Fort (Age of Empires III)

This article is about the building in Age of Empires III. For the building in Chronicles, see Fort (Chronicles). For other uses, see Castle and Fortress.

Fort
Information
Introduced in	Age of Empires III
Type	Building Military Defensive structure Sees stealth
Civilization(s)	Europeans Federal Americans Chinese
Age	Fortress Age
Use	Attacks nearby enemies Trains most military units Receives Home City shipments
Building
Built by	Fort Wagon General Explorer (with the "Castrametation" card) Sentinels (with the "Fort Construction" card) Rekruts (with the "Pjotr's Toy Soldiers" card)
Cost	600 Wood 500 Coin
Max. builders	8
Build time	150 seconds
Build limit	1
Statistics
Size	6x6
Hit points	9,000
Garrison	50 villagers, Homestead Wagons, healing units, Regent
Line of Sight	26
Build XP	220
Kill XP	220
Anti-ship attack
Damage	300 Siege
Range	40
Rate of Fire	3.0
Bonus damage	0.5x vs. Siege trooper
Bombard attack
Damage	150 Ranged
Area of Effect	3
Range	26
Rate of Fire	3.0
Bonus damage	0.75x vs. Artillery 0.5x vs. Siege trooper

“	Powerful, defensive building that can also train units. Can only be sent from the Home City.	”
—In-game description

The Fort is a military/defensive building in Age of Empires III that can be built by Fort Wagons, United States and Mexican Generals, as well as the Explorer with the "Castrametation" Home City Card, Maltese Sentinels with the Fort Construction Home City Card, and Russian Rekruts with the "Pjotr's Toy Soldiers" Home City Card in the Definitive Edition. It is one of the strongest defensive buildings in the game that are also capable of training infantry and cavalry units, as well as Falconets, and serving as a drop-off point for Home City shipments.

Tactics

While having impressive hit points and a great range, Forts are expensive to repair and can only take on one target at a time (although there is Area of Effect damage when they fire). They are most often used to gain map control, or to defend a coastline or colony. Since it is a special Home City shipment, another Fort Wagon cannot be built if the Fort is destroyed unless multiple shipments of wagons are available. Forts are formidable defenses but are not invincible. They can be destroyed with artillery or long range ships such as Monitors or Ironclads. A large amount of units can bring it down as the Fort can only fire on one enemy at a time, though it does splash damage.

However, as with artillery pieces, if a unit is placed correctly, the fort will fire on that unit but will be unable to deal any damage. Forts are usually placed in strategic areas or near the first Town Center. When in use by the AI, easy ones will usually place the Fort near their starting location. Higher AIs tend to place the Fort near the enemy's settlement(s) and if allied, the AI will notify the player of where they are building it.

In The Asian Dynasties expansion, the Fort has been tinkered with slightly. European civilizations are able to build at least one Fort and most are able to build two.

In the Definitive Edition, the "Castrametation" Home City Card is now available to all European civlizations (including the Spanish, who didn't have it in The Asian Dynasties) and allows the Explorer to build Forts, making the loss of Forts no longer a major blow to the player's defense.

For more tactics, see: Fort (Age of Empires III)/Strategy.

