. It
is a time of sweeping challenge and change, when rapid
advances in technology overturn many of the long-held
traditions and tactics of warfare.

In Age of Empires III, you play as a civilization. You can
play as any one of the following civilizations, which are
listed in order of least to most difficult to play:

Spanish

British

French

Portuguese

Dutch

Russian

German

Ottoman

While most of the civilizations share several key units—
such as the Musketeer and the Hussar—each civilization
comes with its own unique units as well. You’ll find that
the units and their upgrade paths are carefully crafted to
achieve an overall balance of powers, while offering a
range of strategic choices.

For example, when considering between playing as the
British or French civilization, you must contemplate the
following factors:

The British have the Congreve Rocket, while the

French have the mighty Cuirassier—the heaviest
cavalry unit in the game.

The British have the strongest Musketeers in the

game, while the French have better Skirmishers.

You also do not want to ignore the Native Americans
as potential allies. By forming a strategic alliance with
a Native American nation, such as the Iroquois or the
Lakota, you essentially play as two civilizations.

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Spanish

British

Civilization Bonus

Unique Units

Royal Guard Units

Home City Ruler

The Spanish have a strong military, particularly their
hand infantry and cavalry. Because of their ability to earn
early Shipments and the flexibility of those Shipments,
they can attack early or build a strong economy later in
the game.

Their Explorer’s ability to train War Dogs gives the
Spanish added flexibility, especially early in the game.

The Spanish have many unique Home City improvements
that benefit their soldiers, buildings, and navy.

Home City Shipments are
earned faster

Rodelero, Lancer, War Dog

Pikeman, Rodelero, Lancer

Queen Isabella

Civilization Bonus

Unique Units

Royal Guard Units

Home City Ruler

The speed at which the British spawn villagers gives them
one of the strongest economies in the game. The British
can focus early on gathering Wood for Manor Houses that
create villagers at a fast rate.

The British military is formidable, particularly later in the
game, due to two mainline units—the Musketeer and the
Hussar—that can be upgraded to Royal Guard level.

The British Home City is flexible, emphasizing both
technology and its navy.

Extra Manor Houses that
spawn villagers

Longbowman, Rocket

Musketeer, Hussar

Queen Elizabeth

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French

Portuguese

Civilization Bonus

Unique Units

Royal Guard Units

Home City Ruler

The French economy builds slowly but steadily improves
over time—thanks to the power of the Coureur. And
because the Coureurs fight better than standard Settlers,
this makes the French difficult to attack early in the game.

The French Cuirassier is easily the strongest cavalry
unit; however, it takes a robust economy to field a large
army of them.

The French are also the best civilization at forging
alliances with Native American nations.

Coureurs gather faster and
fight better

Coureur, Cuirassier

Cuirassier, Skirmisher

Napoleon

Civilization Bonus

Unique Units

Royal Guard Units

Home City Ruler

The Portuguese gain an extra Covered Wagon whenever
they advance an Age, enabling them to establish a new
Town Center.

The Portuguese Explorer has a unique Spyglass that lets
him quickly explore the map or spy on enemies.

The Portuguese also have a strong navy, strong light
infantry, and the best Dragoons in the game.

Extra Covered Wagon
whenever you advance an Age

Cassador, Organ Gun

Musketeer, Dragoon

Prince Henry the Navigator

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Dutch

Russian

Civilization Bonus

Unique Units

Royal Guard Units

Home City Ruler

The Dutch Home City offers powerful defensive and
economic upgrades. The Dutch tend to begin their games
by playing defensively, however, all that changes after
they establish several Banks—typically later in the Ages.
They then explode onto the map.

Dutch villagers cost Coin, which greatly limits their
numbers. The Dutch economy makes up for this by
constructing Banks that generate Coin automatically.

They have a unique civilian—the Envoy—who has great
scouting capabilities but is defenseless. While they lack
a Musketeer, the Dutch make up for it with two strong
counter-units—the Halberdier and the Ruyter.

