When the concept of empires is considered, it's only natural the think of the British. Sure, Alexander the Great widened Greece's territory to encompass most of the known world and the Romans had a stranglehold on Europe for over one-thousand years. But no empire before or since has extended its reach further than the British Empire. And when playing a game called Age of Empires 3, it only makes sense that the British are summarily dominant.
Even so, players that choose the British are hardly guaranteed a win. As one of the more complex civilizations that must changes courses depending on eras and enemies, usually the British are selected by pro players that really know what they are doing. If the goal is to be just as dominant, this is a list of tips and tricks to embrace the natural versatility of the British and translate that into bruising victories.
10 Choosing How To Win
Grand strategy games are a big old splash of cold water on the face at times. The first step to victory with the British Empire is that they must choose their course for victory before ever sending the troops into combat.
The British can win with either a strong military or a strong navy, but the two are (generally) mutually exclusive. So do some introspection and think about which one feels the best. Then mentally commit to one or the other and gear up for the game.
9 Cards For A Naval Victory
One might look at the extensive list of upgrades made in the recent edition of Age of Empires 3 and be shocked that the British, who gained world renown for their naval tyranny, did not receive a special unit for their fleets.
The developers were not ignorant of their history, however. The British have the best cards in the game to enhance their navy, so while they might never have a single special unit, they can make an armada of ships capable of sinking any foe. Make sure to build the deck accordingly.
8 Avoiding One Weakness
There is one well-known caveat to playing with the British and it is that they have no real solution for heavy artillery. Lacking Skirmishers, the British are easily torn down when engaging in conflicts where Cannons are on the field.
While making a wishlist for the next installment to cover this glaring weakness is one way to go about it, the British are hardly crippled by this problem. They can easily pick on empires that don't have them yet and, after the opponent gets the technology, have the resources to stand by until these units become outdated.
7 Manor Boom In The Discovery Age
The British receive an extra villager when they build a Manor House. The Manor House is a bit pricey and it must be placed carefully, since destroying it and rebuilding it was identified as a cheap tactic, so the ability to demolish it has been removed from the game.
But this means that the British can build a ton of these houses and get a ton of villagers. By doing so, they even outpace the mighty French in the early game. Speaking of the French, the British are the rock to their scissors at this stage, take them out early if the opportunity arises.
6 Targets In The Colonial Age
After the early stage of the game, pro British players will be in a constant state of war. The reason for this is that they gain a boost to two units, the Musketeer and the Hussar, that can be upgraded during later eras so that they never lose their relevancy.
Longbowmen, special to the British, are infantry-destroying machines. When combined with these other two units, they become a real force. Choose a straggling nation to invade, but avoid the Portuguese and their Jinetes until later on.
5 Do Not Turtle
Those who saw the gameplay trailer for the next Age of Empires game might be excited to try turtling since it features a single gigantic city. Take caution; maybe the strategy will change in Age of Empires 4, but it is doomed to fail in Age of Empires 3.
Despite their excellent beginning after the Manor Boom, they lack the strength to win later on unless they've been plundering from start to finish. A British player at war will win most battles and likely the game. A peaceful British player will only be attacked once... the time when they lose.
4 Fortress Age Aggression
The reviews have been all over the map for Age of Empires 3, but the RTS players know that the difference between a 10 out of 10 experience and a 5 out of 10 experience isn't up to the game, it's up to the player.
The British will begin to be able to upgrade their Musketeers to Redcoats and Hussars to King's Life Guards. Do this as quickly as possible. The combination of these units at this stage of the game is unstoppable for almost any nation to contend with, just stay wary of modern heavy artillery.
3 Building Outposts
With so many offensive capabilities, the temptation is to be on offense all of the time. This is a video game that is very different from the first game in the series; players need to master the art of defense, and not madly attack.
The British are wide open to raids and even weaker nations can successfully ruin a British Empire with a cunning attack. To prevent these nasty surprises, build up some outposts. It doesn't need to turn into a full defense, just build enough to stall for time until the army gets back home.
2 Rocketing Into The Industrial Age
Now is the time to stop being afraid of the heavy artillery and bring in some British ingenuity. The Rocket is a unique British unit that acts as their heavy artillery and it gobbles up infantry on the battlefield, giving the Redcoats all the support they could ask for.
If the player has been doing battle but has been unable to land the finishing blow, do not fear, being in sustained combat is just part of the game. The Rockets are not only good against infantry, tbut hey are superior at targeting buildings. This should be the final nail in the coffin for any foes that have lasted this long.
1 End Game Victory Plan
Many amateur British players will falter at the end. It's understandable, the British have no real single unit that is special about them later on. And, having been engaged in combat, exhaustion sets in and makes defeat an inevitability.
It can sour the entire experience, especially because victory is so close! Having a good Manor Boom early means more resources later. Don't focus on a single special unit, build a ton of Imperial Era forces and finish off the rest of the competition. The strength is in the numbers.