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This article is about the unit in Age of Empires III. For the Priest in other games of the series, see Priest.

Heals injured units.
—In-game description

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.

Several civilizations have their own unique equivalent to the Priest, including the Ottomans (Imam), Spanish (Missionary), Aztecs (Warrior Priest), Haudenosaunee and Lakota (Healer), and Inca (Priestess). Asian civilizations do not have a Priest equivalent but their Monks can heal friendly units (Chinese require the Temple of Heaven wonder, Japanese require Reiki).

Priests can be garrisoned in the same buildings as settlers, and count as a settler when adding to a Town Center's attack.

Strategy[]

Although a rare sight in multiplayer games, priests have a niche strategy involving the Russian TEAM Patriarchy Home 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.

Civilization differences[]

Further statistics[]

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Nothing
Weak vs. Everything
Improvements
Hit points Unction Mission Fervor (+50%)
Tar kilns Tar Kilns (+5%)
Line of Sight Town Watch Town Watch (+3)
Train time Unction Mission Fervor (-50%)
Immigrants Immigrants (-10%)
Cost Mapuche Ad-mapu Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost)
Golden liberty Golden Liberty (-5% coin cost)
Healing rate Unction Mission Fervor (+50%)

Home City Cards[]

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Priest
Some cards are highlighted with:
Green TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
Blue Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)

Chinese[]

Card Description Age
Chinese Home City 1 (TEAM Yongle Infrastructure) TEAM Yongle Infrastructure Ships 1 Mongol Scout; infantry, land villagers, healing units, Envoys, and Disciples get +5% speed
Age I tech tree aoe3

Inca[]

Card Description Age
Inca Home City 2 (TEAM Inca Bridges) TEAM Inca Bridges Ships 1 Chasqui; infantry, land villagers, healing units, and Envoys get +5% speed
Age I tech tree aoe3

Indians[]

Card Description Age
Shivajis tactics TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack
Age IV tech tree aoe 3

Japanese[]

Card Description Age
Japanese Home City 3 (Pioneers) TEAM Jujutsu Villagers get +35% hit points; Surgeons, Priests, Architects, Native Scouts, and Envoys get +20% attack; Disciples and Shaolin Masters get +10% attack; units affected by villager upgrades get +10% hit points
Age I tech tree aoe3

Maltese[]

Card Description Age
Maltese Home City 2 (TEAM Knights of the Round Table) TEAM Knights of the Round Table Ships 1 Hospitaller for each Town Center owned by the player; all units get +2% hit points
Age I tech tree aoe3

Mexicans[]

Card Description Age
Mexican Home City 2 (TEAM Mariachi) TEAM Mariachi For the next 30 seconds, military buildings work 400% faster and units get +10% speed
Age I tech tree aoe3

Russians[]

Card Description Age
Russian Home City 1 (Cheap Priests) TEAM Patriarchy Healing unit cost and train time -50%; Healer, Warrior Priest, and Priestess train time -15% instead
Age II tech tree aoe3

Spanish[]

Card Description Age
Spanish Home City 3 (Inquisition) TEAM Spanish Inquisition Ships 1 Inquisitor; all units get +10 Line of Sight
Age II tech tree aoe3

Indians[]

Card Description Age HC level
Shivajis tactics TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
25

Russians[]

Card Description Age HC level
Russian Home City 1 (Cheap Priests) TEAM Patriarchy Healing unit cost -50% and train time -75%; Healer and Warrior Priest train time -15% instead
Age II tech tree aoe3
10

Spanish[]

Card Description Age HC level
Spanish Home City 3 (Inquisition) TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 Line of Sight
Age I tech tree aoe3
10

Changelog[]

Age of Empires III[]

  • 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[]

See also[]

