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This article is about the civilization in Age of Empires III. For other uses, see British (disambiguation).
Civilization Technology tree Strategy Home City Cards

In the New World, the British were one of the most powerful colonizers defeating multiple European powers. They eventually established thirteen colonies, which later revolted against the British Empire to form the United States of America.

The British are a playable European civilization in Age of Empires III and its expansions The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties. The British are the people hailing from the British Isles in Northern Europe and a united kingdom comprising of the English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish nations.

In the New World, the British were one of the most powerful colonizers after defeating multiple European powers. They eventually established thirteen colonies, which later revolted against the British to form the United States of America.

In Age of Empires II, their predecessors are represented by the Britons and Celts, whose campaigns focus on the many conflicts between the two groups before they unified under the House of Stuart. In Age of Empires IV, the southern half of the civilization appears once more as the English.

Home City[]

Default Explorer names
First names
Allan, Arthur, Christopher, David, Edmund, Francis, George, Heinrich, Henry, Hugh, Humphrey, James, John, Joseph, Martin, Matthew, Richard, Sebastian, Stephen, Walter, William
Also includes as first names: Duke, Lord, Sir
Last names
Banks, Barth, Borough, Burrough, Cabot, Chancellor, Cook, Cunningham, Dampier, Davis, Drake, Flinders, Franklin, Frobisher, Gilbert, Hawkyns, Hovell, Hudson, Jackman, Kelsey, Kennedy, Lander, Livingstone, Newport, Oxley, Pet, Phillip, Raleigh, Ross, Rut, Smith, Thompson, Vancouver, Weddell, Willoughby

  • Fire eater Torchy - An entertainer who performs tricks with fire (1 point)
  • Juggler Juggler - A juggling performer (1 point)
  • Vendor Vendor Cart - A store on wheels hawking goods of all kinds (1 point)
  • Chatter Home City Chatter - Enable this to show comments made by citizens strolling through this city (1 point)
  • Bunting Patriotic Bunting - The citizens show their national pride by decorating with patriotic banners (1 point)
  • HC banner Market Day Pennants - These bright streamers declare it is market day (1 point)
  • Food Fresh Produce - Fruits and Vegetables imported from the New World (1 point)
  • Crate awning Crates Barrels and Awnings - A variety of market trappings surround main building (1 point)
  • Tavern sign admiral The Admiral's Table - A sign for an eating establishment (1 point; replaces The Philosopher's Dilemma)
  • Tavern sign philosopher The Philosopher's Dilemma - A sign for an eating establishment catering to university dons (1 point; replaces The Admiral's Table)
  • We-nwtc1 The British New World Trade Center - The original version of the British New World Trade Center (Default)
  • We-nwtc2 Goodman's Emporium - A red and gold version of the British New World Trade Center (1 point)
  • We-nwtc3 H. Ryan Trade and Export - A blue and white version of the British New World Trade Center (1 point)
  • We-nwtc4 K.L.C. Trading Emporium - A red and green version of the British New World Trade Center (1 point)
  • We-nwtc5 Pottinger's Trade Center - Upgraded version of the original British New World Trade Center (1 point)
  • We-nwtc6 Street's Emporium - Upgraded version of the red and gold British New World Trade Center (1 point)
  • We-nwtc7 Slusser's Trade and Export - Upgraded version of the blue and white British New World Trade Center (1 point)
  • We-nwtc8 Fancher's Market - Upgraded version of the red and green British New World Trade Center (1 point)

  • Beefeater Beefeater - A guard at the Tower of London (1 point)
  • Bunting Patriotic Bunting - The citizens show their national pride by decorating with patriotic banners (1 point)
  • HC banner Proud Pennants - Red banners wave proudly above the British empire (1 point)
  • Props7 British Thunder - Cannons waiting to serve the empire on distant shores (1 point)
  • Crate Crates - These crates might be ready for Shipment to the New World (1 point)
  • We-academy1 The White Tower - The original version of the British Academy's color scheme (Default)
  • We-academy2 The Tower of London - A red and gold version of the British Academy's color scheme (1 point)
  • We-academy3 The Trafalgar Academy - A blue and white version of the British Academy's color scheme (1 point)
  • We-academy4 British Royal Academy - A red and white version of the British Academy's color scheme (1 point)

