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This article is about the building in Age of Empires III. For the building in Age of Empires IV, see Trade Post.

Build near Native settlements or Trade Routes. Provides experience points and other benefits.
—In-game description

The Trading Post is an economic/military building in Age of Empires III that replaces the trade system of carts, boats, and caravans in the previous games. Unlike most buildings, Trading Posts can only be built on site sockets found along Trade Routes and in minor civilization settlements. It periodically grants experience or resources if built on Trade Routes or allows access to native warriors and native technologies if built on those settlements.

Heroes and Trading Post Wagons build Trading Posts three times faster.

The Native American and Asian civilizations do not benefit from the Stagecoach Line of Sight; only European ones do.

The Inca build Tambos instead, which is identical in function with the Trading Posts; but with the difference is that the Tambos have a weak ranged attack and its attack can be strengthened if garrisoned with villagers as well as receive Home City shipments, and supports 5 population.

Special abilities[]

  • Buckshot Shotgun Messengers (automatically activated when an enemy is in range or 8 (or when attacking and the enemy is in a range of 8 with the "Advanced Trading Post" Home City Card) with a cooldown of 7 seconds, requires the "Shotgun Messengers" card): The Trading Post attacks with a powerful shotgun fire that does 115 damage (with a ×1.5 multiplier against cavalry, ×1.3 against shock infantry, ×0.5 against siege unit) with an Area of Effect of 2.
  • Ability lighthouse Lighthouse (only if the Trading Post is built on a Somali settlement; Requires Somali Lighthouses): Reveals a radius of 8 around enemy ships, Trading Posts/Tambos, Docks/Ports, and defensive buildings for 10 seconds. 60 seconds cooldown (shared across all Trading Posts built on Somali settlements).

Minor civilizations[]

Main article: Minor civilization

Units[]

Main article: Native warrior

Technologies[]

For each native tribe or religious community's technologies, please see their respective articles.

Upgrades[]

Age Upgrade Cost Effect
Age I tech tree aoe3
Japanese town center rickshaw Levy Trading Post Rickshaw Free Spawn a Trading Post Rickshaw; United States only, requires the "Chinese Immigrants" Home City Card; Shares cooldown with Levy
Age II tech tree aoe3
Stagecoach icon Level 2
(Stagecoach by default)
200 food
200 wood
Upgrades the Trade Route where the Trading Post is built to use a Level 2 Trade unit which can deliver resources, moves faster, and has greater LOS
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
Iron Horse Level 3
(Iron Horse by default)
300 wood
400 coin
Upgrades the Trade Route where the Trading Post is built to use a Level 3 Trade unit which moves faster and has greater LOS; requires Level 2
  • Levy Trading Post Rickshaw can be researched repeatedly but has a global (shared across all Trading Posts) cooldown of 160 seconds between each research.
  • To see specific names of upgrades, see Trade Route.

Civilization differences[]

  • The Dutch can sent the "Peace of Münster" Home City Card which allows Envoys to build Trading Posts, and do this two times faster.
  • The French Explorer builds Trading Posts an additional 33% faster by default. Also, French Grenadiers can build Trading Posts through the "Génie Troops" Home City Card after revolting to Revolutionary France.
  • The German Explorer builds Trading Posts 100% faster through the "Buergermeister" Home City Card.

Further statistics[]

Building strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Nothing (short-ranged units with "Advanced Trading Post" Home City Card)
Weak vs. Everything, especially siege units, artillery, and Monitors
Improvements
Hit points State Constitutions State Constitutions (+25%; United States only)
Flying Buttress Flying Buttress (+20%)
Byzantine legacy Byzantine Legacy (+15%)
Attack Heated Shot Heated Shot (+50% multiplier vs. ships)
Line of Sight Somali lighthouses Somali Lighthouses (+10)
Gas Lighting Gas Lighting (+4)
Build time Cree Textile Craftsmanship Cree Textile Craftsmanship (-25%)
Cost Tupi Forest Burning Tupi Forest Burning (-20% wood)
Cree Textile Craftsmanship Cree Textile Craftsmanship (-10%)
Resource generation Ottoman Home City 1 (Silk Road) Nanban Trade (+25%; Japanese only)
Penalties Code Napoleon Code Napoleon (+25% cost, French only)
Counter Infantry Rifling Customized Merc Weapons (+30% cost, John Black's Mercenaries only)