Civilian units in Age of Empires III
General
AllFishing ship aoe3de Fishing Boat · Settler aoe3de Settler · Covered wagon aoe3de Covered Wagon/Town Travois/Town Rickshaw/Town Center Builder · Outpost wagon aoe3de Trading Post Wagon, Lakota trading post aoe3de Trading Post Travois, and Chinese town center rickshaw aoe3de Trading Post Rickshaw · Outpost wagon aoe3de Dock Rickshaw/Dock Wagon/Dock Travois · Native embassy DE icon Native Embassy Travois/Native Embassy Builder/Royal Embassy Wagon
EuropeansPriest aoe3de Priest · Factory wagon aoe3de Factory Wagon · Fort wagon aoe3de Fort Wagon · Factory wagon aoe3de Homestead Wagon · Outpost wagon aoe3de Military Wagon · Factory wagon aoe3de Prospector Wagon (Factory wagon aoe3de Silver · Factory wagon aoe3de Gold)
Europeans and USSurgeon aoe3de Surgeon · Outpost wagon aoe3de Outpost Wagon · Spc wagon aoe3de Estate Wagon · Spc wagon aoe3de Mill Wagon
Native AmericansVillager aztec aoe3de Villager · Haudenosaunee healer aoe3de Healer · Team native aoe3de Native Scout* · Aztec travois aoe3de Farm Travois · Aztec travois aoe3de War Hut Travois
AsiansChinese castle wagon aoe3de Castle Rickshaw · Chinese town center rickshaw aoe3de Market Rickshaw · Chinese town center rickshaw aoe3de Monastery Rickshaw
AfricansEthiopian fishing canoe portrait aoe3de Fishing Canoe · Camp portrait Camp Builder · Hausa builder portrait Kingdom Builder · Hausa builder portrait Livestock Market Builder · Palace portrait aoe3de Palace Builder · Hausa builder portrait Trade Builder · Watch tower aoe3de portrait Watch Tower Builder
Unique units
Flag DutchDE DutchVillager dutch merchant portrait Merchant · Envoy aoe3de Envoy · Bank wagon aoe3de Bank Wagon
Flag FrenchDE FrenchCoureur aoe3de Coureur des Bois
Flag GermanDE GermansSettler wagon aoe3de Settler Wagon
Flag OttomanDE OttomansVillager ottoman yoruk portrait Yörük · Imam de Imam
Flag SpanishDE SpanishMissonary de Missionary
Flag AztecDE AztecsWarrior priest de Warrior Priest · Aztec travois aoe3de Nobles' Hut Travois
Flag IroquoisDE HaudenosauneeTravois portrait aoe3de Travois (Haudenosaunee)
Flag ChineseDE ChineseOutpost Wagon Blockhouse Wagon · Chinese town center rickshaw aoe3de Consulate Rickshaw · Chinese town center rickshaw aoe3de Village Rickshaw · Mongol scout aoe3de Mongol Scout
Flag IndianDE IndiansIndian peasant aoe3de Hindu Villager · Indian castle grove aoe3de Grove Rickshaw · Indian town center rickshaw aoe3de Sacred Field Rickshaw
Flag JapaneseDE JapaneseFactory wagon aoe3de Livestock Pen Wagon · Chinese town center rickshaw aoe3de Dojo Rickshaw · Japanese Town Center Rickshaw Military Rickshaw · Japanese grove aoe3de Orchard Rickshaw · Japanese grove aoe3de Rice Paddy Rickshaw · Chinese town center rickshaw aoe3de Shrine Wagon
Flag IncanDE IncaPriestess-icon-aoe3 Priestess · Travois inca AoE3de Builder Travois · Lakota trading post aoe3de Kallanka Travois · Lakota trading post aoe3de Stronghold Travois · Lakota trading post aoe3de Tambo Travois
Flag SwedishDE SwedesSpc wagon aoe3de Torp Wagon
Flag American act3 aoe3de United StatesFactory wagon aoe3de Coal Prospector Wagon · Outpost wagon aoe3de Infrastructure Wagon · Bank wagon aoe3de Meeting House Wagon · Bank wagon aoe3de State Capitol Wagon
Flag MexicanDE MexicansBank wagon aoe3de Cathedral Wagon · Factory wagon aoe3de Hacienda Wagon
Revolution RevolutionFactory wagon aoe3de Diamond Prospector Wagon · Sansculotte portrait Sansculotte
Flag Ethiopian aoe3de EthiopiansAbun portrait aoe3de Abun · Rickshaw1 icon portrait Indian Market Rickshaw · Mountain monastery portrait aoe3de Mountain Monastery Builder
Flag Hausa HausaGriot aoe3de portrait Griot · Bank wagon aoe3de Mosque Wagon · Hausa builder portrait Hausa Builder · University portrait University Builder
Flag ItalianDE ItaliansItalians architect portrait Architect · Bank wagon aoe3de Basilica Wagon · Bank wagon aoe3de Lombard Wagon
Flag MalteseDE MalteseOutpost wagon aoe3de Commandery Wagon · Spc wagon aoe3de Depot Wagon · Fort wagon aoe3de Fixed Gun Wagon
Miscellaneous
Berber nomad portrait Berber Nomad · Berber salt camel portrait Berber Salt Camel · Trading post african aoe3de Red Sea Wagon · Balloon portrait Hot Air Balloon · Cree coreur portrait updated Cree Coureur des Bois · Factory wagon aoe3de Arsenal Wagon · Bank wagon aoe3de Church Wagon · Outpost wagon aoe3de Frontier Post Wagon · Pilgrims icon definitive Pilgrim · Bank wagon aoe3de Athos Monastery Wagon · Outpost wagon aoe3de Battery Tower Wagon · Lakota trading post aoe3de American Citadel Travois
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