Commerce Age

Commerce Age
Age
Availability
Introduced in	Age of Empires III
Civilization	All civilizations
Age number	2
Preceded by	Exploration Age
Followed by	Fortress Age
Research
Researched at	Town Center
Food	800
Time	90 seconds

The Commerce Age (Colonial Age before the Definitive Edition) is the second Age in Age of Empires III, after the start of the game in the Exploration Age. The Commerce Age is characterized by the start of a civilization's formal military and small battles over resources may break out, as players develop their economy.

In-game, this is often characterized by a focus on obtaining several sets of 200 wood, the cost required for construction of the main military buildings. Alternatively, civilizations may focus on the 1,000 coin required to get ahead to the Fortress Age and forgo development during Commerce Age, for earlier access to advanced units such as a shipment of Falconets. Large crates sent by Home City Cards tend to play an important role in either of these developments.

The Commerce Age also marks the spread of specialist work such as religion through introduction of the first healing units such as the Priest, Imam, or Missionary. Artillery is sometimes available in the Commerce Age; civilizations with access to Grenadiers are able to build the Artillery Foundry at this Age rather than in Fortress Age. Similarly, the Dutch can train the Skirmisher.

Advancing to the Commerce Age will have following effects;

• Buildings get +7 Line of Sight
• Heroes get 25% hit points and attack (25% hit points for Explorer Dog)
• Pets get 20% hit points and attack

Methods

Advancement to the next Age requires the selection of a method to advance with. Different civilizations will have different methods available:

• Politicans
• Tribal Council
• Wonder
• Federal State
• Alliance

Politician	Bonuses	Civilization(s)
The Governor	Ships 1 Outpost Wagon and 200 coin; +100 coin*	British Dutch French Italians Maltese Ottomans Spanish Swedes
The Imam	Ships 1 Mosque Wagon and 1 Imam, Mosque build limit +1	Ottomans
The Inventor	The Explorer can use Hot Air Balloon; +300 XP*	All
The Logistician	Ships 1 Arsenal Wagon with 1 free Arsenal Technology; +1 Arsenal Wagon*	British Italians Maltese
	Ships 1 Halberdier; Halberdiers can be trained in the Commerce Age	Dutch
	Ships 1 Military Wagon and 1 Arsenal Wagon	French Swedes
	Ships 1 Arsenal Wagon; Exploration and Commerce Age Home City Cards give one additional Uhlan	Germans
	Crossbowmen, Pikemen*, and Musketeers can be trained at Town Centers; Crossbowmen and Musketeers get +1 ranged attack range, Pikemen get +0.5 hand attack range	Portuguese
	Ships 1 Military Wagon; Blockhouses support 15 population	Russians
	Exploration Age Home City Cards are shipped twice as fast and also ships 200 food, 100 wood, 100 coin	Spanish
The Naturalist	Ships 2 Settlers and 2 semi-fattened Cows	British Dutch French Maltese Ottomans Portuguese Russians Spanish Swedes
	Ships 1 Settler Wagon and 2 semi-fattened Cows	Germans
The Philosopher Prince	Ships 500 food; +250 food*	British Germans Italians Ottomans Portuguese Russians Spanish Swedes
The Quartermaster	Ships 400 wood	Dutch French Germans Maltese Ottomans Portuguese Russians
The Medici	Ships 1 Settlers and 1 Lombard Wagon; + 1 Settler*	Italians

* With the "Advanced Politicians" Home City Card; Italians only

Aztecs

Member
The Messenger	Ages up three times as fast
The Wise Woman	Ships 1 Farm Travois and Villagers gather from Farms and Estates 10% faster
The Warrior	Ships 2 Skull Knights
The Elder	Ships 1 War Hut Travois, War Huts and Nobles' Huts get +10% hit points and attack
The Chief	The Aztec War Chief gets +20% hit points and +25% attack, and can use the Swashbuckler Attack ability

Haudenosaunee

Member
The Messenger	Ages up three times as fast; ships 1 Travois
The Wise Woman	Ships 200 food, 100 wood, 100 coin, and 1 Travois
The Warrior	Ships 2 Aennas and 1 Travois
The Elder	Ships 2 Travois
The Chief	Ships 2 Villagers and 1 Healer*