Units

Age	Unit	Cost	Pop.	Limit	Civ.
	Crossbowman	40 food 40 wood	1	∞	EU
	Pikeman
	Musketeer	75 food 25 coin
	Hussar	120 food 80 coin	2
	Grenadier	120 food 60 coin
	Longbowman	60 food 40 wood	1
	Doppelsoldner	75 food 125 coin	2
	Uhlan	50 food 100 coin
	Pavisier	35 food 50 wood	1		Italians
	Sentinel	60 food 40 coin	2
	Hospitaller	120 food 80 coin
	Fire Thrower	50 wood 75 coin
	Order Hussar	130 food 90 coin
	Order Longbowman	65 food 45 wood	1
	Janissary	90 food 25 coin
	Azap	55 food 35 wood
	Abus Gunner	50 food 100 coin	2
	Humbaraci	110 food 75 coin
	Deli	110 food 90 coin
	Strelet	37 food 10 wood	1
	Rekrut	56 food 19 coin
	Poruchik	37 food 52 coin
	Cossack	75 food 75 coin
	Rodelero	65 food 35 coin			Spanish
	Carolean	65 food 40 coin
	Leather Cannon	300 food 100 wood	3
	Old Han Army	255 food 180 wood	6		Chinese
	Standard Army	255 food 170 coin	5
	Ming Army	345 food 120 wood
	Mongolian Army	230 food 170 coin	4
	Flamethrower	170 wood 170 coin	3
	Rajput	90 food 35 wood	1		Indians
	Sepoy	90 food 30 coin
	Gurkha	70 food 50 coin
	Sowar	80 food 80 coin	2
	Zamburak	60 food 60 coin	1
	Yumi Archer	55 food 50 wood			Japanese
	Ashigaru Musketeer	80 food 40 coin
	Samurai	95 food 95 coin	2
	Naginata Rider	100 food 100 coin
	State Militia	50 food 40 wood	1
	Regular	55 food 50 coin
	Insurgente	70 food
	Soldado	90 food 80 coin	2
	Salteador	60 food 60 coin	1
	Chinaco	110 food 90 coin	2
	Coyote Runner	85 food 25 wood	1		Aztecs
	Otontin Slinger	40 food 30 wood
	Puma Spearman	45 food 45 coin
	Aenna	100 food
	Tomahawk	75 food 20 wood
	Kanya Horseman	100 food 75 wood	2
	Jungle Bowman	80 food 25 wood	1		Inca
	Plumed Spearman	90 food 25 wood
	Chimu Runner	70 food 35 coin
	Cetan Bowman	65 food 35 wood
	Club Warrior	50 food 40 wood
	Axe Rider	150 food 50 coin	2
	Bow Rider	100 food 75 coin
	Javelin Rider	65 food 50 coin	1		AF
	Gascenya	70 food 30 wood			Ethiopians
	Shotel Warrior	55 food 50 coin
	Fulani Archer	70 food 35 wood
	Raider	100 food 40 coin
	Halberdier	50 food 70 coin		EU
	Skirmisher	50 food 65 coin
	Falconet	100 wood 300 coin	5	EU
	Dragoon	90 food 90 coin	2
	Ruyter	30 food 75 coin	1
	Cuirassier	150 food 150 coin	3
	War Wagon	150 food 150 coin	3
	Order Dragoon	100 food 100 coin	2
	Order Cassador	90 food 40 coin	1
	Order Lancer	120 food 100 coin	2
	Cavalry Archer	100 food 60 coin
	Cassador	80 food 35 coin	1	Portuguese
	Organ Gun	100 wood 300 coin	4
	Oprichnik	90 food 60 coin	2
	Lancer	110 food 90 coin		Spanish
	Hakkapelit	90 food 100 coin
	Territorial Army	285 food 255 coin	6	Chinese
	Black Flag Army	380 food 360 coin	8
	Forbidden Army	480 food 360 coin
	Imperial Army	480 food 255 coin	7
	Hand Mortar	50 food 90 wood	1
	Mahout Lancer	400 food 250 wood	7	Indians
	Howdah	250 food 350 coin	6
	Yabusame	60 food 150 coin	2	Japanese
	Flaming Arrow	100 wood 300 coin	4
	Sharpshooter	40 food 75 coin	1
	Gatling Gun	100 wood 250 coin	4
	Legion Uhlan	50 food 100 coin	2
	Legion Dragoon	90 food 90 coin
	Arrow Knight	55 food 80 coin	1	Aztecs
	Eagle Runner Knight	75 food 75 coin
	Jaguar Prowl Knight	90 food 30 coin
	Forest Prowler	50 food 65 coin
	Musket Rider	55 food 100 coin	2
	Bolas Warrior	75 food 45 coin	1	Inca
	Huaraca	30 food 90 coin	2
	Maceman	100 food 100 coin
	Wakina Rifle	60 food 40 coin	1
	Rifle Rider	120 food 90 coin	2
	Tashunke Prowler	125 food 75 coin			14
	Oromo Warrior	120 food 120 coin		∞	Ethiopians
	Neftenya	65 food 70 coin	1
	Lifidi Knight	110 food 110 coin	2
	Bersagliere	50 food 75 coin	1		Italians
	Order Oprichnik	100 food 65 coin	2
	Order Cuirassier	165 food 165 coin	3
	Nizam Fusilier	60 food 70 coin	1	20
	Magyar Hussar	180 food 120 coin	3	∞
	Legion Grenadier	120 food 60 coin	2
	Light Cannon	100 wood 300 coin	4
	Revolutionary Sharpshooter	40 food 75 coin	1
	Washington's Grenadier	120 food 60 coin	2

• Dutch Skirmishers can be trained in the Commerce Age.
• In the Definitive Edition, Grenadiers can be trained by all European civilizations other than the Ottomans and Maltese once the "Grenade Launchers" Home City Card is sent.

