Agra Fort

The Agra Fort is a wonder in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. It is only available to the Indian civilization.

Background
The Agra Fort is similar to the European Industrial Age Fortified Outpost in initial hit points and attack power, but it can be built much sooner and trains units like a Fort. Like any other Asian wonder, the Agra Fort enables the player to advance in Age once constructed. The Agra Fort initially can recruit all Barracks units, and in the Fortress Age it can be upgraded to be able to recruit Caravanserai units and increase damage by 50%. In the Industrial Age, it can be upgraded to recruit Castle units and increase hit points by 50%.

Age bonuses and cost

 * If built in the Discovery Age the Fort will send a shipment of 2 Sepoys and cost 800 food.
 * Colonial Age, the Fort will send 5 Gurkhas and cost 1,200 food and 1,000 coin.
 * Fortress Age, the Fort will send 7 Gurkhas and cost 2,000 food and 1,200 coin.
 * Industrial Age, the Fort will send 14 Gurkhas and cost 4,000 food and 4,000 coin.

Building upgrades

 * Delhi Gate - +50% attack bonus, train cavalry units, first available in the Fortress Age.
 * Red Fort- +50% hit point bonus, train artillery units, first available in the Industrial Age.

Upgrade cards

 * TEAM Improved Buildings - Unlocked with a level 10 Indian Home City and is sent in the Discovery Age. It only provides a bonus of +25% to Indian buildings, but this stacks with the +40% (Improved Buildings) available to other civilizations for a total allied bonus of 65%.
 * Advanced Wonders - Unlocked with a level 25 Indian Home City and is sent in the Discovery Age. It increases the hit points of wonders (such as the Agra Fort) by 50%, decreases build time by 25% (120 > 90) and ships 1 Villager or 2 Sepoy.
 * TEAM Coastal Defenses - Unlocked at a level 10 Home City and is sent in the Discovery Age. Increases the multiplier versus ships by x1.0 damage (maximum is x2.0 vs. ships) for all Indian buildings capable of attacking (x2.5 for any civilizations with an arsenal). Available to Spanish, French, Portuguese and Russian players.

Minor civilization upgrades

 * Flying Buttress (Jesuit) - +20% building hit points.

Comparison
Comparing it to a real Fort is a moot point, it is inferior in every aspect, though due to its low age requirement and durability when compared side by side with an Industrial Age Fortified Outpost, it becomes more clear where exactly it fits into the build tree in terms of strategic benefit. The Agra Fort is used almost exclusively in the Discovery Age to reach the Colonial Age, at this point of a game it is most effective for map control or rush defense, dropping off in usefulness beyond this point due to its weaker stats compared to a true fort but dramatically larger cost.

Trivia

 * In the Indian campaign, the Agra Fort guards Emperor Bahadur Shah, the player must destroy it in order to save him.

History
"Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important sixteenth-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress holds the imperial city of the Mughal rulers inside its 1.5-mile long red sandstone walls. It comprises many palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal, built by Shah Jahan; audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful mosques."