Oaxaca is an Imperial Age Federal State in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, available to the Mexicans. As soon as the player advances to the Imperial Age by choosing Oaxaca, 3 Huge Cords of Wood (1,500 wood) appears at the Home City shipment point and the following Home City Cards will be added into the Mexican player's deck:
| Card | Description | Age |
|---|---|---|
 Land of Juarez
| Inspiring Flag Area of Effect set to 70 and improves damage by an additional +5% |  |
 Zapotec Valley
| Enables Native Embassy to be built; enables Zapotec technologies to be researched at Native Embassies | |
Strategy[]
From all the Imperial Age Federal states Mexicans have, Oaxaca is the most focused on native units. The 1,500 wood shipped allows the player late-game flexibility, as it can be invested in buildings, artillery, navy, coin-free units, or an Imperial Age upgrade. Oaxaca is also a very flexible federal state, as it synergizes with most federal states from the previous ages, as both federal cards allow synergies regarding economy, buildings, and military in general.
For a native unit strategy, the player should pick Tlaxcala in the Commerce Age and Guerrero in the Industrial Age. These two federal states have a federal card that enables a native alliance that counts if the player sends the Native Treaties card. Oaxaca, in this regard, adds a third one with Zapotec Valley, which makes the Zapotec alliance active for the player. The player may alternatively pick Chiapas in the Commerce Age for getting Maya Holcan Spearmen, but this federal state does not enable an alliance, so in most cases it is preferable to have Tlaxcala for this combo. As a collateral strategy, Tlaxcala, Guerrero, and Oaxaca may also boost the General and inspiring flags. The Tlaxcala alliance federal card enables Tlaxcaltec Initiation, which increases the hit points of the Padre and General. Guerrero has the Independence Hero federal card, which ships a second General. Oaxaca gives Land of Juarez, which improves Inspiring flags. For filling the gap in the Fortress Age, the player may pick either Coahuila or San Luis Potosí, as both of these federal states have a federal card that benefit Inspiring Flags or Generals.
Oaxaca also boosts the economy thanks to Zapotec Valley, as two of the technologies enabled by this shipment are economic. This makes Oaxaca a good follow-up state if the player previously picked federal states that further improve food and wood collection or picked federal states that may enable a good use of these resources. Industrial Age federal states like Chihuahua or Guanajuato, Fortress Age federal states like Sonora, Sinaloa or Tabasco, and Commerce Age federal states like Chiapas, Querétaro, Durango and Tlaxcala fall in this category, as each has at least one federal card that address economy in some form. The food and wood generated can be used for several strategies in addition to native units. For example, combining Oaxaca With Chihuahua may enable the player to use a good turtle strategy, as Chihuahua federal cards enables for a better wood collection and better Forts, while Oaxaca provides more wood for aging up and from the Zapotec Cloud People technology.
Picking Durango in the Commerce Age may enable the player to get a lot of coin from Oaxaca if the player sends Cerro de Mercado after researching Zapotec Cloud People. With that coin, the player may muster mercenaries and outlaws. Oaxaca is also a great final pick if the player selected Durango in the Commerce Age, then revolted with Baja California and reverted back to Mexico. Baja California offers a lot of upgrades related to outlaws and coin generation, so the player should have a base deck that improves their mercenaries and outlaws even more. The Land of Walker Baja California federal card also synergizes with Land of Juarez.
Finally, Oaxaca is also a good pick if the player focused on Insurgentes and other melee infantry, as Zapotec Valley enables Zapotec Cult of the Dead. This makes Oaxaca a good pick if the player picked Zacatecas.
Recommended shipments[]
- Land Grab, 1 Hacienda Wagon, Alhondiga de Granaditas, TEAM Alta California Territory, Infinite 1 Hacienda (Baja California), Empresarios (Coahuila), Fortified Haciendas (Durango): All shipments that allow cheaper Haciendas, increase their build limit, or give Hacienda Wagons are useful if the player picks Zapotec Valley and then researches Zapotec Food of the Gods, as Settlers will generate more food at the Haciendas.