Technologies

Age	Technology	Cost	Effect
	Revetment	500 wood 500 coin	Forts get +50% damage, +6 Line of Sight and range
	Star Fort	300 food 300 wood 300 coin	Forts get +50% hit points

Civilization differences

• In The Asian Dynasties, the Chinese in random map games can build one (and only one) Fort by allying with the Russians at the Consulate, which provides the Fort Wagon shipment that ships a namesake unit capable of building a Fort. The Chinese Fort trains War Academy banner armies and are named after Portuguese Forts before the Defintive Edition.
  • The Indians in the Act III: India campaign can build a Fort in the same way as the Chinese in random map games.

Revolutionary

• Revolting to the United States makes every Fort, both existing and newly built ones, spawn 2 Gatling Guns, and also allows Forts to train Gatling Guns. Two of their Home City Cards also benefits Forts greatly:
  • "Rhode Island Militia" allows Revolutionary American Forts to train State Militias instead of Crossbowmen, Longbowmen, Pikemen, and Halberdiers.
  • "Morgan’s Continental Sharpshooters" allows Revolutionary American Forts to train Revolutionary Sharpshooters.
• Revolting to Haiti: Pirates can be trained at Barracks, Forts, Galleons, Privateers, and the Saloon, and use 1 population instead of 6.

Further statistics

Building strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Most ground units, ships
Weak vs.	Siege units, artillery
Improvements
Hit points	Star Fort (+50%) State Constitutions (+25%; United States only) Flying Buttress (+20%) Byzantine Legacy (+15%)
Attack	Revetment (+50%) Heated Shot (+50% multiplier vs. ships)
Range	Revetment (+6)
Line of Sight	Revetment (+6) Gas Lighting (+4)
Build time	Cree Textile Craftsmanship (-25%)
Cost	Tupi Forest Burning (-20% wood) Cree Textile Craftsmanship (-10%)
Other	Fort Wagon (ships 1 Fort Wagon; Chinese only) Haudenosaunee League (can train Haudenosaunee Tomahawks and Haudenosaunee Mantlets) Savolax Jaegers (can train Jaegers; Swedes only) New Order Infantry (can train Nizam Fusiliers; Ottomans only) Queen's Rangers (can train Rangers instead of Longbowmen; British only) Königstein (ships 1 Fort Wagon, build limit +1, can be built in the Commerce Age) Öresund Customs (generates 0.733 coin/sec.)

Home City Cards

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Fort

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
Blue	Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)

• Definitive Edition
• The Asian Dynasties

All

Card	Description	Age
Improved Buildings	Buildings get +40% hit points (also +4 Uhlans for the Germans)
TEAM Improved Buildings	Buildings get +25% hit points
Heavy Fortifications	Grants all defensive building upgrades (if not already); costs 250 wood
Fort	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1 (also +3 Uhlans for the Germans)
2 Fort Wagons	Ships 2 Fort Wagons; Fort build limit +2
Extensive Fortifications	Outpost build limit +100%; frontier fortifications, Walls, and Forts get +25% hit points
Chipotle Tactics	Ships 500 food; receive food when an enemy or own building is destroyed equal to 20% ~ 40% of its total cost
TEAM Coastal Defenses	Buildings get +0.8 attack multiplier against ships
1 Fort Wagon	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1

• "Improved Buildings" is not available to the Maltese.
• "TEAM Improved Buildings" is available to the Inca, Indians, and Maltese.
• "Heavy Fortifications" is available to Europeans (except Germans, Ottomans, Russians, and Spanish) and Federal Americans.
• "Fort" is available to Europeans and Federal Americans.
• "2 Fort Wagons" is available to the Maltese, and also Mexicans upon revolting to the Texas.
• "Extensive Fortifications" is available to Europeans (except Germans, Portuguese, and Russians) and Mexicans.
• "Chipotle Tactics" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish (upon revolting to Mexico).
• "TEAM Coastal Defenses" is available to Europeans and Federal Americans.
• "1 Fort Wagon" is available to Europeans upon revolting to Argentina, Barbary States, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Egypt, Gran Colombia, Haiti, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, and United States, and Mexicans upon revolting to the Maya (named "Petén Itzá"), Rio Grande, and Yucatán.

