Game Introduction: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Overview

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (often abbreviated as AoE2:DE) is the definitive remaster of the classic real-time strategy (RTS) game originally released in 1999. Developed by Forgotten Empires and published by Xbox Game Studios (formerly Microsoft Studios), this edition celebrates over two decades of one of the most beloved RTS titles ever created. It launched on November 14, 2019 for Windows PC, and later arrived on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and modern consoles on January 30, 2023, with full cross-play support. The game is also available on Steam, the Microsoft Store, and Xbox Game Pass (PC and console).

Genre & Core Appeal

At its heart, AoE2:DE is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that blends resource management, base building, military tactics, and historical campaigns. Its core appeal lies in its deep strategic depth, balanced civilizations, and unmatched longevity. The game is often described as "easy to learn, hard to master," offering a gentle learning curve for newcomers while providing endless complexity for veterans. The Definitive Edition enhances this formula with 4K Ultra HD graphics, a fully remastered soundtrack, new content, and quality-of-life improvements like the modern UI, improved AI, and the ability to pause and issue commands in single-player.

Developer & Publisher

• Developer: Forgotten Empires (the team behind the original Forgotten Empires expansion) in collaboration with Tantalus Media (console port) and Wicked Witch (additional support).


• Publisher: Xbox Game Studios (Microsoft).

Release Timeline & Platforms

Story & Setting

The game spans over 1,000 years of medieval history, from the fall of the Western Roman Empire (c. 400 AD) through the early Renaissance (c. 1500 AD). Unlike linear story-driven games, AoE2:DE presents history through campaigns that follow specific leaders, empires, and events. The base game includes campaigns such as "William Wallace" (tutorial), "Joan of Arc", "Saladin", "Genghis Khan", "Barbarossa", and more. The Definitive Edition adds several new campaigns (like "The Last Khans" and "Lords of the West"), bringing the total to over 30 historically inspired storylines. Each campaign is a series of linked scenarios where players must achieve objectives (e.g., conquer territories, protect a hero, or gather resources) while adhering to historical context, though gameplay liberties are taken for fun.

Main Characters

Rather than a single protagonist, the game features a roster of historical figures who appear as hero units or campaign protagonists. Notable characters include:

• Joan of Arc – French peasant girl turned military leader.


• Saladin – Kurdish sultan and Muslim commander during the Crusades.


• Genghis Khan – Founder of the Mongol Empire.


• William Wallace – Scottish knight and rebel leader.


• El Cid (Rodrigo Díaz) – Castilian nobleman and military leader.


• Attila the Hun – Leader of the Huns (added in later expansions).


• Various unique units like the Teutonic Knight, Longbowman, and Mangudai represent distinct civilizations.




Game Modes


AoE2:DE offers a wealth of modes for both solo and multiplayer play:


• Campaigns: Single-player story-driven scenarios (over 30 campaigns).


• Skirmish: Custom matches against AI opponents with full map and civilization selection.


• Random Map: Classic competitive mode where players start with a Town Center and three villagers on a procedurally generated map.


• Multiplayer: Online matches with up to 8 players via dedicated servers, including ranked and unranked lobbies, team games, and game modes like Deathmatch, Regicide, King of the Hill, and Capture the Relic.


• The Art of War: A set of skill-based challenge missions covering key RTS mechanics (e.g., fast Castle Age, boom, rush defense).


• Historical Battles: Standalone scenarios based on famous historical engagements (included with DLCs).


• Scenario Editor: A powerful tool to create custom maps, campaigns, and mods, with extensive community sharing on the Steam Workshop.


• New Player Experience: The "William Wallace" tutorial campaign, plus AI difficulty levels ranging from "Easiest" to "Extreme".




Online & Offline Support



• Online: Full multiplayer suite with cross-play between Steam, Microsoft Store, and Xbox consoles. Ranked matchmaking, custom lobbies, and a dedicated spectator mode are all supported. Requires an internet connection for online features (for both PC and console). A Xbox Game Pass Core (Xbox Live Gold) subscription is not required for multiplayer on PC (free), but is needed on Xbox consoles.


• Offline: All single-player content (campaigns, skirmish vs. AI, scenario editor) can be played completely offline once the game is installed. The game does not require an always-on connection for single-player. However, initial installation and updates require internet access.

DLC & Expansions Overview

The Definitive Edition comes with all previously released expansions integrated into the base game (up to the African Kingdoms and Rise of the Rajas). Subsequent DLCs have been released post-launch, adding new civilizations and campaigns:

All DLCs are optional and not required for multiplayer matchmaking (though owning them grants access to their civilizations in ranked play). The base game already includes 35 civilizations; with all DLCs, the total reaches 47 civilizations (including the 16 added by Return of Rome).

What Makes This Game Unique?

• Enduring Legacy: Originally released in 1999, AoE2 remains one of the most played RTS games on Steam, with a thriving competitive scene and active community over two decades later.


• Exceptional Balance: Despite its many civilizations, the game is remarkably well-balanced, with each civ having distinct strengths and weaknesses, allowing for diverse strategies.


• Unique Civilization Design: Each of the 47 civilizations has a unique technology tree, unique units, and unique bonuses (e.g., the Vikings’ free Wheelbarrow and Hand Cart, the Mongols’ faster hunting). This variety ensures no two games feel the same.


• Historical Authenticity: While not a simulator, the game respects historical contexts—campaigns follow real events, and each civilization’s architecture and units reflect their historical counterparts.


• Robust Modding and Community: The Scenario Editor and Steam Workshop support custom campaigns, mods, and data mods, leading to an endless supply of new content. Notable community projects include fan-created campaigns, AI improvements, and even total conversions.


• Quality-of-Life Innovations: The Definitive Edition introduced features like the "Idle Villager" button, smart queuing for units, the ability to set farms to auto-seed, and field-of-view support for ultra-wide monitors—all while maintaining the classic gameplay.


• Cross-Platform Play: The addition of console support with cross-play between PC and Xbox ensures players can compete regardless of platform, while the UI adapts seamlessly to controllers and keyboard/mouse.




Target Audience


AoE2:DE appeals to:

• Nostalgic veterans who grew up with the original game.


• RTS newcomers seeking a deep but accessible strategy game.


• History enthusiasts who enjoy recreating medieval battles.


• Competitive players looking for a balanced, skill-based ranked ladder.


• Casual gamers who want to build empires, manage resources, and enjoy a relaxing campaign.


• Modders and creative types who relish the scenario editor and community sharing.

Conclusion

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is more than just a remaster—it's the definitive version of a timeless classic. With its vast historical campaigns, unmatched civilization diversity, and thriving multiplayer community, it stands as a pillar of the RTS genre. Whether you command the armies of Saladin, build a commercial empire as the Byzantines, or engage in competitive ranked play, this game offers endless depth and replayability. Its success lies in preserving the core experience while modernizing everything around it, making it accessible to new players and deeply rewarding for veterans.

Getting Started with Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Welcome, new commander! This guide is your step-by-step companion for the first hour of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (AoE2:DE). You'll learn how to choose a civilization, survive your first few minutes, avoid classic blunders, and build a strong foundation for victory. Let's turn your Town Center into an empire.

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First Hour Walkthrough

0–5 Minutes: The Dark Age Begins

1. Select a civilization. For a first game, choose Byzantines (defensive bonuses), Britons (strong archers), or Franks (powerful cavalry). These are beginner-friendly with forgiving playstyles.
2. Start a Skirmish vs. AI on the easiest difficulty ("Standard" or "Extreme"). Pick a map like Arabia (open land) or Black Forest (chokepoints). Set game speed to Normal.
3. Your starting units: 3 Villagers, a Town Center, a Scout Cavalry (or Scout if you see a horse icon), and sometimes a Militia.
4. Immediately order all 3 Villagers to gather food. Select them and right-click on a herd of sheep (the four-legged animals near your Town Center) or berries (bush clusters). Do not send them to wood or gold yet.

5–10 Minutes: Forward Scout & Build Order

5. Order your Scout to explore. Scout in a spiral around your Town Center, looking for: 4 additional sheep, 2 wild boar (big pig-like animals), 2 deer groups, and the nearest gold and stone piles. Also check for enemy Town Center (avoid going too far).
6. Build 2 Houses immediately. Your Town Center produces Villagers, and you need population space. Select 2 Villagers, right-click the Build House icon (hammer), and place them near your Town Center but not blocking key paths.
7. Queue Villagers at Town Center. Keep producing Villagers continuously until you have about 20–22 total. The first Villager you produce should gather food (sheep/berries).

10–20 Minutes: Economy & Loom

8. First Villagers assignment:
- 6-7 on food (sheep → berries → boar)
- 3-4 on wood (chop trees near Town Center)
- Balance others: after food and wood, send 1-2 to gold (only if you plan archers)
9. Research Loom (Town Center upgrade) when you have 50 gold. This protects Villagers from wolves and early enemy attacks. Critical for beginners.
10. Transition to boar hunting. When your sheep run out, lure a boar by shooting an arrow at it and retreating to your Town Center. Your Villagers will kill it safely under the TC's fire. Use 4-5 Villagers to gather from boar; it's faster than berries.

20–30 Minutes: Reaching Feudal Age

11. Build a Mill near berries if you haven't, to drop off food efficiently. Don't build too far from Town Center.
12. When you have 500 food (plus your villager count), click the Feudal Age button in the Town Center. This initiates a 130-second upgrade. Do not idle your Town Center or villagers during this time; keep them working.
13. Build 2 more Houses as your population cap increases. You'll need 20-25 population to fight early.
14. Distribute new Villagers: by now you should have ~15-18 villagers. 10 on food (sheep, boar, maybe farms), 4 on wood, 2 on gold, rest on wood or stone depending on plan.

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Character Creation (Civilization Selection)

AoE2:DE doesn't have a "character" but your civilization is your identity. Each has unique bonuses, units, and tech trees. For your first game, pick one of these:

Avoid civilizations like Huns (need unique playstyle) or Mayans (require advanced resource balance) for now.

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Controls on All Platforms

PC (Keyboard & Mouse)

• Left-click select unit; drag-select multiple units; double-click select all of same type on screen.


• Right-click move, attack, gather, or build.


• Hotkeys (customizable):

- `H` – Jump to Town Center
- `A` – Town Center (queue Villager)
- `Q` – Build House
- `W` – Build Mill
- `E` – Build Barracks
- `Space` – Switch between idle villagers/go to attack
- `Ctrl+G` – Toggle grid view for buildings

• Minimap: Left-click to move camera; right-click to issue attack move (if selected).




Xbox (Controller)



• Left stick move camera; Right stick rotate or select.


• A button confirm/select; B cancel/back.


• Y – Town Center quick select


• X – Cycle idle villagers


• LB/LT – Change selection group; RB/RT – Access command menu.


• D-pad up – Open military queue; D-pad down – Open economy queue.


• Menu button – Game options/tech tree.


> Tip: On Xbox, use the "Quick Select" radial menu (hold LB) for fast building commands.

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UI Overview



When you start a match, you'll see:


• Top-left: Resource count bar (Food, Wood, Gold, Stone) – place cursor over each to see how many villagers are gathering.


• Top-center:| Game time, score, population count (under the minimap).


• Bottom-center:| Currently selected units/commands. Shows health, attack, commands.


• Bottom-right:| Minimap – shows terrain, resources, enemies (if revealed).


• Left edge:| Tech Tree button (tree icon) – view unit upgrades and building prerequisites.


• Right of minimap:| Diplomacy, idle villager count, and queue buttons.


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Essential Early Objectives



Your first 15 minutes should accomplish these:
1. Never stop Villager production – keep the Town Center busy from start to Feudal Age.
2. Never let food stockpile fall to zero; you need constant food for villagers and upgrades.
3. Build 2 Houses before population cap (starting pop is 5; TC provides +5 each age).
4. Scout your immediate territory – find sheep, boar, gold, stone, and enemy base (if close).
5. Research Loom before sending Villagers to dangerous resources (like gold stone that is far from TC).
6. Click Feudal Age when you have 500 food (around 20-22 villagers).
7. Build a Barracks (costs 100 wood) during the Feudal upgrade – this lets you train soldiers.

