Canoe (Age of Empires III)

This article is about the unit in Age of Empires III. For the unit in Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten, see Canoe (Age of Empires II).

Canoe
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III
Type	Ship Warship Fishing boat
Civilization(s)	Native Americans (except the Inca)
Age	Commerce Age
Requires	Trading Post on a Native American tribe settlement
Training
Trained at	Dock (Asians, Europeans, Federal Americans, and Native Americans) Port (Africans)
Cost	100 Wood 100 (Africans) Influence
Train time	10 seconds
Train limit	20
Statistics
Hit points	220
Resistance	50% Ranged
Speed	8.5
Line of Sight	22
Garrison	20
Ability	Gather from fishes and whales Transports land units
XP train bounty	10
XP kill bounty	10
Ranged attack
Damage	16 Ranged
Range	18
Rate of Fire	2.0
Siege attack
Damage	40 Siege
Range	18
Rate of Fire	2.0

“	Native boat that can attack or transport units.	”
—In-game description

The Canoe is a basic water unit available from the Dock after building a Trading Post on a Native American settlement in Age of Empires III. It is also available for the Native American civilizations (Aztecs, Haudenosaunee, and Lakota) in The WarChiefs.

Overview

Canoes can attack, fish (though they are less efficient than Fishing Boats), and transport units, making them very practical, but not necessarily as powerful as other naval ships. They have the same damage output and hit points as a Marathan Catamaran.

Because of its relatively low cost, Canoes are excellent in scouting and providing reconnaissance on nearby enemy territory. However, they are not designed to withstand many enemy attacks and engage in front lines so they should not be sent directly to a fortified enemy base, however if necessary, they would be better off fighting larger ships such as Galleons and Caravels in large numbers, their low cost rendering it an easy task.

Strategy

Water Ceremony and War Ceremony both boost ranged warships. The former requires a card, the latter does not. Ranged attack can be boosted as high as 36, siege damage 91 and 588 hit points with the former ceremony and all upgrades. 32 ranged attack, 58 siege and 275 hit points with only the latter ceremony and upgrades, depending on whether the player wishes to send a card or not.

River Raids, Improved Cordage, and Legendary War Boats do not affect them, preventing Native American civilizations from strengthening their Canoes.

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Ships, buildings close to shore
Weak vs.	Artillery especially Culverins, defensive structures
Improvements
Gather rate	Long Lines (+30%) Gill Nets (+15%) Huron Fish Wedding (+15%) Fasting (+10%) Aztec Chinampa (+5%) Klamath Work Ethos (+5%) Collective Economy (+50% from whales; Asians only) Excessive Taxation (+50% from whales; Europeans only) Excessive Tribute (+50% from whales; Native Americans only) Mountain State Gold Rush (+40% from whales; United States only) Large Scale Farming (+35% from whales; Africans only) Navajo Craftsmanship (+20% from whales) Somali Coinage (+10% from whales)
Hit points	Rawhide Covers (+30%; Haudenosaunee only) Armor Plating (+50%) Heavy Riverboats (+25%; Africans only) Byzantine Legacy (+15%) Cipactli Worship (+10%; Aztecs only) Tar Kilns (+10%) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only)
Attack	Flaming Arrows (+30%; Lakota only) Carronade (+25%) River Skirmishes (+25%; Africans only) Cipactli Worship (+10%; Aztecs only) Gadaa System (+5%; Ethiopians only) Somali Ajuran Engineers (+20% multiplier vs. Frontier fortification)
Line of Sight	Town Watch (+3)
Train time	Immigrants (-10%) New Mexico Immigration (-10%; United States only) Strangers' Quarters (-10%; Africans only)
Other	Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost) Öresund Customs (generates 0.05 coin/sec.)
Penalties	Coffee Trade (-10% speed; Dutch only) Pennsylvania Pound (-10% coin gather rate; United States only)

Home City Cards

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Canoe

Some cards are highlighted with:
Green	TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
Purple	Shipment that can be sent an INFINITE number of times
Red	Shipment that can be sent twice
Blue	Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)

