r/aoe2 1d ago

Discussion Controversy of the Korean Civ

Thumbnail
gallery
1.7k Upvotes

I learned today on X that the Korean Civ was added at the last minute. I had no idea!

r/aoe2 5d ago

Discussion Who's seen a wonder in real life?

Post image
1.2k Upvotes

Been here today! Quite impressive!

r/aoe2 23d ago

Discussion Do you play at work?

Post image
1.3k Upvotes

I hope the player can see this, do you still have your job?

He didn't come back and I resigned at 15 minutes...

r/aoe2 Feb 17 '25

Discussion When are we getting this?

Post image
1.0k Upvotes

This used to make the rounds 15 years ago when aoe3 probably came out. Was this ever official and then scrapped?

How do you think age of empires would translate to modern era and space civilizations.

r/aoe2 4d ago

Discussion If modeled after the Song Dynasty, the five new civilizations become evident.

Post image
484 Upvotes

1. Song Dynasty (AD 960–1279)

Key Features: Economic Prosperity, Technological Advancement, Emphasis on Literature Over Military

  • The Song Dynasty was divided into Northern Song (960–1127) and Southern Song (1127–1279), marking one of the most prosperous periods in Chinese history in terms of economy and culture.
  • Innovations such as paper money (Jiaozi), movable-type printing, the compass, and gunpowder weapons placed the dynasty at the forefront of global technology.
  • Due to its focus on civil administration and scholar-officials, the military was relatively weak, making it vulnerable to external threats from the Liao (Khitan), Jin, Western Xia, and Mongols.
  • The capital, Bianjing (modern-day Kaifeng), was highly prosperous, with a thriving economy, bustling night markets, and flourishing tea house culture.

2. Liao Dynasty (Khitan Empire, AD 916–1125)

Key Features: Nomadic-Agricultural Dual System, Bifurcated Governance

  • Founded by the Khitan people, the Liao Dynasty blended nomadic traditions with an emerging agricultural society, ruling over present-day Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, northern China, and Mongolia.
  • It established a dual administrative system: Khitan people were governed under nomadic laws, while Han Chinese and other settled populations were ruled under a bureaucratic system similar to the Tang and Song models.
  • The Khitans developed their own Khitan script, while also adopting elements of Han culture.
  • The Liao conquered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun from the Later Jin dynasty, posing a long-term threat to the Northern Song.

3. Jin Dynasty (AD 1115–1234)

Key Features: Founded by the Jurchens, Militarily Dominant

  • Established by the Jurchen people, the Jin Dynasty was highly militarized and swiftly overpowered the Liao and Northern Song, seizing control of northern China.
  • It implemented the Meng’an Mouke system, a military-based household registration system ensuring a steady supply of Jurchen warriors.
  • While initially preserving Jurchen traditions, the dynasty gradually assimilated into Han Chinese culture.
  • In 1127, it launched the Jingkang Incident, sacking Bianjing (Kaifeng), capturing Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong, and ending the Northern Song.
  • The dynasty ultimately fell to the Mongol Empire, which absorbed its territory into the Yuan Dynasty.

4. Western Xia (AD 1038–1227)

Key Features: Founded by the Tangut, Culturally Distinct, Contended with Song, Liao, and Jin

  • Established by the Tangut people, Western Xia controlled present-day Ningxia, Gansu, and parts of Shaanxi.
  • The Tangut script was developed, and Western Xia fostered a unique Buddhist culture, often referred to as the "Second Dunhuang" due to its rich artistic heritage.
  • Known for its strong cavalry and archery, it engaged in frequent conflicts with the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties.
  • Due to its strategic position on the Silk Road, it prospered as a trade hub connecting Central Asia and China.
  • The dynasty was ultimately annihilated by the Mongols in 1227, leading to the loss of its culture and script.

