Buildings (Age of Empires II)

The constructable buildings of Age of Empires II are best divided into the Age where they become available or by use. The unconstructable buildings are only found in the Scenario Editor and cannot be built by the player in any regular game.

Constructable buildings
Constructable buildings are buildings that can be built in regular games by Villagers.

Dark Age
The following buildings are always available from the Dark Age on.
 * Towncentericon.png Town Center*
 * Houseicon.png House
 * Millicon.png Mill
 * Farmicon.png Farm
 * Lumbercampicon.png Lumber Camp
 * Miningcampicon.png Mining Camp
 * Dockicon.png Dock
 * Barracks-logo.jpg Barracks
 * Palisadewallicon.png Palisade Wall
 * Palisadegateicon.png Palisade Gate
 * Outposticon.png Outpost

A Town Center can only be built if the initial Town Center is destroyed or the game is started without a Town Center (e.g. Nomad). It is not possible to build a second Town Center until the Castle Age is reached.

Feudal Age
The following buildings can be built once the Feudal Age is reached.
 * Marketicon.png Market
 * Blacksmithicon.png Blacksmith
 * Fishtrapicon.png Fish Trap*
 * Archery-range-logo.jpg Archery Range
 * Stableicon.png Stable
 * Stonewallicon.png Stone Wall
 * Gateicon.png Gate
 * Watchtowericon.png Watch Tower

The Fish Trap can only be built in the water (by Fishing Ships). It is the only building that can be constructed there.

Castle Age
The following buildings can be built once the Castle Age is reached.
 * Towncentericon.png Town Center
 * Monasteryicon.png Monastery
 * Universityicon.png University
 * Siegeworkshopicon.png Siege Workshop
 * Castleicon.png Castle
 * Stonewallicon.png Fortified Wall
 * Watchtowericon.png Guard Tower
 * Dockicon.png Harbor (Malay only)

Imperial Age
The following buildings can be built once the Imperial Age is reached.
 * Wondericon.png Wonder
 * Watchtowericon.png Keep
 * Bombardtowericon.png Bombard Tower
 * Feitoriaicon.png Feitoria (Portuguese only)

Economic

 * Towncentericon.png Town Center
 * Millicon.png Mill
 * Farmicon.png Farm
 * Marketicon.png Market
 * Lumbercampicon.png Lumber Camp
 * Miningcampicon.png Mining Camp
 * Dockicon.png Dock
 * Fishtrapicon.png Fish Trap
 * Feitoriaicon.png Feitoria (Portuguese only)

Research

 * Blacksmithicon.png Blacksmith
 * Universityicon.png University

Military

 * Barracks-logo.jpg Barracks
 * Archery-range-logo.jpg Archery Range
 * Stableicon.png Stable
 * Siegeworkshopicon.png Siege Workshop
 * Castleicon.png Castle
 * Dockicon.png Dock
 * Dockicon.png Harbor (Malay only)

Defensive structures

 * Palisadewallicon.png Palisade Wall
 * Palisadegateicon.png Palisade Gate
 * Stonewallicon.png Stone Wall
 * Gateicon.png Gate
 * Stonewallicon.png Fortified Wall
 * Outposticon.png Outpost
 * Watchtowericon.png Watch Tower
 * Watchtowericon.png Guard Tower
 * Watchtowericon.png Keep
 * Bombardtowericon.png Bombard Tower
 * Castleicon.png Castle
 * Dockicon.png Harbor (Malay only)

Miscellaneous

 * Houseicon.png House
 * Monasteryicon.png Monastery
 * Wondericon.png Wonder

Comparative table
Marked with yellow background are unique buildings.

Note that the table shows the values for the Imperial Age only. Some values (usually HP and armor) increase upon Age advancement for certain buildings and thus are lower in earlier Ages. The values for earlier Ages are visible in the table as mouseovers.

Unconstructable buildings
Unconstructable buildings can only be placed when a map is created in the Scenario Editor and are not available in random map games.
 * Wondericon.png Amphitheatre
 * Aqueducticon.png Aqueduct
 * Wondericon.png Arch of Constantine
 * Armytenticon.png Army Tent
 * Barricadeicon.png Barricade
 * Monasteryicon.png Cathedral
 * Stonewallicon.png City Wall
 * Wondericon.png Colosseum
 * Wondericon.png Dome of the Rock
 * Palisadewallicon.png Fence
 * Watchtowericon.png Fire Tower
 * Castleicon.png Fortress
 * Palisadewallicon.png Fortified Palisade Wall
 * Wondericon.png Gol Gumbaz
 * Wondericon.png Great Pyramid
 * Houseicon.png Hut
 * Wondericon.png Monument
 * Monasteryicon.png Mosque
 * Wondericon.png Palace
 * Armytenticon.png Pavilion
 * Castleicon.png Poenari Castle
 * Wondericon.png Pyramid
 * Wondericon.png Quimper Cathedral
 * Wondericon.png Sanchi Stupa
 * Theaccursedtowericon.png Sea Fortification
 * Gateicon.png Sea Gate
 * Watchtowericon.png Sea Tower
 * Palisadewallicon.png Sea Wall
 * Millicon.png Storage
 * Monasteryicon.png Temple of Heaven
 * Houseicon.png Tent
 * Theaccursedtowericon.png The Accursed Tower
 * Theaccursedtowericon.png The Tower of Flies
 * Marketicon.png Trade Workshop
 * Houseicon.png Yurt

Technologies
Listed below are all technologies that benefit buildings. Marked with yellow background are unique technologies. This list does not contain building upgrades.

