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This article is about the building in Age of Empires III. For the building in other games of the series, see Castle.

A powerful defensive building that can also train and upgrade artillery.
—In-game description

The Castle is a military/defensive building in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties that is unique to the Asian civilizations (Chinese, Indians, and Japanese). A combination of the Outpost and Artillery Foundry, it attacks nearby enemies, trains and upgrades artillery, and serves as a drop-off point for Home City shipments.

Units[]

Age Unit Cost Pop. Civ.
Age II tech tree aoe3
AoE3 Flamethrower icon Flamethrower 170 wood, 170 coin 4 Flag ChineseDE Chinese
Flail Elephant icon Flail Elephant 125 food, 125 coin Flag IndianDE Indians
Age III tech tree aoe3
Hand Mortar icon Hand Mortar 50 food, 90 wood 1 Flag ChineseDE Chinese
Flaming Arrow icon Flaming Arrow 100 wood, 300 coin 4 Flag JapaneseDE Japanese
Siege Elephant icon Siege Elephant 300 wood, 350 coin 7 Flag IndianDE Indians
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
Morutaru icon Morutaru 100 wood, 300 coin 3 Flag JapaneseDE Japanese

[]

The Chinese also train two of their banner armies at the Castle: the Black Flag Army and the Mongolian Army.

Upgrades[]

Age Upgrade Cost Effect
Age III tech tree aoe3
Hill castle Hill Castle 400 wood
200 coin
Upgrades Castles into Hill Castles (+50% attack)
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
Mountain castle Mountain Castle 800 wood
400 coin
Upgrades Castles into Mountain Castles (+50% hit points and attack, +100% anti-ship attack, and a bombard attack with an Area of Effect of 3); requires Hill Castle

Further statistics[]

Building strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Infantry, cavalry, shock infantry, ships
Weak vs. Siege units, artillery
Improvements
Hit points Flying Buttress Flying Buttress (+20%)
Byzantine legacy Byzantine Legacy (+15%)
Attack Heated Shot Heated Shot (+50% multiplier vs. ships)
Line of Sight Somali lighthouses Somali Lighthouses (+10)
Gas Lighting Gas Lighting (+4)
Build time Cree Textile Craftsmanship Cree Textile Craftsmanship (-25%)
Cost Tupi Forest Burning Tupi Forest Burning (-20% wood)
Cree Textile Craftsmanship Cree Textile Craftsmanship (-10%)
Other Oresund customs Öresund Customs (generates 0.5 coin/sec.)
Som ajuran engineers Somali Ajuran Engineers (build limit +4)
Clan Offerings Clan Offerings (each Castle spawns 1 Samurai after 45 seconds; Japanese only)

Home City Cards[]

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Castle
Some cards are highlighted with:
Green TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
Blue Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)

All[]

Card Description Age HC level
Portuguese Home City 3 (Cheap Outposts) TEAM Natural Lookouts Outposts, Outpost Wagons, Blockhouses, War Huts, Castles and Watch Towers cost -30% wood; Nobles' Huts and Palaces cost -15% wood and coin
Age I tech tree aoe3
1
Team improved buildings TEAM Improved Buildings Buildings get +25% hit points
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
10
French Home City 5 (Coastal Defenses) TEAM Coastal Defenses Buildings get +0.8 multiplier against ships
Age II tech tree aoe3
25
  • "TEAM Natural Lookouts" is available to the Haudenosaunee and Portuguese.
  • "TEAM Improved Buildings" is available to the Inca, Indians, and Maltese.
  • "TEAM Coastal Defenses" is available to Europeans and Federal Americans.

Asians[]

Card Description Age HC level
Spanish Home City 3 (Improved Buildings) Improved Buildings Buildings get +40% hit points
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
10
Japanese Home City 3 (1 Flatland Castle) 1 Flatland Castle Ships 1 Castle Rickshaw; Castles get +10% hit points and attack (also +1 Villager for the Indians)
Age II tech tree aoe3
10
Japanese Home City 3 (1 Hill Castle) 1 Hill Castle Ships 1 Castle Rickshaw; upgrades Castles to Hill Castles, if not already (also +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)
Age III tech tree aoe3
1
Land reforms Land Reforms Villagers and rickshaws build buildings 50% faster; buildings' build bounty +100% (also +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)
Age I tech tree aoe3
25
  • "Improved Buildings" is not available to the Indians.

