World's Edge, Forgotten Empires and Tantalus Media relaunched Age of Empires III on 15 October 2020 with 4K art, reworked multiplayer and two fresh civilisations, the Incas and the Swedes. The base game carries 16 civilisations and four paid packs take the roster to 22, adding the United States, Mexicans, Ethiopians, Hausa, Italians and Maltese. Steam sits at 84 percent positive across roughly 18,900 reviews, and a Baltic Powers pack is listed on the store as coming soon.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Musketeer | S | Holding the front line against Hussars and Dragoons and screening artillery from behind. | Heavy infantry with a ranged shot and a melee bonus against cavalry. |
| Skirmisher | A | Punishing an opponent who has overcommitted to Musketeers, fired from behind your own front rank. | Light ranged infantry with longer range than Musketeers and a damage bonus against heavy infantry. |
| Hussar | A | Raiding Settlers on gold mines and running down Skirmishers and Falconets. | Fast heavy cavalry with a large hit point pool and area damage on the charge. |
| Falconet | B | Breaking packed infantry formations and knocking down forward Barracks and walls. | Light field cannon that hits a wide area of infantry at once. |
| Crossbowman | B | Early Colonial fights against Musketeer and Pikeman pushes before Fortress units exist. | Cheap Colonial ranged infantry with a bonus against heavy infantry, available before Skirmishers arrive for most European civilisations. |
S-Tier: Musketeer
Heavy infantry with a ranged shot and a melee bonus against cavalry. It is slow and costs more per body than light infantry, but nothing else in a European army absorbs a cavalry charge as well.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Holding the front line against Hussars and Dragoons and screening artillery from behind. |
| Key Mechanic | Home City shipment decks |
| Recommended Build | British |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Musketeer: Pairs naturally with British thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Skirmisher
Light ranged infantry with longer range than Musketeers and a damage bonus against heavy infantry. It tears through Musketeer blocks and evaporates the moment cavalry reaches it.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Punishing an opponent who has overcommitted to Musketeers, fired from behind your own front rank. |
| Key Mechanic | Five age advancement |
| Recommended Build | French |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Skirmisher: Pairs naturally with French thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Hussar
Fast heavy cavalry with a large hit point pool and area damage on the charge. It is the standard answer to massed ranged infantry and to cannons left without an escort.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Raiding Settlers on gold mines and running down Skirmishers and Falconets. |
| Key Mechanic | Treasures and Explorer scouting |
| Recommended Build | Ottomans |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Hussar: Pairs naturally with Ottomans thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Falconet
Light field cannon that hits a wide area of infantry at once. Two or three of them decide most Fortress age engagements, and they die instantly to anything that reaches them.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Breaking packed infantry formations and knocking down forward Barracks and walls. |
| Key Mechanic | Trade Routes and native alliances |
| Recommended Build | Japanese |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Falconet: Pairs naturally with Japanese thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Crossbowman
Cheap Colonial ranged infantry with a bonus against heavy infantry, available before Skirmishers arrive for most European civilisations. Low hit points mean positioning matters more than raw numbers.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Early Colonial fights against Musketeer and Pikeman pushes before Fortress units exist. |
| Key Mechanic | Civilisation specific economies |
| Recommended Build | Swedes |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Crossbowman: Pairs naturally with Swedes thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Great Plains
- Skirmisher → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Hussar → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Musketeer → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Deck construction beats micro at every level below expert. Build one deck per civilisation with a clear plan: economy cards for a boom, unit shipments for a rush, and never carry cards for an age you do not intend to reach.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Guides
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Overview
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Best Builds
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Tier List
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Walkthrough
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Beginner's Guide
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Tips & Tricks
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Combat Guide
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Boss Guide
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Maps & Locations
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Crafting Guide
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Classes & Characters
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