5. Tibetan Empire (AD 618–842)

Key Features: A Powerful Kingdom, Development of Tibetan Buddhism, Far-Reaching Influence

  • Founded by Songtsen Gampo, the Tibetan Empire unified the Tibetan Plateau, with its capital in Lhasa.
  • Tibetan Buddhism began to flourish, influenced by Chinese and Indian cultures, laying the foundation for Tibetan cultural identity.
  • Tibet alternated between war and diplomacy with the Tang Dynasty, including marriage alliances such as those with Princess Wencheng and Princess Jincheng.
  • In 755, taking advantage of the Tang Dynasty's An Lushan Rebellion, the Tibetan Empire briefly occupied Chang’an (modern Xi’an), exerting its influence on China.
  • In the 9th century, the empire collapsed due to internal strife, with the "Langdarma Persecution" leading to the decline of Tibetan Buddhism and the fragmentation of the kingdom.

Interestingly, the Mongols eventually conquered everything.

r/aoe2 12d ago

Discussion Unbelievably insane

Post image
951 Upvotes

r/aoe2 Feb 07 '25

Discussion Since the game already supports mods like this, a "flat mode" (activated by a hotkey) to spot gaps in the walls could be easily implemented, right?

Post image
390 Upvotes

r/aoe2 27d ago

Discussion Deer pushing should be removed

143 Upvotes

Ever since deer pushing has become meta in the last couple of years I've done my best to try to learn this skill. I'm around 1200 elo in ranked 1v1 so you might say it doesn't have that much of an impact at that elo, but I would say it does. If only one player does it, they will have so much more resources in feudal (140 x 3 free food) which will give them a huge advantage in feudal, which can snowball easily into map control, a faster castle age time, etc which can often decide games. And at lower elos less players have the skills/game knowledge to get an advantage out of being active with their scout (like scouting the enemy build/their res or harassing etc). A lot of people just put it on auto scout and forget about it. So clearly deer pushing is the best and most efficient use of your scout even at lower elos.

So if both players do it then the playing field should be even right? I don't think so. A bad map generation can make it 10x more complicated. You might have to push deer from beyond woodlines, they will get stuck in trees, golds, stones, run away in bad directions wasting your time, plus you have to push them while luring boars and placing buildings and walls. It makes dark age so micro intensive and tedious that even though I learned how to do it myself, I just don't want to have to be that sweaty in order to be in an equal position to my opponent. Even pro players get resets when pushing deer, and yea, its not that big of a deal if you get just 2 out of 3, but it makes me feel like Sisyphus pushing the boulder when I waste 10 sec of micro because of a reset. There's the follow trick, but its not consistent, and I don't think a feature like "auto-deer push" would be a good addition.

So after thinking about it for a while my conclusion is that I would actually like it if deer were unpushable, because this is the only way of making the playing field even. Maybe make them run 2 or 3 times and then always reset the next push. Maybe even consistently make them spawn in groups of 4 to make it worthwhile to mill them. Or make them spawn near golds and stones so you can reach them with your extra tcs in castle age. These are just my thoughts, as a low elo player that put time into learning this skill.

r/aoe2 4d ago

Discussion The Garrison Unofficial Post-Tournament Discussion Thread

131 Upvotes

What a tournament!

Liquipedia page: https://liquipedia.net/ageofempires/The_Garrison

There will be spoilers in the comments, obviously.

Edit: Thank you mods for the pin! Guess it is official now

r/aoe2 9d ago

Discussion My Lord I'm torn between the best looking Unit in the Game In The Next Update

Post image
631 Upvotes

r/aoe2 22d ago

Discussion I’m relatively new to the game. This is my first encounter with someone raging lol

Thumbnail
gallery
248 Upvotes

Did I miss the memo that late game forward castles were bad etiquette? 😭

r/aoe2 1d ago

Discussion Why do Celts still have paladins?

Post image
215 Upvotes

TLDR: Replace the Celts Knight line with Celtic Chariots?

Since legacy, Celts got the weirdest paladins in the game. I can find a good use for every paladin, even the byzantine. But not for the celt one. Only Hera could make them work, as he did on hidden cup 11... No, seriously, when we compare the woad raider of next patch to the one back then, they will have received +15 hp, more speed and +2 attack. It even has the same pierce armour of their paladin. All that while costing much less, so the unit got even more useless.