Home City Cards[]

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Trading Post
Some cards are highlighted with:
Green TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
Purple Shipment that can be sent an INFINITE number of times
Blue Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)

All[]

Card Description Age HC level
Spanish Home City 3 (Native Lore) Native Lore Native technologies cost 20% cheaper
Age II tech tree aoe3
1
Spanish Home City 3 (Native Treaties) Native Treaties Each different allied native tribe sends a shipment of their respective native warriors
Age II tech tree aoe3
1
Spanish Home City 3 (Advanced Trading Post) Advanced Trading Post Trading Posts get a ranged attack, +20% hit points, and -35% cost
Age I tech tree aoe3
25
Spanish Home City 3 (Improved Buildings) Improved Buildings Buildings get +40% hit points
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
10
Team improved buildings TEAM Improved Buildings Buildings get +25% hit points
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
10
Mexico card Chipotle Tactics Chipotle Tactics Ships 500 food; receive food when an enemy or own building is destroyed equal to 20% ~ 40% of its total cost
Age II tech tree aoe3
N/A
  • "Native Lore", "Native Treaties", and "Advanced Trading Post" are available to Europeans, Mexicans, and Native Americans.
  • For information about how many units shipped by "Native Treaties", please see the respective native warrior's articles.
  • "Improved Buildings" is available to Asians (except the Indians), Europeans, Mexicans, and Native Americans (except the Inca).
  • "TEAM Improved Buildings" is available to the Inca, Indians, and Maltese.
  • "Chipotle Tactics" is available to the Mexicans and Spanish (upon revolting to Mexico).

Africans[]

Card Description Age
Hc trade empire TEAM Trade Empire Trading Posts get +33% hit points and cost -20%; +1 Trade Builder (only for the Ethiopian and Hausa players)
Age II tech tree aoe3

Asians[]

Card Description Age HC level
Japanese Home City 3 (Native Learning) Native Learning Native improvements cost -50% (also +1 Villager for the Indians)
Age II tech tree aoe3
1
Japanese Home City 3 (Native Crafts) Native Crafts Each different allied native tribe sends a shipment of 300 export (also +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)
Age III tech tree aoe3
10
Japanese Home City 3 (Trade Empire) Trade Empire Ships 1 Trading Post Rickshaw; Trading Posts get +33% hit points and cost -25% (also +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)
Age II tech tree aoe3
10
Land reforms Land Reforms Villagers and Rickshaws build buildings 50% faster; buildings grant +100% build bounty (also +1 Hindu Villager for the Indians)
Age II tech tree aoe3
10

British[]

Card Description Age
British Home City 3 (Greenwich Time) Greenwich Time Ships 1 Trading Post Wagon; Technology research and Age up time -20% for every Trading Post built by the player (stacks multiplicatively)
Age IV tech tree aoe 3

Dutch[]

Card Description Age
Dutch Home City 1 (Peace of Munster) Peace of Münster Ships 2 Envoys; allows Envoys to build Trading Posts, Barracks, Stables, and Artillery Foundries
Age I tech tree aoe3

Ethiopians[]

Card Description Age
African trading post icon 3 Trade Builders Ships 3 Trade Builders
Age II tech tree aoe3
Gondarine architecture Gondarine Architecture Buildings get +25% hit points; Town Centers and Palaces get +50% hit points; Walls and Mountain Monasteries get +100% hit points
Age IV tech tree aoe 3

Europeans[]

Card Description Age
Indonesia Home City (Lantakas) Lantakas Artillery, buildings, and ships get +15% attack
Revolution
Inca Home City 3 (Monumental Architecture) Monumental Architecture Buildings get +30% hit points; Town Centers get +35% attack
Revolution
Chile Home City (Salitrera) Guano Economy Ships 2 Prospector Wagons; Trading Posts generate 0.5 coin/sec.; villagers gather coin from mines, Tribal Marketplaces, and Mountain Monasteries 15% faster
Revolution
  • "Lantakas" is available to the Dutch and Portuguese upon revolting to Indonesia.
  • "Monumental Architecture" and "Guano Economy" are available to the Portuguese and Spanish upon revolting to Peru.