All

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Advanced Dock	Docks get +100% attack and heal ships 85% faster; warships' train time -33% (also +1 Villager for the Indians)		10
Fish Market	Fishing boats gather food from fishes 25% faster and coin from whales 20% faster (also +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)		1
Rendering Plant	Fishing boats gather food from fishes 30% faster and coin from whales 25% faster (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)		10
Whale Oil	Fishing boats gather coin from whales 30% faster		40
Improved Warships	Warships get +25% hit points and attack (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)		10
TEAM Improved Warships	Warships get +10% hit points and attack		10
Naval Gunners	Warships get +20% attack		25
Offshore Support	Warships get +15% attack, +2 Line of Sight and range (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans)		40
European Cannons	Warships get +15% attack, +2 Line of Sight and range (also +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)		25
Admiralty	Dock warship technologies cost and research time -60% (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)		1

• "Advanced Dock" is not available to Africans.
• "Fish Market" is not available to the Japanese and Portuguese.
• "Rendering Plant" is not available to the Mexicans and Native Americans.
• "Whale Oil" is available to the Japanese, Portuguese, Swedes, and United States.
• "Improved Warships" is not available to the Chinese, Lakota, and United States.
• "TEAM Improved Warships" is available to the Chinese and Maltese.
• "Naval Gunners" is available to the British, French, Italians, Maltese, Russians, Swedes, and United States.
• "Offshore Support" is available to the Aztecs, Germans, Inca, Maltese, and Ottomans.
• "European Cannons" is not available to Europeans and Native Americans.
• "Admiralty" is not available to Africans and Native Americans.

Africans

Card	Description	Age
Advanced Port	Ports get +100% attack and heal ships 100% faster; warships' train time -33%
Feudal Armies	All units' train time -15%; hero respawn time -15%

Aztecs

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Artificial Islands	Warships cost -35% wood		25

British

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Whale Oil	Fishing boats gather coin from whales 15% faster

Chinese

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Western Reforms	All units get +8% hit points and attack		40
Acupuncture	All units' train time -20%		10

Ethiopians

Card	Description	Age
Ignatian Spirituality	All units get +5% hit points and regeneration capability even while in combat
Roof of Africa	Villagers and fishing boats gather food 25% faster
Fazogli Gold	Villagers and fishing boats gather coin 20% faster
Land of the Sea	Warships get +35% attack for each garrisoned Ras

Europeans

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Economic Theory	Villagers and fishing boats gather 10% faster		40
Lantakas	Artillery, buildings, and ships get +15% attack		N/A

• "Economic Theory" is not available to the British, Dutch, Spanish, and Swedes.
• "Lantakas" is available to the Dutch and Portuguese upon revolting to Indonesia.

Haudenosaunee

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Wampum	Training units and constructing buildings grants +35% XP		N/A
Watape	Canoes cost -25% wood		10
TEAM Birchbark	Canoes, War Canoes, Tlaloc Canoes, and Battle Canoes cost -15% wood; Fishing Canoes cost -5% wood		25

Inca

Card	Description	Age
Salt Ponds	Villagers gather food from herded and hunted animals 20% faster; Fishing Boats gather food from fisheses and coin from whales 20% faster

Indians

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics	All units get +5% hit points and attack		25
Bombay Marine	Ships' train time -30% and train bounty +30%; +1 Hindu Villager		1

Japanese

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Sengoku	Unit upgrades cost -20%		1
TEAM Chonindo	Villagers and Fishing Boats gather 8% faster from all sources except hunts; Haciendas auto gather 8% faster		40
Fish Market	Fishing Boats gather food from fishes 25% faster and coin from whales 20% faster		1
Peacetime Fishing	Warships gather food from fishes and coin from whales 125% faster		25

Lakota

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Winter Counts	Training units grants +40% XP and constructing buildings grants +20% XP		N/A
Birchbark	Canoes, War Canoes, and Tlaloc Canoes cost -25% wood		10

Maltese

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Knights of the Round Table	Ships 1 Hospitaller for each Town Center owned by the player; all units get +2% hit points
Speronaras	Ships get +10% speed; Order Galleys and Fishing Boats get +30% speed instead