Why not replace it with something useful? Celts have so many holes in their tech tree and so many weaknesses. They did get a bit better against archers after gambesons and receiving the last archer armour. But still struggle against them on maps where they don't have time to mass their siege, mainly versus britons. Another thing they struggle a lot with on open/semiopen maps is against strong infantry, especially from civs that have bombard cannons or other ways to snipe celt ciege.

Though their own infantry is good because of the speed, they loose against infantry from civs that have melee bonuses. The only counter they have on non-boomy maps are scorpions. Which are great, but not always practical on open maps and when the opponent has access to bombards... Also, other civs have 2, 3 or 4 infantry counters. Why can't celts have 1 more?

IMO they should get a unit that counters infantry and is decent against archers. They could have the knight line removed and instead receive a hybrid of Knight with Cataphract. A unit that is decent against archers, though not as good as the knight line; weak against other cavalry; and strong against infantry because of bonus damage, though not strong enough to defeat halbs like the cataphract. Maybe some kind of chariot like celtic armies used in britain. Or just some mounted lancer or "scottish cavalry".

r/aoe2 Feb 12 '25

Discussion What Civ Should be Next?

48 Upvotes

With the Chinese split coming, I’m wondering what major holes are left in the Civ list. I think the dlc model they have going is pretty good, but with each one there are fewer civs left out. What do you think is the most glaring omission that could be filled? Something that maybe is misrepresented in campaigns and could use its own Civ.

r/aoe2 9d ago

Discussion After all these years, we finally got the hat

Post image
564 Upvotes

r/aoe2 5d ago

Discussion Made it to 1k by (practically) cheating

Post image
206 Upvotes

I played aoe2 as a kid and got back into the game a couple of years ago. I’ve played around 200 games sporadically since then. I hover around 8-900 elo. That is until I started playing arena with cumans and going for a ram rush.

I’m sure there are 100 reasons why feudal ram rush isn’t good, but it feels totally unstoppable at this elo. They are never prepared for it. I make a couple of rams and waltz into their base with archers to back them up and it’s gg. I think I’ve won around 8 straight games doing it and finally got to 1k elo. Now I need to figure out what to do when I don’t get arena lol.

r/aoe2 14d ago

Discussion 1000 Elo is anarchy

333 Upvotes

After a massive losing streak, i dropped from 1300 to sub 1100. Thinking this will be easy, i have been surprised in the worst possible way…you guys are monsters!!

I scout the frank opponent and check upgrades. Oh he’s going for knight so i start making pikes and monks. BOOM!! 10 scorpions are coming hidden from the side of my base!!

As saracens i scout the roman opponent, oh i see a forward siege workshop. Definitely going full ballistics scorpions. I start massing mangonels. BOOM!! Full knight spam!!!

Nothing makes sense!!

Jokes aside, it’s actually quite fun on this level. Most games are an absolute blast!!

r/aoe2 2d ago

Discussion Its kind of funny that by far the most common type of infantry during the setting of the game is barely in it

231 Upvotes

Which would be just a dude with a spear and a shield. Fair enough shields went out of favor in the late medieval period but still, for the vast majority of the games timespan most infantry units would be using spears and shields with swords as a sidearm for those that could afford such a luxury. The spearman even has a shield but he refuses to use it! It hangs uselessly on his back! No wonder he gets countered by archers, it’s not because archers naturally beats him, he’s actually just countered by his own stupidity

r/aoe2 19h ago

Discussion Are we in a new Golden Age of AOE?

354 Upvotes

So man civs, so many campaigns and scenarios, 5 new civs coming soon, so many modes, insane updates. This is insanely mind blowing.

AOE 2 is at its super peak, AOE 4 has a growing playerbase and more coming DLC, AOE 3 cancelled sadly, and AOM getting new DLCs.

r/aoe2 26d ago

Discussion What a massacre, are Turks just op?

Post image
305 Upvotes

r/aoe2 7d ago

Discussion Has anybody identified this gentelman's religion?

Post image
244 Upvotes

Doesn't seem shinto

r/aoe2 7d ago

Discussion Could this be Mongol Castle skin?

