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CheyenneSettlement

A Native American minor civilization's settlement as it appears in the game (Cheyenne).

Indochina 1

An Asian minor civilization's settlement (Sufi Mosque).

Akan settlement

An African minor civilization's settlement (Akan).

Habsburg ingame-1

A European minor civilization's settlement (House of Habsburg).

Minor civilizations (also referred to as minor tribes, Natives, Native allies, or Settlements) feature throughout the campaign scenarios and random maps of Age of Empires III. All playable civilizations can ally with a minor civilization by constructing Trading Posts at settlement sites. Each minor civilization typically offers three technologies to research and access to at least one unique military unit; trained in limited amounts with two unit upgrades.

Players retain access to the minor civilization's technologies and units for as long as the Trading Post is not destroyed. After the release of Knights of the Mediterranean, there are a total of 37 minor civilizations in normal game and four more exclusive to the campaigns.

Units[]

Native units always cost a certain amount of wood, food, and/or coin, but never population. Instead, native units have a build limit which players can increase by allying with further settlements of the same minor civilization.

From The WarChiefs, players can build Native Embassies to train allied minor civilization units at locations beyond the Trading Post site.

Upgrades[]

All native units' hit points and damage can be upgraded first in Fortress Age by +25% for 200 wood, 150 coin and a second time by +40% in Industrial Age for 400 wood, 300 coin. The native unit upgrades from Age of Empires III and The WarChiefs are called Elite and Champion while in The Asian Dynasties they are called Disciplined and Honored. In the Imperial Age, players can improve hit points and damage again by researching Legendary Native Warriors in the Capitol for 1,500 food, 1,500 wood.

A wide array of Home City cards can boost native units.

Native mercenaries[]

Most civilizations can send native allies from their Home City, which are technically mercenary shipments as they cost Coin. Furthermore, native units sent from Home City have their own build limit, an additional mercenary tag and they are treated by the game as different units. Because of that the visually identical native mercenaries and native units will not simultaneously select when double-clicking one of them. Military unit upgrades in the native settlement still affect both, native mercenaries and native units.

Ships[]

Certain ships can be trained from the Dock if the player builds a Trading Post on a minor civilization settlement, which vary depending on the minor civilization allied with:

On Horn and Swahili Coast maps, Bandit Catamarans can be trained from the Dock by default.

List[]

While Age of Empires III and The WarChiefs feature Native American settlements, the paradigm changes in The Asian Dynasties to religious communities or Holy Sites (as developer Big Huge Games labels them in the game manual), and later, in Knights of the Mediterranean to European royal houses.

Age of Empires III[]

Age of Empires III included the following twelve Native American settlements:

Tribe Units Technologies Maps
Aztec native icon aoe3de
Aztecs
(replaced by Zapotec)
Aztec eagle warrior portrait aoe3de Aztec Eagle Warrior
Aztec jaguar warrior aoe3de Aztec Jaguar Warrior
Aztec Initiation
Aztec Chocolate Recipes
Aztec Chinampa
Aztec Garland Wars
Sonora
Unknown (Definitive Edition)
Yucatan
Carib aoe3de
Carib
Carib blowgunner aoe3de Carib Blowgunner
Carib blowgunner aoe3de Carib Ambusher*
Carib Kasiri Beer
Carib Garifuna Drums
Carib Ambush Party
Carib Ceremonial Feast
Caribbean
Florida
Guianas
Hispaniola
Orinoco
Cherokee aoe3de
Cherokee
Cherokee rifle aoe3de Cherokee Rifleman
Settler aoe3de Settler*
Cherokee War Dance
Sequoyah's Cherokee Syllabary
Cherokee Basket Weaving
Bayou
Carolina
New England
Ozarks
Comanche aoe3de
Comanche
Comanche horse archer portrait aoe3de Comanche Horse Archer Comanche Trade Language
Comanche Horse Breeding
Comanche Mustangs
Colorado
Great Plains
Ozarks
Painted Desert
Texas
Cree aoe3de
Cree
Cree tracker aoe3de Cree Tracker
Coureur aoe3de Cree Coureur des Bois
Cree Tanning
Cree Kinship
Cree Textile Craftsmanship
Dakota
Great Lakes
Northwest Territory
Rockies
Saguenay
Iroquois aoe3de
Haudenosaunee
(replaced by Huron)
Tomahawk aoe3de Haudenosaunee Tomahawk
Iro mantlet de Haudenosaunee Mantlet
Haudenosaunee Lacrosse
Haudenosaunee League
Haudenosaunee Morning Wars
Great Lakes
New England
Unknown (Definitive Edition)
Sioux aoe3de
Lakota
(replaced by Cheyenne)
Lakota axe rider aoe3de Lakota Axe Rider
Tokala soldier aoe3de Lakota Dog Soldier
Lakota Hunting Grounds
Lakota Horse Trading
Lakota Dog Soldiers
Great Lakes
Great Plains
Rockies
Unknown (Definitive Edition)
Maya aoe3de
Maya
Holcanspear aoe3de Maya Holcan Javelineer
Medicine man aoe3de Medicine Man
Holcanspear aoe3de Maya Holcan Spearman (former)
Maya Cotton Armor
Maya Calendar
Maya Pyramids
Mexico
Orinoco
Panama
Sonora
Yucatan
Nootka aoe3de
Nootka
Nootka de Nootka Clubman
Nootka warchief aoe3de Nootka War Chief*
Nootka Bark Clothing
Nootka Potlatch
Loyal Nootka War Chief
Alaska
California
Cascade Range
Northwest Territory
Yukon
Inca native icon aoe3de
Quechua
(formerly Incas)
Inca huaminca aoe3de Quechua Huaminca
Inca bolas warrior aoe3de Quechua Bolas Warrior
Quechuan Metalworking
Quechuan Diet
Quechuan Mountaineering
Amazonia
Andes
Andes - Upper
Araucania
Gran Chaco
Pampas Sierras
Seminole aoe3de
Seminole
Sharktooth bow aoe3de Seminole Sharktooth Bowman Seminole Guerilla Wars
Seminole Bowyer
Seminole Invincibles
Bayou
Carolina
Florida
Ozarks
Tupi aoe3de
Tupi
Tupi archer aoe3de Tupi Blackwood Archer
Cougar aoe3de Buttercup the Pet Cougar
Tupi Poison Arrow Frogs
Tupi Forest Burning
Tupi Animal Lore
Amazonia
Gran Chaco
Guianas
Minas Gerais
Pampas Sierras

The WarChiefs[]

With the introduction of the Aztecs, Haudenosaunee, and Lakota as major civilizations, The WarChiefs removes the Aztecs, Haudenosaunee, and Lakota minor civilizations which are now only present in the campaign:

Tribe Units Technologies Maps
Apache aoe3de
Apache
Apache Cavalry aoe3de Apache Cavalry Apache Cactus Use
Apache Endurance
Apache Raiders
Great Plains
Mexico
Painted Desert
Sonora
Texas
Cheyenne aoe3de
Cheyenne
(replaces Lakota)
Cheyenne rider portrait updated Cheyenne Rider Cheyenne Hunting Grounds
Cheyenne Horse Trading
Cheyenne Fury
Colorado
Dakota
Great Lakes
Great Plains
Rockies
Huron aoe3de
Huron
(replaces Haudenosaunee)
Huron Mantlet aoe3de Huron Mantlet Huron Sun Ceremony
Huron Trade Dominance
Huron Fish Wedding
Great Lakes
New England
Plymouth
Saguenay
Klamath settlement portrait
Klamath
Klamath Rifleman de Klamath Rifleman Klamath Work Ethos
Klamath Huckleberry Feast
Klamath Strategy
California
Cascade Range
Northwest Territory
Rockies
Yukon
Mapuche icon aoe3de
Mapuche
Mapuche Ironwood de Mapuche Ironwood Clubman
Preview mapuche bolas rider icon Mapuche Bolas Rider (Definitive Edition)
Mapuche Ad-mapu
Mapuche Tactics
Mapuche Treaty of Quillin
Andes
Araucania
Gran Chaco
Pampas
Pampas Sierras
Navajo aoe3de
Navajo
Navajo Rifleman de Navajo Rifleman Navajo Weaving
Navajo Shepherds
Navajo Craftsmanship
Baja California
Colorado
Mexico
Painted Desert
Sonora
Zapotec icon aoe3de
Zapotec
(replaces Aztecs)
Zapotec lightning warrior portrait aoe3de updated Zapotec Lightning Warrior Zapotec Cloud People
Zapotec Cult of the Dead
Zapotec Food of the Gods
Amazonia
Andes
Mexico
Orinoco
Panama
Yucatan