Incas

Member
The Messenger	Ages up three times as fast and Chasquis can receive Economic Home City shipments; ships 1 Chasqui and Chasqui train limit +1
The Wise Woman	Ships 3 Priestesses, and 1 Chasqui; Chasqui train limit +1
The Warrior	Ships 3 Chimu Runners and 1 Chasqui; Chasqui train limit +1
The Elder	Grants Lumber Ceremony and Forest People Ceremony; ships 1 Chasqui and Chasqui train limit +1
The Chief	Ships 2 Builder Travois and 1 Chasqui; Chasqui train limit +1

Lakota

Member
The Messenger	Ages up three times as fast
The Wise Woman	Ships 6 Bisons and Villagers gather from huntable animals 10% faster
The Warrior	Ships 1 Tokala Soldier
The Elder	Ships 500 food
The Chief	Ships 400 wood

Chinese

Wonder	Shipment	Bonuses
Confucian Academy	4 Chu Ko Nu	Automatically train Flying Crows
Porcelain Tower	-	Automatically generates resources (Resource generation rate depends on the Age it was built)
Summer Palace	400 food	Automatically spawns War Academy banner armies
Temple of Heaven	3 Villagers	Allows Shaolin Master to heal injured units Transcendence active ability (heals all of the owner's units)
White Pagoda	4 Disciples	Sacred Vault passive ability (increases Shaolin Master and Disciple hit points and attack, and the latter's train limit)

Indians

Wonder	Shipment	Bonuses
Agra Fort	2 Sepoys	Acts as if it was a Fort
Charminar Gate	2 Sowars	Train Mansabdar units which enhances units of the same type
Karni Mata	200 food, 200 wood, 100 coin	Keepers of the Rats Aura (increases nearby villagers' gather rate)
Taj Mahal	500 coin	Cease Fire active ability (temporarily stops all units from attacking)
Tower of Victory	400 wood	Inspiration active ability (temporarily increases the hit points, attack, and speed of the owner's units)

Japanese

Wonder	Shipment	Bonuses
Golden Pavilion	3 Yumi Archers	Boosts one particular stats of the owner's land military units Has advanced Arsenal technologies
Great Buddha	1 Naginata Rider and 1 Orchard Rickshaw	Informers active ability (temporarily see all enemies' LOS)
Shogunate	400 XP	Country in Chains passive ability (reduces the cost and train time of land military units) Retrains Daimyo
Torii Gates	200 export	Kami Worship passive ability (increases XP acquisition rate)
Toshogu Shrine	200 export	Acts as if it was two Shrines Tomb of Ieyasu passive ability (increases the resource generation rate of all Shrines)

United States

Age	Federal State	Bonuses	Federal Cards
	Massachusetts	Ships 1 Military Wagon	Plymouth Settlers: Ships 300 food and 1 Native Scout; all existing Town Centers spawn 3 Pilgrims Boston Tea Party: Arrives fast! Deposits 350 coin and exchanges all current food for 25% more coin
	Virginia		Virginia Plan: Gives 2 Home City shipments Culpeper Minutemen: Levy/Conscription global cooldown -50%; Minutemen hit point degeneration rate -50%; each Town Center spawns 6 Minutemen
	Delaware	Ships 300 food	Fertile Lowlands: Ships 6 Cows with 150 food and 2 Homestead Wagons Delaware Blues: Ships 1 Regular for each shipment sent so far this game including this one
	Pennsylvania	Ships 1 Military Wagon	Philadelphia Convention: Ships 1 Meeting House Wagon and Pennsylvania Pound, 1st Pennsylvania Rifles, and Pennsylvania Cavalry available at the Meeting House Tammany Festival: Ships 1 Native Embassy Travois; Cree technologies and units available at the Native Embassy
	Rhode Island		Corliss Steam Engine: Iron Horse cost removed and available in any Age; Steamers available in the Commerce Age and Ironclads available in the Fortress Age Slater Textile Mill: Grants 30 food for every Villager and 20 wood for every Fishing Boat; Villagers cost -30 food and Fishing Boats cost -20 wood

