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ā€œ [Player name] mocks your puny achievements. Relic and Wonder victories now take longer and Relics now generate less gold! ā€
—Message when an enemy has researched Atheism

Atheism is a technology in Age of Empires II: The Conquerors that is unique to the Huns and can be researched at the Castle once the Imperial Age is reached. Once researched, it makes Wonder and Relic victories take +100 years (8 minutes and 20 seconds of in-game time; 4 minutes and ~54 seconds on normal speed) longer for all players (including the researching player), and reduces the resource generation of Relics for only enemies by 50%.

Strategy[]

The effect regarding Wonders and Relic victories affects all civilizations, not just the player who researches it.

Choosing to research Atheism is entirely based on the situation of the game, and is less effective in games where players are opting to win through conquest. In games where players are attempting a Wonder or Relic victory or in the Defend the Wonder game mode, the extra hundred years combined with their special ability to quickly raze enemy structures makes it considerably easier for the Huns to spoil their opponents' attempts for a Wonder or Relic victory.

Secondly, the significant reduction in Relic resource generation for enemies of the Hunnic team can prove powerful in prolonged games where gold becomes scarce and teams rely heavily on Relic gold generation. In particular, it can significantly hamstring the Aztec team bonus of +33% bonus Relic gold generation and Grand Trunk Road of the Hindustanis, as well as other teams incentivized to collect Relics such as the Lithuanians and the Burmese. It also affects the Burgundians' team Relic food income, but it is less noticeable since food is not usually an issue by the late game. Moreover, the Relic gold generation malus stacks if there are multiple Hun enemies with Atheism researched (25% Relic income for two Hun enemies, 12.5% for three Hun enemies, and so on). The Relic generation malus affects only enemies of the Hun players, not those players who they have set their diplomatic stance to Neutral.

Team bonuses[]

Changelog[]

AoE2-DLCicon-1 The Conquerors[]

  • Atheism: It costs 500 food, 500 gold. Its primary effect is to prolong Wonder and Relic victories. Its secondary effect is reducing the cost of Spies/Treason by 50%.

AoE2Icon-LordsWest Lords of the West[]

  • With update 44725, secondary effect is reworked. Cost reduction effect of Atheism is removed; instead, enemy Relics generate -50% resources.
  • With update 50292, "a new threatening but familiar sound" (the former Hun civilization selection jingle) plays when enemy players research Atheism.

AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of India[]

Bugs[]

  • Atheism does not affect enemy Relic wood or stone generation. This may be because there are no civilization or team bonuses or unique technologies affecting them, though it can be enabled either via Scenario Editor triggers or modding. The concept of Relics generating wood and stone was added with Dynasties of India, whereas the concepts of resource handicap and Relics generating food was added with Lords of the West.

History[]

ā€œ The paganism or outright lack of faith of the Huns offended the Romans who came to think of them as truly sub-human. The Huns, in turn, were unencumbered by the laws of structured religions. Laws of social and religious order were too restrictive for a civilization that was constantly on the move. The Huns put little faith in monuments and artifacts, therefore, focusing mainly on the here and now. ā€

Trivia[]

  • Atheism is widely considered to be the least useful unique technology in the game since its usefulness only applies to the Wonder-related gameplay and the final scenario in Attila the Hun's campaign. However, the update to the unique technology in update 44725 added the reduced enemy Relic gold production, making the technology situationally much more useful, and update 81058 made it significantly cheaper, most notably not having a gold cost.
  • In reality, the Huns did not lack a religion but likely practiced a form of animism and ancestor-worship called "Tengrism", a faith shared by a vast array of steppe peoples like the Mongols, Cumans, pre-Muslim Turks and Tatars, and pre-Christian Bulgars and Magyars.
  • The sound which plays when an enemy player researches this technology is the pre-Definitive Edition jingle of the Huns civilization:

Gallery[]