Chinese

Card	Description	Age
Extensive Fortifications	Frontier fortifications, Walls, and Fort get +25% hit points; Castle build limit +100%; Blockhouse build limit +1
Land Reforms	Villagers and Rickshaws build buildings 50% faster; buildings grant +100% build bounty

Europeans

Card	Description	Age
Castramentation	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1; the Explorer can build Outposts and Forts (also +4 Uhlans for the Germans)
Criollos	Ships 22 Spanish Musketeers and allows them to be trained at Forts; costs 250 food, 250 wood
Quebec	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1; Militiamen can be called from Outposts and Forts
Suomenlinna	Ships 4 Blockhouse Wagons and 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1
Border Fortress	Ships 1 Fort Wagon and 1 Outpost Wagon; Fort and Outpost/Blockhouse build limit +1

• "Criollos" is available to the Germans, Italians, and Spanish upon revolting to Argentina.
• "Quebec" is available to the British and French upon revolting to Canada.
• "Suomenlinna" is available to the Russians and Swedes upon revolting to Finland.
• "Border Fortress" is available to the Germans, Maltese, Ottomans, and Russians upon revolting to Hungary, and Ottomans and Russians upon revolting to Romania.

Federal Americans

Card	Description	Age
Texan Forts	Forts now instead slowly train batches of units for free; spawn time +15%	Imperial Age
The Alamo	Ship 16 Minutemen; when destroyed by enemies, your buildings spawn a number of Minutemen equal to 1.5% of their cost rounded up	Imperial Age

• "Texan Forts" and "The Alamo" are available to the United States upon selecting the Texas Federal State and Mexicans upon revolting to Texas, and spawns 17 Minutemen when a Fort is destroyed.

French

Card	Description	Age
Vauban Fortress	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1

Maltese

Card	Description	Age
Knights of Malta	Ships 5 Hospitallers for each Fort owned by the player
Squires	Military buildings train and research 80% faster, except Forts which train and research 260% faster
Fort Construction	Sentinels can build Forts; Fort build limit +1; Forts can be built in the Commerce Age

Mexicans

Card	Description	Age
TEAM Mariachi	For the next 30 seconds, military buildings work 400% faster and units get +10% speed
Presidios	The General can build Outposts; Fort build limit +1; Walls cost -20%; Outposts cost -30%; Forts cost -40%; Outpost, Wall, and Fort build time -20%
Chapultepec Castle	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1; Forts get +100% Line of Sight and a ×10.0 attack multiplier against heroes
Criollos	Ships 9 Spanish Musketeers and allows them to be trained at Forts; costs 250 food, 250 wood
Tulancingo Cuirassiers	Ships 6 Gendarmes and allows them to be trained at Forts; costs 500 food, 500 wood
Spanish Sympathizers	Ships 15 Garrochistas and allows them to be trained at Forts; costs 1,000 food, 1,000 wood
Colegio de San Nicolás	Ships 500 XP; units get +4 and buildings (except Walls) get +8 Line of Sight; sees what enemies can see for 20 seconds
Trias Fortifications	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1; Militiamen can be called from Outposts and Forts
Port Veracruz	Forts get +6 Line of Sight and range, and can now attack buildings	Imperial Age
Veracruz National Guard	Forts train units and research technologies 200% faster	Imperial Age
Cinco de Mayo	Forts increase the hit points and attack of friendly infantry and cavalry in an Area of Effect of 32 around them by 25%	Imperial Age
Talavera Architecture	Buildings get +30% hit points, -30% build time, and grant coin upon being built instead of XP	Imperial Age
Russian-American Company	Ships 1 Fort Wagon and 2 Blockhouse Wagons; villagers gather food from huntable animals 30% faster
Gonzales Guns	Each Town Center and Fort spawns 1 Napoleon Gun

• "Colegio de San Nicolás" is available upon selecting the Michoacán Federal State.
• "Trias Fortifications" is available upon selecting the Chihuahua Federal State.
• "Port Veracruz" and "Veracruz National Guard" are available upon selecting the Veracruz Federal State.
• "Cinco de Mayo" and "Talavera Architecture" are available upon selecting the Puebla Federal State.
• "Russian-American Company" is available upon revolting to California.
• "Gonzales Guns" is available upon revolting to the Texas.