Villagers cost Coin, Banks
produce Coin

Envoy, Ruyter, Fluyt

Halberdier, Ruyter

Maurice of Orange

Civilization Bonus

Unique Units

Royal Guard Units

Home City Ruler

The Russians begin the game with extra resources but
fewer villagers. This lets them immediately turn their
resources into villagers or create a raiding army earlier in
the game.

Russian soldiers tend to be weaker, but they cost less and
can be deployed in greater numbers. This is particularly
true of the Strelet—the weakest and least expensive soldier
in the game.

All Russian infantry and villagers are trained in groups.
While this allows the Russians to train these units faster,
group training requires more resources.

Russians train their infantry out of a building called a
Blockhouse, which defends territory in the same manner
as an Outpost.

Villagers and infantry are trained
in groups, low-cost military

Strelet, Cossack, Oprichnik

Grenadier, Cavalry Archer

Ivan the Terrible

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German

Ottoman

Civilization Bonus

Unique Units

Royal Guard Units

Home City Ruler

The Germans have fewer villagers and therefore a slower
economy. They make up for this by receiving Uhlans at
no cost with every Home City Shipment.

While a German military will always have cavalry,
their late-developing army is surprisingly diverse. For
instance, you might have an army made up of strong
Skirmishers, the pike-cleaving Doppelsoldner, or the
mighty War Wagon.

Germans have the added ability to send Mercenaries from
their Home City well before other civilizations.

Free Uhlans arrive with every
Home City Shipment

Uhlan, Settler Wagon,
Doppelsoldner, War Wagon

Skirmisher, Uhlan

Frederick the Great

Civilization Bonus

Unique Units

Royal Guard Units

Home City Ruler

Like the German economy, the Ottoman economy tends
to start somewhat slowly. They make up for this by being
able to create villagers at no cost from the Town Center.

To keep villager production constant, the Ottomans must
build a Mosque early in the game and continually research
improvements for it.

The Ottomans have more unique units than any other
civilization. They can build an Artillery Foundry before
other civilizations, giving them earlier access to artillery.

Town Centers that spawn
villagers at no cost

Abus Gun, Janissary, Spahi,
Galley, Great Bombard

Grenadier, Hussar

Suleiman the Magnificent

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You advance the capabilities of your colony—economically
and militarily—by creating a variety of buildings and
units. Cost, upgrade capabilities, and other building and
unit attributes can vary by civilization.

Buildings

Buildings form an essential part of your colony and
civilization. You’ll use your buildings to manage resources,
create and upgrade your military and its arsenal, and
establish the daily operations and economic vitality of
your colony.

Despite minor differences, the following buildings are
common to all civilizations.

Town Center

Forms the heart and soul of every colony.
The Town Center provides the primary link
to your Home City—by default, all units
and goods sent from the Home City arrive
here. You can build multiple Town Centers.

The Town Center supports a population of
up to 10; trains villagers, Covered Wagons,
and Minutemen; and offers other colony
improvements. When your colony is under
attack, garrison your villagers inside the
Town Center.

House

Supports up to 10 villagers or military
units. Construct Houses as necessary when
you need to expand your colony to the
maximum allowed by your population limit.

Church

Provides unique improvements for your
civilization. Churches train healers and
offer economic, defensive, and military
benefits.

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Capitol

Provides powerful Imperial Age economic
and military upgrades that help you make
the final push to victory.

Market

Provides economic improvements for
hunting, gathering, and mining. Building a
Market lets you exchange Food and Wood
for Coin and vice versa.

Setting up a Market gives you more options
in managing your economy. For example, if
a technology upgrade costs more Coin than
you have stockpiled, you can sell some Food
or Wood at the Market to raise enough Coin
for the upgrade.

Mill

Doesn’t increase your Food stockpile as fast
as herding or hunting, but does provide a
steady, unending source of Food.

Factory

Can be built once you’ve reached the
Industrial Age. They produce either Food,
Wood, Coin, or Cannon, and you’ll want
to leverage their high output capabilities to
build your economy.