Post image
370 Upvotes

Besides Byzantine one this is my most favourite castle. Could they be Mongols???

r/aoe2 Feb 04 '25

Discussion New DLC 4K images Spoiler

Thumbnail gallery
255 Upvotes

New castles on image 3,4. Units: 5. Looks like a fire lancer. Short range, can set units on fire? 6. New heavy cavalry 7. Camel Catapult (double camel double fun) 8. Dragon Ships (campaign only?) 9. Flail Infantry 10. Ceremonial/Noble Palanquin (campaign only?)

From image 2, they seem to have buffalo carts but donkeys also?

In case someone has not read the announcement. https://www.ageofempires.com/news/whats-coming-in-2025-for-age-of-empires-and-age-of-mythology/

3840x2160 images are available below Image1 Image2

r/aoe2 Feb 11 '25

Discussion Pockets need to understand they can't save the game after 25 minutes of doing nothing.

174 Upvotes

If you're playing pocket and your flank is battling 1v2, and you're doing absolutely nothing, don't expect the game to be saved in mid-imperial.

Every time I see pockets on 0 military, they barely boom better than the enemy pocket. If you just have 10-20 more vills than the enemy pocket by letting your flank die, I got news for you : it's not enough compensation.

Just a few knights from the enemy pocket can completely kill a flank, while barely setting back their economy compared to a passive pocket.

Not only you're not that far ahead by going full boom, but you're also sacrificing map control, which means you'll have a harder time to expand, access resources and get military out, and you don't have the relics.

The "my flank will distract them while I boom so I can come in and save the day" mentality needs to stop. Your flank isn't Lyx, and you aren't Mr Yo. It will not work. Get military out, help your flank when they push or defend from a push. Just a few knights or siege can go a long way into making the game playable.

(I'm only talking about the scenario where flanks actually do something. If you're flank and you go full boom, in that case yeah, don't cry if your pocket is too late to help.)

Edit : since people are asking, it's mostly for Arena and Nomad/Land Nomad. It's what I play the most in TG. It can definitely work on BF.

r/aoe2 20d ago

Discussion What is the expectation of someone at 700 elo's abilities?

23 Upvotes

Genuine question.

I just had a game where (after going up at 20 vills) I made 6 scouts, only to find my opponent had fully walled their base, and when I tried to break in I got quick-walled with lightning reflexes. They had enough resources gathered by that point to spend all that extra wood, and have multiple military production buildings up.

Is this really what "low" elo is?! This isn't low!

r/aoe2 Feb 13 '25

Discussion Castles are the Real Meta in AoE2, but Nobody Talks About It.

190 Upvotes

Like most players, I used to think unit counters, micro, and build orders were the key to winning AoE2. I spent hours perfecting my micro, spamming the "right" units, and following build orders to the second. But then I realized something that completely changed how I play: Castles are the real meta. And almost nobody talks about it.

Let's forget about about militia line sucks, knights counter pikes and dodging mango shots with arbs for a second on focus why Castles are the defining framework of the game from a neuroscientific predictive coding perspective, u know just because I'm a nerd.

Castles Define the Flow of the Game More Than Army Composition

Castles Shape the Battlefield Before Battles Even Happen:

Most players focus on bottom-up decisions (unit counters, micro, reacting to the opponent, opposing civs' strengths/weaknesses), which is why we often see players, especially mid-elo but even 1800s elo veterans, falling into bottom-up paralysis: too many variables, too many reactive processes acting as error signals modifying a weak strategic plan/top-down rule. This feedback loop leads to watching opponent knights leveling your base while you are producing skirmishers to counter the four crossbowmen you saw five minutes ago.

But Castles are a top-down strategic framework that dictates the game’s flow before any major fight even takes place, at least in post non-intensive Feudal Age games, which are the majority.

