A long, long time ago civilizations used to battle against each other to control resources, land, and people. Age of Empires 3 brings us back to when civilizations fought against each other to be the ruling empire. In order to do this they would need to become the strongest and most feared nation. 

Age of Empires 3 comes with many civilization choices. They all have their weaknesses and strengths, but are some civilizations better than others? In this article we rank the 10 best civilizations that players should use.

10. Lakota

Lakota Horses Rest In Their Village

The Lakota are a Native American civilization. Native civilizations do not have many of the more modern technologies that other civilizations have, including walls and artillery. Even though this may seem to be  a disadvantage, they do have certain strengths that give them the ability to seize power.

One of their strengths is that they start with a population cap of 200.  Many civilizations will start with  a population cap around10. This allows them to start building their military and villagers without having to worry about building houses. They also have a large selection of calvary to choose from when making military units.

Teepees are the replacement for the unneeded houses of the Lakota tribe. Instead of being used to increase the population cap, they provide bonuses to their population. There is a build limit of 20, so they can be placed in many of these locations. The bonuses for the teepees can increase attack power of mercenaries and gathering rates of villagers.

What We Like About Lakota

Their population cap starts at 200, so you don’t have to worry about building houses in order to increase your ability to make more units.

They have a large calvary selection giving you the ability to choose which cavalry units you want to use.

The teepee bonuses help improve gathering rates of villagers and attack power in military units benefiting the whole civilization.

Pick This Nation If

You want to rush your opponents by using the beginning population cap.

You want to keep your civilization mobile and strong by using the teepees.

You can apply buffs strategically to increase your military power.

9. Swedes

A Swedish Torp Gathers Resources

The Swedes are known for being a strong defensive European civilization. They have torps which are houses that help gather resources. This allows them to build a strong economy due to resources being gathered by both villagers and torps.

They also have benefits when it comes to the military. One of these benefits is that they can build a leather cannon during Age 2. Most civilizations do not have artillery units until Age 3, so this is a major advantage. 

Another military benefit is that they have special units called the Caroleans and the Hakkapelit. These units have strong attack power. The Swedes have the ability to fast fortress which means they can move into Age 3 quickly. This would allow them access to stronger units and improvements faster.

What We Like About the Swedes

Their Torps gather resources on their own which helps build your economy.

They have artillery in the Commerce Age which allows them to attack other civilizations with these types of units before other civilizations can even build them.

Their units have high attack power allowing for a stronger military than others.

Pick This Nation If

You want to play as a defensive civilization.

You like to build a strong economy.

You want to fast fortress.

You want to be able to counter every unit you play against.

8. Dutch

Dutch Banks Are Being Used To Produce Gold

The Dutch are a European civilization. This civilization can build a skirmisher in Age 2 instead of  Age 3. Coin is their most important resource. They begin as a defensive civilization and have the ability to boom after they get started building banks. 

Banks are a building unique to the dutch. They gather coin for the dutch every second. The more banks the player has, the faster they can produce coin.

Uniquely to the Dutch, coin is required to build villagers. This means when the game starts it is important to start villagers on gathering coin. The Dutch villagers gather coin faster than other civilizations villagers. It is important to remember that even though the Dutch must collect coin at the beginning, they still must collect food to advance to the next age.

What We Like About The Dutch

They have banks that can produce coin which helps their economy.

Merchants gather coin faster than other villagers, helping with their economy.

They can build Skirmishers in the Commerce Age instead of Fortress Age giving them access to them before other nations.

Pick This Nation If

You like to create a booming economy even though it may be a slow start.

You want your economy to have a focus on one resource.

You can handle defense until you have the opportunity to expand.

7. Portuguese

The Portuguese are a European Civilization that is considered difficult to play because they are  slow to start. Although they begin with one more settler than most, they do not have any cards that will create extra villagers. This is because as the Portuguese advance in age, they are given a covered wagon everytime. They can use this covered wagon to build town centers which allow them to build more villagers at a time without having to pay for another town center. 

They also come with some strong defenses. One of those is that they have a strong coastal defense. They have the strongest walls in the game, and when playing team games, a special card can be used to upgrade their team's walls to this strength as well.

As far as units go, the Portuguese have specialized units. One of these is their Explorer who has the Spyglass Ability. This allows them to look in on the shadowed play of others for a limited amount of time. They are able to hire ronins in the fortress age, which is sooner than other civilizations. Although these can be very beneficial, they do require an experienced player who can micromanage and coordinate them well.

What We Like About The Portuguese

They get a Covered Wagon everytime they advance, which allows for building town centers without paying for them.

They have the ability to make strong coastal defense for protection in water based maps.

Their Explorer has Eyeglass Ability allowing them to see parts of the enemies covered area, which allows you to make military decisions based on what you see.

Pick This Nation If

You are an experienced player who is good at coordinating and micromanaging units.

You want  to protect your village with the strongest walls in the game.

You want to look in at your enemies so you know when they are building armies and getting ready to attack.

6. Chinese

Chinese Soldiers Gather For Battle

The Chinese are an Asian civilization. They have the second highest population cap in the game at 220. Due to this, their units are generally weaker than other civilizations. A card that they have allows them to make villages and town centers do a one time muster of one villager each. 

Instead of building houses, they build villages. Villages are more expensive than normal houses but provide for more population. They can also be used as a livestock pen, so their villages have multiple uses.

They can create banner armies. This allows the Chinese to make unique and well balanced armies. These armies are also built quickly, so they can rush their opponents.

What We Like About the Chinese

They have banner armies which allow for building quick armies to rush opponents.