Arsenal

Provides military improvements that can
change the speed, range, hitpoints, and
damage of infantry, cavalry, and artillery.

Barracks

Trains and upgrades infantry units,
which are a core component of every
civilization’s military. (The Russians have
the Blockhouse, which is a combination
Barracks and Outpost.)

Dock

Produces boats and ships for fishing,
combat, and transporting units across
bodies of water.

Outpost

Can be built anywhere in the wilderness.
Each has a long line of sight for defense
and a decent attack. Several units, such as
villagers, Coureurs, and Settler Wagons,
can garrison inside an Outpost.

Livestock Pen

Stores sheep and cows that you find while
exploring or obtain as Shipments from your
Home City. Sheep and cows fatten over
time, which means the longer they live, the
more Food they provide. Sheep and cows
fatten much faster in a Livestock Pen.

Plantation

Generates Coin and can be built anywhere
in your colony. You may find Plantations
very useful later in a game—once your
mines are depleted.

Fort

Spawns a variety of military units and
offers walls, towers, and gates that provide
a strong defense. You may have to unlock
your civilization’s ability to create
a Fort.

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Field Hospital

Built and used by Surgeons to heal
nearby units.

Trading Post

Built along Trade Routes or near Native
American settlements by Explorers and
villagers. When on a Trade Route, a
Trading Post is a location where goods get
delivered. When near a Native American
settlement, it establishes an alliance with a
Native American nation.

Stable

Trains cavalry and counter-cavalry units—
essential elements to your military. As your
civilization advances through the Ages,
you’ll return to the Stable to research and
upgrade your cavalry units.

Artillery Foundry

Trains and upgrades artillery units for your
military, such as Falconets and Mortars.

Explorers

Every colony in Age of Empires III gets established
through the support and leadership of its Explorer.

As the leader of your New World colony, your Explorer
will scout new territory, build Trading Posts, battle
outlaws and Treasure guardians, establish new colonies,
and recover Treasures.

Your Explorer has a special Sharpshooter attack that
enables him to kill with a single shot. You’ll find this
skill quite useful when gathering Treasure protected by
guardians.

Note that your Explorer can’t die. If he falls in battle, he
can be rescued and healed.

Explorer Dog

Acts as your Explorer’s loyal companion.
Explorer Dogs make gathering Treasures
easier.

Powerful in combat, the Explorer Dog
cannot be killed. Just like the Explorer,
it may fall in battle but can be revived.

War Dog

Obeys your commands and fights Treasure
guardians. The Spanish start off with this
fierce mastiff and their Explorer can train
additional War Dogs (which is good since
these canines can be killed).

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Infantry

Infantry are foot soldiers used for hand-to-hand
combat. They are relatively cheap and quick to create.
You can create and upgrade infantry at the Barracks
(or Blockhouse for the Russians).

Pikeman

A basic foot unit armed with a long pike.
Pikemen are archaic infantry particularly
good at defending against cavalry. Because
they are slow and lack a ranged attack,
they have difficulty chasing down cavalry.
Pikemen can be countered by light infantry
or artillery.

Janissary

A highly trained, though slow marching,
infantry unit that fulfills the role of
the Musketeer from other civilizations.
Janissaries are strong against cavalry
but weak against such artillery and
light infantry, such as Crossbowmen
or Skirmishers.

Musketeer

The standard infantry unit. Armed with
a smoothbore musket, they’re relatively
inaccurate with a slow rate of fire. On the
plus side, they’re inexpensive. Strong against
cavalry, they’re weak against artillery and
light infantry.

Halberdier

An infantry unit armed with a halberd.
Strong against buildings and cavalry,
Halberdiers act as more powerful Pikemen.
They move slowly but have a strong attack.

Rodelero

A Spanish sword-and-buckler man with a
strong attack. Rodeleros beat cavalry but
lose to artillery and light infantry.

Doppelsoldner

A flamboyant infantry unit armed with two­handed swords. They can defeat cavalry,
counter Pikemen, and are good when
attacking buildings.