Civilizations
The Byzantines, Chinese, Italians, Koreans, and Turks arguably are the civilizations with the strongest and best equipped buildings.

Civilization bonuses
The following civilizations have bonuses that specifically benefit buildings:
 * Britons: Town Centers cost -50% wood (starting in the Castle Age).
 * Byzantines: Buildings have +10%/+20%/30%/+40% HP in the Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age. Town Watch is free.
 * Chinese: Town Centers support 10 population and have +5 Line of Sight.
 * Franks: Castles are 25% cheaper. Horse Collar, Heavy Plow, and Crop Rotation are free.
 * Incas: Houses support 10 population. Buildings cost -15% stone.
 * Khmer: Houses can garrison Villagers.
 * Japanese: Mills, Lumber Camps, and Mining Camps are 50% cheaper.
 * Koreans: Tower upgrades are free (Bombard Tower requires Chemistry). Towers have +1/+2 range in the Castle/Imperial Age. Fortifications are built faster.
 * Malians: Buildings cost -15% wood.
 * Persians: Town Centers and Docks have double HP.
 * Portuguese: Feitoria available in the Imperial Age.
 * Saracens: Markets cost -75 wood.
 * Spanish: Builders work 30% faster.
 * Teutons: Towers have double garrison capacity. Murder Holes are free. Farms are 33% cheaper. Town Centers can garrison +10 units.

Team bonuses
The following civilizations have bonuses that specifically benefit buildings:
 * Chinese: Farms provide +45 food.
 * Ethiopians: Towers have +3 Line of Sight.
 * Incas: Farms are built faster.
 * Malay: Docks have double LOS.
 * Mayans: Walls are 50% cheaper.
 * Vikings: Docks are 15% cheaper.

Architecture sets
In the original Age of Empires II, there were four different architecture sets, each one used by either three or four of the overall 13 civilizations. Ever since, every single of the four expansions introduced at least one new set and with the release of Rise of the Rajas there are ten different architecture sets for 31 civilizations.

African
The African architecture set was introduced in The African Kingdoms. It is used by the following civilizations:



The African architecture set is based on the Sudano-Sahelian architecture, with elements of Aksumite architecture in the Imperial Age.

Central European
The Central European architecture set was introduced in The Age of Kings. It is used by the following civilizations:



The Central European building set is based on medieval German architecture with typical timber framing combined with Romanesque architecture in the Imperial Age.

East Asian
The East Asian architecture set was introduced in The Age of Kings. It is used by the following civilizations:



The East Asian architecture set is based on medieval Japanese architecture, with some Chinese elements in the Imperial Age.

Eastern European
The Eastern European architecture set was introduced in The Forgotten. It is used by the following civilizations:



The Eastern European set is primarily based on medieval Russian architecture. The timber architecture in the Feudal Age is based on Veliky Novgorod. The Imperial Age buildings are based on 16th-17th century Muscovite architecture.

Mediterranean
The Mediterranean architecture set was introduced in The Forgotten. It is used by the following civilizations:



Upon its introduction in The Forgotten, the Mediterranean set was the first and only one used only by a single civilization.

Middle Eastern
The Middle Eastern architecture set was introduced in The Age of Kings. It is used by the following civilizations:



In The Forgotten and The African Kingdoms, the Indians also used the Middle Eastern architecture set. With the introduction of Rise of the Rajas, they now use the South Asian set.

The Middle Eastern architecture set is currently used by five civilizations which makes it the most common set, a title the set has always held (but had to share with the Central European, East Asian, and Central European set in The Conquerors).

Native American
The Native American architecture set was introduced in The Conquerors. It is used by the following civilizations:



South Asian
The South Asian architecture set was introduced in Rise of the Rajas. It is used by the following civilizations:



In The Forgotten and The African Kingdoms, the Indians used the Middle Eastern architecture set.

The South Asian set is the only one that is unique to a single civilization. In The Forgotten, the Mediterranean set had that feature but lost it in The African Kingdoms.

Southeast Asian
The Southeast Asian architecture set was introduced in Rise of the Rajas. It is used by the following civilizations:



The Southeast Asian architecture set in the Feaudal Age is based on traditional Thai architecture. The Castle Age and Imperial Age buildings are based on medieval Khmer architecture.

Western European
The Western European architecture set was introduced in The Age of Kings. It is used by the following civilizations: