Food

Food is a primary resource players must collect in all titles of the Age of Empires series, including Age of Mythology.

Players must constantly gather food for creating units, researching technologies, sending shipments, and advancing their empire through all the Ages.

There are various ways to gather food, all of which are listed here. If not stated otherwise, these methods are available in all games of the series.

Foraging

Main article: Berry Bush

Berry picking in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

Berry Bushes are typically scattered throughout the map in clumps at the start of the game. They are mostly used early on since they are relatively accessible, allowing a boost for growing civilizations. The advantages of Forage Bushes over hunting is that they are fixed in one location throughout the game and the food does not decay over time, making gathering food more efficient. Bushes usually do not last very long because they are not very common and do not replenish once they are consumed. They also fall behind all other food sources in later stages of a game, as technologies improve gathering rates.

Hunting

Main article: Hunt

Two Villagers hunting a deer in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

Other than gathering berries, hunting animals and wild game is the first way that a player can go about gathering food. During the early parts of the game, hunting is by far the best way to acquire food for one's settlement as the gather rates are faster than any other source of food. Most Animals can be found in groups all through the maps, when one is shot, the others will run in the opposite direction.

This can be useful, because with enough patience, the player can use their units to herd them closer to drop-off points. The major downside of animals is that they are non-sustainable and players will do a lot of traveling to get to find them.

On the other hand, stronger animals such as Boars will defend themselves and can pose a threat to single Villagers. However, this, too, can be taken advantage of by having a single Villager attack them and gradually retreating closer to a drop-off point with other hunters ready to kill it. These animals are typically found alone or in pairs, but they also hold much more food than prey animals.

There are animals in the game that cannot be hunted such as birds as well as animals such as Wolves which can be killed but do not provide food. It is important to note that in all Age of Empires games (excluding Age of Empires IV), the food content of an animal deteriorates over time; thus, ideally animals should be collected from by more than one Villager to minimize this food loss.

Herding

Main article: Herdable animal

Scout searching for herdeable sheep in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

Age of Empires II introduced the Sheep as a domestic animal, with more types of herdable animals being introduced in later games. Herdable animals can be found anywhere on the map as Gaia/Mother Nature units, and when they come in contact with a player-controlled unit, they will fall under the control of that player. However, if the herdable animal subsequently gets in contact with another player's unit without a unit of their current owner nearby, they will immediately fall under the other player's control.

When tasking a Villager on a domestic animal, the Villager will herd them to the nearest food drop site and slaughter them one by one and start gathering meat, similar to a hunted animal.

In Age of Mythology and Age of Empires III, herdables do not start out with their full food values, but "fatten" over time, until they are killed. In Age of Empires III, Livestock Pens, Villages, and Farms can train herdables, and fatten them faster.

Farming

Main article: Farm

A Villager farming in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

Farms provide a steady amount of food that is easy to gather from because its placement is done by the player so the Farms can be placed at a safe and economically beneficial position (close to a drop-off point). Also, the gathering rate of Farms is comparatively high. In Age of Empires II and Age of Empires, the food held by Farms is finite, but the amount held can be increased by researching certain technologies.

In Age of Empires III, there are two different buildings that can be considered Farms: The Farm and the Mill. They provide infinite food.

The major downside is that Farms cost wood which is why, especially in the early game, other food sources should be used as long as they are available. In games where Farms provide infinite food, they are also slower food sources early on, with the equivalent line of upgrades for Farms increasing gathering rates instead.

Fish Traps

Main article: Fish Trap

Fish Traps appear in Age of Empires II and are essentially aquatic Farms worked by Fishing Ships. They cost more wood, but provide more food. The drop-off point for the Fishing Ships is the Dock.

Fishing

Main article: Fishing

A fishing Villager.

Fishing Boats, Fishing Ships, Caravels, and Villagers can usually gather Fish if there is a significant amount of water on the map. In Age of Empires III and the expansions, all forms of Canoes and the Marathan Catamaran gather slower than all other fishing ships.