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What to Do First and What to Avoid





Do This First (Checklist for Minute 1-5)



• [ ] Select all 3 starting villagers, send them to nearest sheep.


• [ ] Select Scout, start spiraling outward looking for sheep, boar, deer, gold, stone.


• [ ] Queue 2 Houses (build one, then immediately the second).


• [ ] Start producing Villagers from Town Center (click the villager button).


• [ ] When first Villager finishes, send him to gather wood (chop nearby tree).




What to Avoid



• Don't click Feudal Age too early – need stable economy first (15+ villagers).


• Don't build multiple buildings without villagers – waste of population and resources.


• Don't ignore Loom – losing a villager to a wolf or boar sets you back.


• Don't be idle – if you don't know what to do, keep gathering resources or building houses.


• Don't send villagers to gold/stone early – they're useless until you tech up.


• Don't forget walls – in later ages, stone walls protect your economy; but in early game, houses can form a barrier.


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Early Resource Priorities



In the first 15 minutes:
1. Food – absolute priority. You need it for villagers, Feudal Age, and units. Gather from sheep → boar → berries → farms (once Feudal).
2. Wood – second priority. Houses, mills, barracks, and farms all need wood. Aim for 4-6 woodcutters by the time you click Feudal.
3. Gold – minor at start. Only for Loom (50 gold) and early archers (if Britons). Get it after you have ~10-12 villagers on food/wood.
4. Stone – low priority in Dark Age. Only for castles later. Ignore until Castle Age.

Ratio: For a standard start, aim for 7 food : 4 wood : 1 gold before Feudal (adjusted as you go).

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Common Beginner Mistakes



1. Idle Town Center – not constantly producing villagers. Every second you're not training a villager, you lose potential economy.
2. Not scouting enough – you stumble into enemy or miss key resources (like boar). Scout continuously.
3. Gathering wrong resources – e.g., sending all villagers to wood while food is low. Balance is key.
4. Building too many units early – you need economy before military. In Dark Age, only build a few scouts or militia if you must.
5. Forgetting to build houses – population cap stops everything. Keep an eye on the population number.
6. Not using control groups – Ctrl+1 through 9 for grouping units. Makes micro much easier.
7. Panicking under attack – often beginners waste villagers or run them into danger. Practice sending villagers to TC when raided.

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Day-One Checklist



Before you start your first real game, run through this checklist:


• [ ] Complete the Art of War tutorials (main menu > Art of War). Focus on "Early Economy" and "Early Military".


• [ ] Play one Skirmish vs. AI on easiest difficulty, map Arabia (or Black Forest).


• [ ] Practice the boar lure: send one villager to shoot a boar, then run back to TC while villagers kill it.


• [ ] Customize your hotkeys (main menu > Settings > Hotkeys) if PC – use a preset like "Grid" for simplicity.


• [ ] Learn the build order for your civilization: e.g., for Franks: 6 on sheep, 3 on wood, 2 on boar, then Loom, then Feudal.


• [ ] Watch the first 5 minutes of a beginner build order video (search YouTube).


• [ ] Play until you can reach Feudal Age in under 12 minutes with no idle TC.


• [ ] Once comfortable, try a vs. AI 1v1 on Standard difficulty.

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You're now equipped to survive the first hour of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Remember: practice economy, scout always, and never stop producing villagers. Your empire awaits!

Core Gameplay in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Overview of the Gameplay Loop

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a real-time strategy (RTS) game centered on building a civilization from a handful of villagers to a mighty empire. The core loop is cyclical: gather resources → build structures → train military units → research technologies → attack or defend → expand or trade. Victory is achieved by destroying all enemy buildings (Conquest), building and defending a Wonder (Wonder victory), collecting all Relics on the map (Relic victory), or by controlling the majority of the map's starting population (in some King of the Hill variants). The game is divided into four Ages (Dark, Feudal, Castle, Imperial) that gate unit, building, and technology access. Players must advance through these Ages by spending resources at the Town Center.

Core Systems Explained

• Combat/Interaction: Units have rock-paper-scissors interactions: Spearmen beat cavalry, Skirmishers beat archers, Archers beat infantry, etc. Siege units deal massive damage to buildings but are fragile. Micro (manual control) improves unit efficiency—e.g., dodging arrows with archers, flanking with cavalry.


• Progression (Ages): Advancing an Age costs food and gold (Dark→Feudal: 500F, 0G; Feudal→Castle: 800F, 200G; Castle→Imperial: 1000F, 800G). Each Age unlocks new buildings, units, and upgrades.


• Exploration: Scouts (initial cavalry or scout line) reveal the map. Fog of war hides enemy activity; line of sight (LOS) from units and buildings reveals. Good scouting finds resources, enemy base, and relics.


• Economy: Resources are Wood (for buildings and archers), Food (for villagers and infantry), Gold (for advanced units and techs), Stone (for defensive buildings and castles). Collect via villagers (chopping, farming, mining) or trade (Trade Carts in Castle+). Eco upgrades (e.g., Horse Collar, Bow Saw) improve gather rates.


• Quests/Missions: The single-player campaigns (e.g., William Wallace, Joan of Arc) have scripted scenarios with objectives. In multiplayer skirmish, there are no quests—only the win condition.


• Character/Build Growth: Civ-specific bonuses and tech trees define strengths. For example, Franks have stronger cavalry; Britons have longer-range archers. Players choose a "build order" (e.g., Fast Castle, Drush-FC, Archer rush) that dictates early game actions.


• Endgame Structure: Once Imperial Age is reached, post-imperial gameplay focuses on trade (gold generation), massing elite units (e.g., Paladins, Arbalests, Siege Onagers), and map control. Relic and Wonder timers add pressure.




Gameplay by Tiers





Early Game (Dark Age, ~0–12 minutes)



• Objective: Build economy, scout surroundings, choose a build order, and advance to Feudal Age.


• Economy: Start with 3 villagers. Immediately queue more, send to sheep, then wood, then berries/boar. Build two houses (avoid pop cap). Lure boar with scout under Town Center. Maintain constant villager production (ideal: 22–24 villagers before advancing).


• Exploration: Scout with initial cavalry (or scout for Mongols). Find sheep, boar, deer, gold/stone patches, and enemy location. Build a Feudal Age building (Blacksmith, Market, etc.) when 500 food is ready.


• Combat: Minimal. If enemy drushes (Dark Age militia rush), wall with houses/palisades. Otherwise, focus on economy.


• Progression: Click Feudal Age at ~500 food. While advancing, assign villagers to wood (for buildings) and farms (for future food).


• Example Build Order: "23-Pop Drush" = train 3 militia before advancing, harass enemy economy, then Fast Castle or archer rush.




Mid Game (Feudal & Early Castle Age, ~12–25 minutes)



• Objective: Build a military, secure map control, wall key areas, advance to Castle Age.


• Economy: By Feudal, have 2–3 lumberjacks, 1–2 miners (gold), and farms (5–10). Build a Blacksmith or Market to advance to Castle. For Castle Age, save 800 food, 200 gold. Use market to buy/sell resources if needed.


• Combat: Feudal rushes: archers (Britons, Mayans), scouts (Franks, Huns), spearmen (defense vs scouts). Use towers to pressure stone. Build a "range" or "stable" to produce units. Micro archers to retreat from spearmen; use scouts to raid exposed villagers.


• Exploration: Send scout to enemy base to spot military buildings and gold/stone piles. Wall incomplete gaps with houses or palisades.


• Progression: Click Castle Age. Aim for a "fast Castle" timing (~16 minutes). Once in Castle, drop two Town Centers for booming (mass villagers) or a castle with unique unit.


• Example: Fast Castle into Knights + Crossbow (Spanish, Franks). Build a market to buy food for Castle, then create knights to raid.




Late Game (Castle & Early Imperial, ~25–40 minutes)



• Objective: Max out economy (100+ villagers), mass elite military, upgrade to Imperial Age, build trade.


• Economy: 8–10 lumberjacks, 6+ gold miners, 30+ farmers, 2–3 stone miners (for castles). Start trade on maps with allies (Trade Carts generate gold). Relics (each gives gold per minute).


• Combat: Use unique units (e.g., Longbowmen, Paladins, Jaguar Warriors). Add siege: battering rams (vs buildings), mango/onager (vs clumped units). Use Castles as defensive anchors. Upgrade armor (Chain Mail, Plate Barding) and attack (Bodkin Arrow, Chemistry).


• Exploration: Use light cavalry or scouts to scout enemy army composition. Monitor trade routes.


• Progression: Click Imperial Age when you have 1000 food, 800 gold. While aging up, build a University (for ballistics, siege upgrades) and extra military buildings.


• Endgame Structure: If post-Imperial: build Wonders (if enabling Wonder victory), collect all Relics, or destroy enemy buildings. Trebuchets (Imperial Age unique siege) are key for castle breaking.


• Example: Britons in Imperial: mass Arbalests (cheap range upgrade), Siege Onagers, Halberdiers (trash). Buy food from market to sustain production.




Endgame (Post-Imperial, ~40+ minutes)



• Objective: Secure the win condition: either destroy all enemy buildings, hold the Wonder for 200 years (game time), or control Relics (all 5) for 200 years.


• Economy: Continuous trade (25+ trade carts on a long route). Keep farming (if no food) or rely on markets. Villager count may drop due to raiding—rebuild.


• Combat: Full tech tree: all upgrades, elite unique units, bombard cannons (anti-siege), trebuchets. Use "trash units" (Halberdier, Skirmisher, Hussar) to conserve gold. Gold units (Paladin, Heavy Cavalry Archer) are finishers.


• Exploration & control: Use Caravels or Scouts to patrol. Build forward bases (Castles, towers) to secure relics or deny enemy gold.


• Quests/Missions: None; only the win condition matters. Campaigns have scripted events but not in multiplayer.


• Example: In a 4v4 Black Forest game, late game: trade heavily (trade carts between bases), wall off chokepoints, mass Siege Onagers and Paladins, send Hussar raids to snipe enemy trade.

Key Progression Examples

Final Notes

Mastering the core gameplay requires efficient build orders, constant unit production (no idle time), and adaptation to enemy strategy. Use the in-game tech tree (F12) for every civilization. Practice multitasking by economy while raiding. The best players maintain constant villager production until 120+ villagers, then switch to pure military.

Game Tips for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Economy & Resource Management

#### 1. Never Idle Your Town Center

• Why it works: The Town Center (TC) is your primary villager production building. Every second it’s not training a villager is lost potential. With 200 food per villager, a single idle minute equals ~3 villagers you could have had.


• When to use: From the very first second of the game until you’re ready to go to Imperial Age and have max population (200). Keep a constant queue of villagers, even if you need to shift resources.


• Advanced optimization: Use the “select all town centers” hotkey (default: `.`) and shift-click the villager button to queue 5+. This keeps TC busy even during fights.


#### 2. Prioritize Food Early

• Why it works: Food is the lifeblood of early game – it creates villagers (200 food), scouts (80 food), and militia. You need a strong food eco to advance to Feudal Age (500 food) and Castle Age (800 food).


• When to use: First 5 villagers on sheep/berries/boar. Don’t skimp – you can always mill berries or hunt deer later.


• Tip: Lure boars with a scout or villager (hit once, run to TC under fire). Boar meat decays slower than sheep. Kill deer with a single scout hit to avoid travel time.


#### 3. Build a Second Mill Later, Not at Once

• Why it works: Starting with one mill for berries is efficient. Adding a second mill later (when you have 10+ gatherers on berries) reduces walking distance. But early, building two mills wastes wood (100 wood each) you need for barracks/archery ranges.