Russians

Card	Description	Age
Sevastopol	Town Center, Blockhouse, Wall, and Fort build time -50%
Pjotr's Toy Soldiers	Rekruts, Poruchiks, and Grenadiers get +15% hit points and attack; Rekruts can build Forts; card plays a small tune upon arrival

Swedes

Card	Description	Age
Kalmar Castle	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1; enemies around the player's Forts grant twice as much XP when killed

United States

Card	Description	Age
Kosciuszko Fortifications	Fort cost -50%, build time -50%, and build limit +2
Putnam Engineering	Ships 1 Fort Wagon and 3 Culverins; Fort build limit +1

• "Putnam Engineering" is available upon selecting the Ohio Federal State.

Chinese

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Land Reforms	Villagers and Rickshaws build buildings 50% faster; buildings grant +100% build bounty		10

Europeans

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Improved Buildings	Buildings get +40% hit points		10
Heavy Fortifications	Grants all defensive building upgrades (if not already); costs 250 wood		25
Fort	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1 (also +3 Uhlans for the Germans)		1
Castramentation	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1 (also +4 Uhlans for the Germans)		25
TEAM Coastal Defenses	Defensive buildings get +1.0 attack multiplier against ships		25
1 Fort Wagon	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1		1

• "Heavy Fortifications" is not available to the Germans, Ottomans, Russians, and Spanish.
• "Castramentation" is not available to the Spanish.
• "TEAM Coastal Defenses" is available to the French, Portuguese, Russians, and Spanish.
• "1 Fort Wagon" is available upon Revolution.

French

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Vauban Fortress	Ships 1 Fort Wagon; Fort build limit +1		25

Indians

Card	Description	Age	HC level
TEAM Improved Buildings	Buildings get +25% hit points		10

Russians

Card	Description	Age	HC level
Sevastopol	Town Center, Blockhouse, Wall, and Fort build time -50%		40
National Redoubt	Musketeers can build Forts; Fort build limit +1		40

Changelog

Age of Empires III

• Forts give 0 XP when built and 440 XP when destroyed.
• The Fort anti-ship attack has no multipliers.
• Forts have 8,500 hit points.

The Asian Dynasties

• The Fort built by the Chinese by allying with the Russians at the Consulate is named after Portuguese Forts.

Definitive Edition

• Forts give 110 XP when built and 220 XP when destroyed. With update 50830, they give 220 XP when built.
• The Fort anti-ship attack has a ×0.5 multiplier against siege units.
• The Fort built by the Chinese by allying with the Russians at the Consulate now has unique Russian and Chinese names.

The African Royals

• With update 50830, Forts have 9,000 hit points.

History

“

Forts in the New World ranged from wooden palisades assembled hastily as outposts or for the protection of watersheds to sprawling star forts whose distinctively angled earthen and stone walls protected key ports, mines, cities, and overland trade routes. Fort McHenry, once called Fort Whetstone, was a star fort surrounded on three sides by water. In 1814 it survived a 25-hour bombardment by the British. Francis Scott Key wrote a poem about his experiences during and after the battle, and the story of Fort McHenry and its star-spangled banner became the national anthem of the United States in 1931.

”

Trivia

• All forts have civilization unique names, usually referring to important colonial garrisons or trading posts. This trait would later also be taken up by the Tavern and Palace.
• Since the Defintive Edition, Forts built by the Chinese by allying with the Russians at the Consulate have unique Russian and Chinese names, which are not the same used by the Russian Forts and are related to the frontier between the Russian Empire and the Qing Dynasty: Aigun, Albazin, Hai, Gao, Kyakhta, Nerchinsk, Shitoufeng, Vladivostok, Wei, and Zhèn.
  • For some reason, these Forts can train Czapka Uhlans.
• The French having the most number of Forts may be a callback to the Franks being able to afford more Castles (the Age of Empires II equivalent of the Fort) than others thanks to their Castles being discounted.
• Currently, there is a bug for the Maltese that Fort technology buttons and Home City toggle buttons disappear if all 5 "Tongue" Home City cards are sent.

Gallery

An Eastern European Fort

An in-game Mediterranean/Southern European Fort

An in-game damaged Western European Fort

A Maya Fort

Western European Fort image from the Compendium section

See also

• Agra Fort – Indian wonder which functions similarly to the Fort
• Stronghold – Inca building which functions similarly to the Fort