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This article is about the building in Age of Empires III. For similar buildings in other games of the series, see Mill.

Slow, infinite source of Food. Limited to 10 gatherers.
—In-game description

The Mill is an economic building in Age of Empires III. It is an infinite source of food that can be gathered by villager-type units and acts as a replacement of Farms in earlier games.

Each villager tasked to a Mill gathers 0.67 food per second, which is slower than hunting (0.84 food) until improved by Mill technologies, Home City Cards, and/or native technologies. Up to 10 villagers can work on a Mill at a time, though due to collisions between units it is best to only use 7 per Mill.

Since Settlers in the Mill wander around while working, the Mill's actual gathering rate is lower than written in the tooltips, approximately 30%.

Native American civilizations have access to the Farm, which combines the functions of a Mill and a Livestock Pen. the Asian civilizations have the Rice Paddy, which combines the functions of a Mill and an Estate. The African civilizations have access to the Field, which has the same function as the Rice Paddy, but with a slower gathering rate. The Mexicans have the Hacienda, which combines the functions of a Mill, Estate, and Livestock Pen.

Units[]

Age Unit Cost Pop. Limit Civ.
Age III tech tree aoe3
Settler wagon icon Settler Wagon 100 food
100 wood
2 20
Flag GermanDE
5
Flag American act3 aoe3de
  • The Settler Wagon requires the "Germantown Farmers" Home City Card for the Germans and the "German Immigrants" Home City Card for the United States to be trained at Mills.

Technologies[]

Age Improvement Cost Effect
Age II tech tree aoe3
Seed Drill Seed Drill 150 wood
150 coin
Villagers gather food from Mills, Farms, and Rice Paddies 15% faster
Age III tech tree aoe3
Artificial Fertilizer Artificial Fertilizer 335 wood
335 coin
Villagers gather food from Mills, Farms, and Rice Paddies 30% faster; requires Seed Drill

Further statistics[]

Building strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Nothing
Weak vs. Everything
Improvements
Hit points State Constitutions State Constitutions (+25%; United States only)
Flying Buttress Flying Buttress (+20%)
Byzantine legacy Byzantine Legacy (+15%)
Line of Sight Gas Lighting Gas Lighting (+4)
Build time Sudanese hakura system Sudanese Hakura System (-30%)
Cree Textile Craftsmanship Cree Textile Craftsmanship (-25%)
Cost Sudanese hakura system Sudanese Hakura System (-30% wood)
Tupi Forest Burning Tupi Forest Burning (-20% wood)
Cree Textile Craftsmanship Cree Textile Craftsmanship (-10%)
Other Berber ghorfas Berber Ghorfas (reduces the speed of nearby enemy units by 30%)
Folwarks Folwarks (gives 60 food upon constructing)
Penalties Counter Infantry Rifling Customized Merc Weapons (+30% cost; John Black's Mercenaries only)
Code Napoleon Code Napoleon (+25% cost; French only)

Home City Cards[]

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Mill
Some cards are highlighted with:
Green TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
Blue Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)

All[]

Card Description Age HC level
Team improved buildings TEAM Improved Buildings Buildings get +40% hit points
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
10

Europeans[]

Card Description Age HC level
Spanish Home City 3 (Improved Buildings) Improved Buildings Buildings get +40% hit points (also +4 Uhlans for the Germans)
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
10
Spanish Home City 3 (Advanced Mill) Advanced Mill Ships 1 Mill Wagon; Mills get +100% hit points and -50% cost
Age I tech tree aoe3
1
Spanish Home City 4 (Land Grab) Land Grab Mill, Estate, Farm, Livestock Pen, Rice Paddy, Sacred Field, and Hacienda cost -40% and build time -75%; Village cost -30% and build time -60%
Age I tech tree aoe3
25

Germans[]

Card Description Age HC level
German Home City 3 (Germantown Farmers) Germantown Farmers Mills can train Settler Wagons; +3 Uhlans
Age III tech tree aoe3
25

Ottomans[]

Card Description Age
Egypt Home City (Flood of the Nile) Flood of the Nile Ships 4 Settlers; Settler train limit +4; each Mill spawns 100 food; each Estate spawns 100 coin; villagers gather from Berry Bushes, Mills, and Estates 10% faster
Revolution
  • "Flood of the Nile" is available upon revolting to Egypt.

Spanish[]

Card Description Age
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
  • "Chipotle Tactics" is available upon revolting to Mexico.

United States[]

Card Description Age
United States Home City 3 (Advanced Homesteading) Advanced Homesteading Ships 2 Homestead Wagons; Mills and Estates get +15 Line of Sight and supports 10 population
Age II tech tree aoe3
US Home City 5 (German Immigrants) German Immigrants [Immigrant] Each existing and newly constructed Mill spawn 1 Settler Wagon; in the Industrial Age you can recruit up to 5 Settler Wagons from Mills as well
Age I tech tree aoe3
Federal card green mountain boys Green Mountain Boys Arrives fast! All existing and newly constructed Mills and Estates spawn 3 State Militia
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
Federal card connecticut shipwrights Connecticut Shipwrights Artillery train time -25%, buildings' build time -35%, and ships' train time -50%
Imperial 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
  • "Green Mountain Boys" is available upon selecting the Vermont Federal State.
  • "Connecticut Shipwrights" is available upon selecting the Connecticut Federal State.
  • "The Alamo" is available upon selecting the Texas Federal State, and spawns 6 Minutemen when a Mill is destroyed.

Bugs and glitches[]

  • Mills placed too closely together (side by side with no space between them) may cause some villagers to "migrate" to the adjacent Mill. This bug also occurs with Estates and, to a lesser degree, Farms and Rice Paddies.
  • Occasionally, Settlers will get stuck in the Mill or Estate while collecting resources, making it impossible for them to move and collect. However, this bug appears to be more common in the Definitive Edition.

History[]

A mill is used to break grains down into smaller pieces making cooking and baking easier. They were historically powered by wind, water, or livestock. Grain is ground between stones, known as millstones, until it is fine enough to be used for whatever purpose is needed. Flour for bread was made in this manner.

Gallery[]

See also[]

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 · 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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