Barracks (Age of Empires II)

This article is about the building in Age of Empires II. For similar buildings in other games of the series, see Barracks.

Barracks
Building information
Introduced in	The Age of Kings
Type	Military
Civilization	All civilizations
Age	Dark Age
Use	Trains and improves infantry
Required for	Archery Range  Stable
Construction
Wood	175
Construction time	50 seconds
Statistics
Size	3×3 tiles
Hit points	1,200 1,500 1,800 2,100
Garrison	10
Melee armor	0 1 2 3
Pierce armor	7 8 9 10
Armor classes	Building Standard building
Line of Sight	6

“	Used to create and improve infantry. Required for Archery Range, Stable.	”
—Age of Empires II description

The Barracks is the first military building available for construction in Age of Empires II; prerequisite to building the Archery Range and Stable. It trains and improves infantry.

Tactics and placement

As the Barracks is the first military building that enables a player to create military units it is highly important to have at least one as soon as the player can afford it in order to defend themselves. Having a Barracks early in the game is important even if the player does not intend to use infantry units (unless they are Khmer), because it is prerequisite to build Archery Ranges and Stables.

The Barracks is a vital building when performing early game rushes like the Dark Age rush and Feudal Age infantry rush. Also placing Barracks close to an enemy's base gives the player an edge to cut off distances for the troops as they can be created near to the opponent and attack more effectively since infantry units trained there move rather slowly (except for Eagle Warriors). When playing defensively the Barracks should be placed within fortifications in order to produce support units that can deal with many siege units, many cavalry units, and trash units.

In the Goths' case they must use their Barracks extensively for offensive and defensive purposes as their Barracks' work extremely fast, enabling them to mass infantry at an incredibly high rate. Defensively, Goths should always substitute fortifications with just Barracks as they don't have access to Stone Walls and Guard Towers.

Trainable units and technologies

Clicking on the icon links to the corresponding page.

Blue: Units

Green: Technologies

Purple: Unique units

	→		→		→
	→		→		→		→
			→		→
			→		→

The Goths can also train Huskarls at the Barracks once Anarchy is researched.

Availability grid

The following table shows the availability of the units and technologies for every civilization. Unique units and units and technologies that are available to all civilizations are not shown in the table. An 'X' in the last column indicates that all units and technologies are available. A 'V' in the last column indicates that all units (except Eagle Warriors) and technologies are available.

= Available

= Unavailable

Civilization											All
Aztecs
Bengalis
Berbers
Bohemians											V
Britons											V
Bulgarians
Burgundians
Burmese											V
Byzantines											V
Celts
Chinese
Cumans
Dravidians											V
Ethiopians
Franks											V
Goths
Gurjaras
Hindustanis											V
Huns
Incas											X
Italians
Japanese											V
Khmer
Koreans											V
Lithuanians
Magyars
Malay
Malians
Mayans
Mongols
Persians
Poles
Portuguese
Saracens
Sicilians											V
Slavs											V
Spanish											V
Tatars
Teutons											V
Turks
Vietnamese											V
Vikings
Civilization											All

Further statistics

Building strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Nothing
Weak vs.	Everything
Upgrades
Hit points	Masonry (+10%)  Architecture (+10%)
Armor	Masonry (+1/+1, +3 building armor)  Architecture (+1/+1, +3 building armor)
Line of Sight	Town Watch (+4)  Town Patrol (+4)
Conversion defense	Faith  Heresy
Construction speed	Treadmill Crane (+20%)
Work rate	Conscription (+33%)  Perfusion (+100%, Goths only)
Train cost	Supplies (Militia-line costs -15 food) Kshatriyas (units cost -25% food, Gurjaras only)  Forced Levy (Militia-line gold cost replaced by additional food, Malay only)
Other	Anarchy (allows creation of Huskarls, Goths only)