Mexicans

Age	Federal State	Bonuses	Federal Cards
	Chiapas	Ships 1 Military Wagon	Tzotzil Uprising: Ships 3 Maya Holcan Javelineers for each constructed Hacienda Maya Crops: All existing and newly constructed Haciendas spawn Maya Crops containing 300 food
	Durango		Fortified Haciendas: Ships 1 Hacienda Wagon; Haciendas gain a ranged attack when villagers are garrisoned inside them Cerro de Mercado: Arrives fast! Deposits 350 coin and exchanges all current wood for 25% more coin
	Michoacán		Colegio de San Nicolás: Ships 500 XP; units get +4 LOS and buildings get +8; temporarily reveals the enemy's position Michoacán Fishermen: Ships 2 Dock Wagons; ships 1 Fishing Boat for each shipment sent so far this game including this one
	Querétaro		Arteaga Reforms: Arrives fast! The next Federal State research double its reward and the next upgrade researched at a Barracks is free Querétaro Haciendas: Ships 1 Hacienda Wagon and Haciendas now support 20 population
	Tlaxcala		Tlaxcala Alliance: Ships 1 Native Embassy Travois; Conquistador, Smokeless Powder, Flying Buttress, Tlaxcala Initiation, and Tlaxcaltec Chocolate Recipes available at Native Embassy; Tlaxcaltec Scouting/Raiding/War Party available at Town Center; The player is considered to be allied with the Jesuit Mission for "Native Treaties" Tlaxcala Textiles: Ships 2 Settlers; each new and existing Hacienda musters 2 Settlers

Ethiopians

Age	Ally	Shipments	Bonuses
	Somalis	1 Native Embassy Builder and 400 influence	Somali Darood Militia and Somali Issa Warrior available at the Palace and Native Embassy Somali Berbera Seaport and Somali Coinage available at the Mountain Monastery
	Habesha	1 Camp Builder and 300 coin	Kingdom Builder available at the Town Center Ark of the Covenant and Timkat available at the Mountain Monastery
	Jesuits	1 Church Wagon and 400 XP	Conquistador available at the Palace and Native Embassy Christian Schools and Smokeless Powder available at the Mountain Monastery
	Portuguese	1 Arsenal Builder and 300 wood	Caravel available at the Port Cannoneer available at the Palace Church Organs and Portuguese Crusaders available at the Mountain Monastery
	Sudanese	1 Native Embassy Builder and 400 influence	Sudanese Dervish available at the Palace and Native Embassy Sudanese Red Sea Trade and Sudanese Quilted Armor available at the Mountain Monastery

Hausa

Age	Ally	Shipments	Bonuses
	Berbers	1 Native Embassy Builder and 400 influence	Berber Nomad, Berber Salt Camel, and Berber Camel Rider available at the Palace and Native Embassy Berber Kings of the Desert and Berber Ghorfas available at the University
	Hausa	1 Hausa Builder and 300 wood	Hausa Builder and Kingdom Builder available at the Town Center Kano Chronicle, Arewa, and Bayajidda Epic available at the University
	Moroccans	1 Mosque Wagon and 400 XP	Zouave available at the Palace Argan Tree Planting and Arma Garrisons available at the University
	Songhai	1 Camp Builder and 300 coin	Songhai Raid available at the Town Center and Watch Tower Timbuktu Chronicle and Mansa Musa Epic available at the University
	Akan	1 Native Embassy Builder and 400 influence	Akan Ankobia available at the Palace and Native Embassy Akan Gold Economy and Akan Palm Oil Exports available at the University

Available units and buildings

• Artillery Foundry - Abus Gunner, Grenadier (Commerce Age for British, Dutch, Ottomans, and Russians)
• Barracks - Pikeman, Doppelsoldner, Crossbowman, Musketeer, Longbowman, Skirmisher (Dutch only), Janissary, Strelet
• Caravanserai (Indians only)
• Church - Priest and Missionary
• Corral (Haudenosaunee and Lakota only)
• Native Embassy (available once a Trading Post is built on a minor civilization settlement)
• Saloon (United States only)
• Tavern (European civilizations only)
• Stable
• War Academy (Chinese only)
• War Hut (Native American civilizations only)
• War Camp (African civilizations only)
• Palace (African civilizations only)