• When to use: After you’ve reached Feudal Age and have extra wood from lumberjacks. Place it near a second berry patch or deer carcasses.


#### 4. Gold and Stone – Start Mining Later

• Why it works: Gold is primarily for units (archers, knights) and stone for defensive buildings. In Dark Age, you only need gold for the Feudal Age advance (200 gold) and maybe a market. Stone is only for Feudal towers or Castle Age castles.


• When to use: Assign 1-2 villagers to gold after clicking Feudal Age. For stone, typically after reaching Castle Age (if building a castle). Early stone mining can delay your economy.


#### 5. Use Market Strategically

• Why it works: The market allows buying/selling resources at fluctuating prices. Selling 100 wood gives ~59 gold initially, but buying back costs more. It can bail you out if you miss a resource for a critical upgrade (e.g., food for Castle Age).


• When to use: In emergencies (e.g., need 50 food for a villager and sheep are gone). Advanced players use market to “pump” economy: sell excess wood for gold to afford Castle Age faster, then buy wood to build production buildings.


• Analysis: The market depreciates with each trade. Avoid heavy reliance; best used for a one-time boost.




Exploration & Scouting



#### 6. Scout Immediately, Constantly

• Why it works: Map knowledge dictates your entire strategy – finding enemy base, resources, hills, and choke points. The starting scout (or a scout if you have one) reveals critical info.


• When to use: First command: select scout and explore around your TC in a concentric circle. Then send scout toward likely enemy location (opposite corner on Arabia). Keep moving – never stop scouting until you find them.


• Advanced: Use a scout to follow enemy villagers or find their stone/gold. Also scout for deer patches to lure or hunt.


#### 7. Lure the Boar Early

• Why it works: A boar provides 340 food (same as a sheep) but decays slower. Luring it under TC saves villager walk time (no need to build a mill).


• When to use: After starting with 4-5 villagers on sheep, lure the closest boar (usually visible on mini-map by a small dark spot). Use scout or a villager: hit the boar once, run toward TC, and as it chases, shoot it with villager fire under TC. Ideally do this before first boar runs out.


• Why it works (advanced): Luring two boars early gives a huge food boost for Feudal advance. The timing is tight – do it before 4:30 game time.


#### 8. Check the Mini-Map Often

• Why it works: The mini-map shows enemy movement (flashing red), resource icons, and potential attack paths. A quick glance can save your base from a rush.


• When to use: Every 10-15 seconds. Especially when you’re busy with economy – you’ll see enemy scouts rushing in.


#### 9. Use Patrol to Scout Defensively

• Why it works: Patrol (default: `Z`) creates a moving unit path. Use a single scout or a light cavalry to patrol between your base and likely enemy approach. If the enemy comes, you get early warning.


• When to use: After Feudal Age, especially if you suspect an archer or scout rush. Patrol near your gold or wood line.




Build Orders & Timing



#### 10. Follow a Standard Dark Age Build Order (22-Pop Scouts)

• Why it works: Build orders are optimized sequences to reach Feudal Age with a strong economy. The 22-pop scouts build (6 on sheep, 4 on wood, then boar, then berries, etc.) produces a stable Feudal with 200 food to spare for two stables.


• When to use: In open maps like Arabia, as beginner. It’s forgiving and sets you up for scout rush.


• Step-by-step:

1. First 6 villagers on sheep (under TC).
2. Next 3-4 on wood (build lumber camp near trees).
3. Lure boar with 7th villager.
4. Send gathered sheep to TC; build a mill on berries with 4 villagers.
5. After boar, send villagers to second boar or deer.
6. When you have 22-24 population (including scout), click Feudal Age.

#### 11. Know Your Feudal Age Time Target

• Why it works: Feudal Age time (when you click up) should be around 9:00-9:30 for a fast 22-pop build; 10:30-11:00 for a slower boom. Compare with opponents – if their Feudal is earlier than you, they may rush.


• When to use: Check your game clock. If you’re late, consider walling or building defensive towers.


#### 12. Fast Castle (FC) Strategy – When and Why

• Why it works: Fast Castle aims to get to Castle Age by 16:00-17:00 without a military in Feudal. This gives early access to knights, crossbows, and trebuchets. It’s powerful on closed maps (Arena, Black Forest).


• When to use: On defensible maps with walls. You need at least 24-26 villagers and 800 food, 200 gold. Use market if needed.


• Risk: You are vulnerable to early Feudal attacks (drush, scouts). If you attempt FC without scouting, you may die.




Combat & Micro



#### 13. Use the “Stop” Command to Patrol Ranged Units

• Why it works: Ranged units like archers can kite melee enemies by stopping, firing, then moving. The “Stop” hotkey (default: `S`) halts movement instantly, allowing instant shot.


• When to use: When microing archers vs scouts. Click move away, then press `S` to fire, then move again. This maximizes damage while taking minimal hits.


#### 14. Split Your Units When Facing Area Damage

• Why it works: Units clumped together take full damage from mangonels, scorpions, or bombard cannons. Spreading them reduces splash damage.


• When to use: When you see enemy onagers or mangonels. Select all military, then right-click spread formation (or use `F` for flank) and manually spread by clicking across a line.


#### 15. Flanking with Cavalry

• Why it works: Cavalry (knights, light cavalry) are fast and can circle around enemy formations to hit archers or siege from behind. Archers are weak in melee.


• When to use: In a ranged vs ranged fight, send cavalry around the side while your archers engage frontally. The cavalry wrecks enemy archers.


• Analysis: Prefer attacking from the rear or sides to avoid enemy pikes/spearmen.


#### 16. Use Spearmen Against Cavalry, but Don’t Overspend

• Why it works: Spearmen cost 35 food / 25 wood and counter cavalry well (bonus damage). But they are slow and weak against archers. Build only enough to counter.


• When to use: If enemy spams scouts or knights, add a barracks and make 3-4 spearmen. Don’t mass them as they become useless in late game.


#### 17. Protect Your Siege Weapons

• Why it works: Siege (mangonels, trebuchets) are fragile and expensive. A few knight hits can destroy them. Always have melee units nearby to intercept.


• When to use: When pushing with siege. Arrange your army: melee in front, siege behind, archers to side. If enemy tries to snipe siege, use patrol to guard.


#### 18. Use “Attack Ground” to Deny TCs

• Why it works: Trebuchets and bombard cannons can attack ground to damage buildings even if you don’t have vision. Use it to target enemy Town Centers from a safe distance.


• When to use: Sieging an enemy base with a castle or TC. Deploy trebuchet in packed mode near a group of military, then left-click the enemy TC and press `T` to unpack, then right-click the TC. For deny, use onagers to attack ground where villagers are gathering (like a wood line).




Defense & Walling



#### 19. Wall Off Your Base Early

• Why it works: A single layer of palisade walls around your eco (wood line, gold, stone) buys time against early rushes. Even a partial wall can force enemy to go around, giving you warning.


• When to use: In open maps, start walling around minute 8-10 (Feudal Age). Use houses as part of walls – they have high HP and can be repaired.


• Advanced: Wall only the vulnerable sides – leave your TC as a chokepoint. Use gates to allow your villagers to exit for resources.


#### 20. Build a “Watchtower” at Gold/Stone if Rushed

• Why it works: Towers can shoot arrows at enemy units, forcing them to retreat. They also provide line of sight. A tower near your gold mine can defend it from scout rushes.


• When to use: If you see enemy scouts or archers approaching your resources. Build a tower (100 stone) with 5-6 villagers to finish quickly. But don’t over-commit stone – you need a castle later.


#### 21. Use Villagers to Repair Buildings During Siege

• Why it works: Repairs keep walls and towers alive longer. Two villagers can keep a palisade wall standing against many archers. 5-6 villagers can keep a castle operational under trebuchet fire.


• When to use: When enemy is focusing a building. Select villagers and right-click the damaged building (they auto-repair if resources available). Have stone/gold on hand.




Advanced Tips & Optimization



#### 22. Hotkey Everything

• Why it works: Hotkeys reduce mouse movement and split-second decisions. The default ones: H (select TC), `.` (select all TCs), A (Archery Range), B (blacksmith), etc. Customize to your preference.


• Beginner tip: Start with just `H` + villager `A` to make villagers, and `Ctrl+1` for army control groups. Gradually add more.


#### 23. Use Control Groups for Army & Production

• Why it works: Control groups (Ctrl+1-9) let you instantly select units. For example, bind all knights to 1, archers to 2, siege to 3. For production, you can bind a stable to 4 and press `4` then `S` to produce scout continuously.


• When to use: Always. Rebind stables, archery ranges, etc. to numbers 4-6 for quick unit production.


#### 24. The “Steppe Lancer” Civ-Specific Tip

• Why it works: Cumans, Tatars, and Mongols have Steppe Lancers – fast, ranged cavalry that can hit-run without taking return damage if microed well. Use them to harass enemy economy.


• When to use: In Castle Age if you have a strong food economy. Their attack animation is short – after hitting, move immediately to avoid melee retaliation.


#### 25. Understand Bonus Damage and Armor Classes

• Why it works: Every unit has an armor class (e.g., cavalry, infantry, building, archer). Attack bonuses multiply against specific classes. E.g., spearmen have +15 vs cavalry, so 6 attack spearmen deal 21 damage to a knight with 3 pierce armor.


• When to use: Counter enemy composition. If opponent makes cavalry, produce spears. If they switch to archers, then add skirmishers. Knowing this makes countering efficient.


#### 26. Use Relics – Grab Them Early

• Why it works: Each relic in a monastery generates 1 gold per minute, passively. Five relics = 5 gold/min – a free gold mine. Relics also provide healing and conversion.


• When to use: Immediately after reaching Castle Age, build a monastery and send a monk (or scout) to pick up relics around the map. Contest them – they are often in neutral areas.


#### 27. The “Trash” Units – When to Use Them

• Why it works: Trash units (skirmishers, spearmen, light cavalry) cost no gold, only food and wood. In late game when gold runs out, they become the only sustainable military.


• When to use: After 40+ minutes in Imperial Age when the map is depleted. Transition from knights/arbalests to hussars and halberdiers. Always have at least one barracks, stable, and archery range pumping trash.


#### 28. Use Attack Move (A+Click) to Avoid Overkill

• Why it works: Attack move commands units to attack the nearest enemy, not the one you clicked. This prevents all units attacking the same target (overkill).


• When to use: When engaging multiple enemies. Select army, press `A`, then left-click on the ground near enemy. Units auto-target nearby foes.


#### 29. Minimize Fatigue – Use Patrol for Defenders

• Why it works: Units on patrol will automatically fight enemies within their line of sight. You don’t need to manually click each engagement.


• When to use: At your wood line or gold mine, patrol a few spearmen or a knight. If enemy raids, they engage immediately without your attention.


#### 30. Learn From Your Losses – Record & Review

• Why it works: Age of Empires II: DE has a built-in replay system. Watching your game from the enemy’s perspective shows their build order, scouting, and decision-making.


• When to use: After each loss (or win) – especially when you’re not sure why you lost. Look for idle TC time, ineffective unit composition, or missed scout information.




Civilization-Specific Tips (Selected)



#### 31. Byzantines: Cheap Counter Units

• Why it works: Byzantines get 25% cheaper counter units (skirmishers, spearmen, camels). This makes them excellent in trash wars.


• When to use: When opponent uses cavalry or archers, mass skirmishers and spearmen. You can win late-game cost-effectively.


#### 32. Franks: Powerful Knights

• Why it works: Franks have +20% HP on cavalry (knights, paladins). Their knights survive longer and trade well.


• When to use: Spam knights in Castle Age. Combine with a few crossbows or scorpions to handle pikemen.


#### 33. Mongols: Hunt Faster

• Why it works: Mongols’ hunting bonus (2x faster) means deer and boar are gathered almost instantly. This gives a massive food lead early.


• When to use: Immediately lure boars and hunt deer. You can go up to Feudal Age with 25 villagers faster than other civs.