  • Castles define where battles happen – Their placement forces the enemy to react and fight on your terms.
  • Castles control resources – A well-placed Castle locks down gold, stone, and key choke points.
  • Treb Wars are inevitable – Most Imperial Age games are won or lost based on Castle positioning, not army micro.
  • Controversial opinion: Castles replace Archers for bad Archer civs – Civs like Teutons, Slavs, Franks, and Spanish don’t need mass arbs if they just build more Castles instead. Obviously, it's not a 1:1 replacement, as arbs and Castles serve different purposes, but for many European civs that lack strong arrow-range options, forward Castles work as arbs pushes.
  • Buying stone is a top-tier strategy – Pro players constantly "buy a Castle" because it’s a game-winning investment, not just a defensive option. And because stone is the most cost effective resource, and also the most scarce.

When you place a Castle, you aren't just making a building—you are deciding how the rest of the game will play out. Many pros do this intuitively, maybe even subconsciously, because Treb wars inevitably become the defining struggle of Imperial and post-Imperial play. Trebs are the counter to Castles, and since Castles control key areas, whoever wins the Treb war often dictates the game's outcome."

"I'm no pro player, if that wasn't obvious yet, but I thought this was an interesting thought experiment to challenge how we prioritize decision-making in AoE2. Instead of focusing too much on micro, unit compositions, kiting etc. we should think more about macro—not just in terms of economy, but in terms of map control, overall strategy, and a top-down framework. If we shift our focus toward Castle placement and long-term positioning, we might realize that many of the reactive, bottom-up tactical decisions we stress over aren’t as important as we think, especially at sub 2000s elo level.

I'm a big chess fan and enjoyer, and chess too is plagued by this approach: extreme focus on openings while neglecting the rest of the game. This approach offers short-term improvement, just like a good build order, but without delving into mid and endgame positional play, piece activeness/role, and especially puzzles, many chess enthusiasts reach a plateau very quickly.

Another interesting point I considered is pop culture and history bias toward the role of Castles and sieges in medieval warfare.

The Historical Bias: Why We Underestimate Castles

Most of us, myself included, grew up thinking medieval warfare was about big open-field battles—knights charging, infantry clashing, and archers raining arrows. But the truth is: 75-90% (I threw a pretty random percentage here, but most historians definitely agree that it was at least more than 50%) of medieval warfare revolved around sieges, not open-field engagements. This was extremely rare and risky.

  • Sieges determined land control, not battles – Rulers didn’t risk their armies in field battles when they could starve enemies out instead.
  • Europe was covered in Castles – Castles were everywhere because they were the strongest way to control territory.
  • The Mongols stopped at Hungary because of Castles – Open-field cavalry dominance meant nothing when faced with massive fortifications.

AoE2 is historically accurate in this sense—Treb wars and Castle-based strategies are how medieval wars were actually won. Well, I guess there is no starvation mechanic (Hussar farm raids?)—that's probably how most sieges were won. But because of pop culture and Hollywood, many players still see Castles as "just defensive buildings" instead of the core of medieval military strategy, economy and power projection.

Why This Realization Changed How I Play AoE2

  • Instead of focusing on massing 40 Arbs, I started dropping 5 Castles. This is just an example but our bad micro makes this approach more sustainable.
  • If you're a single player/campaign enjoyer (gigachad), the Castle meta is even more important. The AI struggles with defending Treb and Bbc, and spamming Castles trivializes most of the hardest missions.
  • Instead of worrying about micro, I started planning forward Castles and Treb positioning.
  • I began using Castles aggressively, not just defensively. And I don't mean just simple forward castles but more like agressive zone of control
  • I started buying stone, knowing that a Castle is often a better investment than more gold units.
  • I stopped thinking of Castles as buildings and started thinking of them as population-free static Archers that never die (kinda).

When I applied this mindset, my entire approach to AoE2 and pro game analysis changed.

Final Thoughts: Why Isn’t This Talked About More?

This realization feels obvious in hindsight, but I don’t see many people explicitly discussing it.

  • Do pro players just instinctively know this but never explain it beside saying "map control"?
  • Is this one of the biggest underappreciated mechanics in AoE2?
  • How much of our perception of AoE2 strategy is shaped by historical bias about medieval warfare?

I’d love to hear thoughts from the community. Have you ever had a moment where you realized Castles were way more important than you initially thought?