The Asian Dynasties[]

The minor civilizations in The Asian Dynasties differ from those in Age of Empires III and The WarChiefs in that they represent religious movements instead of ethnic groups.

The minor civilizations are:

Tribe Units Technologies Maps
Bhakti aoe3de
Bhakti Temple
Tiger claw aoe3de Tiger Claw
War elephant aoe3de War Elephant
Yoga
Reinforced Gauntlets
Vegetarianism
Bengal
Ceylon
Deccan
Himalayas
Himalayas Upper
Silk Road
Jesuit aoe3de
Jesuit Mission
Conquistador aoe3de Conquistador Flying Buttress
Smokeless Powder
Christian Schools
Atlas
Bahia
Borneo
Highlands
Honshu
Indochina
Indonesia
Ivory Coast
Korea
Minas Gerais
Malaysia
Pepper Coast
Swahili Coast
Native shaolin site icon portrait
Shaolin Temple
Ratten shield de Rattan Shield Clenched Fist
Wood Clearing
Dim Mak
Central Plain
Manchuria
Mongolia
Silk Road
Yellow River
Sufi aoe3de
Sufi Mosque
Sufi qizilbash portrait Qizilbash
War elephant aoe3de War Elephant (former)
Pilgrimage
Fasting
Sharia
Borneo
Central Asia
Darfur
Deccan
Fertile Crescent
Horn
Indochina
Indonesia
Malaysia
Nile Valley
Silk Road
Siwa Oasis
Swahili Coast
Udasi aoe3de
Udasi Temple
Chakram aoe3de Chakram Thrower Sikh Gurus
Punjabi New Year
Army of the Pure
Deccan
Himalayas
Himalayas Upper
Silk Road
Punjab
Zen aoe3de
Zen Temple
Sohei aoe3de Sohei Naginata Meditation
Master Lessons
Meritocracy
Ceylon
Hokkaido
Honshu
Parallel Rivers
Silk Road
Yellow River

Definitive Edition[]

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition introduces a new American minor civilization, the Lenape, which is only available in the Battle of Queenston Heights scenario and the Unknown map, and the Tengri Shrine, a new Asian minor civilization introduced in update 13.12327

Tribe Units Technologies Maps
Lenape warrior portrait
Lenape
Lenape warrior portrait Lenape Warrior Lenape Ceremony
Lenape Clans
Lenape Three Sisters
Unknown
AOE3DE Tengri
Tengri Shrine
Tatar archer portrait updated Tatar Archer
Pet wolf aoe3de Tengri Wolf
Shaman Drums
Kumis
Wind Horses
Central Asia
Eurasian Steppe
Manchuria
Mongolia
Siberia
Silk Road
Yamal

The African Royals[]

The minor civilizations introduced in The African Royals offer the largest number of native units and technologies.