#### 34. Mayans: Extended Resources

• Why it works: Mayans’ resource bonus (+15% food/gold from farms and mines) means you need fewer farms and miners. Their Eagle Warriors are also fast and strong.


• When to use: In early Castle Age, focus on food to produce Eagles and archers. Transition to plumed archers in Imperial.




Final Beginner Advice



• Single-player first: Practice against AI on easy/medium to learn build orders without pressure.


• Watch replays of pros: Look at how they manage eco and micro simultaneously.


• Don’t stop producing villagers: Until you hit 200 pop or are full-up, always train villagers. One idle TC for 1 minute costs ~3 villagers; over 10 minutes that’s 30 lost villagers.


• Adapt: No single strategy works every game. If you see enemy wall up, skip rush and boom. If you see they are booming, rush them.

Game tips are endless – focus on four pillars: economy, scouting, military composition, and multitasking. Master these, and you’ll climb the ranked ladder.

Game Settings Guide for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Configuring the right settings in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (AoE2:DE) can drastically improve your experience, whether you're playing a single-player campaign, a ranked multiplayer match, or a custom scenario. This guide covers every major settings category—Graphics, Audio, Controls, Accessibility, Language, Network, and Gameplay—with recommendations for different hardware levels and special attention points to avoid common pitfalls.

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Graphics Settings

Graphics settings affect visual fidelity and performance. AoE2:DE uses the Genie Engine (original) combined with modern enhancements like 4K support, dynamic lighting, and enhanced units. The game offers both low-level and high-level options.

1. Resolution and Display Mode

• Display Mode: Choose between Fullscreen, Windowed, and Borderless. Borderless is recommended for multitasking; Fullscreen gives slightly better performance.


• Resolution: Match your monitor's native resolution for best clarity. At 1080p or lower, consider lowering if you have a low-end GPU.


• Refresh Rate: Auto-detect or set to your monitor's max. Not crucial for an RTS, but smoother UI feels nicer.




2. Graphics Quality Presets



• Very Low: For integrated graphics or very old PCs. Disables almost all enhancements. Minimal visual feedback.


• Low: Good for stable 60 FPS on low-end hardware. Reduces shadow quality, unit details, and terrain textures.


• Medium: Balanced. Recommended for mid-range PCs (GTX 1050 / RX 560 level).


• High: Best for modern GPUs. Enables full unit shadows, dynamic lighting, and high-res textures.


• Ultra: For high-end systems (RTX series or equivalent) at 1440p or 4K. Introduces subtle effects like enhanced water reflections and unit shadows.

3. Advanced Graphics Options

These fine-tune performance. Change individually if presets are too aggressive.

Special Attention Point: The Vsync option is often left enabled by default, which can introduce input lag—detrimental for competitive play. Disable it unless you notice screen tearing. Also, Dynamic Lighting and Self Shadow are common performance killers; turn them off if you experience stuttering during battles.

4. Recommended Presets by Hardware

• Low-End (e.g., Intel HD Graphics, 4GB RAM)

- Preset: Very Low
- Custom: Vsync Off, Resolution 720p or lower, Texture Quality Very Low, Shadows Off, Water Low, Particles Off.

• Mid-Range (e.g., GTX 1050, 8GB RAM)

- Preset: Medium
- Custom: Shadows Low, Dynamic Lighting Off, Vsync Off. Target stable 60 FPS at 1080p.

• High-End (e.g., RTX 3060 Ti, 16GB RAM)

- Preset: High or Ultra
- Custom: Enable Dynamic Lighting and Self Shadow if FPS > 120. Vsync Off or use Fast Sync via GPU driver.

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Audio Settings



Audio affects immersion, unit response feedback, and even competitive awareness (e.g., hearing enemy army sounds).



1. Master Volume and Individual Sliders



• Master Volume: Overall sound level. Keep comfortable.


• Music: Background music. Many players lower or mute it during ranked games to focus on game sounds.


• Sound Effects: Essential for hearing attack alerts, resource gathering, and unit commands. Keep high.


• Ambient: Environmental sounds (birds, water). Minimal gameplay impact; can be reduced.


• UI Sounds: Menu clicks and button sounds. Personal preference.


• Voiceover: Unit responses (e.g., \"Yes, my lord\"). Disabling can reduce clutter, but some use it for recognition.




2. Audio Output Device



• Select your output device (speakers, headphones). Ensure correct sample rate if using external DAC.




3. Mute When Game is Minimized


Enable to avoid lingering sounds when alt-tabbing.



4. Special Attention Point


Sound Effects volume should not be too low; important audio cues like the enemy town bell or the sound of a mangonel shot can be missed. Also, if you use voice chat (e.g., Discord), lower game music to avoid interference.

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Controls Settings



Controls settings allow you to customize keyboard shortcuts, mouse behavior, and camera controls.



1. Keyboard Shortcuts (Hotkeys)



• Be sure to enable custom hotkeys; AoE2:DE includes a robust hotkey editor.


• Important hotkeys to customize:

- Q, W, E, A, S, D for building grids (e.g., Grid hotkeys).
- H: Go to Town Center
- B: Build menu
- Z, X, C, V for unit commands like Move, Stop, Attack.
- Ctrl+1...9 for control groups.
- ` (tilde) for idle villager. Rebinding to Space is common.

• Tip: Many top players use the \"TheViper\" hotkey setup; you can import it from the hotkey menu.




2. Mouse Settings



• Mouse Sensitivity: In-game slider for camera scrolling speed. Adjust so you can smoothly scroll across the map without overcorrecting.


• Middle Click Drag Scrolling: Enable to use middle mouse button for panning. Very smooth.


• Edge Scrolling: Move mouse to screen edges to pan. Default ON. Some prefer to disable and use keyboard for precision.


• Disable Mouse Acceleration in OS settings for consistent pointer movement.




3. Camera Controls



• Invert Y Axis: Off by default. Only enable if you prefer inverted flight controls.


• Zoom Speed: How fast mouse wheel zooms. Medium is balanced; lower for precise zoom.


• Enable Smooth Zoom: Adds interpolation. ON for fluid zoom, OFF for snappier.




4. Gamepad Support



• Not recommended for competitive play; keyboard and mouse are superior. But if you use a controller, you can map buttons in Settings > Controls > Gamepad.


Special Attention Point: Edge scrolling sensitivity is often set too high, causing the camera to jerk. Reduce it to 50% or lower. Also, rebinding idle villager to spacebar is nearly universal—do not miss this. Finally, check that your hotkeys don't conflict (e.g., Ctrl+Shift+[key] for building shortcuts might overlap with Windows shortcuts).

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Accessibility Settings



AoE2:DE includes several options to assist players with visual, hearing, or motor impairments.



1. UI Scale



• Adjust the size of the user interface (menus, buttons, resource bar). Essential for high-resolution monitors (4K) to make text readable. Range from 50% (small) to 200% (large).


• Recommendation: 100% at 1080p, 150% at 1440p, 200% at 4K.




2. Color Blind Mode



• Enables a color palette that differentiates units and resources for protanopia (red-green), deuteranopia, or tritanopia. Found in Gameplay settings section.


• Test: After enabling, look at the mini-map and unit health bars to ensure you can distinguish ally/enemy/neutral.




3. Subtitles



• Enable subtitles for cutscenes and campaign dialogues. Not used in multiplayer, but helpful for story.




4. Command Panel Size



• Separate from UI scale, this affects the bottom panel where unit commands appear. Increase if you have difficulty clicking small icons.




5. Sticky Keys / Toggle Keys (via Windows)



• Not in-game, but ensure Windows accessibility features don't interfere with RTS gameplay (e.g., Filter Keys can slow repeated key presses).


Special Attention Point: UI Scale is often overlooked; players on 4K monitors may have unreadable text and tiny buttons. Set it appropriately before playing. Also, color blind mode may not correctly differentiate all units; combine with friendly/foe colors in the mini-map settings.

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Language Settings



Language settings affect text, speech, and unit voice lines.



1. Language Selection



• Choose your preferred language for menus, tooltips, and campaign dialog. Available languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Russian, Turkish, Vietnamese, and more.


• Note: The game uses the selected language for all text; you cannot mix (e.g., English menus with Japanese voices).




2. Unit Voice Language



• Some languages have separate voice packs (e.g., English, French, German). You can set the voice language independently of the text language in some versions? Actually, it's tied to the selected language. Check if a separate "Voice Language" dropdown exists (it did in some DE updates). If present, you can set voices e.g., English while text is Chinese.




3. Keyboard Layout



• For non-English keyboards, ensure input method is correctly detected. The game supports QWERTY, AZERTY, QWERTZ, etc. Hotkeys may shift positions; you may need to rebind if physical key locations differ.


Special Attention Point: If you use a non-US keyboard, the default hotkeys may assume US layout. For example, the ` key (idle villager) is located differently on AZERTY. Remap hotkeys to comfortable physical keys regardless of layout.

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Network Settings



Network settings impact multiplayer connection quality, matchmaking, and data usage.



1. Game Server Region



• Choose the closest server region to minimize ping. Available: US East, US West, Europe West, Europe East, Asia, Australia, South America, etc.


• Recommendation: Set to your geographic region. For faster matchmaking, you can enable \"Allow cross-region matchmaking\" but expect higher latency.




2. UPnP / Port Forwarding



• AoE2:DE uses peer-to-peer for custom lobbies and some multiplayer features. Ensure UPnP is enabled in your router if you host games. If not, manually forward port 3478 (UDP) for better connectivity.


• Note: Ranked matchmaking uses official servers, so UPnP is less critical.




3. Bandwidth Limits



• No explicit controls in-game. However, ensure no other high-bandwidth activities during play (streaming, downloads).




4. Voice Chat



• In-game voice chat is available. Can be disabled in Audio settings to reduce background noise.


• Tip: Many players use Discord instead; disable in-game voice to avoid overlap.




5. Connection Stats (Display)



• Enable network statistics (FPS and ping overlay) by pressing F1 during a match? Actually, in settings you can toggle \"Show Network Performance\" to see ping and packet loss on screen. Useful for diagnosing lag.


Special Attention Point: Server Region misconfiguration is common; players in Europe may forget to change from US East and experience 150+ ms ping. Always verify before queuing. Also, UPnP not working may prevent you from joining custom lobbies; enabling port forwarding fixed this for many users.

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Gameplay Settings



Gameplay settings cover game rules, automation, and interface preferences. These are crucial for both single-player and multiplayer.



1. Game Speed Settings



• Game Speed: Found in the lobby. Default for multiplayer is 1.5 (Normal) or 2.0 (Fast) for casuals. Top competitive games are played on Normal (1.5). You can set a custom speed in single-player from 0.5 to 2.0.


• UI Speed: Separate from game speed; affects menu animations. Keep at Default.




2. Map Reveal Settings



• In single-player, you can set the map to:

- Explored: Entire map visible (no fog).
- Normal: Fog of war covers unexplored areas.
- All Visible: Reveals everything including units and buildings (cheat).

• Multiplayer: Normal is standard; all maps start with fog of war.




3. Starting Resources



• In custom games, you can set starting resources: Standard (200 food, 200 wood, 100 gold, 50 stone) or Low/High/Infinite. Not relevant for ranked.




4. Victory Conditions



• Standard: Conquest (destroy all enemy units/buildings). Also can set to Regicide, Wonder, King of the Hill, etc. For multiplayer, ensure all agree.




5. Population Limit



• Max number of units you can train. 75 (small), 100 (medium), 125 (large), 150 (standard competitive), 200 (maximum), 250 (custom mod). Ranked uses 200. Higher pop = more lag on low-end PCs.




6. Game Interface Options



• Show Resource Calculator: Hover over resource to see total gather rate. Enable for efficiency.


• Show Multi Queue: Display multiple production queues (e.g., from multiple barracks). Very helpful.


• Show Attack/Defense Grounds: Visual indicator of attack radius of ranged units. Useful for micro.


