British Allies

This article is about the Consulate ally in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. For other uses, see British (disambiguation).

The British are a Consulate ally in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties, available to the Chinese and Indians. Like all Consulate allies, it requires 100 export to ally with them (25 export if the Diplomatic Intrigue Home City Card was sent). Doing so grants the player a passive benefit of +7% hit points to all land units.

Description

The British are a Consulate ally focused around shipping support units. Uniquely, most of these shipments can be sent an infinite number of times, as opposed to only once for other Consulate allies. Surgeons, Spies, and Petards can be sent infinitely, all of which are utility units useful for highly specific purposes. The army options grant the player access to the Royal Guard variants of the British unit roster: the Redcoat and the Life Guard, as well as a number of Roger's Rangers and Falconets. The time required to train these armies varies, but can be reduced by 50% with the "Good Faith Agreements" Home City Card.

Technologies

Age	Improvement	Cost	Research time	Effect
	2 Surgeons	250 export	30 seconds	Delivers 2 Surgeons
	4 Spies	300 export	30 seconds	Delivers 4 Spies
	5 Petards	450 export	30 seconds	Delivers 5 Petards
Imperial Age	British Brigade	2,300 export	90 seconds	Delivers 16 Roger's Rangers and 5 Falconets

• The 2 Surgeons, 4 Spies, and 5 Petards technologies can be researched an infinite number of times.
• The Good Faith Agreements card reduces technology cost by 40% and research time by 50%, except for Brigades, whose cost are reduced by 300 export and do not research faster.

Armies

Age	Army	Cost	Train time	Pop.	Consists of
	British Expeditionary Company	400 export	20 seconds	6	6 Redcoats
	British Expeditionary Force	800 export	40 seconds	14	9 Redcoats 1 Falconet
	British Expeditionary Army	1,600 export	60 seconds	29	7 Life Guards 3 Falconets

• The Good Faith Agreements Home City Card reduces army train time by 50%.

Strategy

Their passive bonus of 7% hit points affects all land units. The two Surgeons can heal the troops better than the Brahmins and the Shaolin Master, and can build Field Hospitals near the front that can heal multiple troops. Additionally, these Field Hospitals can train more Surgeons if necessary. Spies can be useful situationally if the enemy uses many mercenaries, and are also useful for exploring. The Petard is a suicide unit specialized in demolishing buildings, such as Town Centers, Factories, and Forts. The player never has to run out of Surgeons, Spies, or Petards, since the shipments are infinite.

For the Chinese, the Redcoats and Falconets are invaluable support, because the Chinese do not have a musket infantry unit, and the Changdao Swordsman and the Keshik are fragile and fall quickly against strong cavalry such as Cuirassiers, even with all the shipments that benefit them. Depending on shipments and native improvements, the Redcoats can be a unit to be feared. Adding some Redcoats to the Indian army is also efficient, as they have a much greater hand bonus damage against cavalry and shock infantry than the Sepoy, but both units can support where the other is weak. Falconets help both the Indians and Chinese to counteract enemy infantry, and both civilizations lack powerful artillery. The Chinese have a large number of Home City Cards that benefit artillery.

The Chinese cavalry are weak, so Life Guards are a useful support unit to protect Redcoats, Falconets, and Chinese ranged infantry from units that counter them, both cavalry and infantry. The Chinese melee units can absorb damage while the powerful British consulate units do damage. The Chinese Arquebusiers, Flying Crows, Iron Flails, and Meteor Hammers can provide support to the British Consulate army.

For the Indians, Life Guards have more damage and take less population than the Mahout Lancer. Compared to the Sowar, they have more hit points and damage, and use the same population. With native improvements and adequate shipments, they can be a devastating force. In addition, they are supported by the powerful Indian infantry. Together with Consulate Falconets, Howdahs, Gurkhas, and Sepoys or Redcoats, they can counter almost any enemy army.

The British are allies that serve in a hurry and potentially very useful in long games, improving and supporting their military units at the front.

Changelog

The Asian Dynasties

• The British ally bonus gives land units +10% hit points.

Definitive Edition

• The British ally bonus gives land units +7% hit points.