Fishing is most effective in Age of Mythology because shoals of Fish contain an infinite amount of food. However, only one Fishing Boat can gather from a shoal at a time, similar to Farms or Fish Traps. Unlike other games, only Fishing Ships can gather from shoals.

Resource exchange

Main article: Market

At the Market, gold can be traded for food, but for the exchange, trade fees apply. The resource exchange is unavailable in Age of Empires.

Other methods

• Relics for the Burgundians and their allies will also create food.
• Trade Carts for the Bengalis and their allies will also create food.
• The Gurjaras can garrison herdables into the Mill to get infinite food.
• The Feitoria, the unique building of the Portuguese, creates 1.6 food per second.
• For the Lithuanians, Each Town Center provides +100 food.

Gathering rates

Age of Empires II

Villagers gather food from different sources at a different speed. The table below shows all base theoretical (no walking time) gathering rates in descending order:

	Villager type	Resource	Gathering rate (resources/second)	Carry capacity
	Fisherman	Fish (all)	0.43	10
	Hunter	Huntable animals	0.41	35
	Shepherd	Herdable animals	0.33	10
	Farmer	Farm	0.32	10
	Forager	Berry Bush	0.31	10

A generic Villager farming right next to a drop site, including walking time, results in a practical gathering rate of approximately 0.356 food/second without any upgrades, and 0.49 food/second with all upgrades.

Work rates per second for the Fishing Ship are:

Resource	Base gather rate	With Gillnets	Carry capacity
Deep-sea fish	0.5	0.6	15
Fish Trap	0.36	0.43	15
Shore Fish	0.28	0.34	15

Age of Empires III

Age of Empires III offers a wider variety of options to obtain food. They are explained below.

Politicians and Tribal Council

Main article: Politician

Main article: Tribal Council

Aging up brings its own benefits, including resource deliveries.

Trading Posts

Main article: Trading Post (Age of Empires III)

Building Trading Posts is another way to obtain food, and produce around 120 units of a selected resource for free each minute by a Stagecoach, Trade Cart, or Train (144/min) at the Trade Route. Minor native civilizations may provide food bonuses otherwise unobtainable as well.

Rice Paddies

Main article: Rice Paddy

Rice Paddies can be tasked to generate food and if they are, they provide a steady and unlimited trickle of food.

Factories

Main article: Factory

Factories can be tasked to generate food and if they are, they provide a steady and unlimited trickle of food.

Decay rate

Huntable and herdable animals decay at a rate of 45.6 units per minute.

Gather rates

This table shows the initial gathering rates. Card and Consulate granted trickle rates are fixed and cannot be increased, though they can be stacked with other trickles available to that civilization. Trade Routes will vary depending on length and number of sites available; shown is the average one can expect on the majority of maps.

The Japanese can not gather food from huntable, or herdable animals except via shrines. Indians can not gather food from herdable animals, but can hunt.

Note: The gather rate for Coureur des Bois, and Cree Coureur des Bois is not a typo, they do gather slower from a Berry Bush or Cherry Orchard than a Mill. Therefore, Mills are always preferable to berries for anyone using them. On the other hand, Farms are inferior to berries for The WarChiefs major civilizations. Finally, Settler Wagons gather from hunts slightly faster than two Settlers or Villagers, though Wagons gather from crates much slower than two of those units.