• Show Idle Villager Count: Highly recommended—always check for idle vills.


• Auto Scout: Automatically moves scout at start. Turn off for competitive play; manual scouting is better.


• Auto Farm Queue: Automatically reseeds farms when they expire. Enable to avoid idle farms.


• Auto Go to Idle Villager: Actually a hotkey—make sure you map it.




7. Game Recording and Spectator Settings



• Record Game: Automatically save replays. Enable to review matches.


• Spectator Delay: In multiplayer, you can set a delay (2-5 minutes) to prevent stream sniping. Default 0 for personal games.


Special Attention Point: Auto Scout is a trap—it wastes valuable early seconds and often scouts inefficiently. Disable it immediately. Auto Farm Queue is fine, but some players prefer manual control to manage wood allocation. Also, Population Limit settings in custom games must match the intended gameplay; a 75-pop boom game plays very differently from 200.

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Final Tips for Configuration




• Always test settings in a versus AI match before ranked play, especially graphics and hotkeys.


• Back up your hotkey profile (located in Documents > Age of Empires 2 DE > hotkeys.json). Copy to cloud storage.


• Run the in-game benchmark (Settings > Graphics > Benchmark) to gauge performance before tweaking.


• For competitive play, minimize all graphics overhead: start with preset Low and gradually increase until you hit your target FPS (min 60, ideally 100+).


• Disable Vsync and enable Reduce Input Lag if available in GPU driver.

By carefully configuring each category, you'll have a smooth, responsive, and enjoyable experience in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, whether you're a casual builder or a ranked tryhard.

Important Notes for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

This section covers critical warnings, avoidable mistakes, and lesser-known facts that can save you frustration and enhance your experience. Read these notes before diving deep.

1. Common Pitfalls and Warnings

• Ignoring Hotkeys: Playing AoE2:DE with only mouse clicks is a massive handicap. Spend 30 minutes learning basic hotkeys (e.g., `H` for Town Center, `Q` for queue, `Ctrl+1-9` for control groups). The game includes a hotkey trainer under "Help" → "Hotkey Trainer".


• Over-reliance on Auto-Scouts: The auto-scout feature (enabled by default) stops after a few seconds or when the scout is attacked. Manually control your scout to reveal the map efficiently, especially near your base to locate sheep and boars.


• Neglecting the Market: The market is a double-edged sword. Selling excess resources for gold can speed up your economy, but over-trading depletes your stockpile and shifts the market price unfavorably. Use it sparingly and only when you have a large surplus.


• Building Too Many Farms Early: Farms cost 60 wood each, which is expensive in the Dark Age. Build only enough farms to sustain constant villager production (usually 4-6 farms per Town Center). Prioritize gathering from bushes, berries, and hunting instead.


• Losing Villagers to Boars: Luring a boar to your Town Center is efficient food, but one mistake can kill several villagers. Use a single villager to hit the boar once, run back to the TC, and garrison villagers as soon as the boar gets close. Practice this to avoid game-ending losses.




2. Irreversible Choices and Missable Content




• Campaign Choices: Several campaigns offer branching paths or optional objectives that affect achievements or story outcomes. For example:

- Saladin campaign: The mission "The Horns of Hattin" has a secret achievement for killing a specific hero named "He who shall not be named". You must do it during the mission.
- Bari campaign: The first mission lets you decide to ally with the Byzantines or the Saracens; this changes later missions.
- Le Loi campaign: The second mission gives you a choice to help either the Chinese or the Chams—each leads to different subsequent missions and achievements.
- Alaric campaign: Skipping optional secondary objectives may lock you out of the "Complete All Optional Objectives" achievement.

• Tech Tree Irreversibility: Once you research a technology in a game, it cannot be undone. While this doesn't affect overall progress, in single-player scenarios some techs are useless (e.g., researching cavalry upgrades when you have no stable). Check the scenario map or enemy composition before spending resources.


• Missable Units/Relics: In many campaign missions, unique units or relics appear only if you meet specific conditions early. For example, in Attila the Hun mission 1, you can capture the Roman general if you defeat him with a specific unit. Relics that are not collected by the end of a mission do not carry over.


• Achievements with Strict Timelines: Some achievements must be earned within a certain in-game time. Example: "Age of Empires" requires reaching the Imperial Age before 25 minutes in a standard game (on Hard difficulty). Miss the timing and you'll have to restart.




3. Difficulty Spikes




• High-Difficulty Campaigns: Some expansions are notoriously harder than others:

- Battles of the Forgotten: The "Dos Pilas" and "Bapheus" scenarios are brutal even on Moderate.
- The Last Khans: The "Tamerlane" campaign has massive enemy armies that attack from multiple directions.
- Lords of the West: The "Edward Longshanks" campaign features an early rush that can overwhelm unprepared players.

• Standard Game Difficulty Jump: The difference between Moderate and Hard is huge. Hard AI builds faster, attacks earlier, and micro-manages better. If you are new, start on Easy and gradually move up.


• Multiplayer Ranked Ladder: Expect to lose your first several placement matches. The matchmaking system places you after 5 games, but the player base is highly skilled. Watch replays of your losses to learn.




4. Grinding Traps and Time Sinks




• Achievement Grinding: Some achievements require many hours of repetitive gameplay (e.g., "The Wonder of the World" – build 100 Wonders). Do not chase these for the sake of completion; you'll burn out. Instead, treat them as long-term goals.


• Mastering All Civilizations: There are 42 civilizations. Trying to learn every build order for every civ is inefficient. Focus on 3-4 civilizations first (e.g., Franks, Britons, Byzantines, Huns) and expand later.


• Campaign Completion on All Difficulties: You do not need to complete every campaign on Hard to unlock achievements. Many achievements only require completing on Standard or Moderate. Check the achievement requirements before replaying.


• Excessive Multiplayer Grind for Elo: Climbing the ranked ladder is rewarding but can become an obsession. Set limits (e.g., play 3 ranked games per day) to avoid tilt and fatigue.




5. Online Etiquette and Anti-Cheat Notes




• Respect the Rules: In ranked multiplayer, resigning early (before the 1-minute mark) is considered unsportsmanlike. If the game goes poorly, type "gg" before resigning.


• No Cheating: AoE2:DE has anti-cheat measures (Xbox Live and EAC). Using third-party tools or mods that alter gameplay in ranked is bannable. Avoid map hacks, speed hacks, or automation.


• Reporting Toxic Players: You can report players for abusive chat, griefing, or intentional resigning through the Score Screen (F1) → Report Player. Use this sparingly.


• Lobby Etiquette: In unranked lobbies, clearly state if you are playing a custom scenario. Avoid picking civilizations that are too strong for a fair game unless both sides agree.


• Mods Are Allowed in Single-Player: Mods from the in-game mod browser are safe for unranked play. Some mods are visual only (e.g., small trees) and widely used even in pro play in custom lobbies. However, mods that provide an advantage (like showing enemy unit vision) will get you banned from ranked.




6. Save Management Advice




• Use Multiple Save Slots: The game auto-saves only one slot per campaign mission. If the auto-save corrupts (rare but possible), you lose progress. Manually save before and after important events (e.g., a big battle, capturing a relic).


• Cloud Save Conflicts: If you play on multiple devices (PC, laptop), cloud saves can conflict and overwrite each other. Save manually to the local folder: `C:\Users\[YourName]\Games\Age of Empires 2 DE\[SteamID]\savegame`. Copy important saves as backup.


• Campaign Save Corruption: Avoid saving during an enemy attack or on the same frame as a game action (like a building being built). Wait for combat to pause or use the menu pause (F9).


• Multiplayer Replays: Game replays (.aoe2record) are saved automatically. Replay folder location on PC: `C:\Users\[Name]\Games\Age of Empires 2 DE\[SteamID]\savegame\replays`. These are invaluable for improving. Delete old replays to save space.




7. Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier




• The "Go To" Hotkeys: Pressing `H` once selects Town Center. Pressing `H` twice cycles through all Town Centers. This is critical for macro management.


• Control Group for Villagers: Assign all villagers to a control group (e.g., Ctrl+0) after selecting all with `Ctrl+Shift+V`. This lets you instantly jump to idle villagers.


• Market Interaction with Allies: In team games, you can trade with allies at the market. The exchange rates are more favorable than with neutral markets. Coordinate with teammates to exchange resources.


• Unit Attack Move: Use the "Stand Ground" stance (default `Ctrl+F`) or patrol (`P`) to avoid villagers running into enemy fire. Patrol is excellent for sending units forward while engaging.


• The Universal Drop Site: Build drop-off buildings (lumber camp, mining camp, mill) as close to the resource as possible. Villagers gather slower if they have to walk far. A common noob mistake is sprawling the Town Center too far from woodlines.


• Garrison Trick for Defense: You can garrison villagers inside Town Centers and then manually ungarrison them by clicking outside. This instantly teleports them away from danger. Use it during raids.


• Paladin Isn't Always Best: The Paladin upgrade is extremely expensive (1300 food, 750 gold). In many situations, cheaper units like Champions, Arbalesters, or Cavalry Archers are more cost-effective. Don't blindly tech into Paladins.


• The In-Game Tech Tree: Hit `Ctrl+T` at any time to open the full tech tree for all civilizations. Use this to plan your research and learn enemy strengths/weaknesses.


• Pause in Single-Player: You can pause the game (default `F9`) to issue orders without time pressure. This is especially useful in tough campaign missions. It does not stop game timers for achievements, so be careful.


• Campaign Restart Option: You can restart a campaign mission from the menu without losing your entire save file; the game resets the scenario state. This is helpful if you realize a mistake early.

Remember, AoE2:DE is a deep game that rewards continuous learning. Don't be afraid to experiment, watch replays, and consult community guides on sites like aoe2guide.com or YouTube channels like "Hera" or "TheViper". Good luck, commander!

All Game Items in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (AoE2:DE) is a real-time strategy game, not an RPG. As such, it does not feature traditional items like weapons or armor that you equip on a character. Instead, the game uses resources, collectible relics, unique units, technologies, and trade goods as its core "items." This guide categorizes and explains every major game element that functions as an item or currency within the mechanics of AoE2:DE.

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1. Resources (Core Currencies)

Resources are the lifeblood of your economy. You gather them to train units, construct buildings, research technologies, and advance through the Ages.

How to obtain: Villagers gather from the respective resource nodes. Drop-off points (TC, Mill, Lumber Camp, Mining Camp) increase efficiency. Markets allow conversion of excess resources to gold at variable rates.

When useful: All stages of the game. Balancing resource collection is key.

Synergies: None directly, but you can trade surplus resources at the Market for gold.

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2. Trade Goods (Currency Generation)

Trade Goods are produced by Trade Carts (land) and Trade Cogs (water) when they move between your Market (or Dock) and an ally’s or neutral’s equivalent building. They generate gold over the journey.

• Trade Cart: Trains at Market → moves to another Market (ally’s or same player’s) → returns with gold. The longer the distance, the more gold per trip (up to ~30 gold per trip).


• Trade Cog: Trains at Dock → travels to another Dock (ally’s or neutral) → returns with gold. Same distance-based bonus.


How to obtain: Train from Market (land) or Dock (water) after they are built.

When useful: Late game when gold mines are exhausted. Essential for a gold-heavy army (e.g., Paladins, gunpowder units).

Important: Trade units are slow and vulnerable to raiding. Protect trade routes with walls or patrols.

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3. Collectible Artifacts & Relics


#### Relics
Relics are gold-generating collectibles placed inside a Monastery. They provide a passive income of gold (roughly +1 gold every 2-3 seconds per relic) and can trigger conversions when garrisoned.


• How to obtain: Found on the map (usually neutral or guarded by wild animals). A Monk picks up a relic and brings it to your Monastery.


• Maximum: 5 relics per player can be held (limited by Monastery capacity; only 1 relic per Monastery, so you need 5 Monasteries to collect all).