Minuteman

A quick-training Musketeer who loses
hitpoints quickly over time. Use them for
temporary battles when you need to react
quickly to an immediate crisis.

Crossbowman

A light-infantry unit good at defeating
infantry, such as Musketeers, but weak
against cavalry and artillery.

Longbowman

Longbowmen are a unique British light
infantry unit. They have a long range and a
fast rate of fire but are expensive. Longbows
beat infantry, such as Musketeers, but lose
to cavalry and artillery.

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Strelet

A weak Russian light infantry unit.
They are inexpensive and can only
be trained in groups. Strelets act like
Crossbowmen or Skirmishers; they are good
against infantry, such as Musketeers, but
lose to cavalry and artillery.

Cavalry

Placing a warrior on a horse was the early equivalent of
today’s tank. Fast and mobile, cavalry units revolutionized
warfare by providing the means to quickly overwhelm less
capable foot soldiers.

Skirmisher

A more advanced unit who fills the same
light-infantry role as Crossbowmen. They
excel at defeating infantry but lose to
cavalry and artillery.

Cassador

A Portuguese light-infantry unit. They
work like Skirmishers; they are good at
defeating infantry but are weak against
cavalry and artillery.

You’ll use your cavalry for both scouting and combat.
You create and upgrade cavalry units at the Stable.

Hussar

A fast-moving light cavalry. They defeat
artillery but lose to infantry, such as
Musketeers and especially Pikemen.

Cuirassier

An expensive French heavy cavalry.
They do heavy damage by trampling.

Cossack

An inexpensive and fast Russian
light cavalry.

Uhlan

A heavy, hard-hitting (but not very durable)
mounted soldier armed with cold steel.

Lancer

A heavy Spanish horseman armed with a
lance for killing infantry. Lancers are a
cavalry unit unique to the Spanish. They
are stronger and more resistant to infantry
than are Hussars.

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Oprichnik

A heavy cavalry unit that does extra damage
to villagers and buildings. They are unique
to the Russian civilization.

Spahi

A heavy Ottoman cavalry unit that you can
only receive from your Home City. Spahis
are good against light infantry and artillery
but lose to infantry and counter-cavalry.

Cavalry Archer

A fast-moving counter-cavalry unit.

Artillery

The addition of artillery enabled units to pack a lot
more punch at longer distances than previously possible
with earlier ranged weapons such as bows and arrows.
You create and upgrade your artillery units at the
Artillery Foundry.

Grenadier

An expensive artillery unit with a lot of
hitpoints. They are resilient to artillery
but vulnerable to light infantry, such as
Crossbowmen and Skirmishers.

Dragoon

Another type of ranged counter-cavalry
unit. They beat other cavalry but lose to
infantry such as Musketeers.

Ruyter

A Dutch cavalry unit armed with pistols.

War Wagon

A German unit comprised of a horse-drawn
wagon outfitted with cannon. They’re very
good against heavy cavalry.

Falconet

A simple artillery unit. They’re better at
countering groups of infantry than they
are at besieging buildings.

Abus Gun

An Ottoman bronze artillery unit used
to counter infantry.

Organ Gun

A gun that can fire multiple projectiles into
a large area, making it particularly good at
defeating groups of infantry. They are not
as good against buildings.

Mortar

A long-ranged piece of artillery that is
very good at destroying buildings but less
effective against infantry.

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Culverin

An artillery unit that is particularly good
at countering other artillery. Because they
do not have a large area effect, they are not
as good at countering infantry as are other
artillery. They are effective against ships.

Heavy Cannon

An effective weapon against both infantry
and buildings. You can obtain Heavy
Cannon at no cost from your Home City
or Factory.

Great Bombard

A slow, expensive, unique artillery used
by the Ottomans. These weapons excel at
destroying buildings. You can obtain Great
Bombards for free from your Home City or
Factory.

Rocket

A unique British artillery piece that can
only be used once. They are erratic and
explode spectacularly in combat. They are
good against infantry and buildings.