Chinese[]

Card Description Age HC level
Chinese Home City 2 (2 Flamethrowers) 1 Flamethrower + 1 Castle Rickshaw Ships 1 Flamethrower and 1 Castle Rickshaw
Age II tech tree aoe3
1
Chinese Home City 2 (4 Flamethrowers) 2 Flamethrowers + 1 Castle Rickshaw Ships 2 Flamethrowers and 1 Castle Rickshaw
Age III tech tree aoe3
1
5 flamethrower castle 4 Flamethrowers + 1 Castle Rickshaw Ships 4 Flamethrowers and 1 Castle Rickshaw
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
N/A
Spanish Home City 3 (Extensive Fortifications) Extensive Fortifications Frontier fortifications, Walls, and Fort get +25% hit points; Castle build limit +100%; Blockhouse build limit +1
Age II tech tree aoe3
10

Indians[]

Card Description Age HC level
Maltese Home City 2 (Rockets) Rocketeers Upgrades Arsonists into Rocketeers that attack units with rockets at longer range; Arsonists can be trained at Castles; +1 Hindu Villager
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
N/A
Mughal architecture Mughal Architecture Buildings cost -20% wood and build time -30%; wonders' build time -16% instead; +1 Hindu Villager
Age II tech tree aoe3
40
Spanish Home City 3 (Extensive Fortifications) Extensive Fortifications Frontier fortifications, Walls, and Agra Fort get +25% hit points; Castle build limit +100%; +1 Hindu Villager
Age II tech tree aoe3
1
Ottoman Home City 3 (Battlefield Construction) Battlefield Construction Sepoys can build Barracks, Caravanserai, and Castles; +1 Hindu Villager
Age II tech tree aoe3
25

Japanese[]

Card Description Age HC level
Spanish Home City 3 (Extensive Fortifications) Extensive Fortifications Frontier fortifications and Walls get +25% hit points; Castle build limit +100%
Age II tech tree aoe3
1
Japanese Home City 3 (Yamashiro) Yamashiro Castles get +6 Line of Sight and range
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
40
Japanese Home City 3 (2 Mountain Castles) 2 Mountain Castles Ships 2 Castle Rickshaws; upgrades Castles to Mountain Castles, if not already
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
25
Japanese Home City 3 (1 Castle Rickshaw) TEAM Ashikaga Castle Ships 1 Castle Rickshaw/Outpost Wagon/War Hut Travois/Camp Builder
Age II tech tree aoe3
25
Japanese Home City 3 (2 Castle Rickshaws) TEAM 2 Azuchi Momoyama Castles Ships 2 Castle Rickshaws/Outpost Wagons/War Hut Travois or 1 Palace Builder
Age III tech tree aoe3
1
Japanese Home City 5 (47 Ronin) Forty Seven Ronin Turns all villagers and Shrines into Masterless Samurai, Castles into Wokou Ronins, wonders and Town Centers into Ronin; costs 1,000 food, 1,000 wood, 1,000 coin
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
N/A

Mexicans[]

Card Description Age
Mexican Home City 2 (TEAM Mariachi) TEAM Mariachi For the next 30 seconds, military buildings work 400% faster and units get +10% speed
Age I tech tree aoe3

Ottomans[]

Card Description Age HC level
Ottoman Home City 3 (Team Defenses) TEAM Military Wagons Ships 2 Military Wagons
Age III tech tree aoe3
25

United States[]

Card Description Age
United States Home City 3 (TEAM Westward Expansion) TEAM Westward Expedition Ships 4 Military Wagons
Age IV tech tree aoe 3

Changelog[]

The Asian Dynasties[]

  • Castles cost 250 wood, 100 coin, take 60 seconds to build, and give 72 XP when built and 144 XP when destroyed.
  • Castles cannot reveal stealth enemies and have a ×1.5 ranged multiplier against shock infantry (except Mountain Castles).

Definitive Edition[]

  • Castles cost 250 wood, 50 coin, take 55 seconds to build, and give 60 XP when built and 120 XP when destroyed.
  • Castles can reveal stealth enemies, are tagged as Frontier fortification, and Mountain Castles have a ×1.5 ranged multiplier against shock infantry.
  • The Hill Castle and Mountain Castle technologies now also upgrade Blockhouses built by the Chinese by allying with the Russians at the Consulate into Frontier Blockhouses and into Fortified Blockhouses, respectively.
  • With update 13088, Castles have a ×1.3 ranged multiplier against shock infantry.

History[]

The fortification of towns had been in practice since ancient times, exhibited in the high-walled cities of Rome and the palaces of Byzantium; but in the ninth century, the feudal lords of Europe began to experiment with the castle, or fortified residence. These began as an elevated patch of terrain surrounded by a primitive ditch. Throughout medieval times, as siege technology developed and the threat of war constantly loomed, European rulers began to raise the walls of their fortresses higher and higher, and thicker walls were topped with towers and parapets.

By the thirteenth century, castles had become highly sophisticated, and the integral spine to any kingdom. First, a strategic location was chosen, such as on a high cliff or at the bend in a river. Then a moat was dug, restricting access to a narrow point that was often blocked by a retractable drawbridge. The keep, or innermost part of the castle, was protected by a series of walls that had to be breached in order to enter, defeat the survivors, and claim victory.

