Fortified Wall (Age of Empires II)

Fortified Wall is a type of defensive structure available on Age of Empires II once the player reach the Castle Age. It is obtained by researching it at the University. It offers considerable defense to a player and is nearly impenetrable without siege weapons.

Fortified Wall is the upgrade of Stone Wall and is available to all civilizations except for the Persians, Huns, Magyars and Goths.

Tactics and Placement
When they are built around the outside of a town, it makes the town very difficult to attack, as any attacking units would have to destroy the wall before attacking any of the other buildings and it offers a warning to the town that their opponents are attacking. Several players in Age of Empires II use Fortified Wall in their defenses in the late game.

Fortified Walls are essential when performing a turtling strategy, basically they help  the player to gain some time against enemy troops as the walls blocks critical important areas from the opponents becoming a distraction for their troops while providing defense for friendly ranged units and buildings that can attack the opponents from behind the walls without taking any retaliation from melee units.

Walls should be placed  in strategic points that surrounds and protects the player's settlements or if in a team game in points that may help to defend the team. When placing the player can take in many cases the advantages of the terrain for example placing them next to forests and cliffs ( that may block an opponent) will help the player to enclose an area as they will require less Fortified Wall tiles. The support of Towers and Castles is highly valuable  specially in mayor choke points as the walls only serves as a blocking building and can´t attack, placing gates is also required to increase the efficiency of wall defensive structures as the gate allows to friendly units to pass through the wall  while impeding enemy units to enter the walled area.

Having units like archers and ranged siege weapons behind the wall can prove to be a highly efficient way to defend an important location as well, also the support of fast moving melee units like cavalry is worth noting as the cavalry can manage to destroy the opponent siege units that may destroy the walls.

Trebuchets, Cannon Galleons , Bombard Cannons and Bombard Towers are capable of firing over them while siege rams become devastating against them,  but even so they are still capable to stop and block non siege units. It is a good idea to build walls a fair distance away from important buildings like the town center.

If the player intends a victory through Wonder or Relics, Fortified Walls becomes a vital part of the defense in such scenario as those will help to block the access to the Wonder or the Monasteries  holding relics as well as they will protect Castles, Barracks, Archery ranges, Stables and Towers while also will let ranged units to help in the defense behind the wall.

Civilization Bonuses

 * Byzantines: Fortified Walls have 10%/20%/30%/40% more Hit Points in Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imperial age, Town Watch upgrade is free.
 * Spanish: Fortified Walls are built 30% faster.
 * Chinese : Technologies that benefits Fortified Walls are 10%/15%/20% cheaper in Feudal/Castle/Imperial age.
 * Incas: 15% stone discount on buildings applies to Fortified Walls.

Team bonuses

 * A team containing Mayans: Fortified walls cost 50% less.

The Forgotten Changes

 * Fortified walls take +3 seconds to build
 * Koreans : Build Fortified Walls and other defensive structures 25% faster.

History
''The fortified wall was an upgrade of the stone wall accomplished by building fighting positions into the wall so that defenders could be more effective in repulsing assaults. Strong points and bastions allowed defenders to shoot at enemies at the base of wall, where they might otherwise be safe. The three lines of stone walls outside Constantinople were fortified with hundreds of towers, helping to make the defenses impregnable until the advent of cannon.''