Civilian Units

Along with your military units, you’ll have a variety
of other units that offer services such as gathering
resources, creating buildings, exploring territory, and
healing the wounded.

Settler

The primary economic resource of your
colony. Settlers and other villagers do
the work that provides the basis for your
colony’s expansion and success. Each
Settler can construct buildings and
gather resources.

Coureur

The French have Coureurs instead of
Settlers. Coureurs are more expensive than
Settlers because they gather resources faster
and can double as infantry, which is unique
to the French.

Settler Wagon

A unit that gathers resources more quickly
than a Settler can.

Covered Wagon

A unit that provides the resources
necessary to start a new colony. To
convert your Covered Wagon into a Town
Center, move your Covered Wagon to an
unobstructed area.

Envoy

A Dutch reconnaissance unit with a good
line of sight but no attack. Use him with
your Explorer to investigate new territory.

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Priest

A religious leader who can heal
damaged units.

Missionary

A mounted, Spanish religious leader who
can move quickly and heal injured units.

Imam

An Ottoman religious leader who can
heal damaged units.

Ships

Use ships to fish, transport units, and engage in combat.
You build and upgrade ships at the Dock.

Fishing Boat

A boat used for gathering fish as Food
resources. Place your Fishing Boats to
gather fish and add to your Food stockpile.

Caravel

An early warship that’s good at exploring,
fishing, or transporting units and goods.

Surgeon

A battlefield medic who can heal injured
units quicker than Priests and can build
Field Hospitals.

Hot Air Balloon

A unit that can be produced from the Home
City and sent aloft to roam and provide a
huge line of sight. Balloons are vulnerable
to attack by ranged units.

Galleon/Fluyt

A slow, powerful Treasure ship that can
train units and is resistant to fire.

Frigate

The most powerful warship in the game.

Galley

A maneuverable ship powered by oars
and sails.

Monitor

A warship that’s good at bombarding
buildings at long range.

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Native Americans

You’ll want to form alliances with the different Native
American nations that inhabit the New World. By creating
Trading Posts, you’ll uncover a wide-ranging assortment
of different warriors and resources.

Aztec Eagle Warrior

An infantry unit that flings javelins from
an atl-atl. They have a good attack with
a decent range but are not as effective in
melee combat.

Aztec Jaguar Warrior

A swordsman armed with an obsidian
macana. They are especially good at melee
combat and in defeating hand infantry.

Canoe

A relatively inexpensive Native boat
that can attack, fish, or transport units.
The warriors within have a decent short­range attack.

Carib Blowgunner

An infantry unit with good hitpoints and
a decent ranged attack using poison darts.

Cherokee Rifleman

A ranged infantry unit that is accurate to a
long range. It’s good to maintain this range
whenever possible.

Comanche Horse Archer

A Native cavalry unit armed with an
accurate bow, good speed, and a good ranged
attack. They are particularly effective
against hand cavalry.

Cree Tracker

A rifleman with decent hitpoints, a good
line of sight, and long range.

Incan Bolas Warrior

A missile unit who’s very effective at
immobilizing enemies.

Incan Huaminca

An infantry unit who uses a long flexible
spear, like a pike. They have a strong
attack, a lot of hitpoints, and no range.
They are particularly effective against
buildings.

Iroquois Mantlet

A siege unit who’s good against buildings.

Iroquois Tomahawk

A ranged infantry unit who’s strong
against hand infantry but weak against
cavalry and artillery.

Maya Holcan Spearman

A siege and anti-cavalry unit who uses a
barbed spear. They are effective at close­range melee combat.

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Nootka Clubman

A relatively weak, but inexpensive to
produce, infantry unit. Clubmen are
effective in melee combat.

Scout

A unit that supports your Explorer in
investigating new territory.

Seminole Sharktooth Bowman

A ranged Native infantry unit that is
effective for short-range situations where
you need to inflict high damage.

Lakota Axe Rider

A Native cavalry unit armed with an
axe. They are effective at close-range
melee combat.