They have villages instead of houses that provide for more population and serve as a livestock pen.

A card gives them a one time muster of one villager per village and town center allowing for a quick burst of villagers when needed.

Pick This Nation If

If you like to create a unique blend of armies using the banner armies.

You want to rush your opponents using banner armies.

You prefer having a larger population to fight with instead of a smaller, stronger civilization.

5. French

A French Explorer and Villager Get Ready To Begin Their Day

The French are a European nation that can build a strong economy fast. They are able to do this because their villagers are Coureur des Bois. Coureur des Bois gather 25% faster than regular villagers at the start of the game.

They also have the ability to make strong alliances with native settlements due to their special shipments for them. They have a card available that increases the damage of native infiltry. The French have the Cuirassiers which are a very strong calvary.

They can build 2 forts. The forts can allow them to block paths for other civilizations. They can also use them to defend themselves better.

What We Like About The French

They have Coureur des Bois which help create a stronger economy due to their ability to gather resources faster.

You can build 2 forts allowing for defending your town or controling pathways on the map.

The Cuirassiers are a very powerful unit making the French have a strong military.

Pick This Nation If

You want to build a strong economy so you have plenty of resources to work with.

You want to use native alliances to strengthen your civilization.

You want to control pathways using forts.

4. Ottomans

Ottoman Great Bombards Prepare For Battle

The Ottomans are a European civilization. They have a unique ability which allows their villager unit, the Yoruk, to be built for free. It does take more time to build this unit, and there is an initial cap to the number you can build; however, there are improvements you can research in the Mosque. These improvements increase the villager cap and the speed at which they are built. 

They also have some strong military benefits. One of these is that they can build artillery in the Commerce Age. Most civilizations must wait until the next age to start building artillery. The artillery they can build is the Abus Gun. 

Another military benefit is that they can build the Great Bombard. This unit does a lot of damage. It is great for destroying buildings and walls. If a player is able to defend this gun, they should have no problem toppling a city.

What We Like About The Ottomans

They have the Great Bombard that increases their military's attack power due to its power.

Their town centers build villagers for free, allowing for building their economy without having to pay for more villagers.

Their Mosque has improvements that can be used to increase the population cap and speed at which villagers are created.

Pick This Nation If

You want to start building artillery units in Age 2. 

You want to stop other civilizations from rushing with anti-rush units.

You want to destroy nations quickly in the late game using the Great Bombard.

3. Japanese

A Japanese Building Looks Over Its Village

Japan is an Asian civilization. The Japanese may seem weak in the early game because their units are more costly, but they are strong. If a player can survive an early rush from others, they can build up in power. One unique feature the Japanese have is that many of their Home City cards can be sent twice, which gives them the ability for different strategic choices.

A unique building that the Japanese have is their shrines. These shrines collect nearby resources. By placing their shrines strategically, they can help to create a booming economy. The shrines can also allow for less population to be used for villagers and more population for military units.

The Japanese have strong military units. One of these units is the Daimyo. This unit becomes a moving barracks with units being shipped directly to him. It also provides an area bonus to the units around it.

What We Like About Japanese

Their shrines help build a booming economy by gathering resources.

You can send many Home City Cards twice allowing for different strategies in using them.

The Daimyo unit allows units to be shipped to it, allowing it to constantly have a military surrounding it.

Pick This Nation If

You can defend against early rushes.

You want to create a booming economy.

You want stronger units even if they are more costly.

2. Russians

Russian Strelets Prepare To Rush Opponents

The Russians are a European civilization. They have the unique ability to train settlers and military units in groups. Instead of building one settler at a time, a player must build three. Because of this, it does cost more to buy the units than it would if they were buying one unit, but overall the price is 13% lower.

Russians have the cheapest and weakest light infantry unit in the game which is called the Strelet. Although they are weak, players can build many at a time which allows for rushing  opponents early in the game. The Russians also have cards that allow for decreased build time for military units allowing for quick training of additional units.

Blockhouses are unique to Russia. These buildings build strelets that can be used for rushing. They also provide for population needs and can attack nearby enemies.

What We Like About The Russians

Blockhouses can be used for population and defensive measures in order to protect themselves, units, and other buildings.

They have Strelets which are the cheapest light infantry unit in the game, which allow for rushing your opponents quickly.

By buying units in bulk, they end up costing less per individual unit than other civilizations.

Pick This Nation If

You want to rush your opponents.

You want to pay less overall for your units.

You want to be able to build units quickly by using cards that decrease military unit build time.

1. British

The British Home City Stands In All Its Glory

The British are a European civilization that is extremely well rounded, which is why it’s the number one civilization to use. They have the ability to start a good economy because for every manor that is built, they get a free villager. A manor is the British equivalent of a house.

The British come with a well rounded military. They have units that can counter most other units. They can use Longbow men against heavy cavalry, Hussars against light infantry and artillery, and Pikeman against calvary. There are other choices for countering the different types of units, these are just some options.

Just like other civilizations, they have unique cards that give them certain advantages. One of these cards allows villagers to be trained at manors. This can be quite useful if your town center is destroyed because you do not have to waste time and resources to make a new one if you need to build more villagers. They also have cards that increase their navy’s strength. These increases make the British Navy the strongest in the game. 

What We Like About the British

Every manor built gives you a villager to help with improving your economy.

They have units to counter most other types of units allowing a way to defend against all types of attacks.

The Estate card allows houses to train settlers, so if a town center is destroyed, they can still build villagers.

Pick This Nation If

You want to start your economy quickly.

You're playing a map that is water based.

You want to be able to counter every unit you play against.

 

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