Federal Americans[]

Card Description Age
Federal card the alamo The Alamo Ship 16 Minutemen; when destroyed by enemies, your buildings spawn a number of Minutemen equal to 1.5% of their cost rounded up
Imperial Age
  • "The Alamo" is available to the United States upon selecting the Texas Federal State and Mexicans upon revolting to Texas, and spawns 3 Minutemen when a Trading Post is destroyed.

French[]

Card Description Age
Revolutionary French Home City (Client States) Client States Ships 500 coin and 5 Revolutionaries for each Trading Post you own
Revolution
Revolutionary French Home City (Genie Troops) Génie Troops Enables Grenadiers to mine, chop wood and construct Field Hospitals, Trading Posts, Barracks, Stables, Artillery Foundries, and Outposts
Revolution

Germans[]

Card Description Age HC level
German Home City 1 (Buergerminster) Buergermeister Heroes get +50% hit points and attack; the Explorer build Town Centers and Trading Posts 100% faster; +1 Explorer Dog
Age I tech tree aoe3
1

Haudenosaunee[]

Card Description Age
Haudenosaunee Home City 3 (Wampum) Wampum Training units and constructing buildings grants +35% XP
Age IV tech tree aoe 3

Indians[]

Card Description Age HC level
Mughal architecture Mughal Architecture Buildings except wonders cost -20% wood and build time -50%; +1 Hindu Villager
Age II tech tree aoe3
40

Lakota[]

Card Description Age
Winter counts Winter Counts Training units grants +40% XP and constructing buildings grants +20% XP
Age IV tech tree aoe 3

Maltese[]

Card Description Age
Maltese Home City 3 (Squires) Squires Military buildings train and research work 80% faster, except Forts which train and research work 260% faster
Age III 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
Sioux Home City 3 (3 Trading Post Travois) 3 Trading Post Wagons Ships 3 Trading Post Wagons
Age II tech tree aoe3
Federal card colegio de san nicolas Colegio de San Nicolás Ships 500 XP; units get +4 and buildings (except Walls) get +8 Line of Sight; sees what enemies can see for 20 seconds
Age II tech tree aoe3
Federal card talavera architecture Talavera Architecture Buildings get +30% hit points, build time -30%, and grant coin upon being built instead of XP
Imperial Age
Baja California Home City (Trickle Economics) TEAM Trickle Economics Trade Routes generate +60% resources; Trading Posts generate 0.75 XP/sec.
Revolution
Baja California Home City (3 Post Wagons INF) 3 Post Wagons Ships 3 Frontier Post Wagons
Revolution
US Home City 3 (Shotgun Messengers) Coach Guns Ships 3 Bandidos and 3 Cuatreros; Trading Posts get +12 Line of Sight and the Shotgun Messengers charged attack ability
Revolution
Maya Home City (Cenotes) Cenotes Ships 2 Trading Post Travois; Trading Posts generate 1 XP/sec.
Revolution
Maya Home City (Maya Architecture) Maya Architecture All buildings except Forts get +30% hit points; buildings now give food as well as experience when built; grants Redoubts
Revolution
  • "Colegio de San Nicolás" is available upon selecting the Michoacán Federal State.
  • "Talavera Architecture" is available upon selecting the Puebla Federal State.
  • "TEAM Trickle Economics", "3 Post Wagons", and "Coach Guns" are available upon revolting to Baja California.
  • "Cenotes" and "Maya Architecture" are available upon revolting to the Maya.

Native Americans[]

Card Description Age HC level
Sioux Home City 3 (3 Trading Post Travois) 3 Trading Post Travois Ships 3 Trading Post Travois
Age II tech tree aoe3
10
  • "3 Trading Post Travois" is available to the Aztecs and Lakota.

Ottomans[]

Card Description Age HC level
Ottoman Home City 1 (Silk Road) Silk Road Crates and Trade Routes contain +25% resources
Age I tech tree aoe3
25
Ottoman Home City 3 (Cheap Trading Post) TEAM House of Osman Trading Posts and Trading Post Wagons cost -40%
Age I tech tree aoe3
1
Egypt Home City (Suez Canal) Suez Canal Ships 3 Trading Post Wagons; Trade Route upgrades are free
Revolution
N/A
  • "Suez Canal" is available upon revolting to Egypt.

