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Portuguese Fast Fortress

From The ESOC wiki for Age of Empires 3

Going fast to the fortress age with Portuguese makes sense since their civ bonus is a free TC wagon at every age up and their starting eco is bad, so at least you will have Fortress age units.

The cards you need: Age I: Colonial Militia, Economic Theory Age II: 700 coin, 700 wood Age III: 8 cassadors, 7 cassadors, 5 dragoons, 2 organ guns, 5 mamelukes (4 on ESOC Patch)

Discovery Age

Send nothing, Colonial Militia (against a rush) or Economic Theory.

Age with the Philosopher Prince (500 food)

During transition, gather 200 wood to build a trading post, and 300 coin (with 3-4 settlers), then all villagers go hunting.

Colonial Age

Send 700 coin ASAP, place your second town center near the 1st one, ideally with a herd between both TCs, and gather 1200 food and the 700 coin you sent, then click the Fortress age up button (around 5'30)

Send 700 wood

Fortress Age

Place your third TC in a safe spot, beware of raiding enemy units. With the wood you received, build a stable, houses, a market and research market ups. Cassadores cost a lot of food and you also need food for your settler production. Dragoons on the other hand cost 50% food 50% coin, so you want to send cassadors from the home city and train dragoons.

Send military shipments: 8 cassadors, 7 cassadors, 5 dragoons, mamelukes, 2 organ guns

Warning: the organ guns are fragile and falconets shoot them down easily, so it may be dangerous to send them when your opponent is in Fortress Age and has sent 2 falconets You should reach a powerspike when the mamelukes arrive.