Method	Initial rate
Grazing (card)	3 food per minute per Sowar and/or Zamburak, 6 wood per minute per elephant (including Brahmin and War Elephants)
Shrine	6 coin, wood, and 8.4 food per minute per Shrine (20 maximum, 168 food/min)
TEAM Sumptuary Laws (card)	12 coin, food, wood, and 6 export and experience per minute
Canoes / Catamaran (fish)	13.2/min per Canoe or Marathan Catamaran (finite source)
Sumptuary Laws (card)	18 coin, food, wood, and 9 export and experience per minute
Toshogu Shrine	21 coin, wood, and food per minute, and increases regular shrine gather rates by 33%
Huntable	50.4/min per Settler/Villager, 62.4/min per Coureur des Bois/Cree Coureur des Bois, 102/min per Settler Wagon (finite source)
Fishing Boats / Ships	40.2/min per ship (finite source)
Farm	30/min per Settler/Villager, 37.2/min per Coureur des Bois/Cree Coureur des Bois, 60/min per Settler Wagon (10 maximum, 300/min, 372/min, 600/min)
Berry Bush / Cherry Orchard	40.2/min per Settler/Villager, 49.8/min per Coureur des Bois/Cree Coureur des Bois, 80.4/min per Settler Wagon (finite source)
German ally (Consulate)	75/min as long as they remain an ally
Colbertism (card)	75/min
Trade Route (stagecoach/trade cart)	120/min per Trading Post
Herdable	120/min per Settler, 75/min Villager, 150/min per Coureur des Bois/Cree Coureur des Bois, 240/min per Settler Wagon
Factory	330/min per factory
Porcelain Tower	180 (Colonial), 270 (Fortress), 360 (Industrial), or 390 (Imperial) food per minute depending on the Age in which it is constructed.
Mill / Rice Paddy	40.2/min per Settler/Villager, 50.4/min per Coureur des Bois/Cree Coureur des Bois, 80.4/min per Settler Wagon (10 maximum, 402/min, 504/min, 804/min)
Crate (all)	460/min per Settler/Villager, 600/min per Coureur des Bois/Cree Coureur des Bois, 900/min per Settler Wagon

Home City Cards

Age of Empires III also offers the option of Home City Cards and native shipments as a means to get extra food. The WarChiefs, and The Asian Dynasties allow alternative native shipments, new cards, and Consulate shipments. Once selected, food arrives in the form of crates, huntable herds, or trickle effects to the shipment point, which by default is the Town Center. Settlers, and Villagers must work on the crates and huntables to unpack or harvest them to add to the food supply.

Civilization differences

• The Lakota, minor Lakota, and Cheyenne shipments of Bison, and Haudenosaunee Deer are not herdables, but rather spawn a new group of huntable animals near the Town Center (Lakota, Haudenosaunee), or native settlement (minor Lakota, Cheyenne).
• Only the Klamath can send crates of food in The Warchiefs.
• Every civilization can ship 300 Food card infinitely in the Exploration Age.
• Every civilization may ship both the 600 Food and the 700 Food cards in the Commerce Age.
• Every civilization except the Ottomans may ship the 1000 Food card in the Fortress Age.
• The Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish and Russians may ship the 1600 Food card in the Industrial Age.
• Every shipment card can be unlocked among the New World Trading Cards in the consequent order as listed below.
• Nanban Trade requires 450 export.
• Native shipments require a Trading Post on the appropriate settlement.

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to Food

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
Crates of 300 Food	Ships 300 food
Crates of 600 Food	Ships 600 food
Crates of 700 Food	Ships 700 food
Crates of 1000 Food	Ships 1,000 food
Crates of 1600 Food	Ships 1,600 food
Colbertism	Gives a trickle of 1.5 food
Fur Trade	Exchanges food all for 1.2× the coin

The Germans receive Uhlans from every shipment in equal amounts of Age number, except Exploration Age.

The Indians receive a Villager from every shipment except TEAM and INF cards.

The Japanese can ship resource cards twice.

The "Crates of 600 Food" card is not available to Inca.

The "Crates of 700 Food" card is not available to Haudenosaunee and Japanese.

The "Crates of 1000 Food" card is not available to Aztec, Haudenosaunee, Inca, and Ottomans.

The "Crates of 1600 Food" card is available to Chinese, Dutch, Hausa, Italians, Maltese, Mexicans, Portuguese, Russians, Spanish, Swedes, and United States.

The "Colbertism" card is available to Dutch, French, and Swedes.

The "Fur Trade" card is available to French, Haudenosaunee, Indians, and Lakota.

Asians

Card	Description	Age
Sumptuary Laws	Gives a trickle of 0.3 food, 0.3 wood, 0.3 coin, 0.15 export, 0.15 XP

The Indians have TEAM Sumptuary Laws instead.