Tribe Units Technologies Maps
Akan Settlement Icon
Akan
Akan ankobia portrait Akan Ankobia
Akan Tufohen Portrait Updated Akan Tufohen*
Akan Asafo
Akan Fontomfrom
Akan Gold Economy
Akan Cocoa Beans
Akan Palm Oil Exports
Gold Coast
Ivory Coast
Niger Delta
Niger River
Pepper Coast
Savanna
Berber Settlement Portrait
Berbers
Berber camel rider portrait Berber Camel Rider
Berber nomad portrait Berber Nomad
Berber salt camel portrait Berber Salt Camel
Berber sultan portrait Berber Sultan*
Berber Fantasia
Berber Kings of the Desert
Berber Dynasties
Berber Salt Caravans
Berber Ghorfas
Atlas
Darfur
Dunes
Lake Chad
Nile Valley
Pepper Coast
Siwa Oasis
Tassili
Tripolitania
Somali Settlement Portrait
Somalis
Somali Issa Warrior Portrait Somali Issa Warrior
Somali Darood Militia Portrait Somali Darood Militia
Askari aoe3de portrait Askari*
Somali Coinage
Somali Jile Daggers
Somali Ajuran Engineers
Somali Local Forces
Somali Berbera Seaport
Somali Oryx Hide Shields
Somali Lighthouses
Great Rift
Highlands
Horn
Sudd
Swahili Coast
Sudanese settlement portrait
Sudanese
Sudanese dervish portrait Sudanese Dervish
Askari aoe3de portrait Askari*
Sennar horseman aoe3de portrait Sennar Horseman*
Sudanese Hakura System
Sudanese Red Sea Trade
Sudanese Quilted Armor
Sudanese Local Forces
Darfur
Highlands
Lake Chad
Nile Valley
Sahel
Siwa Oasis
Sudd
Yoruba settlement portait
Yoruba
Yoruba legionary portrait Yoruba Oyo Legionary
Yoruba Eso Rider Portrait Yoruba Eso Rider
Yoruba Ida Swords
Yoruba Twins
Yoruba Herbalism
Yoruba Wrestling
Yoruba Eredo Legacy
Gold Coast
Lake Chad
Niger Delta
Niger River
Savanna

Knights of the Mediterranean[]

"His Royal Highness may condescend to form an alliance, should you build a Trading Post here." - introductory line when selecting a socket for a Royal House.

Instead of ethnic groups or religious movements, the minor civilizations introduced in Knights of the Mediterranean represents various royal dynasties in Europe.