Portuguese[]

Card Description Age HC level
Portuguese Home City 4 (House of Braganca) TEAM House of Bragança Trade Route upgrades are free and available in any age
Age III tech tree aoe3
40

United States[]

Card Description Age
Sioux Home City 3 (3 Trading Post Travois) Arkansas Post Ships 3 Trading Post Wagons; Trading Post Wagons can build Markets, Saloons and Meeting Houses
Age II tech tree aoe3
US Home City 3 (Shotgun Messengers) Shotgun Messengers Ships 4 Owlhoots and 4 Cowboys; Trading Posts get +12 Line of Sight and the Shotgun Messengers charged ability
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
US Home City 5 (Chinese Immigrants) Chinese Immigrants [Immigrant] Ships 1 Trading Post Rickshaw; Trading Posts get +40% hit points and can use a special version of Levy which levies Trading Post Rickshaws for free
Age I tech tree aoe3
Immigrants scottish Scottish Immigrants [Immigrant] Ships 1 Highlander for each Saloon, Meeting House and Trading Post (up to 10); costs 400 coin
Age II tech tree aoe3
Federal card TEAM ohio supply network TEAM Ohio Supply Network Trade Routes generate +100% resources; Trading Posts on native settlements generate 1 XP/sec.
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
Federal card connecticut shipwrights Connecticut Shipwrights Artillery train time -25%, buildings' build time -35%, and warships' train time -50%
Imperial Age
  • "TEAM Ohio Supply Network" is available upon selecting the Ohio Federal State.
  • "Connecticut Shipwrights" is available upon selecting the Connecticut Federal State.

Changelog[]

3Icon48px Age of Empires III[]

  • Trading Posts cost 250 wood and have 3,000 hit points.

3ADIcon48px The Asian Dynasties[]

  • With patch 1.02, Trading Posts cost 200 wood and have 2,500 hit points.

Bugs/glitches[]

  • It is sometimes possible for Trading Post sites to be generated on broken terrain, which means that players cannot construct a Trading Post on these sites. Most notably this can occur on the New England and Amazonia maps. This problem has been addressed in patches, occurring with less frequency.
    • A similar bug occurs when it is not possible to build the Trading Post because the Trading Post site is near a cliff. It has been observed that this happens very often in the California map. It can also happen in the Yukon map, when it is very close to the river.
  • Another common glitch is units getting stuck within the perimeter of a Trading Post as a result of trying to pass through it and not being able to get out. This most notably happens with Native Trading Posts. It is possible to destroy the units inside the confines of the Trading Post, but if an Explorer/Monk/War Chief get stuck inside, there is no way of removing them unless they can be ransomed.
  • If the player gets any building HP improvement such as the Improved Buildings or Advanced Trading Posts Home City Cards, already built Trading Posts remaining HP will stay the same as before the upgrade (e.g. 2,500/2,500 before, 2500/2875 after).

Trivia[]

  • The Trading Post in European maps is a Baroque building. The entrance on the Royal House palaces resemble a very similar configuration seen in the Château de Dampierre. The pastel wall paint reflects the player color.

History[]

Trading posts were established by early explorers of the New World as places to stop, barter, rest, and engage in commercial activities in support of their efforts to find wealth for their patrons, usually kings and queens, who sponsored their voyages.

Wealthy and powerful trading companies between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries competed viciously as they drove exploration of the New World in search of pelts (chiefly beaver), to market in Europe. They dotted the landscape with trading posts and continued driving west in search of new sources of pelts. The fur trade and the need for the trading posts declined as fashions in Europe changed and the demand for pelts collapsed. Many trading posts developed into proper settlements over time.

