Priestess

Priestess
Unit information
Introduced in	Definitive Edition
Civilization	Incas
Age	Commerce Age
Abilities	Heals injured units (10 hit points per second, range 12) Work at the Community Plaza as one and half Villager
Special ability	Conversion
Training
Trained at	Community Plaza (Holy Ceremony)
Coin	200
Training time	See Holy Ceremony
Training limit	16
Statistics
Hit points	360
Resists	20% vs. Ranged
Speed	4.5
Line of Sight	16
Population	1
XP train bounty	20
XP bounty	20
Melee attack
Damage	5
Rate of Fire	1.5

“	Heals injured units and converts enemy units.	”
—In-game description

The Priestess is a special unit in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition that is unique to the Incas and can be obtained through Holy Ceremony. It functions similarly to the Healer, but can work as one and a half Villagers at the Community Plaza and convert enemy units.

Priestesses can be garrisoned in the same buildings as settlers/villagers, and add to a Town Center's attack when doing so.

Special ability

Conversion: Converts an enemy unit (except heroes, Daimyo, villagers, and wagons) to the Priestess' side from a range of 12 with the process taking 6 seconds to complete, which can be shorter or longer depending on the unit in question.

Upgrades

The Priestess is upgraded in every Age up starting from the Fortress Age.

+30% hit points, +3 Conversion range, -1 Conversion time

+40% hit points, +3 Conversion range, -1 Conversion time

+50% hit points, +3 Conversion range, -1 Conversion time

Further statistics

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Nothing
Weak vs.	Everything
Improvements
Hit points	Mission Fervor (+35%, Europeans only) Medical Science (+35%, United States only)
Sight	Town Watch (+2, Europeans and United States only)
Speed	Mission Fervor (+15%, Europeans only) Medical Science (+15%, United States only)

Home City Cards

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

Green: TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team Violet: Shipment that can be sent an INFINITE number of times Incas Card Description Age TEAM 1 Priestess Ships 1 Priestess 1 Priestess Ships 1 Priestess 6 Priestess Ships 6 Priestess 5 Priestess Ships 5 Priestess Temple of Mama Killa Priestesses get +30% hit points, +20.0x multiplier against heroes, train time -35%, and can claim treasures and gather resource crates TEAM Inca Bridges All infantry and civilian units get +5% speed; +1 Chasqui Indians Card Description Age HC level TEAM Shivaji's Tactics All units get +5% hit points and attack 25 Russians Card Description Age HC level TEAM Cheap Priests Priests, Imams, and Missionaries cost -50% and train time -75%; Healer, Warrior Priest, and Priestess spawn time -15% 10 Spanish Card Description Age HC level TEAM Inquisition All units get +10 LOS 10

Changelog

Definitive Edition

• Originally, Priestesses cost two population and work as two Villagers at the Community Plaza. With update 9476, they cost one population, work as 1.5 Villagers at the Community Plaza, and every card and Politician that deliver Priestesses now ships more Priestesses than before.
• Originally, Priestesses had a training limit of 15. With update 9476, they have a training limit of 16.

History

“

In Inca religion, women who lived in temple convents under a vow of chastity. Their duties included the preparation of ritual food, the maintenance of a sacred fire, and the weaving of garments for the emperor and for ritual use. At the time of the Spanish conquest in the early 16th century, the Virgins numbered several thousand and were governed by a high priestess, the Coya Pasca, a noblewoman who was believed to be the earthly consort of the sun god. The Virgins, not of noble birth, were village girls selected by officials for their beauty and talent; they were chosen at the age of 8 or 10 and shut up in the temples, which they were not allowed to leave for six or seven years. Of these girls, some became sacrificial victims, whereas others were sometimes made imperial concubines or the wives of nobles.

”

Gallery

Priestess image from the Compendium section

See also

• Healer – Haudenosaunee and Lakota counterpart
• Warrior Priest – Aztec counterpart