Stronghold (Age of Empires III)

This article is about the building in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. For the technology in Age of Empires II: The Forgotten, see Stronghold (Age of Empires II).

Stronghold
Building information
Introduced in	Definitive Edition
Type	Defensive Military
Civilization	Incas
Age	Fortress Age
Use	Attacks nearby enemies Trains military units Receive Home City shipments Stealth mode (with the "Cloud Fortresses" Home City Card)
Construction
Wood	350
Coin	350
Max. builders	8
Build time	60 seconds
Build limit	1
Statistics
Hit points	6,000
Garrison	50
Line of Sight	29
XP build bounty	70
XP bounty	140
Ranged attack
Damage	10 + (5 * no. of units garrisoned) * 6
Multipliers	×0.5 vs. Artillery, Siege unit, and Hero ×0.25 vs. Villager
Range	24
Area of Effect	1.5
Rate of Fire	3.0
Anti-ship attack
Damage	33 * 6
Multipliers	×0.5 vs. Siege unit
Range	40
Rate of Fire	3.0

“	A powerful defensive fortification that can train all Inca military units. Garrisoned units strengthen its attack.	”
—In-game description

The Stronghold is a military/defensive building in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition that is unique to the Incas. It is similar to the European Fort, but weaker, and can be garrisoned by military units instead of villagers, which also increases its ranged attack.

Units

Age	Unit	Cost	Pop.
	Plumed Spearman	100 food, 20 wood	1
	Chimu Runner	65 food, 40 coin
	Jungle Bowman	90 food, 20 wood
	Bolas Warrior	35 food, 65 coin
	Huaraca	30 wood, 90 coin	2
	Maceman	150 food, 150 coin	3

Technologies

Age	Technology	Cost	Effect
	Pukaras	300 wood, 300 coin	War Huts, Tambos and Strongholds get +3 LOS and range
	Sacsayhuaman	500 food, 500 wood, 500 coin	Strongholds get +50% hit points and +1.0 ranged AOE
	Thunderbolts of Illapa	1,600 coin	Ships 4 Field Cannons

Further statistics

As Strongholds are unique to the Incas, only technologies that they have access to are shown in the following tables:

Building strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Most ground units, ships
Weak vs.	Artillery, especially Rockets and Great Bombards, Siege units
Improvements
Hit points	Flying Buttress (+20%) Sacsayhuaman (+50%)
Attack	Sacsayhuaman (+1 ranged AOE)
Range	Pukaras (+3)
Sight	Pukaras (+3)
Construction cost	Cree Textile Craftsmanship (-25% wood) Tupi Forest Burning (-20% wood)

Home City Cards

As Strongholds are unique to the Incas, only their cards and other civilizations' TEAM cards are shown in the following tables:

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

Green: TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team Europeans Card Description Age HC level TEAM Coastal Defenses Defensive buildings get +1.0x multiplier against ships 25 "TEAM Coastal Defenses" is available to French, Portuguese, Russians, and Spanish. Incas Card Description Age Improved Buildings Buildings get +40% hit points Extensive Fortifications Defensive buildings get +25% hit points; War Hut build limit +100% High Ground War Huts, Town Centers, Tambos and Strongholds get +5 range and +15 LOS Machu Picchu Ships 1 Stronghold Travois; Stronghold build limit +1 Heavy Fortifications Grants all defensive building upgrades (if not already) Monumental Architecture Buildings get +45% hit points; Town Centers get +35% attack Cloud Fortresses War Huts and Strongholds can use stealth mode Old Ways Big Button technologies cost -50% Huanka Support Ships 1 Town Travois and 1 War Hut Travois; Town Center build limit +1; Buildings' build time -15%; costs 250 coin Indians Card Description Age HC level TEAM Improved Buildings Buildings get +25% hit points 10

Changelog

Definitive Edition

• Originally, the Stronghold had 6 minimum range, 3 Area of Effect, and capped its bonus damage at 50 units. With update 6159, it has no minimum range, 1.5 Area of Effect, and caps its bonus damage at 25 units.
• Originally, the Sacsayhuaman technology gave the Stronghold +3 range, +3 LOS and +50% hit points. With update 6159, it gives +1 Area of Effect and +50% hit points.
• With update 9476, the radius of the "range ring" was corrected, to properly reflect the Stronghold's range.
• Originally, the Stronghold's in-game description was "A powerful military building that can train and garrison all military units to strengthen its attack.", suggesting that artillery can be garrisoned. With update 9476, the Stronghold's in-game description is "A powerful defensive fortification that can train all Inca military units. Garrisoned units strengthen its attack.", no longer suggesting that artillery can be garrisoned.

History

“

The Inca Empire dominated the Andean region not just through remarkable administration and military logistics, but also with a series of extensive strongholds, often situated on mountains or other strategically important locations. Combinations of stone walls, ramparts, and earthworks formed defensible positions from which the Inca could control the surrounding territory. Strongholds such as Saqsahuaman, Macchu Picchu, and Ollantaytambo played a critical role in the deadly conflict between the Spanish and the Inca, frustrating attempts by the former to conquer Inca land and the latter to retake it. Despite superior Spanish technology, the firm earthworks and stone ramparts provided a surprisingly staunch resistance against assaults, while defenders used the surrounding terrain to great effect in hampering hostile advances.

”

Gallery

Stronghold image from the Compendium section