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โ€œCasts the Informers spell which reveals the enemy's positions to you.โ€
—In-game description

The Great Buddha is a Wonder in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties that is unique to the Japanese and can be built to advance into the next Age. It sends a shipment of Naginata Riders and an Orchard Rickshaw when built and allows the use of Informers to temporarily see enemy Line of Sight.

Shipments[]

  • Colonial age up 1 Naginata Rider and 1 Orchard Rickshaw
  • Fortress age up 3 Naginata Riders and 1 Orchard Rickshaw
  • Industrial age up 5 Naginata Riders and 1 Orchard Rickshaw
  • Imperial age up 9 Naginata Riders and 1 Orchard Rickshaw

Special ability[]

โ€œYou have sent informers to investigate the enemy.โ€
—Message when Informers is used
โ€œ[Player name] has infiltrated your enemy's ranks with Informers and now knows all that they do.โ€
—Message when an ally uses Informers
โ€œ[Player name] has infiltrated your ranks with Informers and now knows all that you do.โ€
—Message when an enemy uses Informers
  • Informers Informers: Allows the player to see what their enemies can see for 20 seconds. 300 seconds cooldown.

Tactics[]

Informers functions similarly to the Spies technology researched in the Imperial Age, but only lasts for a short time. Despite this, the ability can be invaluable in the earlier stages of the game, so it is recommended for the player to build the Great Buddha early on.

Further statistics[]

As the Great Buddha is unique to the Japanese, only technologies that they have access to are shown in the following table:

Building strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Nothing
Weak vs. Everything, especially siege units, artillery, and Monitors
Improvements
Hit points Flying Buttress Flying Buttress (+20%)
Byzantine legacy Byzantine Legacy (+15%)
Line of Sight Gas Lighting Gas Lighting (+4)
Cost Marriage politics Marriage Politics (-15%)
Comanche Trade Language Comanche Trade Language (-10% coin)
Other Jagiellon legacy Jagiellonian Legacy (units and resources already earned from age-ups are provided again)

Home City Cards[]

As the Great Buddha is unique to the Japanese, 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
Some cards are highlighted with:
Green TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team

All[]

Card Description Age HC level
Team improved buildings TEAM Improved Buildings Buildings get +25% hit points
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
10

Japanese[]

Card Description Age HC level
Spanish Home City 3 (Improved Buildings) Improved Buildings Buildings get +40% hit points
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
10
Advanced wonders Advanced Wonders Wonders get +50% hit points and -25% build time
Age I tech tree aoe3
10
Japanese Home City 5 (47 Ronin) Forty Seven Ronin Turns all villagers and Shrines into Masterless Samurai, Castles into Wokou Ronin, Wonders and Town Centers into Ronin; costs 1,000 food, 1,000 wood, 1,000 coin
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
N/A

Changelog[]

The Asian Dynasties[]

  • The Informers special ability lasts for 10 seconds.

Definitive Edition[]

  • The Informers special ability lasts for 20 seconds.
  • The Great Buddha also ships 1 Orchard Rickshaw when built to advance to any Age.

History[]

โ€œThe renowned Great Buddha, or "daibutsu," is a giant bronze statue of the enlightened Amida Buddha located in Kamakura of the Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. The statue itself is hollow and sits on the former site of the Kotokuin temple that once housed it. Sculpted by Tanji-Hisatomo and One-Goroemon and weighing 125 tons, it is commonly held that the statue was constructed in 1252 at the behest of the priest Joko.

With a height of nearly 45 feet, it is the second largest Buddha in Japan. The statue took more than a dozen years to complete after its first wooden iteration in 1243. A unique element of the Great Buddha's history is that its construction was funded entirely by donations from faithful devotees and received no assistance from any governments or official sources.

The Great Buddha of Kamakura is an iconic reference of the influence of Buddhist faith on Japanese culture, and is a celebrated landmark of Japan from the era of the Kamakura shogunate.
โ€

Gallery[]