- 3 Trading Post Wagons, TEAM Nuevo México Territory, Advanced Trading Post and Coach Guns (Baja California): If the player picked the Oaxaca-Tlaxcala-Guerrero combo, they may want more native alliances from the map in order to increase the usefulness of the Native Treaties card. Baja California has an infinite version of the 3 Trading Post Wagons and the Coach Guns shipment, but if the player revolts, they will skip Guerrero.
- TEAM Alta California Territory, 20 Sheep, San Marcos Fair, Pacific Pearl (Sinaloa), Maya Crops (Chiapas) and food crates shipments: Zapotec Food of the Gods lets Settlers collect food faster from animals and crates.
- Comandante: The General and Padre get +50% hit points and attack.
- Insurgente shipments and Zacatecas Rebellion (Zacatecas): The Insurgente is the most basic melee unit for Mexicans, and benefits from Zapotec Cult of the Dead.
- Machetes and Reservistas: These improve Insurgentes and stack with Zapotec Cult of the Dead.
- Leather Soldiers: Changes the coin cost of Soldados, Salteadores, Chinacos, and Dragoons to wood on the first time, and vice-versa on the second time. With Oaxaca, it is convenient to make all these units cost wood instead of coin, as the Oaxaca aging-up shipment and the Zapotec Cloud People technology allow the player to get a lot of wood fast.
- Man of Destiny: The General can receive Home City shipments, train Soldados, and act like an Inspired Flag (does not stack with one).
- Native Lore: Native technologies cost no coin. This applies to Zapotec Cloud People, Zapotec Food of the Gods, and Zapotec Cult of the Dead.
- Chimayo Genizarios: Native warrior train time -10%; Native warrior shipments and "Native Treaties" arrive twice as fast.
- Native Treaties: Each different allied native tribe sends a shipment of their respective native warriors.
- Native Warriors: Native warriors cost -25%.
- Blood Brothers: Upgrades native warriors to Elite/Disciplined and Champion/Honored (if not already).
- Land of Hidalgo: Grants Cry of Dolores; The Padre gets +2 Line of Sight and healing range, and his Cry of Dolores ability now applies to Inspiring Flags and the Cathedral as well, and its Area of Effect and healing rate are doubled.
- Advanced Arsenal: The technologies there will help all units.
- Presidios: The General can build Outposts; Fort build limit +1; Walls cost -20%; Outposts cost -30%; Forts cost -40%; Wall, Outpost, and Fort build time -20%
- Advanced Saloon, Cantinas and Mexican Standoff: These three shipments are needed for the Durango-Baja California-Oaxaca combo.
- Liberation March: Infantry, cavalry, and shock infantry get +5% speed and -35% train time.
- Niños Héroes: A Militiaman is spawned when the General and Padre falls.
- Sawmills, Exotic Hardwoods and Sierra Madre Forests (Chihuahua): This ensures a long-term source of wood.
- Any shipment that improves food collection for Settlers: this stacks with the Zapotec Food of the Gods technology.
- 24 Mayan Allies, Renegade Navajo, Renegade Comanche, Renegade Apache and Tzotzil Uprising (Chiapas): These shipments are synergic in any native unit strategy with Mexicans.
- Land of Zaragoza (Coahuila): The General's Inspiring Flag ability cooldown reduced to 4 seconds; Inspiring Flags further increase the work rate of military buildings by 25%.
- Bustamante (San Luis Potosí): The General can build Field Hospitals for free; Musket Infantry get +10% hit points; Field Hospitals can train Soldados.
- Cerro de Mercado (Durango): Exchanges all wood for 1.5× the coin; Gives 350 coin.
- Tlaxcala Alliance (Tlaxcala) and Aztec Pueblos (Guerrero): Both Shipments are required for the Tlaxcala-Guerrero-Oaxaca combo.
- Independence Hero (Guerrero): Ships a second General.
- Land of Walker (Baja California): Inspiring Flags can be deployed anywhere and also reduces the cooldown of charged abilities.
- Baja California Territory (Baja California): Ships 3 Settlers; Haciendas attract nearby huntable animals to improve their work rate.