Gallery[]

Buildings in Age of Empires III
Common
Dock aoe3de Dock · House indian aoe3de House · Livestock pen aoe3de Livestock Pen · Market icon aoe3de Market · Native embassy DE icon Native Embassy · Stables aoe3de Stable · Towncenter aoe3de Town Center · Trading post african aoe3de Trading Post · Wall aoe3de Wall
EuropeansArsenal aoe3de Arsenal · Artillery depot aoe3de Artillery Foundry · Barracks aoe3de Barracks · Capitol aoe3de Capitol · Church aoe3de Church · Plantation aoe3de Estate (formerly Plantation) · Fort aoe3de Fort · Mill aoe3de Mill · Outpost aoe3de Outpost · Tavern icon de Tavern
Native AmericansCommunity plaza aoe3de Community Plaza (formerly Fire Pit) · Corral aoe3de Corral · Plantation aoe3de Estate (formerly Plantation) · Farm aoe3de Farm · Tribal marketplace icon Tribal Marketplace · War hut aoe3de War Hut
AsiansJapan barracks aoe3de Barracks · Japan castle aoe3de Castle · Consulate icon aoe3de Consulate · Monastery aoe3de Monastery · China rice paddy icon aoe3de Rice Paddy · Advanced wonders Wonder
Federal AmericansArsenal aoe3de Arsenal · Artillery depot aoe3de Artillery Foundry · Barracks aoe3de Barracks · Capitol aoe3de Capitol · Plantation aoe3de Estate · Fort aoe3de Fort · Mill aoe3de Mill · Outpost aoe3de Outpost · Saloon aoe3de Saloon
AfricansArsenal aoe3de Arsenal · Field portrait aoe3de Field · Granary portrait aoe3de Granary · Hut portrait aoe3de Hut · Livestock market aoe3de Livestock Market · Palace portrait aoe3de Palace · Port portrait aoe3de Port · War camp aoe3de portrait War Camp · Watch tower aoe3de portrait Watch Tower
Unique
Flag BritishDE BritishHouse aoe3de Manor House
Flag DutchDE DutchBank aoe3de Bank
Flag GermanDE GermansMercenary camp portrait Mercenary Camp
Flag OttomanDE OttomansChurch aoe3de Mosque
Flag RussianDE RussiansBlockhouse aoe3de Blockhouse
Flag AztecDE AztecsNobles aoe3de Nobles' Hut
Flag IroquoisDE HaudenosauneeIro house icon Longhouse · Artillery depot aoe3de Siege Workshop
Flag SiouxDE LakotaTeepee icon DE Teepee
Flag ChineseDE ChineseChinese village aoe3de Village · China waracademy aoe3de War Academy
Flag IndianDE IndiansCaravanseraiDE Caravanserai · MangoGroveDE Mango Grove · SacredFieldDE Sacred Field
Flag JapaneseDE JapaneseCherry orchard portrait aoe3de Cherry Orchard · Dojo aoe3de Dojo · Shrine aoe3de Shrine
Flag IncanDE IncaInca kallanka Kallanka · Inca kancha house Kancha House · Inca stronghold Stronghold · Inca tambo Tambo
Flag SwedishDE SwedesSwedish torp Torp
Flag American act3 aoe3de United StatesMeeting house aoe3de icon Meeting House · State capitol aoe3de icon State Capitol
Flag Ethiopian aoe3de EthiopiansMountain monastery portrait aoe3de Mountain Monastery
Flag Hausa HausaUniversity portrait University
Flag MexicanDE MexicansCathedral portrait Cathedral · Hacienda portrait Hacienda
Flag ItalianDE ItaliansBasilica portrait Basilica · Lombard portrait Lombard
Flag MalteseDE MalteseCommandery portrait Commandery · Depot portrait Depot · Fixed gun portrait aoe3de Fixed Gun · Hospital portrait Hospital
Situational
Aztec temple portrait American Citadel (formerly Maya Castle) · Athos monastery portrait Athos Monastery · Battery tower portrait Battery Tower · Factory aoe3de Factory · Field hospital aoe3de Field Hospital · Regent's Castle aoe3de Regent's Castle
Scenario Editor/campaign only
Cherokee Warhut Portrait Cherokee War Hut · Town Center Command Post Command Post · Wall aoe3de Command Post · Fixed gun portrait aoe3de Fixed Gun · Fort Tower icon AoE3DE Fort Tower · Gunpowder Stores icon AoE3DE Gunpowder Stores · Ossuary AoE3DE Ossuary · Fountain Youth Portrait The Fountain of Youth · Tower aoe3de Tower
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