  • Stagecoach The Royal Coach - This coach waits upon the whims of royalty (1 point)
  • Violin Musician - A strolling entertainer (1 point)
  • Preacher The Reverend - A street preacher sharing the good news (1 point)
  • Brt lightset1 Daytime Lighting - The city with the sun shining brightly (Default)
  • Brt lightset2 Dusk Lighting - The city at dusk (1 point)
  • Bunting Patriotic Bunting - The citizens show their national pride by decorating with patriotic banners (1 point)
  • British statue Statue of the British Explorer - The citizens have honored their famous explorer with a noble statue (1 point)
  • Props2 Statue of the Sovereign - A tribute to the Empire's famous leader (1 point)
  • We-cathedral1 All Hallows By The Tower - The original version of the British Cathedral's color scheme (Default)
  • We-cathedral2 St. Ethelburga's Bishopsgate - The red and gold version of the British Cathedral's color scheme (1 point)
  • We-cathedral3 Christ Church of Greyfriars - The blue and white version of the British Cathedral's color scheme (1 point)
  • We-cathedral4 All Hallows On The Wall - A green version of the British Cathedral's color scheme (1 point)

  • Painter The Artist - An artist who sets up his easel and paints (1 point)
  • Thug Thug - A brutish and unpleasant fellow (1 point)
  • Bunting Patriotic Bunting - The citizens show their national pride by decorating with patriotic banners (1 point)
  • Street light grey 3 Basic Street Lamps - Simple technology to make streets just a little safer at night (1 point)
  • Street light Elegant Street Lamps - Attractive lighting for the city's byways (1 point)
  • Street light grey 2 Decorative Street Lamps - Street lighting with a dramatic flair (1 point)
  • Street light grey Fancy Street Lamps - Tastefully elegant lighting for the city's best streets (1 point)
  • Street light two Fancy Double-Globe Street Lamps - Brighter, yet still elegant lighting for the city's best streets (1 point)
  • Tavern sign rum distillery Distillery - A sign for a distiller of potent spirits (1 point; replaces Molten Metalworks)
  • Tavern sign amalgamation Molten Metalworks - A sign for a metal casting foundry (1 point; replaces Distillery)
  • We-factory1 Luna Metal Works - The original color scheme for the British Manufacturing Plant (Default)
  • We-factory2 Bristol Foundry - A red and gold version of the British Manufacturing Plant (1 point)
  • We-factory3 K.C. Cherry and Co. - A blue and white version of the British Manufacturing Plant (1 point)
  • We-factory4 Sousa Manufacturing, Ltd. - An orange version of the British Manufacturing Plant (1 point)
  • We-factory5 Kiley Metal Work - Upgraded version of the original British Manufacturing Plant (1 point)
  • We-factory6 Bywater Foundry - Upgraded version of the red and gold British Manufacturing Plant (1 point)
  • We-factory7 Carl Rose and Co. - Upgraded version of the blue and white British Manufacturing Plant (1 point)
  • We-factory8 Behring Manufacturing, Ltd. - Upgraded version of the orange British Manufacturing Plant (1 point)

  • Jack the ripper The Ripper - A murderous fellow from Whitechapel (1 point)
  • Drunk Drunk - A sailor who has overindulged in adult beverages (1 point)
  • Nicelady Nice Lady - A woman in a red dress (1 point)
  • Fisherman Fisherman - A man who would rather be fishing (1 point)
  • Bunting Patriotic Bunting - The citizens show their national pride by decorating with patriotic banners (1 point)
  • Dock crane Loading Cranes - Heavy cranes for lifting cargo from the holds of ships in the harbor (1 point)
  • HC banner The Blue Peter - A furled blue banner summons sailors to rejoin ships about to leave port (1 point)
  • Crate Crates - These crates might be ready for Shipment to the New World (1 point)
  • We-dock1 Jacob K., Harbor Master - Original version of the British Harbor's color scheme (Default)
  • We-dock2 Edward Teach's Academy of Naval Competence - A red and gold version of the British Harbor's color scheme (1 point)
  • We-dock3 Hopkins' Charts and Exchange - A blue and white themed version of British Harbor's color scheme (1 point)
  • We-dock4 Hoke's Office of Harbor Management - A green version of the British Harbor's color scheme (1 point)
  • We-dock5 Royal Marine Supply - An upgraded version of the original British Harbor (1 point)
  • We-dock6 Gardner Expedition Supply - An upgraded version of the red and gold British Harbor (1 point)
  • We-dock7 Briley Harbor Services - An upgraded version of the blue and white themed British Harbor (1 point)
  • We-dock8 Stacconi Shipping, Ltd. - An upgraded green version of the British Harbor (1 point)

Characteristics[]

Civilization bonuses[]

Unique units[]

  • Longbow aoe3de Longbowman: Archaic long-ranged archer. Good against infantry.
  • Ranger portrait Ranger: British skirmisher. Equipped with a rifle to counter Heavy Infantry more effectively, but has less range.
  • Rocket de Rocket: Heavy artillery that fires a rocket and is good against infantry or buildings.