Lakota Dog Soldier

An elite cavalry unit known as a “Dog
Soldier.” They are highly esteemed by
friends and enemies alike.

Tupi Blackwood Archer

A Native unit that is accurate for long­range attacks. They have good range but
limited hitpoints.

Mercenaries

Mercenaries are elite troops who can be sent from the
Home City in exchange for Coin. Hiring mercenaries
costs more than purchasing other military units, but they
are more powerful.

Barbary Corsair

A pirate mercenary infantry unit from the
Barbary Coast of North Africa.

Black Rider

A heavy German cavalry unit armed with
pistols. Unlike most ranged cavalry, these
guys pack on the armor.

Hackapell

An expensive but powerful heavy cavalry
unit from Finland. The name came from
their battle cry, which roughly translates to
“hack them down.”

Highlander

A powerful, ranged infantry unit from
Scotland. These are essentially super
Musketeers.

Jaeger

A fast-moving rifleman who sacrifices
damage for accuracy. Britain used Hessian
Jaeger mercenaries in the United States
Revolutionary War.

Landsknecht

A proud, flamboyant mercenary armed with
a halberd. They were hired out throughout
the Renaissance.

Mameluke

A bold cavalry mercenary who controlled
Egypt from the 1200s to 1800s.

Manchu

A fierce mounted archer from China. The
Manchurians formed the Qing dynasty,
which replaced the Ming dynasty in
the 1600s.

Ronin

A masterless samurai who has no lord
and often wanders or works for the
highest bidder.

Stradiot

An aggressive light cavalry unit originally
from Albania. They favor a spear with a
point at both ends.

Swiss Pikeman

An elite mercenary armed with a pike. In
an age of gunpowder, the Swiss Pikemen
recalled the era of the Greek phalanx.

Privateer

A mercenary warship for combat and
transport. They are manned by pirates
who work for a particular government
and are authorized to pirate the fleets of
enemy nations.

130

132

133

ENSEMBLE
STUDIOS

PROGRAMMING

Dave “Bigdog” Pottinge r

- Lead Program mer
John Evanson - As st. Lead
Shawn “Strobe” Lohst roh

- Asst. Lead
Jeff “DrJest” Ruediger

- Asst. Lead
Michael Bean
Tom Bean
David “Hiro” Bett ner
Paul Bettner
Michael Capp s
Mike “Jimmay” Coker
Graeme Devi ne
Andrew “Voltron” Foster

Rich Geld reich
Richard “Lo serBoy” Gyger
Marc Hanson
Chris “DarthCo der” Hockenberry
Bill Jackson
Billy Ethan Khan
Mike “Captn” Kidd
Doug “Slug” Marien
Dusty “Dla ngar” Monk
Marcin “Laeus” Szymanski
Sergio Tacconi
Celeste “C elestip oo” Torrales

DESIGN

Greg “DeathShrimp” Street

- Lead Designer
Jerome K. Jones “Bugs911”

- Asst. Lead
Jeff “Quast a” Brown
Joseph D. “Joeyjojo” Gil lum
Vance Hampton
David “Learguy” Leary
Karen “Scou t” McMullan
Sandy “Honcho” Petersen
Justin “Bear” Rouse
Bruce C. “ blues _sherry” Shelley
Karen Swanson
Kevin White

ART

Lance Hoke - Ar t Producer
Brad Crow - Art/Animation Lead
Dave Kubalak - Character Lead
Paul “sPanky” Sluss er

- Environments L ead
Brett “Sp arky” Briley
David A. “Icaru s” Cherry
Andy Cotnam
Don Gagen
Bryan Hehma nn
Dion Hopkins
Zach Jaquays
Paul “Verbinator” Jaquays

Gene Kohler
Juan “monster” Martinez
Duncan McKis sick
Thonny Namuonglo
Chea “T_R _U_C_ K” O’Neill
Pete Parisi
Jason Sal lenbach
Duane San tos
Adam Schimpf
Mark Sinclair
Brian “Zeus” Sousa
Nathan Stefan
Bart “Ric e and Eggs” Tiongson
Chris Van Doren
Rob Walden
Paul “ThE_ BirD” Warzecha
Scott Win sett