Unique technologies in Age of Empires II
AoE2-DLCicon-0 The Age of Kings civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DEBritons AoE2 Yeomen Ā· Byzantines AoE2 Greek Fire Ā· Celts AoE2 Stronghold Ā· Chinese AoE2 Great Wall Ā· Franks AoE2 Bearded Axe Ā· Goths AoE2 Anarchy Ā· Japanese AoE2 Yasama Ā· Mongols AoE2 Nomads Ā· Persians AoE2 Kamandaran Ā· Saracens AoE2 Bimaristan Ā· Teutons AoE2 Ironclad Ā· Turks AoE2 Sipahi Ā· Vikings AoE2 Chieftains
UniqueTechImperialDEBritons AoE2 Warwolf Ā· Byzantines AoE2 Logistica Ā· Celts AoE2 Furor Celtica Ā· Chinese AoE2 Rocketry Ā· Franks AoE2 Chivalry Ā· Goths AoE2 Perfusion Ā· Japanese AoE2 Kataparuto Ā· Mongols AoE2 Drill Ā· Persians AoE2 Citadels Ā· Saracens AoE2 Counterweights Ā· Teutons AoE2 Crenellations Ā· Turks AoE2 Artillery Ā· Vikings AoE2 Bogsveigar
AoE2-DLCicon-1 The Conquerors civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DEAztecs AoE2 Atlatl Ā· Huns AoE2 Marauders Ā· Koreans AoE2 Eupseong Ā· Mayans AoE2 Hul'che Javelineers Ā· Spanish AoE2 Inquisition
UniqueTechImperialDEAztecs AoE2 Garland Wars Ā· Huns AoE2 Atheism Ā· Koreans AoE2 Shinkichon Ā· Mayans AoE2 El Dorado Ā· Spanish AoE2 Supremacy
AoE2-DLCicon-2 The Forgotten civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DEIncas AoE2 Andean Sling Ā· Italians AoE2 Pavise Ā· Magyars AoE2 Corvinian Army Ā· Slavs AoE2 Detinets
UniqueTechImperialDEIncas AoE2 Fabric Shields Ā· Italians AoE2 Silk Road Ā· Magyars AoE2 Recurve Bow Ā· Slavs AoE2 Druzhina
AoE2-DLCicon-3 The African Kingdoms civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DEBerbers AoE2 Kasbah Ā· Ethiopians AoE2 Tigui Ā· Malians AoE2 Royal Heirs Ā· Portuguese AoE2 Carrack
UniqueTechImperialDEBerbers AoE2 Maghrebi Camels Ā· Ethiopians AoE2 Farimba Ā· Malians AoE2 Torsion Engines Ā· Portuguese AoE2 Arquebus
AoE2-DLCicon-4 Rise of the Rajas civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DEBurmese AoE2 Manipur Cavalry Ā· Khmer AoE2 Tusk Swords Ā· Malay AoE2 Thalassocracy Ā· Vietnamese AoE2 Chatras
UniqueTechImperialDEBurmese AoE2 Howdah Ā· Khmer AoE2 Double Crossbow Ā· Malay AoE2 Forced Levy Ā· Vietnamese AoE2 Paper Money
AoE2-DLCicon-5 The Last Khans civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DEBulgarians AoE2 Stirrups Ā· Cumans AoE2 Steppe Husbandry Ā· Lithuanians AoE2 Hill Forts Ā· Tatars AoE2 Silk Armor
UniqueTechImperialDEBulgarians AoE2 Bagains Ā· Cumans AoE2 Cuman Mercenaries Ā· Lithuanians AoE2 Tower Shields Ā· Tatars AoE2 Timurid Siegecraft
AoE2Icon-LordsWest Lords of the West civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DEBurgundians AoE2 Burgundian Vineyards Ā· Sicilians AoE2 First Crusade
UniqueTechImperialDEBurgundians AoE2 Flemish Revolution Ā· Sicilians AoE2 Hauberk
Dawn of the Dukes icon Dawn of the Dukes civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DEBohemians AoE2 Wagenburg Tactics Ā· Poles AoE2 Szlachta Privileges
UniqueTechImperialDEBohemians AoE2 Hussite Reforms Ā· Poles AoE2 Lechitic Legacy
AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of India civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DEBengalis AoE2 Paiks Ā· Dravidians AoE2 Medical Corps Ā· Gurjaras AoE2 Kshatriyas Ā· Hindustanis AoE2 Grand Trunk Road
UniqueTechImperialDEBengalis AoE2 Mahayana Ā· Dravidians AoE2 Wootz Steel Ā· Gurjaras AoE2 Frontier Guards Ā· Hindustanis AoE2 Shatagni
AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of Rome civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DERomans AoE2 Ballistas
UniqueTechImperialDERomans AoE2 Comitatenses
AoE2Icon-MountainRoyals The Mountain Royals civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DEArmenians AoE2 Cilician Fleet Ā· Georgians AoE2 Svan Towers
UniqueTechImperialDEArmenians AoE2 Fereters Ā· Georgians AoE2 Aznauri Cavalry
Removed technologies
UniqueTechCastle-DEPersians AoE2 Boiling Oil Ā· Saracens AoE2 Camelry Ā· Saracens AoE2 Madrasah Ā· Mayans AoE2 Obsidian Arrows Ā· Slavs AoE2 Orthodoxy Ā· Koreans AoE2 Panokseon
UniqueTechImperialDEVikings AoE2 Berserkergang Ā· Persians AoE2 Mahouts Ā· Sicilians AoE2 Scutage Ā· Saracens AoE2 Zealotry
Revised technologies
UniqueTechImperialDE Couriers Ā· UniqueTechImperialDE Manipur Cavalry Ā· UniqueTechImperialDE Paper Money Ā· UniqueTechCastle-DE Royal Heirs
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