Unique building[]

  • House aoe3de Manor House: More expensive than a normal House. Supports 10 population.

Allies, mercenaries and native warriors[]

Politicians[]

Revolutions[]

Overview[]

The British can quickly get a powerful economy early in the game because they can create Settlers faster than other civilizations. Early in the game, it is best to focus on gathering wood for Manor Houses so more Settlers will be spawned.

The British military is very powerful, especially later in the game. Musketeers and Hussars, two mainline and versatile units, can be upgraded to Royal Guard level. British Home City Cards focus on technology and the navy.

With several cards, British Grenadiers become some of the most powerful in the game.

Campaign appearances[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

The British are the playable faction in the Tutorial scenarios of Age of Empires III, under the faction title of English Colonists. They appear as allies as well as enemies in the campaigns.

Their appearances in the Historical Battles are:

East India Company[]

The British are the main opponent in the Act III: India campaign in The Asian Dynasties as the British East India Company under the command of Colonel Edwardson.

  • The original alternate flag and the Definitive Edition flags of the British East India Company are based on their flag before 1668.
  • The original flag is the flag used by Home City, and found in the game files.

In-game dialogue[]

Main article: British dialogue lines

British units speak a variant of Middle English whose pronunciation varies widely from unit to unit, sometimes being rather Chaucerian and at other times being more like Modern English. For example, the Surgeon says "ish" instead of "ee" when saying what would be "I" in Modern English (and likewise, the vowel in the word "right" varies between being short (so it rhymes with "hit") or longer as in Modern English "right"). Sometimes "th"s are pronounced as "d"s, and short e/a/uh sounds are in words that are no longer in Modern English.

Question marks (?) have been added where there is only a vague definition or translation or even less, and brackets immediately after the in-game dialogue sample give a rough pronunciation.

Common[]

Select
  • Yes? [pronounced more like "yis"]
  • Ready
  • Commandement? [commandiment] - What is it? / Your command?
  • Hail [a term of greeting, rhymes with "trial"]
Move
  • Yes [pronounced more like "yis"]
  • I(c) woll [ï/ee/ish woll] - I will
  • I(c) meane so [ee/ish mehne soh] - I mean so
  • Right [richt/right]
Attack
  • Advance! [av/ance]
  • Lay on!
  • I waste! [ee west/ee wist] - I kill!
  • Assail! [ass/ai]

Settlers[]

Explorer[]

History[]

In 1492 England was a modest agricultural nation recovering from the effects of long wars in which its kings attempted to retain inherited control of large parts of France. By the early eighteenth century the English ruled Great Britain, having united all the British Isles and established important colonies and outposts around the world. By the nineteenth century they controlled the world's largest empire and were the first nation to industrialize. These transformations were the result of their favorable position as an island nation, a high relative degree of personal and economic freedom, a large literate middle class, financial acumen, and a culture that encouraged action, progress, and achievement.

Critical to Britain's empire building was the rise of its military, especially its navy. Beginning as raiders and privateers preying on Spanish shipping from the New World, by 1588 their sea rogues were able to defeat the immense Spanish Armada in the English Channel. Recurring European naval wars established Royal Navy standards and traditions that allowed Britain to project its trade and empire to India, Australia, China, and North America. On land, the relatively small British army earned a reputation for disciplined musketry, an excellent officer corps, and occasionally brilliant generalship.

Britain established colonies on Caribbean islands and the North American continent in the early seventeenth century. The islands were the real prize at first, as sugar plantations proved enormously profitable. The small settlements in Virginia and Massachusetts expanded gradually as an accelerating flood of farmers and laborers came to North America looking for land, religious freedom, and opportunity. The colonies welcomed the poor and dispossessed not only from the home country and Ireland, but also from mainland Europe. The British colonies were bordered by the French in Canada, a small Spanish presence in Florida, and Native Americans across the mountains to the west. Victory in a middle eighteenth century world war with France, disputed from India to Europe to North America, made Canada British and opened the door to western expansion. One of Britain's few setbacks in this period was the loss of its American colonies in the revolution of 1776.

Other than their colonies in the old world, and the new world which later formed the United States, the British also captured Canada from the French in 1763 and controlled it until 1867 where they still have major influence. They later fought against France's emperor Napoleon from 1800 to 1815, and defeated him with a combined coalition in Waterloo.

