Explorer

The Explorer is a unique Hero unit available for all European civilizations in Age of Empires III.

Overview
The Explorer is a powerful unit that explores the uncharted areas of the map and also provides economical and military benefits for the colony. The Explorer usually is available only once in the beginning of a game and has some special abilities to help himself.

Armed with a powerful rifle, the Explorer can use his Sharpshooter ability to pick off one Treasure Guardian in a single shot and later learns Eye of Assassin which can be used on enemy units in a similar manner. Explorers are also one of the three units in the game (the others being the Settler and Villager) that can collect treasures. The Explorer can build Trading Posts and Town Centers more quickly than a Settler. The Explorer is also useful because he cannot be killed, only wounded. If an Explorer's hitpoints fall to zero, he will "faint", at which point he cannot move or fight. The Explorer can be revived by paying 100 Coin at the Town Center or by sending friendly units to his vicinity. The Explorer's hitpoints must be above 100 in order to be rescued by a friendly unit.

The Explorer is able to explore and fight longer if he has a few units accompanying him. Explorers are very ineffective at raiding enemy settlements early in the game, as they only deal 25% damage against Settlers and Villagers. They are also very weak against Spies and Ninja.

The Portuguese have an Industrial Age Home City card, Bandeirantes, that ships two additional Explorers. The Spanish Explorer can train up to five War Dogs, to help fight Treasure Guardians.

Every European Civilization has its own Home City card improvement for their Explorer which improves his fighting ability and sends him a powerful Explorer Dog which also collapses instead of dying if its hitpoints fall to zero. The Explorer's dog is highly effective against treasure guardians. The Spanish explorer, instead of a canine companion, has his War Dogs' hitpoints and attack increased.

Explorer improvement cards
Hot Air Balloon
 * Gives the Explorer the ability to summon a Hot Air Balloon.

TEAM Explorer Combat
 * Improves attack and hitpoints for all Explorers on a Team. - Only available for the Spanish

Unction
 * Can boost the Explorer to an effective infantry unit with 60 damage, 75 siege damage and 3020 hitpoints in the late game if all other cards have been sent.- Only available for the Spanish



Trivia
Though the explorer's avatar might suggest otheriwse, no explorer model in the game resembles it.

When an explorer unit belongs to a nation outside of the original eight European nations of the game, he receives a random name from a list of hero names 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."