Civilization bonuses

• Aztecs: Barracks units are created 11% faster.
• Burmese: Faith is 50% cheaper.
• Bulgarians: Militia line units are upgraded for free.
• Byzantines: Barracks have +10%/+20%/+30%/+40% HP in the Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age. Town Watch and Town Patrol are free. Spearmen line units are 25% cheaper.
• Chinese: Barracks technologies and technologies that benefit Barracks are 10%/15%/20% cheaper in the Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
• Dravidians: Barracks technologies are 50% cheaper.
• Ethiopians: The Pikeman upgrade is free.
• Goths: Barracks units are 20%/25%/30%/35% cheaper in the Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
• Italians: Masonry, Architecture, and Treadmill Crane are 33% cheaper.
• Koreans: Spearman line costs -20% wood.
• Malians: Barracks are 15% cheaper.
• Persians: Researching Town Watch and Town Patrol is 10%/15%/20% faster in the Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
• Portuguese: The Militia line costs -20% gold. Researching Barracks technologies and technologies that benefit Barracks is 30% faster.
• Slavs: Supplies is free.
• Spanish: Barracks are built 30% faster.
• Vietnamese: Conscription is free.

Team bonuses

• A team containing Goths: Barracks work 20% faster.
• A team containing Italians: Condottieri are available at the Barracks in the Imperial Age.
• A team containing Lithuanians: Researching Faith and Heresy is 20% faster.
• A team containing Malians: Researching Masonry, Architecture, and Treadmill Crane is 80% faster.
• A team containing Slavs: Barracks provide +5 population.

Changelog

The Age of Kings

• Tracking costs 75 food, is available for research in the Feudal Age.
• Goths: Barracks units are 10%/15%/25% cheaper in the Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.

The Conquerors

• Eagle Warrior and Elite Eagle Warrior introduced.
• Halberdier introduced.
• Heresy introduced.
• Goths: Anarchy and Perfusion introduced. With patch 1.0b, Barracks units are 35% cheaper starting in the Feudal Age.

The Forgotten

• Tracking costs 50 food.
• Eagle Scout introduced. They are available in the Castle Age.
• Condottiero introduced.
• Slavs: Tracking is free.

The African Kingdoms

• Eagle Scout moved to the Feudal Age.
• Arson introduced.
• Ethiopians: The Halberdier upgrade is free.
• Portuguese: With update 37650, Barracks units cost -15% gold.

Rise of the Rajas

• Ethiopians: With patch 5.7, the Halberdier upgrade is no longer free.
• Malay: Forced Levy introduced; it removes gold cost from Militia line.

Definitive Edition

• Supplies introduced.
• Tracking is free and instantly granted upon reaching the Feudal Age.
• Chinese: With update 37650, lose access to Supplies.
• Cumans: With update 37650, lose access to Supplies.
• Goths: With update 35584, Barracks units are 35% cheaper in all ages. With update 36202, lose access to Arson and infantry are 20% → 25% → 30% → 35% cheaper per Age instead of 35% cheaper in all ages.
• Huns: With update 37650, lose access to Supplies.
• Khmer: With update 37650, lose access to Supplies.
• Koreans: Initially, Spearman line costs -15% wood. With update 39284, Spearman line costs -20% wood.
• Lithuanians: With update 37650, lose access to Supplies.
• Malay: Forced Levy changes gold cost into additional food cost (instead of removing it).
• Mayans: With update 37650, lose access to Supplies.
• Mongols: With update 37650, lose access to Supplies.
• Portuguese: With update 37650, Barracks units cost -20% gold.
• Portuguese: With update 42848, all technologies are now researched 30% faster.
• Slavs: Supplies is free.
• Tatars: With update 35584, receive access to the Halberdier. With update 37650, lose access to Supplies.

History

“

Weapons were made and stored and soldiers drilled in the barracks. During the late Middle Ages, the barracks was incorporated within a castle complex. It became also the part of the castle where professional soldiers lived, ready to help defend the castle or maintain order in the surrounding countryside.

”

Gallery

Dark Age Barracks

Dark Age Barracks in the Definitive Edition

All Feudal Age Barracks in The Age of Kings and The Conquerors

All Feudal Age Barracks introduced in the HD expansions

All Castle Age Barracks in The Age of Kings and The Conquerors

All Castle Age Barracks introduced in the HD expansions

All original game Feudal Age Barracks in the Definitive Edition

All expansion Feudal Age Barracks in the Definitive Edition

All original game Castle Age Barracks in the Definitive Edition

All expansion Castle Age Barracks in the Definitive Edition

Spritesheet for the Barracks