MUSIC & EFFECTS

Stephen “Big Al” Rippy

- Music Compo sition &
Sound Design

Kevin “plaistow” McMullan

- Music Compo sition

MANAGEMENT

Tony “GreedySmurf ” Good man

- Studio He ad
Ian M. Fischer
Lance Hoke
Patrick Huds on
Angelo Laudon
Dave “Bigdog” Pottinge r
Chris “Scapegoater” Rippy
David Rippy
Harter “Ha rterFaster” Ryan
Bruce C. “ blues _sherry” Shelley
Greg “DeathShrimp” Street

PRODUCTION

David Rippy - Lead Producer
Wallace H. Wachi, Jr.
Brian Lemo n
Timothy R “the Inzs taGator”

Ruessler

Matty “maimin _matt y” Scadding

INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY

Roy “Royster” Rabey
Dwayne Gravitt
Jake “D_Dawg” Do tson

ADDITIONAL
PLAYTESTING
& HELP

Tim “Timotron” De en
Robert “Xemu” Fermi er
Ian M. Fischer
Marc Taro Holmes
Angelo “Des perado” Lau don
Chris “Scapegoater” Rippy

ADMINISTRATION

Lizette Atkinson
Nique Gardne r

BALANCE

Kevin “the Sheriff ” Holme
Nick “TheMoonG oat” Currie

Brian “Vega” Dellinger

Brock “Pimp-S auce” Meade

WEB & COMMUNITY
SUPPORT

Ben ”The Donger” Donges

Mike “Archangel” McCar t

INTERNAL QA

David “Milkma nDan” Lewis
Robert “MrAnd erson”

Anderso n

Mike “Yeti” Brown

SPECIAL THANKS

Stephane Du guay
Herb Ellwoo d
Gage R. Galinger
Byron Goodm an
Brian Jones
Sean Wolff

MICROSOFT
CORPORATION

MGS MANAGEMENT

Shane Kim
Phil Spence r
A.J. Redme r
David C. Holme s
Matt Whiting
Dave Luehmann
Dennis Wixon
Korey Krauskopf
Kyle Shannon
Joanne Will iams

MARKETING & PR

Chris Lee
Albert Kanan
Simon Marks
Nancy Rams ey
Nate Brooling
Raja Subramo ni

PRINT DESIGN

Jeannie Voirin-Gerd e

- Print Design Lead
Jeremy Parton ­Thomas Growe

USER EXPERIENCE

Alan Theurer

Brent Metcal fe - Editor
Jack Turk - Writer
Jon Seal - Ed itor
Heidi Wartelle - E ditor
Laura Hamilton - Editor

LOCALIZATION

Virginia Spencer

USER RESEARCH

John Hopso n
Randy Pagulayan
Marcos Nunes-Ueno
Jun Kim

ADMINISTRATION

Samantha Dougherty-Sindell

PSS

Greg Frankovic
Anthony Walp

TNT

Scott Miller
Matt Gradwohl
Chris Lee
Marwan Jubran
Mike Ruete

TEST MANAGEMENT

Greg B. Jones “Psych ”
Jimmy Bischoff
Korey Krauskopf

SOFTWARE TEST
ENGINEERS

Fred L. Norton II - Test Lead
Bill Metters
David Lau “Wibbl e”
Doug Jelen
Kevin Bowen “Bows er”
Kevin Verboort “Verb”
Mike Cody “Boris”
Ryan Hylland
Tony Bradley

RESERVES INFANTRY
TEST TEAM

Joe Djorgee - Lead
Anthony Ervin
Brian Rowe
Dane Egenes
Derek Webb
Dustin Da rcy

- User Experience Manage r

Eric Boughton “Ninja”
James Kirst
Julie Appleto n
Kory Riley
Kyle Casperson
Lenny Lim “Zip py”
Maurice Campbell
Michael Tom
Rahsaan G reen