• Synergies: Relics are critical for a gold-reliant civilization like Turks or Saracens. Combine with the Atonement technology to convert enemy monks holding relics.


• When useful: Mid-to-late game when mines deplete. Free gold allows you to maintain an expensive army.


#### Campaign Artifacts
Many single-player campaigns (e.g., Joan of Arc, Saladin, Genghis Khan) require you to collect specific Artifacts (e.g., the Holy Grail, a crown, a banner) to achieve victory conditions. These are map-specific items that must be brought to a designated location (usually your base or a monument).


• How to obtain: Move a military unit (often a hero unit) over the artifact; auto-transport to target area.


• When useful: Only within those specific missions.

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4. Unique Units (Weapons)

Each civilization has one or two unique units that serve as powerful, specialized combat troops. These can be thought of as "weapons" you can deploy. Below are some notable examples, but all 42 civilizations have unique units.

How to obtain: Train from a Castle (or Krepost for Bulgarians) after building that castle. Some unique units require a Castle Age or Imperial Age upgrade.

When useful: Based on your opponent’s composition and map. For example, Longbowmen dominate on open maps with hills; War Elephants are devastating but gold-heavy.

Upgrades: Blacksmith upgrades (attack/armor), unique technologies (e.g., Britons’ "Yeomen" gives +1 range to Longbowmen).

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5. Technologies (Armor & Upgrades)

Technologies at the Blacksmith, University, and other buildings function like armor and weapon upgrades for your units and buildings. The most critical ones are listed below.

#### Blacksmith Upgrades
Note: Archer attack is upgraded via Blacksmith also – Fletching, Bodkin Arrow, Bracer (each +1 pierce attack for archers and ships).

#### University Technologies (Functional Consumables? Not really, but key)

• Ballistics: Projectiles lead targets – increases hit chance for archers and gunpowder (150W, 200G, Castle Age).


• Chemistry: +1 attack for all gunpowder and archer units, enables gunpowder units (200F, 100G, Imperial Age).


• Siege Engineers: Increases blast radius and range of siege weapons (250F, 100G, Imperial Age).


• Fortified Wall: Doubles HP of stone walls (200F, 100G, Castle Age).


How to obtain: Research at respective buildings (Blacksmith, University, Monastery).

Synergies: Combining Blacksmith upgrades with unique technologies greatly enhances unit effectiveness. For example, fully upgraded Elite Mangudai with Blast Furnace and Chemistry deal massive damage.

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6. Buildings as Equipment (Key Structures)


Certain buildings act as "equipment" for your strategy – they provide bonuses or unlock units.


• Town Center: Train villagers, advance to next Age, drop off resources. Most important structure.


• Barracks: Train infantry (militia line, spearmen line, unique infantry for some civs).


• Archery Range: Train archers, skirmishers, slingers.


• Stable: Train cavalry (scout cavalry, knights, camels).


• Siege Workshop: Train rams, mangonels, scorpions, bombard cannons.


• Monastery: Train monks, research monk technologies, hold relics.


• Castle: Train unique units, research unique technologies, provide strong defense.


• Dock: Train ships, fishing boats, trade cogs.


• Market: Trade resources, buy/sell at variable rates.


• Wonder: Buildable structure for Wonder victory in standard games. Very expensive (1000 food, 1000 wood, 1000 stone, 1000 gold).


When useful: All buildings are useful at various stages. Placement matters (e.g., forward Castle for siege, defensive Castle near gold).

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7. Miscellaneous Consumables (Non-existent)


There are no true consumable items like potions or scrolls in AoE2:DE. However, the following mechanics are one-time-use within a match:


• Tribute: Sending resources to an ally via the Market – cost is 20% tax (e.g., send 100 gold, you pay 120 gold). Consumes resources for the giver.


• Spy Technology: Reveal all enemy units for 10 seconds (cost based on enemy units). Used once per match (or multiple times if you have gold).


• Convert Unit (Monk): Monks can convert enemy units, effectively consuming their conversion ability (cooldown per monk).

These are not items per se, but they function as expendable advantages.

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Summary Table of All Item Categories

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This guide covers all major "items" in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Remember that the game is about resource management and unit composition rather than inventory-based equipment. Use this knowledge to optimize your economy and army for every match.

Character Skills in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Introduction

Unlike RPGs, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (AoE2:DE) does not feature individual characters with skill trees. Instead, each of the 42+ civilizations acts as a unique "character" with its own set of passive bonuses, unique units, and unique technologies – these are the "skills" of your civilization. Additionally, campaign hero units have special abilities that function like active skills. This guide covers all playable civilizations and the most notable hero units, detailing every unique ability, upgrade, synergy, and recommended usage.

Civilization Skills Overview

Each civilization has three core skill categories:

• Civilization Bonuses – passive skills that always apply (e.g., cheaper farms, faster firing).


• Unique Units – special soldier types with unique combat abilities (e.g., stealth, area damage).


• Unique Technologies – special researched upgrades that grant new abilities or stat boosts.

These skills are not on cooldown; they are either always active or require resource investment to unlock.

Detailed Civilization Skills (All Civilizations)

Below is a comprehensive table of every civilization’s unique skills. For detailed breakdown, see the following sections.

Detailed Skill Breakdown (Example Civilizations)

#### Franks

• Unique Unit: Throwing Axeman (Castle, costs 50F/35G) – A melee infantry with a ranged throwing attack. Skills: Ranged attack (5 range), good vs buildings and slow units. No cooldown. Upgrades: Elite Throwing Axeman (Imperial) increases damage and HP. Combos: Use with cavalry (Paladins) to provide anti-infantry support. Synergies: Chivalry (UT) makes stable units train faster; Bearded Axe gives +1 range. Recommended builds: Heavy cavalry + throwing axemen for a powerful push. When to use: Raiding in Castle Age, sieging in Imperial.


• Unique Techs:

- Chivalry (Castle Age, 500F/300G) – Stables work 40% faster. Effect: Train knights/Paladins faster. No cooldown. Upgrades: permanent. Combos: Pair with heavy wood economy to support rapid knight production.
- Bearded Axe (Imperial Age, 400F/400W) – Throwing Axemen +1 range. Effect: Increases throwing axemen attack range to 9 (from 8). Use: Essential for late-game Frank army.

• Civilization Bonuses: Cavalry +20% HP (passive, permanent). This is a massive survivability boost. Use: Frank cavalry is the best in game. Also free farm upgrades (Horse Collar, Heavy Plow) – save resources.


#### Mongols

• Unique Unit: Mangudai (Castle, costs 55W/45G) – Cavalry archer with high fire rate and bonus vs siege. Skill: None per se, but they have +25% attack vs siege weapons. No cooldown. Upgrade: Elite Mangudai improves damage (8 base to 9) and HP. Combos: Mangudai + drill (tech) doubled trebuchet speed. Synergies: Nomads (UT) makes Mangudai regenerate HP slowly. Use: Kite enemy melee, destroy rams/trebs.


• Unique Techs:

- Nomads (Castle Age, 250F/250W) – Mangudai and Steppe Lancers regenerate HP (1 HP per second? Actually 15 HP/min). Effect: Slow HP recovery outside combat. Use: Keep alive after skirmishes.
- Drill (Imperial Age, 500F/600G) – Siege units move 50% faster. Effect: Mangonel, Onager, Trebuchet move quickly. Use: Surprise siege pushes.

• Civilization Bonuses: Hunting speed +50% (faster food). Scouts +2 LOS. Cavalry archers fire 25% faster (affects Mangudai and regular cavalry archers).


#### Britons

• Unique Unit: Longbowman (Castle, costs 50W/35G) – Archer with range 6+2 (Elite +3). Skill: Longest base range of any archer. No cooldown. Upgrade: Elite Longbowman adds range (6+3) and HP. Combos: Use with Yeomen (UT) for +1 range and +2 attack on towers. Synergies: Warwold (UT) gives archers +1 attack vs buildings. Recommended builds: Mass longbows with infantry or cavalry meatshield. When to use: Sieging from distance, controlling hills.


• Unique Techs:

- Yeomen (Castle Age, 400F/500W) – Longbowmen +1 range, towers +2 attack. Effect: Range becomes 7+3 for Elite. Use: Essential for Briton archer dominance.
- Warwold (Imperial Age, 800F/600G) – Archers +2 attack vs buildings. Effect: Longbows become effective vs structures (each arrow deals bonus). Use: Combined with archer mass to destroy TCs and castles.

• Civilization Bonuses: Town Centers cost -50% wood (starting from Dark Age). Shepherds work faster. Longbows get +1 range per age (Feudal/Castle/Imperial).




All Unique Units – Abilities Overview


Each unique unit has innate stats and sometimes hidden bonuses. Below are notable special abilities:

• Throwing Axeman (Franks): Ranged attack ignores pathing, can hit over walls.


• Mangudai (Mongols): Bonus vs siege (+3 or +6 based on version).


• Plumed Archer (Mayans): Faster firing (1.9s reload), +1 armor.


• War Elephant (Persians): High HP, trample damage (area of effect) – actual AoE on attack.


• Ballista Elephant (Khmer): Fires bolt that pierces through multiple units.


• Organ Gun (Portuguese): Fires multiple bullets spread over area.


• Hussite Wagon (Bohemians): Can pack/unpack, acts as mobile fortress.


• Konnik (Bulgarians): Upon death, continues fighting as a slower infantry (Dismounted Konnik).


• Shrivamsha Rider (Gurjaras): Dodges missiles – has a 20% chance to avoid ranged attacks.


• Coustillier (Burgundians): Charge attack – after not moving for a few seconds, next attack deals triple damage.


• Leitis (Lithuanians): Ignores armor – attack deals full damage regardless of target’s armor.


• Urumi Swordsman (Dravidians): Area damage – hits multiple units in front (circular sweep).


• Ratha (Bengalis): Switches between melee and ranged mode (like hero unit? Actually similar to Scout/Archer double form).


• Chakram Thrower (Gurjaras): Throws chakram that passes through multiple units in a line.


• Obuch (Poles): Attack reduces building armor (makes them more vulnerable).


• Flemish Militia (Burgundians, UT spawn): Spawned by Flemish Revolution; strong infantry with high HP.


• Serjeant (Sicilians): Can build donjons (small defensive towers) in Castle Age – unique building ability.


• Genoese Crossbowman (Italians): 100% accuracy vs cavalry (actually deals +5 vs cav).


• Kamayuk (Incas): Attacks multiple enemies in a small arc (trample) and has good range.




Unique Technologies – Detailed Effects


Each unique tech is a permanent research. Cooldowns do not apply. Key notable techs:

• Atlatl (Aztecs): Skirmishers +1 attack and +1 range.


• Garland Wars (Aztecs): Infantry +4 attack.


• Paiks (Bengalis): Archers +1 attack; elephant archers +1 range.


• Mahayana (Bengalis): +15 pop space.


• Maghrebi Camels (Berbers): Camel units regenerate (slow)


• Kasbah (Berbers): All buildings (except TCs) work 20% faster.


• Yeomen (Britons): +1 range for longbows.


• Warwold (Britons): +2 attack vs buildings.


• Stirrups (Bulgarians): Cavalry regenerate? Actually not – it gives +5 HP for scout line.


• Bagains (Bulgarians): Militia line +1 attack.


• Greek Fire (Byzantines): Fire ships +1 attack.


• Logistica (Byzantines): Cataphract trample damage.


• Stronghold (Celts): Towers and Castles fire faster.


• Furor Celtica (Celts): Siege units +50% HP.


• Great Wall (Chinese): Walls and towers +30% HP.


• Rocketry (Chinese): Chu Ko Nu +2 attack; Scorpions +1 attack.


• Steppe Husbandry (Cumans): All cavalry +1 speed.


• Cuman Mercenaries (Cumans): Spawn 10 Kipchaks in each TC when researched.


• Medical Corps (Dravidians): All units heal 3 HP/minute (passive).