The earliest Japanese castle was the yamashiro, a deforested hill carved into a series of walls and courtyards. Each of the horizontal baileys gave defenders an open view of the battlefield. Because it had the same primarily defensive purpose as the European castle, the yamashiro shared many of the same features, with its squat, angular walls surrounding ditches. Also, both structures housed barracks and training facilities for a standing army led by the elite warrior class (the samurai, in the case of the Japanese).

Gallery[]

Buildings in Age of Empires III
Common
Dock aoe3de Dock · House indian aoe3de House · Livestock pen aoe3de Livestock Pen · Market icon aoe3de Market · Native embassy DE icon Native Embassy · Stables aoe3de Stable · Towncenter aoe3de Town Center · Trading post african aoe3de Trading Post · Wall aoe3de Wall
EuropeansArsenal aoe3de Arsenal · Artillery depot aoe3de Artillery Foundry · Barracks aoe3de Barracks · Capitol aoe3de Capitol · Church aoe3de Church · Plantation aoe3de Estate (formerly Plantation) · Fort aoe3de Fort · Mill aoe3de Mill · Outpost aoe3de Outpost · Tavern icon de Tavern
Native AmericansCommunity plaza aoe3de Community Plaza (formerly Fire Pit) · Corral aoe3de Corral · Plantation aoe3de Estate (formerly Plantation) · Farm aoe3de Farm · Tribal marketplace icon Tribal Marketplace · War hut aoe3de War Hut
AsiansJapan barracks aoe3de Barracks · Japan castle aoe3de Castle · Consulate icon aoe3de Consulate · Monastery aoe3de Monastery · China rice paddy icon aoe3de Rice Paddy · Advanced wonders Wonder
Federal AmericansArsenal aoe3de Arsenal · Artillery depot aoe3de Artillery Foundry · Barracks aoe3de Barracks · Capitol aoe3de Capitol · Plantation aoe3de Estate · Fort aoe3de Fort · Mill aoe3de Mill · Outpost aoe3de Outpost · Saloon aoe3de Saloon
AfricansArsenal aoe3de Arsenal · Field portrait aoe3de Field · Granary portrait aoe3de Granary · Hut portrait aoe3de Hut · Livestock market aoe3de Livestock Market · Palace portrait aoe3de Palace · Port portrait aoe3de Port · War camp aoe3de portrait War Camp · Watch tower aoe3de portrait Watch Tower
Unique
Flag BritishDE BritishHouse aoe3de Manor House
Flag DutchDE DutchBank aoe3de Bank
Flag GermanDE GermansMercenary camp portrait Mercenary Camp
Flag OttomanDE OttomansChurch aoe3de Mosque
Flag RussianDE RussiansBlockhouse aoe3de Blockhouse
Flag AztecDE AztecsNobles aoe3de Nobles' Hut
Flag IroquoisDE HaudenosauneeIro house icon Longhouse · Artillery depot aoe3de Siege Workshop
Flag SiouxDE LakotaTeepee icon DE Teepee
Flag ChineseDE ChineseChinese village aoe3de Village · China waracademy aoe3de War Academy
Flag IndianDE IndiansCaravanseraiDE Caravanserai · MangoGroveDE Mango Grove · SacredFieldDE Sacred Field
Flag JapaneseDE JapaneseCherry orchard portrait aoe3de Cherry Orchard · Dojo aoe3de Dojo · Shrine aoe3de Shrine
Flag IncanDE IncaInca kallanka Kallanka · Inca kancha house Kancha House · Inca stronghold Stronghold · Inca tambo Tambo
Flag SwedishDE SwedesSwedish torp Torp
Flag American act3 aoe3de United StatesMeeting house aoe3de icon Meeting House · State capitol aoe3de icon State Capitol
Flag Ethiopian aoe3de EthiopiansMountain monastery portrait aoe3de Mountain Monastery
Flag Hausa HausaUniversity portrait University
Flag MexicanDE MexicansCathedral portrait Cathedral · Hacienda portrait Hacienda
Flag ItalianDE ItaliansBasilica portrait Basilica · Lombard portrait Lombard
Flag MalteseDE MalteseCommandery portrait Commandery · Depot portrait Depot · Fixed gun portrait aoe3de Fixed Gun · Hospital portrait Hospital
Situational
Aztec temple portrait American Citadel (formerly Maya Castle) · Athos monastery portrait Athos Monastery · Battery tower portrait Battery Tower · Factory aoe3de Factory · Field hospital aoe3de Field Hospital · Regent's Castle aoe3de Regent's Castle
Scenario Editor/campaign only
Cherokee Warhut Portrait Cherokee War Hut · Wall aoe3de Command Post · Fixed gun portrait aoe3de Fixed Gun · Fort Tower icon AoE3DE Fort Tower · Gunpowder Stores icon AoE3DE Gunpowder Stores · Ossuary AoE3DE Ossuary · Fountain Youth Portrait The Fountain of Youth · Tower aoe3de Tower
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