“Mr RaHgers”
Rene Holt
Rick James R ispoli
Rogelio Andre s Fuentes
Trent Buys

RECON TEST TEAM

Craig Marshall - Lead
Daniel Bach
Matthew Gid dings
Nick Zuclich “Em perorX”
Wesley Jue
Sean Roffe
Zack Moxley “ZeeMox”
Nathan Gilb ert

CONFIG LAB

Patrick Ascol ese - Lead
Blake Dod son
Titus Lowell
Michael Osgood-Graver

MULTIPLAYER LAB

TJ Duez – Lead “Taygee”
John Thomas
Joseph Ezell
Theodore Lankford

SETUP

Craig Henry

LOC / UX IRELAND

Brian Fox
Ian Walsh
Steve Belton
John O’Sullivan
Mick Ivory
Declan Mac Hu gh
Barry Comyn
Keywords Test Team
Giovanni Manz ari
David Skreiner
Damien Lafit te
Tomas Riolobos
Giselle d e Castro
Paul Vigneron

“Ruxzbin”

“Craeft”

“paradox”

LOC / UX JAPAN

Kazuyuki Kumai

- Manager

Kaoru Ito

- Localiz ation Project
Manager

Miyuki Nouguch i

- UX reviewer

Mihoko Yamazawa

- UX reviewer

Yutaka Hasegawa

- Lead Soft ware Desig n
Engineer

Munetaka Fuse

- Software D esign
Engineer

Sachiko Nagas awa

- Software Test Engineer

Masaki Kokubu n

- Software Test Engineer

Mariko Kikuchi

- Software Test Engineer

Takayuki Tsuchiya

- Program Manager

Hirofumi Matsumura

- Program Manager

LOC / UX KOREA

Jae Youn Kim

- Program Manager

Il Jin Park

- Software Test Engineer

Whi Young Yoon

- Localiz ation Program
Manager

LOC / UX TAIWAN

Cheng-Te Tony Lin

- Program Manager

Wen-Chin Deng

- Software Test Engineer

Lilia Lee

- Software Test Engineer

Kay Wang

- Localiz ation Program
Manager

SECURITY TEAM

Bill Shihara

AGENCY KEY

Excel Data Cor poration
Volt
VMC

S&T Onsite
Lead
Wise SerTech

Keywords

Technical Support

In the U.S., visit http://support.microsoft.com/games.

In Canada, visit http://www.microsoft.ca/support.

Outside the U.S. and Canada, visit http://support.microsoft.com/international.
aspx.

On these Web sites, you can:

• Download the latest updates.

• Find Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that target specific issues.

• View “Show Me How” videos for solving common problems.

• Access other support services.

Microsoft support services are for technical issues only—please do not use them
to request game hints, codes, or cheats.

Chat & E-mail Support: To chat immediately with a Microsoft Support
Professional, or to submit your issue by e-mail (e-mail responses may be delayed
by several hours), visit the location-appropriate Web site listed above.

Phone Support: To speak with a Microsoft Support Professional (long hold
times may be experienced), in the U.S. call [phone] and in Canada call
[phone].

TTY Support: To use Microsoft text telephone, in the U.S. call [phone]
and in Canada call [phone].

Conditions: Microsoft’s support services are subject to then-current prices,
terms, and conditions, which are subject to change without notice.

134

GAME

PRECISION

SERIES

Discover Game Precision

THIN, FLEXIBLE CABLE

The responsiveness of wired, the feel of wireless.

SCROLL WHEEL WITH DETENTS

For enhanced gaming control.

PRECISION BOOSTER

Switch between preferred speed and precision mode
for targeting.

GAMING TOGGLE

Quickly select and switch weapons or actions in real time.

Advanced Laser Technology
for superior gaming performance

www.microsoft.com/hardware

© 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States
and/or other countries.

�

with Microsoft® Laser Mouse 6000.