Explorer

"The leader of your colony. Explores, fights, builds Town Centers and Trading Posts. Cannot die. If he falls unconscious, he can be rescued."

- In-game description

The Explorer is a hero in Age of Empires III. In standard random map games, every European civilizations start with an Explorer. It explores uncharted areas of the map and has some special abilities to help himself and his colony.

Overview
The Explorer can build Town Centers and Trading Posts. This allows the player a second attempt at rebuilding if their original colony was destroyed, provided that they have enough resources to build one and train settlers (except for the Ottomans, who get free Settlers). He builds a Trading Post faster then regular Settlers, nearing that of a Coureur des Bois or a Settler Wagon.

The Explorer can explore and fight longer if he has a few units accompanying him. He can regenerate health, which increases as the player Ages up. Explorers are very ineffective at raiding enemy settlements early in the game, as they only deal 25% damage against villager-type units. They are also very weak against Spies and Ninjas.

Unlike other units who simply die when they reach 0 hit points, the Explorer will collapse in excruciating pain. The player can either pay as Ransom to whoever dealt the final blow (including Mother Nature). They may also help him back up on his feet with an allied unit or building (this also includes projectiles fired from friendly units). In order to get back on his feet, he must have at least 100 health.

Several "El Pollo Guapo" treasures, found on specific North American maps, can provide additional stats such as a 20% speed boost or 20-100% hit point boost, which stacks with other treasures and improvements.

Every European civilization has a unique Home City Card for their Explorer, which improves his fighting ability and sends him a Dog companion. The Spanish Explorer, already having War Dogs of his own, does not get a Dog companion; instead it boosts the hit points and attack of his War Dogs.

Upgrades
The Explorer is automatically upgraded in every Age past Discovery Age.
 * ages colonial.jpg +25% hit points and attack
 * ages fortress.jpg +30% hit points and attack
 * ages industrial.jpg +40% hit points and attack
 * ages imperial.jpg +50% hit points

Further statistics
As the Explorer is only available to European civilizations, only improvements available to them (including native improvements) are listed here.

Home City Cards
As the Explorer is exclusive to European civilizations, only other civilizations' TEAM cards that affects them are listed here. {| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width: 100%;" ! sab="1148" | Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Explorer Green : TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
 * - sab="1147"
 * - sab="1149"
 * sab="1150" |

Spanish

 * }

Trivia

 * No in-game Explorer model resembles the Explorer's unit portrait. However, the images on each unique Home City Card for the Explorer (see Home City Cards) resemble each respective civilizations' Explorers.
 * An Explorer that belongs to a non-European civilization will receive a random hero name from Age of Mythology.

History
"Explorers set out for the New World with a variety of backgrounds and missions. Some were nobles seeking fame and wealth; others were slaves forced to accompany their masters. Some wanted to claim new lands for the nations that sponsored their voyages; others wanted to explore the lands, their peoples, and the flora and fauna. Estevanico was a slave from Morocco, sold to the Spaniard Andres de Dorantes. Dorantes joined an expedition to explore the Gulf Coast from Florida to Mexico. The ill-fated venture ended with only eighty of the original crew floating on makeshift rafts, only two of which landed on the shores of Texas near Galveston with neither food, nor water. Dorantes and Estevanico set out on their own, traveling west and south. They were captives for five years, faith healers, and legends amongst the Native Americans of the area. They eventually reached Mexico City where the viceroy refused to allow Dorantes to search Texas for the Seven Cities of Gold. Dorantes sold Estevanico to the viceroy and left for Spain. Estevanico accompanied a missionary, Father Marcos de Niza, north ranging ahead and speaking to the Native Americans he encountered about the white men following in his wake. Estevanico had runners carry crosses back to Father Niza, their size indicating the promise of the region. Each new cross that Father Niza received was larger than the previous cross, and then he received one that was massive. Estevanico had discovered a Zuni pueblo; it is unknown whether he thought this pueblo was one of the Cities of Gold, but he spent an evening camped outside the town. In the morning, the Zuni attacked and killed him, fearing his presence was a bad omen."