Castle Age

The Castle Age is the third Age in Age of Empires II. It allows access to Castles, siege units, unique units, and Monks. As a result, the battle on the map intensifies and sieges become possible. The different civilizations can now start to really display their unique abilities and tactics. The Castle Age is followed by the Imperial Age.

Note: The list below only shows the units, buildings, and technologies that are activated when a player advances to the Castle Age. If you wish to see the units, buildings, and technologies that are available from earlier Ages, see Dark Age or Feudal Age.

Requirements
The Age advancement from the Feudal Age to the Castle Age requires: The Age advancement from the Castle Age to the Imperial Age requires:
 * 800 food
 * 200 gold
 * Any combination of two different Feudal Age buildings: Market, Blacksmith, Archery Range, Stable
 * 160 seconds of research at the Town Center
 * 1000 food
 * 800 gold
 * A Castle or any combination of two different Castle Age buildings: Monastery, University, Siege Workshop
 * 190 seconds of research at a Town Center

Civilian Buildings

 * Monastery - trains and upgrades Monks
 * University - building to research and upgrade structures and missiles
 * Town Center - trains and upgrades Villagers

Military Buildings

 * Castle1 - trains and upgrades unique units and siege units
 * Siege Workshop - trains and upgrades siege units
 * 1) The Castle is also a defensive structure.

Defensive Structures

 * Guard Tower1 - Tower that attacks enemies on sight
 * Fortified Wall1 - protects an area from enemy attacks
 * 1) The Guard Tower and the Fortified Wall have to be researched at the University.

Civilian Units
At the Monastery
 * Monk - special unit used for healing, converting enemies, and gathering Relics
 * Missionary - mounted special unit used for healing and converting enemies

Military Units
At the Barracks
 * Long Swordsman - swordsman unit
 * Pikeman - anti-cavalry unit
 * Eagle Warrior1 - scouting unit, also good against archers
 * 1) The Eagle Warrior is only available to the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans.

At the Archery Range
 * Crossbowman - archer unit
 * Elite Skirmisher - anti-archer javelineer
 * Cavalry Archer - mounted archer
 * Slinger1 - anti-infantry unit
 * Genitour2 - mounted anti-archer javelineer
 * 1) The Slinger is only available to the Incas.
 * 2) The Genitour is only available to the Berbers and their allies.

At the Stable
 * Camel - anti-cavalry unit
 * Knight - heavy cavalry unit
 * Light Cavalry - light and quick scouting unit

At the Castle
 * Unique Unit - a special unit only one civilization can train
 * Petard - self-destructive anti-building unit

At the Siege Workshop
 * Mangonel - ranged siege unit with splash attack
 * Battering Ram - anti-building siege unit that is almost immune to missiles
 * Scorpion - ranged siege unit
 * Siege Tower - siege unit that can drop off units behind walls

At the Dock
 * War Galley - basic war ship
 * Fire Ship - war ship with a flamethrower
 * Demolition Ship - self-destructive vessel
 * Longboat1 - war ship that shoots multiple arrows
 * Turtle Ship2 - heavy armored ship that fires a cannon
 * Caravel3 - war ship that shoots arrows with splash attack
 * 1) The Longboat is only available to the Vikings.
 * 2) The Turtle Ship is only available to the Koreans.
 * 3) The Caravel is only available to the Portuguese.

Economic Technologies
At the Town Center
 * Town Patrol - increases building LOS
 * Hand Cart - makes Villagers more effective

At the Mill
 * Heavy Plow - gives Farms extra food

At the Lumber Camp
 * Bow Saw - increases wood-chopping speed

At the Mining Camp
 * Stone Shaft Mining - increases stone-mining speed
 * Gold Shaft Mining - increases gold-mining speed

At the Market
 * Banking - removes tribute fee
 * Caravan - doubles the speed of trade units

At the Dock
 * Gillnets - increases the working rate of Fishing Ships

At the University
 * Masonry - strengthens buildings
 * Treadmill Crane - increases construction speed

Military Technologies
At the Barracks
 * Squires - increases infantry speed
 * Arson - increases infantry attack against buildings

At the Archery Range
 * Thumb Ring - increases archer accuracy and rate of fire

At the Stable
 * Husbandry - increases cavalry speed

At the Dock
 * Careening - increases ship armor and Transport Ship capacity

At the Blacksmith
 * Iron Casting - increases infantry and cavalry attack
 * Chain Mail Armor - increases infantry armor
 * Bodkin Arrow - improves missiles
 * Leather Archer Armor - increases archer armor
 * Chain Barding Armor - increases cavalry armor

At the University
 * Ballistics - increases accuracy when missiles are fired at moving targets
 * Murder Holes - removes minimum range of Castles and Towers
 * Heated Shot - increases Castle and Tower attack against ships
 * Arrowslits - increases Tower attack

At the Castle
 * Unique Technology1 - special technology that only one civilization can research
 * 1) Not all unique technologies are military technologies.

Religious Technologies
At the Monastery
 * Redemption - Monks can convert siege units and most buildings
 * Fervor - increases Monk speed
 * Sanctity - increases Monk HP
 * Atonement - Monks can convert other Monks
 * Heresy - converted units die instead of taking the enemy's color
 * Herbal Medicine - garrisoned units heal faster

Civilization Bonuses

 * Ethiopians: Receive 100 food and 100 gold when advancing to the Castle Age.
 * Italians: Advancing to the Castle Age is 10% cheaper.
 * Persians: Researching the Castle Age is 10% faster.

History
"Castles began appearing across the landscape of Europe in the ninth century as local lords sought to solidify their power. Castles protected them from neighbors and provided a safe haven from which mounted warriors could ride out and control the nearby country. Typical of the Castle Age was the conquest of Wales by Edward I of England. By placing a series of massive castles at strategic points throughout Wales, Edward accomplished his conquest with a minimum of fighting. The castles were impregnable to the scattered warriors of Wales. English soldiers inside could ride out at their leisure and control the conduct of trade, gathering of crops, and collection of taxes. The Castle Age witnessed a rise in population, economic growth, increased trade, the Crusades to the Holy Land, a new interest in the arts, the rise of knights, and the formation of great kingdoms."

- Age of Empires II manual