Royal House Units Technologies Ability Maps
Bourbon icon portrait-1
House of Bourbon
Bourbon royal musketeer portrait Royal Musketeer
Bourbon royal dragoon portrait Royal Dragoon
Mercenary royal horseman portrait Royal Horseman*
Bourbon Reforms
Royal Tax
Chouannerie
Maison du Roi
Royal March Alps
Black Forest
Corsica and Sardinia
France
Italy
Low Countries
Mediterranean
Pyrenees
Spain
Habsburg icon portrait-1
House of Habsburg
Habsburg line infantry portrait Line Infantry
Habsburg mounted infantry portrait Mounted Infantry
Magyar hussar portrait Magyar Hussar**
Grenadier de Hungarian Grenadier**
Congress of Vienna
Crown Lands
Multinationalism
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Radetzky March Alps
Balkan Mountains
Black Forest
Bohemia
Budapest
Corsica and Sardinia
Hungarian Plains
Italy
Low Countries
Mediterranean
Portugal
Pyrenees
Spain
Hanover icon portrait-1
House of Hanover
Hanover black brunswicker portrait Black Brunswicker
Hanover totenkopf hussar portrait Totenkopf Hussar
Hanover drummer portrait Drummer
Royal Scots Grey
Royal Card Games
Acts of Union
Victorian Era
Royal Fireworks Danish Straits
England
Ireland
Low Countries
Mediterranean
Saxony
Scotland
Jagiellon icon portrait-1
House of Jagiellon
Jagiellon lipka tatar portrait Lipka Tatar
Jagiellon shock rider portrait Shock Rider
Pancerni
Jagiellonian Legacy
Sarmatism
Folwarks
Balance of Powers Baltic Sea
Bohemia
Budapest
Carpathians
Courland
Dnieper Basin
Eurasian Steppe
Hungarian Plains
Karelian Lakes
Lithuania
Pripet Marshes
Vistula Basin
Oldenburg icon portrait-1
House of Oldenburg
Oldenburg royal huntsman portrait Royal Huntsman
Oldenburg royal huntsman portrait Royal Hunter*
Oldenburg northern musketeer portrait Northern Musketeer
League of Armed Neutrality
Hunting Expeditions
Kalthoff Repeaters
Öresund Customs
Scientific Expeditions Archipelago
Baltic Sea
Courland
Danish Straits
Dnieper Basin
Eurasian Steppe
Finland
Lithuania
Pripet Marshes
Saxony
Scandinavia
Phanar icon portrait-1
House of Phanar
Phanar evzone portrait Evzone
Phanar boyar portrait Boyar
Phanar sacred band infantry portrait Sacred Band Infantry**
Armatoloi
Athos Monasteries
Byzantine Legacy
Greek Shipyards
Greek Revolution Anatolia
Archipelago
Balkan Mountains
Carpathians
Corsica and Sardinia
Dnieper Basin
Italy
Mediterranean
Wallachia
Vasa icon portrait-1
House of Vasa
Vasa royal arquebusier portrait Royal Arquebusier
Vasa winged hussar portrait Winged Hussar
Golden Liberty
Tar Kilns
Koncerz
Hanseatic League
Order of Vasa Archipelago
Baltic Sea
Courland
Danish Straits
Dnieper Basin
Finland
Lithuania
Pripet Marshes
Scandinavia
Vistula Basin
Wettin icon portrait-1
House of Wettin
Wettin trabant portrait Trabant
Wettin saxon cuirassier portrait Saxon Cuirassier
Leipzig Trade Fair
Königstein
Marriage Politics
Royal Saxon Grenadiers
Golden Reiter Baltic Sea
Bohemia
Carpathians
Low Countries
Portugal
Saxony
Vistula Basin
Wallachia
Wittelsbach icon portrait-1
House of Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach mountain trooper portrait Mountain Trooper
Wittelsbach chevauleger portrait Chevauleger
Oktoberfest
Ducal Berg Lancers
Philhellenism
Schützenfest
Alpine Horns Alps
Archipelago
Baltic Sea
Black Forest
Bohemia
Italy
Mediterranean
Portugal
Saxony
Scandinavia
* These units are only available after researching technologies that ship or allow them to be trained by Trading Posts or Heroes
** Spawned via a Royal House ability

Trivia[]

  • Near native villages, chattering can be heard. Small dialogues are hidden in the chatter, such as: Man: "The bounty is plentiful" and Little Girl: "Can I go?" Woman: "Let's go darling" Little Girl: "I don't think I can make it mommy" can be heard.
  • Three random maps (Arctic Territories, Kamchatka, and Patagonia) lack minor civilizations completely.
  • The most diverse random map is Silk Road with six possible minor civilizations. If excluded as a variant of three other maps (Himalayas, Mongolia, and Yellow River) due to its changing environment, the title belongs to Mediterranean, with five minor civilizations.
  • Excluding the Lenape and the minor civilizations replaced in The WarChiefs, the most exclusive minor civilizations are the Cherokee, Huron, and Seminoles, which are found on four maps each.
    • The most exclusive Asian minor civilization is the Udasi Temple, found on five maps, two of which (Silk Road and Himalayas - Upper) are variants of other maps.
    • The most exclusive African minor civilizations are the Somalis and Yoruba, also present on five maps.
    • The most exclusive European minor civilization is the House of Hanover, present on seven maps.
  • The most common minor civilizations are the Jesuit Mission, Sufi Mosque, and House of Habsburg, each appearing on thirteen maps. The Jesuit Mission and Sufi Mosque are the only minor civilizations found on more than one continent.
    • The most common minor civilizations that are exclusive to the Americas are the Quechua and Zapotec, appearing on six maps.
    • The most common that is exclusive to Asia is the Tengri Shrine, appearing on seven maps.
    • The most common that is exclusive to Africa is the Berbers, appearing on nine maps.
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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