Rhode Island is a Commerce Age Federal State in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, available to the United States. As soon as the player advances to the Commerce Age by choosing Rhode Island, a Military Wagon appears at the Home City shipment point and the following Home City cards will be added into the U.S. player's deck:
| Card | Description |
|---|---|
 Corliss Steam Engine
|
Iron Horse and Steamers available from the Commerce Age; Ironclads available from the Fortress Age |
 Slater Textile Mill
|
Gives 30 food or 20 wood (selected randomly) for every existing Settlers and Fishing Boats; Land economic units cost -30 food; Fishing Boats cost -20 wood |
Strategy[]
When playing on a naval map, Rhode Island is the first step United States should take in order to get control of the seas. In addition to the Military Wagon Rhode Island gives, both of their federal cards focus on ships. Rhode Island should be followed by Maryland in the Fortress Age and Connecticut in the Imperial Age. None of the Industrial Age federal states have a naval focus, but each has something useful on a naval map. The player should consider the current situation for selecting the Industrial Age federal state.
Rhode Island is made for fast naval raids in the Commerce Ag,e as Corliss Steam Engine enables Steamers and Ironclads one age earlier, while Slater Textile Mill allows the player to get a return of wood and food per economic unit they have. The wood then may be invested in Steamers.
Rhode Island also offers some flexibility, as their federal cards not only are valuable for naval encounters, they also give the player an economic edge. Corliss Steam Engine also makes Iron Horse available from the Commerce Ag,e which may enable the player to accumulate experience much faster and earlier if the player gets control of the trade route. The food and wood return from Slater Textile Mill and price discount on economic units allows the player to perform a booming strategy.
Recommended shipments[]
- Arkansas Post, Chinese Immigrants and Shotgun Messengers: The player may want to get control of the trade route in order to research Iron Horse in the Commerce Age.
- Advanced Dock: Docks get +100% attack and heal ships twice as fast; Warship train time -33%.
- Pioneers: Villagers get +65% hit points.
- Fish Market, Rendering Plant and Whale Oil: These shipments make Fishing Ships more efficient.
- Any Villager gathering rate upgrade especially Sawmills, Washington Lumber Mills and Exotic Hardwoods: These make land economic units more efficient. Also, the player may need a good amount of wood for earlier Steamers and Ironclads.
- Medicine: Villager cost and train time -15%. Stacks with Slater Textile Mill.
- Spanish Immigrants. It enables an experience trickle. This synergizes with Corliss Steam Engine.
- Irish Immigrants, British Immigrants, French Immigrants, German Immigrants and Overmountain Settlers (Tennessee): Each type of villager counts by the Slater Textile Mill for a better return of resources.
- Naval Gunners: Warships get +20% attack.
- Admiralty: Armor Plating, Carronade, Percussion Lock, Ship's Howitzers, and Imperial Men-o'-War cost and research time -60%.
- Mississippi Steamers: Steamers get +35% hit points and attack, and +2 range and Line of Sight.
- Virginia Oak: Docks, Fishing Boats, Sloops, and Frigates get +15% hit points.
- Hulks: Upgrades Ironclads to Hulks, which get +1 build limit and a 25% chance to block all incoming attacks.
- Warship shipments, especially Recruit Manilamen and Recruit Manilamen Fleet: These are useful for increasing the navy. Wokou Junks do not count against the creation limit of other ships.
- Annapolis Naval Academy (Maryland): Docks can use Levy; Minutemen transported in ships increase their ranged attack by 10% (6 max.); Ships 1 Sloop with 6 Minutemen.
- Chesapeake Oyster Pirates (Maryland): Sloops and Steamers gather coin instead of food from fish (which is ~180% faster), and gather from whales 50% faster; Ships 1 Sloop.
- Morris Canal (New Jersey): Home City shipments arrive ~53% faster. This synergizes with Corliss Steam Engine, as the player may accumulate experience faster thanks to the earlier Iron Horse technology.
- TEAM Ohio Supply Network (Ohio): Trade Routes generate +100% resources; Native settlements give a trickle of 1 XP.
- Connecticut Shipwrights (Connecticut): Warship build time reduced by 50%.
- Bushnell's Sapper Corps (Connecticut): Ironclad build limit +1.
Changelog[]
Definitive Edition[]
- With update 50830, "Slater Textile Mill" also gives 30 food or 20 wood for all existing Settlers and Fishing Boats.