Age up methods in Age of Empires III
Politicians for European civilizations
Colonial age up Commerce Age The Governor The Governor ยท Politician imam The Imam ยท Politician inventor The Inventor ยท Politician logistician The Logistician ยท The Naturalist The Naturalist ยท The Philosopher Prince The Philosopher Prince ยท The Quartermaster The Quartermaster ยท The Medici The Medici
Fortress age up Fortress Age The Admiral of the Sea The Admiral of the Ocean Sea ยท The Adventurer The Adventurer ยท The Bishop The Bishop ยท Politician ethiopian queen The Ethiopian Queen ยท The Exiled Prince The Exiled Prince ยท The Gentleman Pirate The Gentleman Pirate ยท The Marksman The Marksman ยท Politician mercenary contractor The Mercenary Contractor ยท The Mohawk Statesman The Mohawk Statesman ยท The Scout The Scout ยท The Sergeant at Arms The Sergeant at Arms
Industrial age up Industrial Age The Cavalry Marshal The Cavalry Marshal ยท The Engineer The Engineer ยท The Grand Vizier The Grand Vizier ยท The King's Musketeer The King's Musketeer ยท Politician logistician The Logistician ยท Politician papal guard The Papal Guard ยท The Tycoon The Tycoon ยท The Viceroy The Viceroy ยท The War Minister The War Minister ยท The Pope The Pope
Imperial age up Imperial Age El Presidente El Presidente ยท The General The General ยท Politician black duke The Black Duke ยท Politician inventor The Inventor ยท Politician knight The Knight ยท Politician mercenary contractor The Mercenary Contractor ยท Politician Royalist The Royalist ยท Politician Scottish marshal The Scottish Marshal
Civilizations Flag BritishDE British ยท Flag DutchDE Dutch ยท Flag FrenchDE French ยท Flag GermanDE Germans ยท Flag ItalianDE Italians ยท Flag MalteseDE Maltese ยท Flag OttomanDE Ottomans ยท Flag PortugueseDE Portuguese ยท Flag RussianDE Russians ยท Flag SpanishDE Spanish ยท Flag SwedishDE Swedes
Tribal Council members for Native American civilizations
Colonial age up Commerce Age The Messenger ยท The Wise Woman ยท The Warrior ยท The Elder ยท The Chief
Civilizations Flag AztecDE Aztecs ยท Flag IroquoisDE Haudenosaunee ยท Flag IncanDE Inca ยท Flag SiouxDE Lakota
Wonders for Asian civilizations
Flag ChineseDE Chinese Confucian academy aoe3de Confucian Academy ยท PorcelainTowerDE Porcelain Tower ยท SummerPalaceDE Summer Palace ยท TempleOfHeavenDE Temple of Heaven ยท WhitePagodaDE White Pagoda
Flag IndianDE Indians AgraFortDE Agra Fort ยท CharminarGateDE Charminar Gate ยท KarniMataDE Karni Mata ยท TajMahalDE Taj Mahal ยท TowerOfVictoryDE Tower of Victory
Flag JapaneseDE Japanese GoldenPavilionDE Golden Pavilion ยท GiantBuddhaDE Great Buddha ยท ShogunateDE Shogunate ยท ToriiGatesDE Torii Gates ยท ToshoguShrineDE Toshogu Shrine
Federal States for United States
Colonial age up Commerce Age Federal state US delaware Delaware ยท Federal state US massachussetts Massachusetts ยท Federal state US pennsylvania Pennsylvania ยท Federal state US rhode island Rhode Island ยท Federal state US virginia Virginia
Fortress age up Fortress Age Federal state US indiana Indiana ยท Federal state US kentucky Kentucky ยท Federal state US maryland Maryland ยท Federal state US new hampshire New Hampshire ยท Federal state US tennessee Tennessee
Industrial age up Industrial Age Federal state US california California ยท Federal state US new jersey New Jersey ยท Federal state US ohio Ohio ยท Federal state US south carolina South Carolina ยท Federal state US vermont Vermont
Imperial age up Imperial Age Federal state US connecticut Connecticut ยท Federal state US florida Florida ยท Federal state US illinois Illinois ยท Federal state US new york New York ยท Federal state US texas Texas
Federal States for Mexicans
Colonial age up Commerce Age Durango Durango ยท Michoacรกn Michoacรกn ยท Tlaxcala Tlaxcala ยท Chiapas Chiapas ยท Querรฉtaro Querรฉtaro
Fortress age up Fortress Age Sonora federal state Sonora ยท Coahuila Coahuila ยท Sinaloa Sinaloa ยท San Luis Potosรญ San Luis Potosรญ ยท Tabasco Tabasco
Industrial age up Industrial Age Chihuahua Chihuahua ยท Zacatecas Zacatecas ยท Tamaulipas Tamaulipas ยท Guanajuato Guanajuato ยท Guerrero Guerrero
Imperial age up Imperial Age Oaxaca Oaxaca ยท Jalisco Jalisco ยท Estado de Mรฉxico Estado de Mรฉxico ยท Veracruz Veracruz ยท Puebla Puebla
Alliances for African civilizations
Flag Ethiopian aoe3de Ethiopians Alliance Habesha Habesha ยท Alliance Jesuits Jesuits ยท Alliance Portuguese Portuguese ยท Alliance Somalis Somalis ยท Alliance Sudanese Sudanese ยท Alliance Indians Indiansยท Alliance Oromo Oromo+ ยท Alliance Arabs Arabsx
Flag Hausa Hausa Alliance Akan Akan ยท Alliance Berbers Berbers ยท Alliance Hausa Hausa ยท Alliance Moroccans Moroccans ยท Alliance Songhai Songhai ยท Alliance Fulani Fulaniยท Alliance Yoruba Yoruba+ ยท Alliance British Britishx
* requires Fortress Age to be unlocked; + requires Industrial Age to be unlocked; x requires Imperial Age to be unlocked
Unused options for Tribal Council members, Wonders, and Alliances can be used in future Age-ups.
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