Campaign Walkthrough: The WarChiefs

Welcome, fellow strategists, to the comprehensive walkthrough for Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs campaign! This guide will navigate you through every mission, offering detailed strategies, unit compositions, and critical objectives to ensure your victory. Prepare to lead the Black family through the American Revolution and the tumultuous westward expansion.

Act I: Fire

This act follows Nathaniel Black and his involvement in the American Revolution. You'll command colonial forces, facing off against the British and their Hessian allies.

2.1.1 War Dance

Objectives: Learn the basics of the Iroquois civilization and prepare for battle.

Initial Setup: You begin with a small Iroquois village. Focus on gathering resources immediately. Send your Villagers to collect Food from nearby berry bushes and Wood from forests.
Training Units: The mission introduces you to Iroquois units. Train a few Tomahawks from your War Hut to form a small defensive force.
Scouting: Use your starting Explorer to scout the immediate area. You'll find additional resource patches and potentially some minor enemy patrols.
First Engagement: A small British patrol will eventually approach your village. Use your Tomahawks to engage them. Remember to use their melee bonus against infantry.
Home City Shipments: The mission will guide you through requesting your first Home City shipment. Prioritize shipments that provide additional Villagers or military units to bolster your economy and army.

2.1.2 The Rescue

Objectives: Rescue Nathaniel Black's family from British captivity.

Starting Position: You begin with a small force, likely including some Musketeers and a few Cannons.
Advance Cautiously: The path to the British camp is guarded. Use your Cannons to destroy enemy defenses like Outposts and Blockhouses from a distance. Protect your Cannons with your infantry.
Locate the Prisoners: The family is held within a fortified British camp. Scout the perimeter to identify weak points. Often, there's a less heavily defended entrance or a section of wall that can be targeted by your Cannons.
Engage the Garrison: Once inside, you'll face British Regulars and possibly some Grenadiers. Use your Musketeers to counter their infantry. If you have any Cavalry units, use them to flank and disrupt enemy formations.
Freeing the Family: Once the immediate area around the prisoners is clear, move your units close to them to trigger their rescue. They will then follow your units to safety.
Escape: After the rescue, you may need to fight your way out or find an alternative escape route. Consolidate your forces and retreat to a designated safe zone.

2.1.3 Breed's Hill

Objectives: Defend Breed's Hill against multiple waves of British attacks.

Fortify Your Position: You start on Breed's Hill with some pre-built defenses. Immediately reinforce these. Build additional Palisades or Walls where gaps exist. Place Outposts strategically to cover approaches.
Unit Composition: You'll have access to Colonial Militia, Minutemen, and possibly some Cannons. Position your Minutemen behind cover or within defensive structures for maximum effectiveness. Use Cannons to target dense enemy formations or incoming siege units.
Resource Management: Keep your economy running. Send Villagers to gather resources, but be prepared to pull them back to safety if the British break through.
Wave Defense: The British will attack in waves. Pay attention to the mini-map for incoming enemy forces. Focus fire on high-threat units like Grenadiers or Hussars.
Home City Shipments: Request shipments that provide defensive upgrades, additional units, or resource crates to sustain your defense. "Advanced Defenses" or "Fortress Age" shipments can be particularly useful.
Counter-Attacks (Optional): While primarily a defensive mission, if you manage to repel a wave decisively, a small counter-attack on a nearby British position might be possible to relieve pressure, but prioritize your main objective.

Act II: Shadow

This act shifts to the American West, following Chayton Black and his struggle against the encroaching European powers and the nefarious Circle of Ossus.

2.2.1 The Bozeman Trail

Objectives: Establish a Native American settlement and protect the Bozeman Trail from encroaching settlers.

Initial Settlement: You begin with a few Villagers and an Explorer. Immediately establish a Town Center and begin gathering resources. Focus on Food and Wood to quickly grow your population.
Scouting and Resource Collection: Explore the surrounding area for valuable resources like Gold mines and huntable animals. Establish Trading Posts on any Trade Routes you discover to gain a steady income of experience and resources.
Defensive Preparations: The Bozeman Trail will be threatened by settler wagons and small military patrols. Build a War Hut and train a small force of Native American warriors (e.g., Sioux Dog Soldiers or Cheyenne Bowmen) to defend your territory.
Protecting the Trail: You will receive notifications when settler wagons attempt to cross the trail. Intercept and destroy these wagons before they reach their destination. Prioritize units that are effective against light cavalry and infantry.
Expansion: As your economy grows, consider building additional Town Centers or expanding your resource gathering operations to support a larger army.
Home City Shipments: use Home City shipments to gain an advantage. Shipments providing advanced units, resource crates, or economic upgrades are highly recommended.

2.2.2 Red Cloud's War

Objectives: Unite Native American tribes and drive out the encroaching U.S. Army.

Diplomacy and Alliances: This mission emphasizes diplomacy. You'll need to locate and ally with other Native American tribes on the map. This usually involves completing a small task for them, such as clearing a nearby enemy camp or delivering resources.
Building an Army: Once allied, you can train their unique units from your War Huts or their respective Native American Embassies. Combine the strengths of different tribal units to create a balanced army. For example, Sioux Dog Soldiers are excellent cavalry, while Cheyenne Bowmen provide ranged support.
U.S. Army Presence: The U.S. Army will have several fortified outposts and a main base. Use your combined Native American forces to systematically dismantle their presence.
Hit-and-Run Tactics: Native American civilizations often excel at hit-and-run tactics. Use fast cavalry units to raid enemy resource gatherers or lightly defended structures, then retreat before reinforcements arrive.
Siege Warfare: To take down fortified U.S. Army bases, you'll need siege units. Some Native American tribes offer unique siege units, or you can rely on massed ranged units to wear down defenses.
Destroying Objectives: The primary objective will be to destroy specific U.S. Army buildings or defeat their commanding officers. Focus your attacks on these key targets once you've weakened their defenses.