• Wootz Steel (Dravidians): Infantry +1 attack; +3 vs buildings.


• Royal Heirs (Ethiopians): Shotels +1 range.


• Torsion Engines (Ethiopians): Siege weapons +15% area damage (splash increase).


• Bearded Axe (Franks): Throwing axemen +1 range.


• Chivalry (Franks): Stables work 40% faster.


• Svan Towers (Georgians): Towers +2 range, +1 attack.


• Aznauri Cavalry (Georgians): Cavalry +1 armor.


• Anarchy (Goths): Infiltrate enemy lines (actually allows spawning Huskarls from barracks any age).


• Perfusion (Goths): Research gives Huskarls reduce cost? Actually it gives +10 pop space.


• Kshatriyas (Gurjaras): Camel units +1 armor


• Frontier Guards (Gurjaras): +2 attack on walls.


• Marauders (Huns): Tarkans can be made at Stables.


• Atheism (Huns): No relic gives gold? Actually it gives +1 pop space and destroys enemy relics? No, it makes wonder/world wonders take longer.


• Andean Slings (Incas): Slingers +1 range.


• Fabric Shields (Incas): Kamayuks and Slingers +1 pierce armor.


• Sultans (Indians): Market cost -10%.


• Shatagni (Indians/Hindustanis): Hand cannoneers +1 range.


• Grand Trunk Road (Hindustanis): Trade carts +10% move speed.


• Pavise (Italians): Crossbowmen and Genoese +1 armor.


• Silk Road (Italians): Trade units cost -50%.


• Yasama (Japanese): Towers can fire arrows at +1 speed? Actually +1 attack and +1 range for towers.


• Kataparuto (Japanese): Trebuchets unpack/pack faster (double speed).


• Tusk Swords (Khmer): Battle elephants +2 attack.


• Double Crossbow (Khmer): Scorpions fire two bolts.


• Shinkichon (Koreans): Onagers +1 range.


• Panokseon (Koreans): Turtle ships +1 armor.


• Hill Forts (Lithuanians): Buildings +2 LOS and +1 range.


• Tower Shields (Lithuanians): All infantry +1 pierce armor.


• Mercenaries (Magyars): Scout line +2 attack.


• Recurve Bow (Magyars): Cavalry archers +1 range.


• Thalassocracy (Malay): Docks have +2 range, +3 attack.


• Forced Levy (Malay): Militia line costs no food (only gold).


• Tigui (Malians): Bombard towers get +9 attack.


• Farimba (Malians): All units +1 attack (except siege).


• Hul’che (Mayans): Plumed archers +1 attack.


• El Dorado (Mayans): +5 line of sight for all units.


• Nomads (Mongols): Mangudai and Steppe Lancers regenerate HP.


• Drill (Mongols): Siege units 50% faster move speed.


• Kamandaran (Persians): Crossbowmen and archers cost no wood (only gold).


• Persian Architecture (Persians): Buildings +2 LOS.


• Lechitic Legacy (Poles): Winged Hussars +1 attack, +1 pierce armor.


• Szlachta Privileges (Poles): Knights train -50% food cost.


• Carrack (Portuguese): Ships +1 armor.


• Arquebus (Portuguese): Gunpowder units 100% accuracy.


• Roman Legion (Romans): Legionaries +1 armor.


• Ballistic (Romans): Scorpions +1 range.


• First Crusade (Sicilians): Relics train Serjeants in buildings? Actually spawn 5 Serjeants per relic at each TC.


• Hauberk (Sicilians): Cavalry +2 pierce armor.


• Druzhina (Slavs): Infantry splash damage.


• Orthodoxy (Slavs): Monks +1 range.


• Inquisition (Spanish): Missionaries convert faster.


• Supremacy (Spanish): Villagers +6 attack, +40 HP, +2 armor.


• Silk Armor (Tatars): Cavalry archers +1 armor.


• Timurid Siege Cavalry (Tatars): Cavalry can attack buildings with bonus.


• Ironclad (Teutons): Siege units +1 armor.


• Crenellations (Teutons): Castles fire extra arrow.


• Sipahi (Turks): Cavalry archers +1 HP? Actually +1 attack.


• Artillery (Turks): Bombard towers, cannons, bombard cannons +2 range.


• Paper Money (Vietnamese): Each trade cart gives 5 gold every 1.2 secs passive? Actually it gives gold to all players.


• Chatras (Vietnamese): Battle elephants +50 HP.


• Chieftains (Vikings): Berserks +1 attack vs buildings.


• Berserkergang (Vikings): Berserks regenerate faster (base 20 HP/min to 30).




Civilization Bonuses as Passive Skills


Each civ has 3–5 permanent passive bonuses. Examples:

• Britons: +1 range per age for longbowmen (passive – not a researched tech).


• Franks: +20% cavalry HP.


• Mongols: 25% faster cavalry archer fire rate.


• Byzantines: Buildings extra HP per age.


• Goths: Cost reduction for infantry.


• Huns: No houses needed.

These are always active from game start and cannot be upgraded.

Hero Units and Their Special Moves

Campaigns feature hero units with unique abilities (not available in Random Map games unless modded). Below are the most notable heroes and their skills:

Note: Hero abilities are not available in standard multiplayer. They have cooldowns and often require activation (click ability icon). Some heroes also have passive regeneration.

Recommended Builds and Synergies

• Mongol Mangudai + Drill: Use fast trebuchets to break base while Mangudai clean siege.


• Frank Paladin + Throwing Axeman: Meatshield cavalry with anti-infantry ranged support.


• Briton Longbow + Halberdier: Longbows behind cheap pikes to counter cavalry.


• Aztec Infantry + Atlatl Skirmishers: High damage combo vs archer civs.


• Hun Cavalry Archer + Tarkan: Fast raiding force with anti-building capability.


• Byzantine Cataphract + Skirmisher: Splash damage melee plus ranged support.




When to Use Each Skill



• Passive bonuses: Always active – choose civ based on your playstyle.


• Unique Units: Research in Castle Age (or Feudal for some) and produce en masse when you have the gold. Use according to their strengths:

- Anti-infantry: Longbow, Plumed Archer, Slinger.
- Anti-cavalry: Genoese Crossbowman, Camel Archer.
- Anti-siege: Mangudai, Organ Gun.
- Raiding: Keshik, Tarkan, Coustillier.

• Unique Technologies: Research when you have a stable economy and plan to use the affected units heavily.

- Early techs (Castle Age) like Yeomen, Nomads, Chivalry are often first priority.
- Imperial techs like Warwold, Drill, Furor Celtica are for late-game power spikes.

• Hero Abilities: Use actively in campaigns. Save for decisive battles or defensive emergencies. Cooldowns mean you cannot spam them.

Conclusion

AoE2:DE’s “Character Skills” are the sum of your civilization’s unique bonuses, units, and technologies. Mastering these subtle but powerful tools is key to victory. Always consider your enemy’s composition and adapt your unique skills to counter them. Remember that no two civilizations play alike – choose one that matches your preferred strategy and start honing those skills!

Characters & Roles in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (AoE2:DE) is a real-time strategy game where you command civilizations rather than individual characters. However, the game features a rich cast of hero units in its campaigns, unique units per civilization, and distinct unit roles that act as the "characters" of the battlefield. This guide explains every major character type, hero, and role available in the game, including their background, strengths, weaknesses, playstyle, unlock conditions, recommended upgrades, and team synergy.

1. Civilization as Your "Character"

Each of the 42+ civilizations functions as a complete playable faction with unique bonuses, tech trees, and a unique unit. Think of your civilization as your overall character, with economic and military traits.

Note: Full civilization list and details are in the official game civilopedia. Each civ's unique unit is considered a "hero" unit within its context.

2. Hero Units (Campaign & Special)

Hero units are powerful, named characters that appear in campaign scenarios, special game modes, or can be created via certain triggers. They have unique stats, often cannot be trained normally, and provide significant battlefield impact.

#### 2.1 Campaign Heroes

Note: Multiple heroes exist per campaign (e.g., La Hire, Sir John, etc.). All are unique units with special abilities.

#### 2.2 Special Game Mode Heroes

• King: The objective in Regicide game mode. Has moderate HP, cannot attack, must be protected.


• Relic Monk: While not a hero, a monk carrying a relic becomes a high-prized target.


• Hero Units in Scenario Editor: Players can place any unit as a hero with custom stats.

3. Unique Units per Civilization

Each civilization has one unique unit that serves as its signature "character." These units are unlocked by building a Castle (Castle Age) and training at the Castle or unique building.

Note: Unique units are available in all game modes once a Castle is built and the Castle Age reached.

4. Unit Roles – The Core Characters of the Battlefield

Beyond civilizations, every unit in AoE2:DE fits into a specific role (class). Mastery of these roles is essential.

#### 4.1 Villager (Economic Unit)

• Background: The backbone of your economy, gathers resources, builds structures, and repairs.


• Strengths: Can do everything economic; cheap (50 food).


• Weaknesses: Extremely fragile in combat; cannot fight effectively early.


• Playstyle: Always produce villagers uninterrupted. Assign to food, wood, gold, stone based on strategy.


• Unlock: Trained at Town Center from Dark Age onward.


• Upgrades: Wheelbarrow, Hand Cart, Heavy Plow, Double-Bit Axe, etc. from Mill and Mining Camp.


• Team Synergy: Multiple players can ally villagers for faster wall building or trading.


#### 4.2 Infantry – The Line

• Militia > Man-at-Arms > Long Swordsman > Two-Handed Swordsman > Champion


• Background: Basic melee fighters. Upgrade path.


• Strengths: Good vs. buildings (except early), high HP for cost, counters skirmishers.


• Weaknesses: Slow, weak to archers, cavalry (especially later).


• Playstyle: Flush (early aggression) or as trash units for countering.


• Unlock: Barracks from Feudal Age; requires Blacksmith upgrades.


• Recommended: +Attack and +Armor, Forging, Iron Casting.


• Team: Supports archers by tanking.


#### 4.3 Spearman > Pikeman > Halberdier (Anti-Cavalry)

• Background: Polearm infantry strong vs. cavalry.


• Strengths: Huge bonus damage vs. cavalry lines; cheap (food/wood).


• Weaknesses: Low pierce armor, weak vs. archers and infantry (except with mass).


• Playstyle: Keep in front of archers, counter knight rushes.


• Unlock: Barracks after Feudal Age.


• Recommended: Squires (speed), Plate Mail Armor (pierce armor).


• Team Synergy: Essential support for cavalry-civ allies.


#### 4.4 Archer > Crossbowman > Arbalest (Ranged Damage)

• Background: Ranged unit that deals high pierce damage.


• Strengths: Excellent vs. slow infantry, monks, and light cavalry; can snipe from range.


• Weaknesses: Very low HP, weak to cavalry, especially skirmishers and onagers.


• Playstyle: Use massed behind infantry or walls. Upgrade attack and range.


• Unlock: Archery Range in Feudal Age.


• Recommended: Fletching, Bodkin Arrow, Chemistry, Thumb Ring (accuracy).


• Team: Requires meat shield (pikemen or cavalry).


#### 4.5 Skirmisher > Elite Skirmisher (Anti-Archer)

• Background: Ranged unit that throws javelins, bonuses vs. archers.


• Strengths: Anti-archer specialist, cheap (food/wood), decent HP.


• Weaknesses: Low attack vs. non-archers, weak to cavalry and infantry.


• Playstyle: Counter enemy archer compositions, support spearmen.


• Unlock: Archery Range (Feudal).


• Recommended: +Pierce armor, attack upgrades.


• Team: Pair with cavalry vs. archer civs.


#### 4.6 Scout Cavalry > Light Cavalry > Hussar (Fast Raider)

• Background: Light cavalry for scouting and raiding.


• Strengths: Fast, good vs. villagers, siege, and monks; no gold cost (starting Feudal).


