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 grants buildings a 7 LOS upgrade.
Available politicians[edit | edit source]
Advancement to the next Age requires the selection of a politician to advance with, different civilizations will have different politicians available depending on Home City level and civilization:
| Politician | Bonuses | Civilization(s) |
|---|---|---|
 |
Ships 1 Outpost Wagon and 200 coin | British Dutch French Ottomans Spanish Swedes |
 |
The Explorer can use Hot Air Baloon | |
 |
Outposts can train Pikemen and Longbowmen; Manors spawn Longbowmen instead of Settlers when built; grants Infantry Breastplate | British |
| 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 and Musketeers gain +1 range and can be trained at Town Centers | Portuguese | |
| Ships 1 Military Wagon; Blockhouses support 10 population | Russians | |
| Exploration Age Home City Cards are shipped twice as fast and also ships 200 food, 100 wood, 100 coin | Spanish | |
 |
Ships 2 Settlers and 2 semi-fattened Cows | British Dutch French Ottomans Portuguese Russians Spanish Swedes |
| Ships 1 Settler Wagon and 2 semi-fattened Cows | Germans | |
 |
Ships 500 food | British Germans Ottomans Portuguese Russians Spanish |
 |
Ships 400 wood | Dutch French Germans Ottomans Portuguese Russians Swedes |
Available units and buildings[edit | edit source]
- Artillery Foundry - Abus Gun, 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 (European civilizations only)
- Stable
- War Academy (Chinese only)
- War Hut (Native American civilizations only)
| Ages in Age of Empires III | |
 Exploration Age ·  Commerce Age ·  Fortress Age ·  Industrial Age ·  Imperial Age | |