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

The Estate (Plantation before the Definitive Edition) is an economic building in Age of Empires III that is available once the Fortress Age is reached (if the "Advanced Estate" Home City Card has been sent, it can be built in the Exploration Age). It is an infinite source of coin that can be gathered by villager-type units and acts as a replacement to the trading system in previous games.

Each villager tasked to the Estate gathers 0.5 coin per second, which is lower than mines (0.6 coin) until improved by Estate technologies, Home City Cards, and/or native technologies. Up to 10 villagers can work on an Estate at a time, though due to collisions between units it is best to only use 7 per Estate.

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

Asian civilizations have the Rice Paddy instead, which combines the functions of a Mill and the Estate. The African civilizations have the Field, which has the same function as the Rice Paddy, but operates on a slower gathering rate. The Mexican civilization has the Hacienda, which combines the functions of a Mill, Estate, and Livestock Pen.

Tactics[]

Most civilizations who can build Estates have access to the "Advanced Estate" Home City Card, which reduces their cost by 31% and allows them to be built in the Exploration Age. The cost can be lowered by another 40% with the Land Grab card for a total of 71% cost reduction, but only if Land Grab is sent before "Advanced Estate" – when sending the cards in the other order the cost reduction is only 58.6%. This is due to the hidden, different discount types the two cards use.

3v3[]

The following requires the Deccan or Silk Road maps. It also requires a Japanese ally (TEAM Chonindo), and an ally with TEAM Rum Distillery; see Home City Card for a navigation box to individual civilization cards.

The gather rate cap for a Settler at an Estate is 88.25 coin per minute per gatherer, or 1.471 coin per second, which can be attained with the Economic Theory, TEAM Chonindo, Rum Distillery, TEAM Rum Distillery, Cigar Roller, Royal Mint, and Textile Mill cards, Excessive Taxation, Fasting, and Punjabi New Year upgrades.

The gather rate cap for the Coureur des Bois and Cree Coureur des Bois is 94.5 coin per minute per gatherer, or 1.575 coin per second, while the Settler Wagon is 194 coin per minute per wagon, or 3.233 coin per second with the Guild Artisan card.

Technologies[]

Age Technology Cost Effect Civ.
Age II tech tree aoe3
Earth Ceremony Earth Ceremony 185 food
150 wood
Villagers gather coin from mines, Estates, Rice Paddies, Fields, Mountain Monasteries, and Haciendas 10% faster; Haciendas autogather coin 10% faster NA
Age III tech tree aoe3
Earth Gift Ceremony Earth Gift Ceremony 380 food
320 wood
Villagers gather coin from mines, Estates, Rice Paddies, Fields, Mountain Monasteries, and Haciendas 20% faster; Haciendas autogather coin 20% faster; requires Earth Ceremony
Bookkeeping Bookkeeping 300 food
300 wood
Villagers gather coin from Estates, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 10% faster; Haciendas autogather coin 10% faster EU
Tezcatlipoca Worship Tezcatlipoca Worship 900 coin Ships 1 Skull Knight for every 4 minutes the game has passed, up to 30 minutes
Aztecs
Maple Festival Maple Festival 250 food
250 wood
Ships 500 coin for every 10 minutes the game has passed, up to 30 minutes
Flag IroquoisDE
Gun Trade Gun Trade 250 wood Wakina Rifles and Rifle Riders get +15% attack
Flag SiouxDE
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
Homesteading Homesteading 400 food
400 wood
Villagers gather coin from Estates, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 20% faster; Haciendas autogather coin 20% faster; requires Bookkeeping EU
Refineries Refineries 600 food
600 wood
Villagers gather coin from Estates, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 30% faster; Haciendas autogather coin 30% faster; requires Homesteading
Coca Cultivation Coca Cultivation 500 food
500 wood
500 coin
Estates generate 0.8 coin/sec.
Flag IncanDE
Imperial Age
Excessive Tribute Excessive Tribute 1,000 food
1,000 wood
Villagers gather coin from Estates, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 50% faster; Haciendas autogather coin 50% faster; fishing boats gather coin from whales 50% faster; requires Earth Gift Ceremony NA

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 Viracocha Worship Viracocha Worship (can be built by Builder Travois; Inca only)
Berber ghorfas Berber Ghorfas (reduces the speed of nearby enemy units by 30%)
Folwarks Folwarks (gives 90 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 Estate
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
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
Team improved buildings TEAM Improved Buildings Buildings get +40% hit points
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
Spanish Home City 3 (Advanced Plantation) Advanced Estate Ships 1 Estate Wagon; Estates get +100% hit points, -31% cost, and can be built in the Exploration Age
Age I tech tree aoe3
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
  • "Improved Buildings" is available to Europeans (except the Maltese) and Native Americans (except the Inca).
  • "TEAM Improved Buildings" is available to the Inca, Indians, and Maltese.
  • "Advanced Estate" is available to Europeans (for the Dutch in the Commerce Age) and Lakota.
  • "Land Grab" is available to Europeans and Native Americans (except the Inca).

