Characters & Roles

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).