Shaolin Temple

The Shaolin are a religious settlement in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. One of the most famous Buddhist monasteries is the Shaolin Monastery, located in the Henan province of China, founded in 495 CD. The edifice is associated specifically with Chan Buddhism and the martial art of Kung Fu.

Overview.
The Shaolin Temple is a religious settlement very handful for players who use rush strategy. The Rattan Shields are cheap and can get rid of light infantry and the artillery with ease. The Shaolin Temple also helps for players to gather wood more efficiently with the Wood Clearing technology and have special technology that increases the hand combat of infantry units and improves de damage of the Rattan Shields. The Shaolin temples can be found in maps like Mongolia, the Silk Road and the Yellow River.

Technologies.
Clenched Fists. Strategy: Clenched Fists is profitable for the players who seek better hand combat stats to their ranged infantry units. For example, this technology can help for a Portuguese player to improve their caçadores, enduring them against light cavalry units or coyote runners. But the player must know that the improved hand combat stat will work perfectly if the light infantry are massed in large numbers (up to ten maximum), because one to one close combat, one light infantry upgraded with Clenched Fists will not endure for long against an hussar or, worse, a German Ulhan, and this technology do not affect the multipliers of the units. Clenched Fists works more perfectly with the musketeers, allowing them to take down with a few hand attacks cavalry units, even the dangerous Indian Mahout Lancer.
 * Cost: 200 [[File:Resources_wood.png]], 200 [[File:Icon_coin.gif]].
 * Effect: +25% hand damage.
 * Affects: ranged infantry.

Wood Clearing. Strategy: Wood Clearing is useful for players who desire a turtle strategy or a native rushing one, due the fact which the majority of native and religious units cost additional wood. Principally, the Wood Clearing technology is more useful for the Indians than other civilization due their special feature about the Indian villager cost, or for the Japanese, if the Home City card improvement Zen Diet is sent. The Wood Clearing technology can be complemented with other woodcutting upgrades at the market (and at the capitol with the Deforestation technology, in the case of the Europeans).
 * Cost: 200 [[File:Icon_food.gif]], 200 [[File:Resources_wood.png]].
 * Effect: +20% woodcutting.
 * Affects: gatherers.

Din Mak.
 * Cost: 300 [[File:Resources_wood.png]], 300 [[File:Icon_coin.gif]].
 * Effect: +50% damage.
 * Affects: Rattan Shields.

Units
The Rattan Shield is an infantry unit that can be trained at the Shaolin Temple (after a Trading Post is constructed), it is armed with a sword and a shield. It lacks any multipliers making it more of a fodder unit rather than an essential part of an army.

When playing as the Japanese (Level 40 Home City required) these units perform well when mixed with Spanish Rodeleros from the Consulate, which are nearly as fast despite being Heavy Infantry. This is also due to the fact the Shaolin unit upgrades effect the Rodeleros. Combine the two units speed with the Shogunate hit point and speed aura bonuses and they can respond quickly to threats and hold off the enemy if not kill them due to their durability.