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Age of Empires Series Wiki
Age of Empires Series Wiki

Ancient objects crafted by now-lost cultures. Artifacts can be a victory condition or increase your score.
—In-game description in the Definitive Edition

The Artifact is a special unit in Age of Empires. It can be acquired when it appears within the sight of a unit.

Overview[]

Once an Artifact is captured, the color coating changes corresponding to the color of the player that owns the unit. Once all Artifacts are captured by a team or player, a countdown begins, starting with 200 in-game years in Return of Rome (16 minutes 40 seconds real time at the normal 1.7× game speed), or 2,000 in-game years before Return of Rome (five minutes in the real world at standard game speed). If none of the Artifacts are captured by any opposing team or player within the time frame, the team or player controlling all Artifacts on the map wins the game.

To capture an already captured Artifact, a unit must stand directly next to it, it is not sufficient to just see it. That is different from capturing an unclaimed Artifact and can make a big difference since it is much easier to keep a unit from actually approaching an Artifact than from just getting into its Line of Sight.

A standard game may or may not contain Artifacts. If it does, it will always have five Artifacts scattered around the map. In the Scenario Editor, maps with more or less Artifacts may be created. Controlling Artifacts contributes to the player's score.

If an Artifact happens to be inside a sinking transport ship, it will re-appear at the nearest shoreline.

History[]

Artifacts are objects akin to the Ark of the Covenant that were crafted by now-lost cultures and bring prestige to the civilization that possesses them.
Age of Empires manual

Trivia[]

Gallery[]

See also[]

  • Relic - counterpart in other games of the series
Units in Age of Empires
Civilian Villager · Trade Cart · King
Other Explorer · Priest · Slinger · Artifact
Civilian ship Fishing Boat · Fishing Ship
Trade Boat · Merchant Ship
Infantry Clubman · Axeman
Short Swordsman · Broad Swordsman · Long Swordsmen · Legionary
Hoplite · Phalangite · Centurion
Archer Bowman
Improved Bowman · Composite Bowman
Chariot Archer
Horse Archer · Heavy Horse Archer
Elephant Archer
Cavalry Scout
Chariot · Scythe Chariot
Cavalry · Heavy Cavalry · Cataphract
War Elephant · Armored Elephant
Camel Rider
Siege Stone Thrower · Catapult · Heavy Catapult
Ballista · Helepolis
War Ship Scout Ship · War Galley · Trireme
Catapult Trireme · Juggernaut
Fire Galley
Light Transport · Heavy Transport
Scenario Editor-only units
Alfred the Alpaca · Bactrian Camel · Camel · Chieftain · Cobra Car · Donkey · Furious the Monkey Boy · General · High Priest · Horse · Mercenary (removed) · Penguin · Pharaoh · Raft · Sharkatzor · War Chest