Inca[]

Card Description Age
Inca Home City 4 (Terrace Farming) Terrace Farming Villagers gather food from Mills, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas and coin from Estates, Rice Paddies, Fields, and Haciendas 20% faster; Haciendas autogather food and coin 20% faster; Farm and Estate build time -75%, and their technologies research time -25%
Age IV tech tree aoe 3

Lakota[]

Card Description Age
Lakota Home City 3 (Camp Movements) Camp Movements Ships 2 War Hut Travois; buildings' build time -25%; Town Centers, Community Plaza, Markets, Corrals, War Huts, Farms, Native Embassies, Estates, and Docks can now be transformed into a Travois to be built elsewhere
Age II tech tree aoe3

Native Americans[]

Card Description Age
Iroquois Home City 4 (Agarian Ways) Agrarian Ways Farm and Estate technologies (except Large Scale Gathering, Excessive Tribute, and Big Buttons) are free
Age III tech tree aoe3
Iroquois Home City 4 (Old Ways) Old Ways Big Button technologies cost -50%
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
  • "Agrarian Wars" is not available to the Lakota.

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
Salitrera Salitrera Ships 3 Estate Wagons; Estates generate 0.8 coin/sec.
Revolution
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
Revolution
  • "Salitrera" is available upon revolting to Chile.
  • "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
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 Ship train time -50%; building build time -35%; artillery train time -15%, Heavy Cannon train time -10% instead
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 9 Minutemen when an Estate is destroyed.

All[]

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 Plantation) Advanced Estate Estates get +100% hit points, -31% cost, and can be built in the Exploration Age
Age I tech tree aoe3
25
Spanish Home City 4 (Land Grab) Land Grab Mill, Estate, Farm, Livestock Pen, Rice Paddy, and Sacred Field cost -40% and build time -75%; Village cost -30% and build time -60%
Age I tech tree aoe3
25
  • "Improved Buildings" is available to Europeans and Native Americans.
  • "Advanced Estate" is available to Europeans (for the Dutch in the Commerce Age) and Lakota.
  • "Land Grab" is available to Europeans and Native Americans.

Indians[]

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

Native Americans[]

Card Description Age HC level
Iroquois Home City 4 (Agarian Ways) Agrarian Ways Farm and Estate technologies (except Large Scale Gathering, Excessive Tribute, and Big Buttons) are free
Age III tech tree aoe3
25
Iroquois Home City 4 (Old Ways) Old Ways Big Button technologies cost -50%
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
40
  • "Agrarian Wars" is not available to the Lakota.

Changelog[]

Age of Empires III[]

  • The building is called "Plantation".
  • Plantations cost 800 wood and give 160 XP when built and 320 XP when destroyed.

Definitive Edition[]

  • The building is called "Estate".
  • Estates cost 600 wood and give 120 XP when built and 240 XP when destroyed.
  • Originally, the Inca had no Estate build limit, like other civilizations. With update 3552, the Incas had an Estate build limit of 20. With update 20322, the Incas have an Estate build limit of 10.

Bugs and glitches[]

  • In the original Age of Empires III, Estates placed too closely together (side by side with no space between them) may cause some villagers to "migrate" to the adjacent Estate. This bug also occurs with Mills and, to a lesser degree, Farms and Rice Paddies.

Trivia[]

  • Even though the crops of the Plantation/Estate are meant to be cotton, as seen in the pre-Definitive Edition icon, the actual model is of grapevine. Coincidentally, this makes it more appropriate for the European maps.
  • References to an early design for the Plantation/Estate can be found in the string table file, it functioned similarly to a Tribal Marketplace and could only be built "near native resources, such as Tobacco."

History[]

Age of Empires III[]

A plantation is a large farm where crops are cultivated. They were common in the southern United States as well as in parts of the Caribbean. Many historical plantations used slave labor. In the United States, plantations are associated with a distinct type of architecture known as the Plantation House.

Definitive Edition[]

An Estate is a large land holding where crops are cultivated. They were common across the United States as well as parts of the Caribbean.

Gallery[]

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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