• Weaknesses: Low attack vs. units with armor; weak to spearmen and archers.


• Playstyle: Raid economy, snipe trebuchets, and wall-climbing.


• Unlock: Stable (Feudal).


• Recommended: Bloodlines (HP), Husbandry (speed), +Armor.


• Team: Combine with archers for speed advantage.


#### 4.7 Knight > Cavalier > Paladin (Heavy Cavalry)

• Background: Heavy melee cavalry with high HP and attack.


• Strengths: Dominates in melee vs. most units except spearmen; can tank arrows with upgrades.


• Weaknesses: Costs gold, weak to pikemen, monks, camels, and massed skirmishers.


• Playstyle: Form the main army punch, destroy buildings and units.


• Unlock: Stable (Feudal for Scout, Knight in Castle).


• Recommended: +Armor, +Attack, Bloodlines, Paladin upgrade (Imperial).


• Team: Protect with ranged units.


#### 4.8 Camel Rider (Anti-Cavalry Cavalry)

• Background: Cavalry that excels vs. other cavalry (including knights).


• Strengths: Bonus damage vs. cavalry, faster than knights, resist conversion slightly.


• Weaknesses: Lower HP than knights, weak to archers and infantry.


• Playstyle: Counter knight rushes, support skirmishers.


• Unlock: Stable (Castle for normal Camel, Feudal for Light Camel as unique).


• Recommended: Bloodlines, +Armor.


• Team: Essential vs. cavalry-heavy enemy teams.


#### 4.9 Elephant (War Elephant, Battle Elephant)

• Background: Extremely heavy cavalry (unique to Persians, Indians, Khmer, etc.).


• Strengths: Highest HP in game, trample damage, strong vs. buildings.


• Weaknesses: Very slow, costly, vulnerable to monks, halberdiers, and massed archers.


• Playstyle: Slow juggernaut; protect from conversion with light cavalry or own monks.


• Unlock: Castle (unique unit).


• Recommended: Armor, conscription, Zealotry (Saracens).


• Team: Pair with archers to cover anti-elephant weakness.


#### 4.10 Siege Weapons

• Battering Ram > Capped Ram > Siege Ram: Anti-building, absorbs arrow fire.


• Mangonel > Onager > Siege Onager: Area damage vs. units and buildings.


• Scorpion > Heavy Scorpion: Line pierce damage vs. units.


• Bombard Cannon: Anti-building and anti-siege, can kill units.


• Siege Tower: Used to cross walls.


• Unlock: Siege Workshop (Castle).


• Playstyle: Use Rams to tank, Onagers to kill masses, Bombards to kill buildings and priority units.


• Team: Need protection from cavalry and monks.


#### 4.11 Monk (Religious Unit)

• Background: Heals friendly units and converts enemy units.


• Strengths: Can convert powerful enemy units, heal, and pick up relics.


• Weaknesses: Very fragile, slow, needs micro, expensive (gold).


• Playstyle: Use to convert high-value targets (elephants, paladins) or heal hero units. Garrison with relics.


• Unlock: Monastery (Castle Age) with upgrades (Redemption, Block Printing, Theocracy).


• Recommended: +Range, healing upgrades.


• Team: Best used defensively; can deny enemy big units.


#### 4.12 Naval Units

• Fishing Ship: Gathers fish.


• Trade Cog: Generates gold via trade.


• War Galley > Galleon > Cannon Galleon: Main warship.


• Fire Galley > Fire Ship > Fast Fire Ship: Incendiary ship vs. other ships.


• Demolition Raft > Demolition Ship > Heavy Demo Ship: Kamikaze ship.


• Unlock: Dock (Dark Age for Fishing Ship, Feudal for War Galley, etc.)


• Playstyle: Control water for economy and map control.


• Team: Naval civs (Vikings, Italians, Portuguese) dominate water maps.




5. Team Synergy



In team games, civilizations work together like a team of characters. Key synergies:

• Cavalry Civ + Archer Civ: One player tanks (Franks, Magyars) while the other provides ranged DPS (Britons, Mayans).


• Siege Focus + Infantry Support: Mongols with Mangudai and Onagers; Celts with strong infantry and siege.


• Monk + Elephant: Byzantine or Saracen monks protect slow elephantes.


• Economic Boost: Teutons with extra farm bonus, Mayans with longer resources.


• Trash Wars: Civs with strong trash units (Vikings, Japanese) excel in late-game random map where gold is scarce.




6. Unlock Conditions Summary




• Campaign Heroes: Complete the first scenario of their respective campaign (campaigns are unlocked by progressing through the game or selected from the main menu).


• Unique Units: Reach Castle Age (Feudal for some civs like Magyars with unique scout) and build a Castle (or unique building for certain civs).


• Unit Roles: All unit types become available as you advance through Ages and build appropriate military buildings (Barracks, Archery Range, Stable, Siege Workshop, Dock, Monastery).


• Special Units: King in Regicide mode is available at the start; Relics are generated on the map.




7. Recommended Builds & Upgrades per Role



For a standard competitive build order (e.g., "Fast Castle into Knights"), prioritize:

• Scout Build: Drush + Scouts in Feudal, upgrade to Light Cavalry, add Bloodlines and +1 armor.


• Archer Build: 6-8 archers in Feudal, upgrade Fletching, then Bodkin Arrow in Castle.


• Infantry Build: Man-at-Arms rush in Feudal, upgrade M@A to Long Swordsman in Castle.


• Siege Build: Fast Castle into Mangonels, upgrade to Onager, add Bombard Cannons in Imperial.

Each civilization has unique bonuses that affect these builds. For example, Britons get cheaper archer upgrades, Franks get cheaper cavalry upgrades.

8. Conclusion

In Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, the "characters" are your civilization, its unique units, the hero units of history, and the diverse roles of every military and economic unit. Understanding each role's strengths, weaknesses, and synergies is the key to mastering this deep RTS. Treat each unit type as a class, and your civilization as your main character, and you will command the battlefield like a legendary general.

For detailed stats and all civilizations, refer to the in-game Civilopedia (F1).

Cheats & Secrets for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Introduction

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (AoE2:DE) retains nearly all the classic cheat codes from the original 1999 game, plus a few new ones and hidden features. Cheats can be entered via the chat window during gameplay. While cheats are primarily for fun or testing strategies, they are not available in ranked multiplayer matches. Many Easter eggs, secret units, and developer-intended hidden content also exist. This guide covers everything from instant-win codes to obscure references.

How to Enter Cheat Codes

1. During a game (single-player or unranked multiplayer), press Enter (or Tilde `~` on some keyboards) to open the chat window.
2. Type the cheat code exactly as listed (case-insensitive) and press Enter again.
3. A confirmation message will appear, and the effect will take place immediately.
4. Note: Cheats disable achievements for that session. To re-enable, you must restart the game without using cheats.

List of Cheat Codes

All codes are entered into the chat window. Effects are immediate.

#### Notes on “New” Cheats in Definitive Edition

• The code `E=MC2` (from the original expansion games) does not work in DE.


• The code `MADNESS` (from the original) does not work in DE.


• The code `NATURAL WONDERS` may work inconsistently across DE versions.


• Some codes like `COINAGE` (gives resources) from AoE1 are not present.




Hidden Features & Easter Eggs



#### 1. The Cobra Car (Easter Egg)

• How to get: Enter the cheat code `HOW DO YOU TURN THIS ON`.


• What it is: A fast, black sports car that fires powerful rockets. It can kill most units in one hit. It’s a joke unit referencing the classic “Cobra” from the original game’s credits. In DE, it retains its ridiculous stats.


#### 2. The Plopper (Easter Egg Unit)

• What it is: A hidden unit that looks like a man pooping. It appears if you type `TO SMITHEREENS`? Actually, `TO SMITHEREENS` gives a Saboteur (monk with a bomb). The Plopper is separate: In some versions, typing `FURIOUS THE MONKEY BOY` (or `I LOVE THE MONKEY HEAD`) gives a Jaguar Warrior, not a Plopper. The Plopper is actually from the original game’s scenario editor – it’s a primitive unit that can be placed by map makers. Not a cheat code. To see it in DE, use the scenario editor or play the custom map “Plopper” scenario. No standard cheat summons it.


#### 3. The Hidden “Saboteur” Animation

• Enter `TO SMITHEREENS` to get a Saboteur – a monk holding a bomb. If you right-click on an enemy, the monk runs up and self-destructs in a massive explosion, killing everything nearby (including allies). Use with caution.


#### 4. The “Monkey Head” Jaguar Warrior

• Enter `I LOVE THE MONKEY HEAD` to spawn a fully upgraded Jaguar Warrior (the Aztec unique unit) that has both elite upgrades and unique technologies (like Garland Wars). It is extremely powerful.


#### 5. The “Aegis” Instant Build Visual

• With `AEGIS` active, you can see buildings and units complete instantly. This is not just a cheat but a fun way to watch entire armies spawn instantly. Great for testing or just messing around.


#### 6. The “Marco Polo” Combo

• Enter both `MARCO` and `POLO` – they are separate codes that do the same thing (reveal map). No special combo effect, but the game recognizes both.

Secret Achievements (Hidden/Developer-Intended)

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has several hidden achievements tied to specific actions, often referencing the original game or historical trivia. These are legitimate, cheat-free achievements.

Note: Many achievements are not “hidden” per se but are not listed in the standard UI until you earn them.

Exploit-Safe Secrets (Not Cheats, but Legitimate Game Mechanics)

#### 1. Scenario Editor Secrets

• You can place hidden units like the “Plopper” and “Cobra” (without cheats) by selecting them from the unit list in the Scenario Editor. These units are not available in normal gameplay but are fully functional in custom scenarios.


• The “Saboteur” (exploding monk) can also be placed in custom maps.


#### 2. The “Surprise” Attack from Naval AI

• In some campaigns, the AI may have hidden triggers that spawn units in unexpected places. This is not a secret per se, but it’s worth noting that the AI can use cheat-like behavior (e.g., instantly training units) to provide a challenge.


#### 3. The “Fast Fire” on Galleons

• A known behavior: Galleons with the “Fast Fire” upgrade (research in the Dock) fire much faster than expected. This is a documented game mechanic, not a bug.




Developer-Intended Hidden Content



#### 1. The “AoE1” Easter Egg in Scenario Editor

• In the Scenario Editor, some units from Age of Empires I (like the Phalanx) can be found under “Special” units. This is a developer inclusion for fans.


#### 2. The “Cataphract” Animation Glitch (Now Fixed)

• In older versions of DE, the Cataphract (Byzantine unique unit) had an unused animation where it would slide sideways – this was a developer leftover. It has been patched.


#### 3. The “Villager Dance” Hidden Animation

• If you select a group of female villagers and repeatedly press the “Stop” button, they sometimes perform a brief dance animation. This is a remnant of the original game’s idle animations.


#### 4. The “Exploding Sheep” in the Editor

• In the Scenario Editor, you can place a “Sheep (Exploding)” unit that explodes when killed. This unit is not available in normal play but is a fun addition for map makers.




Important Notes



• Cheats disable achievements: If you want to unlock hidden achievements, avoid using any cheat codes in that session.


• Not all cheats work in all modes: Cheats are disabled in ranked multiplayer and often in lobby games with the “Cheats Disabled” option. They work in single-player skirmishes and campaigns.


• Use cheats responsibly: Overusing `AEGIS` or `BLACK DEATH` can break campaign triggers. Save your game before cheating.


• The “Extremely Secret” Code: There is no known secret code that unlocks a hidden civilization or all techs. The codes above are the complete list for DE.

Conclusion

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition preserves the beloved cheat codes of its predecessor while adding a few new ones and plenty of Easter eggs. Whether you want to spawn a rocket car, get infinite resources, or reveal the map, these codes provide a fun way to experiment. For legitimate secrets, explore the Scenario Editor and hidden achievements. Remember that cheats are for single-player fun only – ranked players must rely on strategy alone.