Mexicans

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Mariachi	For the next 30 seconds, military buildings work 400% faster and units get +10% speed
TEAM Rendering Plant	Fishing boats gather 10% faster
Colegio de San Nicolás	Ships 500 XP; units get +4 and buildings (except Walls) get +8 Line of Sight; sees what enemies can see for 20 seconds
National Servant	All units get +10% hit points; Padre healing 200% faster

• "Colegio de San Nicolás" is available upon selecting the Michoacán Federal State.
• "National Servant" is available upon selecting the Estado de México Federal State.

Native Americans

Card	Description	Age	HC level
4 Canoes	Ships 4 Canoes		1
Water Ceremony	Water Ceremony available at the Community Plaza		1

• "4 Canoes" is not available to the Inca.
• "Water Ceremony" is not available to the Lakota.

Portuguese

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Fish Market	Fishing boats gather 10% faster		1

Russians

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Cold Water Port	Warships cost -15%		10

Spanish

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Spanish Inquisition	Ships 1 Inquisitor; all units get +10 Line of Sight		10

United States

Card	Description	Age
Indiana Mobilization	Ships 1 Carbine Cavalry for every shipment that had been sent by the player, including this one; all units' train time, technology research time, and age-up time -10%; costs 500 wood
Vermont Coppers	Estate technologies are free and researched instantly; Villagers and Fishing Boats gather coin 5% faster; all coin autogather and trickle 5% faster
Connecticut Shipwrights	Artillery train time -25%, buildings' build time -35%, and ships' train time -50%

• "Indiana Mobilization" is available upon selecting the Indiana Federal State.
• "Vermont Coppers" is available upon selecting the Vermont Federal State.
• "Connecticut Shipwrights" is available upon selecting the Connecticut Federal State.

Changelog

Age of Empires III

• Canoes have 24 LOS and 20 range.

Definitive Edition

• Canoes have 22 LOS and 18 range.

In-game dialogue

The Canoe uses the Haudenosaunee Canoe's dialogue files when acquired by Africans, Asians, Europeans, the Haudenosaunee, and the United States, while for the Aztecs and the Lakota it has its own dialogue files, for the Inca it uses the Chincha Raft's dialogue files, and for the Mexicans it uses the Aztec Canoe's dialogue files.

Trivia

• In Age of Empires III, the fighter in the Canoe used a rifle. Since the release of The WarChiefs, he uses a bow instead. Nevertheless, the icon continued to show a rifle until the release of the Definitive Edition.
• The models used by the rower and fighter in the Canoe are the same as the Maya Holcan Spearman and the Cree Tracker, respectively.

History

“

The word canoe comes from Arawak, a language spoken by the natives of the Caribbean. It refers to boats generically, but has come to mean a specific kind of vessel. The birch-bark canoe, common to the Native Americans in northeastern North America, is what most people would identify as a canoe. Small birch-bark canoes could accommodate as few as one or two people; the largest canoes could hold more than three dozen. Canoes allowed Native Americans, and later Europeans, to navigate the many rivers and creeks of North America. The craft were light enough to be carried and durable enough to last years if properly maintained. Canoe builders peeled the outer bark off of a birch tree, making a long cut down the length of the trunk to reveal the inner bark, then peeled that from the tree in layers. The inner bark of a tree left standing would grow a new coating of outer bark, allowing the tree survive the canoe-making process. White cedar, because of its resistance to decay, was used for the canoe frame. Cuts, called gores, allowed the birch bark sheathing to be sewn together and fitted to the frame. Ribs shaped from boiled cedar gave the canoe strength and tension. Pitch made from pine tar or gum sealed the seams, and the birch-bark canoe was ready to paddle.

”

Gallery

An in-game Canoe

An in-game Canoe, side view

Canoe model

Lakota Canoes heading towards a Dutch colony

Canoe in Age of Empires III vanilla. It is possible to notice that the fighter used a rifle.

An in-game Canoe in the Definitive Edition