Villager (tag)

This article is about the unit type in Age of Empires III. For the unit in Age of Empires III, see Villager (Age of Empires III). For other uses, see Villager.

In Age of Empires III, European and Federal American villagers are known as Settlers, while their Native American, Asian, and African civilization counterparts are called Villagers. Villager units work in the same way as in previous games, but no longer require drop sites to deposit resources, thus functioning like Citizens from Age of Mythology: The Titans.

As with Age of Mythology, all villager-type units are categorized under the AbstractVillager tag in the game files.

Unique villagers

A Coureur des Bois

A Settler Wagon

The French have stronger Settlers called Coureur des Bois which can collect resources faster and can also double as treasure gatherers if the Home City Card Northwest Passage is sent. The Germans also have a stronger Settler unit called the Settler Wagon.

In update 13.27885, the Settler for the the Dutch and Ottoman civilizations were replaced by the Merchant and the Yörük, respectively.

As combat units

Carib Garifuna Drums on Amazonia and Caribbean boosts archer damage against Settlers and Villagers.

Most Settlers and villagers deal much more damage in melee than at range. Multipliers may allow them to do more at range only after the Blunderbuss Market upgrade has been purchased, and only against Artillery, pets, and Treasure guardians. Great Coat can help to boost their hit points.

The Coureur is an exception to this, having 8 ranged attack instead of 3, but a ×0.25 multiplier against Settlers and villagers. All villagers only inflict 2 damage against each other at range, 3 following the Market upgrade and around 5 for Unction-boosted Spanish Settlers.

Against early raids

With hand attacks (lacking any negative/positive multipliers), they are easily capable of killing one another, Explorers, and non-upgraded infantry units, granted they gang up on it and can catch it. Sometimes this may be a better option than fleeing with them, depending on the size and type of the enemy force harassing them and the number of Settlers or villagers.

Note: Settlers of any type cannot use ranged attacks if the target is too close to them. They will automatically use hand attacks. This is mostly a problem only for the French and Cree Coureur des Bois.

Against pets

They are especially useful against enemy pets (the Coureur against guardians with a card shipment), as all pets have a negative ×0.1 multiplier against villagers, with the exception of Fluffy, the Explorer Dog (no negative/positive multipliers), War Dogs (negative multiplier of ×0.3), and Tigers (negative multiplier of ×0.2). Only the cheat unit Fluffy or Unction-enhanced pets pose any type of real threat to Villagers.

List of villagers

• Settler (Europeans): Villager that constructs buildings and gathers resources. Europeans also get access to the Citizen after revolting and sending the "Citizenship" Home City Card, which are Settlers that cost coin instead of food.
• Fishing Boat: Gathers Food from Fish or Coin from Whales.
• Coureur des Bois (French): Expensive but powerful villager who gathers fast.
• Settler Wagon (Germans): A German villager that is more expensive but gathers faster than a Settler.
• Cree Coureur des Bois: Expensive but powerful villager who gathers fast.
• Villager (Native Americans, Chinese, and Africans): Villager that gathers resources.
• Pilgrim: Hardy settler that constructs buildings and gathers resources.
• Hindu Villager (Indians): An Indian villager that does not eat livestock. Gathers all other resources.
• Villager (Japanese): A Japanese villager that does not eat meat. Gathers all other resources.
• Fishing Canoe: Gathers Food from Fish or Coin from Whales.
• Berber Nomad: Berber Villager that excels at gathering natural resources but is poor at agricultural gathering. Stronger and faster in groups.
• Sansculotte: Revolutionary villager that is better at fighting than gathering resources.
• Royal Huntsman: Danish Counter Skirmisher and Villager that can only hunt and gather from huntable animals.
• Merchant: Dutch villager that costs coin but also gathers coin faster than a Settler.
• Yörük: Ottoman villager that arrives for free at the Town Center.

Units affected by villager upgrades

• Envoy: Dutch reconnaissance unit with a good line of sight. Benefits from villager upgrades.
• Miner: Gathers Coin extremely quickly from mines, but slowly from other Coin sources. Has a powerful grenade attack.
• Royal Hunter: Danish Skirmisher that excels at countering other Skirmishers. Benefits from Villager combat upgrades.