Africans

Card	Description	Age
Charity	Exchanges all food for 0.75× the influence

Dutch

Card	Description	Age
Dutch Paintings	Exchanges all coin for the 1.0× food

Haudenosaunee

Card	Description	Age
Crates of 100 Food, 100 Wood, and 100 Coin	Ships 100 food, 100 wood, 100 coin
Crates of 300 Food, 300 Wood, and 200 Coin	Ships 300 food, 300 wood, 200 coin
Crates of 300 Food, 300 Wood, and 300 Coin	Ships 300 food, 300 wood, 300 coin
Crates of 400 Food, 400 Wood, and 400 Coin	Ships 400 food, 400 wood, 400 coin
Crates of 600 Food, 600 Wood, and 600 Coin	Ships 600 food, 600 wood, 600 coin
Crates of 500 Food, 500 Wood, and 500 Coin	Ships 500 food, 500 wood, 500 coin

Hausa

Card	Description	Age
Koose	Gives 30 food for every Field built; Villagers gather food from Mills, Farms, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 10% faster

Inca

Card	Description	Age
Camayos	Exchanges all food for 1.0× the coin

Indians

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Sumptuary Laws	Gives a trickle of 0.2 food, 0.2 wood, 0.2 coin, 0.1 export, 0.1 XP, 0.1 influence
Grazing	Camel units (Sowars, Zamburaks, Berber Camel Riders and Gatling Camels) generate 0.05 food per second; Elephant units (Indian Monks, Mahout Lancers, Howdahs, Flail Elephants, Siege Elephants, and War Elephants) generate 0.1 wood per second; Sacred Cows generate 0.075 coin per second, +1 Villager

Italians

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Pizza	Ships 100 food, 100 wood, 100 coin, 100 XP

Japanese

Card	Description	Age
Crates of 600 Food	Ships 600 food
Crates of 1000 Food	Ships 1,000 food

Lakota

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Crates of 600 Food	Ships 600 food
TEAM Crates of 1000 Food	Ships 1,000 food
Great Hunter	Villagers gather from huntable animals 20% faster, and adds 10% of all food collected from hunted animals so far to the player's stockpile (up to 1,500 food)

Maltese

Card	Description	Age
Merchant Republics	Returns 25% of resources previously gained from Trade Routes; Trade routes generate 35% more resources
Barrakka Gardens	Exchanges all food for an equal amount of wood
Sicilian Supply	Villagers gather from Mills 25% faster; grants a trickle of 2.75 food

Mexicans

Card	Description	Age
Chipotle Tactics	Receive food when an enemy or own building is destroyed equal to 20% ~ 40% of its total cost; Ships 500 food

Ottomans

Card	Description	Age
Silk Road	Crates and Trade Routes contain +25% resources and XP
Sublime Porte	Exchanges all food for 1.25× the wood

Portuguese

Card	Description	Age
Feitorias	Town Centers generate 0.5 food, 0.24 wood, 0.24 coin per second (totally 0.98 per Town Center)

Swedes

Card	Description	Age
Surströmming	Ships 2 Surströmming crates (provides 100 food which increases at a rate of 1 food every second if not gathered); only 10 Surströmming crates can be present at a time
Oxenstierna Reforms	Exchanges all coin for 1.25× food

United States

Card	Description	Age
Minneapolis Mills	Ships 800 food; Villagers gather food from Mills, Farms, Fields, and Rice Paddies 10% faster

Cheats

The following cheat codes instantly grant the player food:

• Age of Empires: pepperoni pizza (+1,000 food)
• Age of Empires II:
  • cheese steak jimmy's - (+10,000 food; +1,000 before The Forgotten)
  • ninjaconnor or ninjalui or rowshep - 100,000 food (along with 100,000 wood, 100,000 gold, and 100,000 stone)
• Age of Mythology: JUNK FOOD NIGHT (+1,000 food)
• Age of Empires III: medium rare please (+10,000 food)
• Age of Empires IV: full meal deal (+100,000 food)

Gallery

Food icon in Age of Empires III