Britain started the Industrial Revolution, a momentous movement which paved the way for the world's modernization. By the 19th century, the British were the strongest and most influential of all nations at this time, and held the largest (non-contiguous) empire in history counting all their colonies, which included the Indian subcontinent, Australia, vast parts of Africa, and some parts in the Middle East, South America, and Southeast Asia.

Trivia[]

  • The British flag shown in the game is the King's Colours flag (used by Great Britain between 1606–1801).
  • According to early screenshots prior to the release of Age of Empires III and unused textures in the game files (british.ddt), the British flag in the game would be the Union Jack used by the United Kingdom between 1801–present.
  • The architecture style of the British post Exploration Age is mainly timber framing. This is historically inaccurate as this style was used predominantly in Europe and Britain while British colonies in North America used Georgian architecture instead.
  • The British have similarities to their corresponding civilizations in the predecessor and successor games, the Britons and English, from Age of Empires II and IV respectively, where the British share the trait of a beginner-friendly civilization with emphasis on ranged units (in this case Longbowmen and Musketeers) with a strong economy. The biggest difference is the British are more versatile with potent Hussars, while the Britons specialize in archers with lackluster cavalry, and the English have better defensive capacity.

Gallery[]

Civilizations in Age of Empires III
AfricanFlag Ethiopian aoe3de Ethiopians · Flag Hausa Hausa
AmericanFederal American: Flag MexicanDE Mexicans · Flag American act3 aoe3de United States
Native American: Flag AztecDE Aztecs · Flag IroquoisDE Haudenosaunee (formerly Iroquois) · Flag IncanDE Inca · Flag SiouxDE Lakota (formerly Sioux)
AsianFlag ChineseDE Chinese · Flag IndianDE Indians · Flag JapaneseDE Japanese
EuropeanFlag BritishDE British · Flag DutchDE Dutch · Flag FrenchDE French · Flag GermanDE Germans · Flag ItalianDE Italians · Flag MalteseDE Maltese · Flag OttomanDE Ottomans · Flag PortugueseDE Portuguese · Flag RussianDE Russians · Flag SpanishDE Spanish · Flag SwedishDE Swedes · Polish · Danes
Minor
AfricanAkan Settlement Icon Akan · Berber Settlement Portrait Berbers · Somali Settlement Portrait Somalis · Sudanese settlement portrait Sudanese · Yoruba settlement portait Yoruba
AsianBhakti aoe3de Bhakti Temple · Jesuit aoe3de Jesuit Mission · Native shaolin site icon portrait Shaolin Temple · Sufi aoe3de Sufi Mosque · AOE3DE Tengri Tengri Shrine · Udasi aoe3de Udasi Temple · Zen aoe3de Zen Temple
EuropeanBourbon icon portrait-1 House of Bourbon · Habsburg icon portrait-1 House of Habsburg · Hanover icon portrait-1 House of Hanover · Jagiellon icon portrait-1 House of Jagiellon · Oldenburg icon portrait-1 House of Oldenburg · Phanar icon portrait-1 House of Phanar · Vasa icon portrait-1 House of Vasa · Wettin icon portrait-1 House of Wettin · Wittelsbach icon portrait-1 House of Wittelsbach
Native AmericanApache aoe3de Apache · Aztec native icon aoe3de Aztecs · Carib aoe3de Carib · Cherokee aoe3de Cherokee · Cheyenne aoe3de pre update Cheyenne · Comanche icon aoe3de Comanche · Cree aoe3de Cree · Iroquois aoe3de Haudenosaunee · Huron aoe3de Huron · Klamath settlement portrait Klamath · Sioux aoe3de Lakota · Lenape warrior portrait Lenape · Mapuche icon aoe3de Mapuche · Maya aoe3de Maya · Navajo aoe3de Navajo · Nootka aoe3de Nootka · Inca native icon aoe3de Quechua (formerly Incas) · Seminole aoe3de Seminole · Tupi aoe3de Tupi · Zapotec icon aoe3de Zapotec
Other
CampaignUnited States flag revolt DE Black Family Estate · EIC Flag AoE3DE British · Circle of ossus Circle of Ossus · Flag John Black's Mercenaries DE John Black's Mercenaries · Flag Maltese Cross Knights of St. John · Flag American act3 aoe3de United States
Historical BattlesBarbary States flag revolt Barbary Pirates · Flag CanadianDE Canadians · Flag Ethiopian aoe3de Ethiopians · Flag Moroccan Moroccans · Flag Somali aoe3de Somalians · Flag Tatars aoe3de Tatars · Flag American act3 aoe3de United States
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