Worked out · AoE3: DE 100.19.18309
Strongest starts
No. 1: Japanese (start worth 1,750), then Aztecs (1,680) and Indians (1,550). Every civilization's start valued in resources: crates and starting resources at face value, units at their train cost.
| # | Name | Start worth | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Japanese | 1,750 | 17 starting units, 8 crates |
| 2 |  Aztecs | 1,680 | 15 starting units, 7 crates |
| 3 |  Indians | 1,550 | 14 starting units, 6 crates |
| 4 |  Chinese | 1,530 | 14 starting units, 6 crates |
| 5 |  Inca | 1,450 | 14 starting units, 8 crates |
| 6 |  Mexicans | 1,450 | 15 starting units, 8 crates |
| 7 |  Maltese | 1,400 | 14 starting units, 7 crates |
| 8 |  Poles | 1,400 | 13 starting units, 6 crates |
| 9 |  Italians | 1,370 | 13 starting units, 8 crates |
| 10 |  Dutch | 1,350 | 14 starting units, 6 crates |
| 11 |  Russians | 1,300 | 13 starting units, 7 crates |
| 12 |  Lakota | 1,300 | 12 starting units, 6 crates |
| 13 |  United States | 1,300 | 14 starting units, 6 crates |
| 14 |  French | 1,290 | 12 starting units, 5 crates |
| 15 |  Spanish | 1,280 | 13 starting units, 5 crates |
| 16 |  Portuguese | 1,250 | 13 starting units, 5 crates |
| 17 |  British | 1,200 | 13 starting units, 6 crates |
| 18 |  Germans | 1,200 | 9 starting units, 5 crates |
| 19 |  Ethiopians | 1,200 | 11 starting units, 4 crates |
| 20 |  Hausa | 1,200 | 11 starting units, 4 crates |
| 21 |  Ottomans | 1,150 | 12 starting units, 5 crates |
| 22 |  Swedes | 1,150 | 12 starting units, 5 crates |
| 23 |  Danes | 1,100 | 12 starting units, 5 crates |
| 24 |  Haudenosaunee | 1,100 | 13 starting units, 6 crates |
How this is worked out
Start worth = starting food + wood + coin + every crate at what it holds + every other starting unit at its train cost.
Assumptions: The Explorer and other heroes count at their train cost, which is usually 0. Civilization bonuses are not valued.