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Age of Empires Series Wiki
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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;

Methods[]

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

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

Habesha
1 Camp Builder and 300 coin

Jesuits
1 Church Wagon and 400 XP

Portuguese
1 Arsenal Builder and 300 wood

Sudanese
1 Native Embassy Builder and 400 influence

Hausa[]

Age Ally Shipments Bonuses

Berbers
1 Native Embassy Builder and 400 influence

Hausa
1 Hausa Builder and 300 wood

Moroccans
1 Mosque Wagon and 400 XP

Songhai
1 Camp Builder and 300 coin

Akan
1 Native Embassy Builder and 400 influence

Available units and buildings[]

Ages in the Age of Empires series
Age of Empires
Stone Age · Tool Age · Bronze Age · Iron Age

Cut: Prehistoric Age · Republic Age
Age of Empires II
Dark Age · Feudal Age · Castle Age · Imperial Age
Age of Mythology
Archaic Age · Classical Age · Heroic Age · Mythic Age · Titan Age (Removed) · Wonder Age
Age of Empires III
Exploration Age · Commerce Age · Fortress Age · Industrial Age · Imperial Age

Revolution
Age of Empires IV
Dark Age · Feudal Age · Castle Age · Imperial Age
Chronicles
Archaic Age · Civic Age · Classical Age · Imperial Age