Priests are Healer units in Age of Empires III that can be trained at the Church. They can heal all allied units of their own, except ships which repair themselves while docked.
Unlike in previous games, Priests do not convert enemy units. If told to interact with them, they will attack (rather pitifully) with their fists, since they don't carry weapons.
Although a rare sight in multiplayer games, priests have a niche strategy involving the Russian TEAM PatriarchyHome City Card. This card allows training a little mass of priests who will act as effective meat shields, since there aren't any units with multipliers against them. Enemy soldiers will be distracted and shoot at them, giving the Russian player and his allies a tactical advantage.
Priests cost 200 coin, give 20 XP when trained or killed, train in 40 seconds, have 360 hit points, and have no train limit.
Definitive Edition[]
Priests cost 150 coin, give 15 XP when trained or killed, and train in 30 seconds. Healing rate is set to 10.
With update 23511, Priests have a train limit of 30.
Knights of the Mediterranean[]
With update 13.18214, Priests cost 100 coin, give 10 XP when trained or killed, and have 200 hit points.
Trivia[]
The Priest has three model variants: one common for British, Dutch, French and Swedes, one for the Germans and Russians and one exclusive for the Portuguese. The Portuguese Priest resembles the Spanish Missionary but does not ride a donkey.
Although the Spanish and Ottomans have unique variants of the Priest, there are unused in-game models and voice files for Spanish and Ottoman Priests in the game files and in the Scenario Editor. The unused Spanish Priest uses the same model as the British, Dutch and French variant, and uses the Missionary's voice files, while the unused Ottoman Priest uses the Imam's model and voice files.
Originally, the Priest carried a staff, like the Priest of Age of Empires and the Monk of Age of Empires II. It is possible to see a Priest carrying a staff in the model and art shown in the history portrait. The Priest once again carries a staff in the Definitive Edition.
History[]
“
Religion was at the core of early colonial life, whether seeking religious freedoms in the New World or making the arduous journey to convert the Native Americans. Priests, pastors, and lay leaders of the various settlements, colonies, and missions sought to give strength to the struggling communities, binding them together through the bond of shared faith.
Though he was never ordained, William Ames' works made him a prominent theologian in the New World, though he never made it to the colonies. Persecution for non-conformist religious practices sent him to Holland, where he spent many years teaching and writing, dogged by the British sovereignty until he decided that it was time to venture to the New World. He grew sick and died before he could make the trip, but his works were treasured by Protestant colonists in the New World.
”
Gallery[]
An in-game Priest
Different in-game variants of Priest: The one on the left is common for the British, Dutch and French and the one on the right is exclusive to the Portuguese
Variant of the Priest model for Germans and Russians
The Priest's history portrait
In-game Priest variant for the British, Dutch, French, Italians, Maltese, and Swedes in the Definitive Edition
In-game Priest variant for the Germans and Russians in the Definitive Edition
In-game Priest variant for the Portuguese in the Definitive Edition