Age of Empires Series Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Info icon
This article is about the civilization in Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. For other uses, see British (disambiguation).
Civilization Technology tree Strategy

ā€œCenturies of overseas invasions galvanized a hardy and industrious population into a powerful juggernaut. Forge fractured kingdoms into one, defend your island from overseas incursions with disciplined yeomen levies, and set your sights far beyond your borders. Your experienced archers and Longbowmen will shower the battlefield with arrows while your siege engineers construct trebuchets capable of demolishing even the most formidable castles!ā€
—Description[1]

The Britons are a Western European civilization in Age of Empires II that represents the English and the Anglo-Normans during the High to Late Middle Ages, with a focus on long-ranged foot archers.

Their descendants are the modern English nation. Alongside the Scottish, Welsh, and Irish nations (descendants of the Celts), they created a united kingdom which is featured in Age of Empires III as the British civilization. They also appear as the English in Age of Empires IV.

Characteristics[]

Unique unit[]

LongbowmanIcon-DE Longbowman: Long-ranged foot archer.

Unique technologies[]

Civilization bonuses[]

Team bonus[]

Archery Ranges work 10% faster.

Overview[]

The Britons' main advantages are their ranged units, as they arguably have the best foot archers. Not only are they trained faster, but they have additional range, which allows them to attack their counter units like Skirmishers and Mangonels much more safely than normal, especially with good micromanagement. Later, the extra range on their archers (including their unique unit, the Longbowman) makes their late-game archer units infamously hard to approach, even though they lack Thumb Ring. Greatly aiding their archers are their Warwolf Trebuchets, which are dangerous due to their 100% accuracy and blast damage. Their infantry are fully upgradeable and can help in protecting their archers from cavalry. Their navy is solid, with a full tech tree, apart from Elite Cannon Galleons. Their defensive structures are good, and their economy is solid, thanks to their shepherd bonus early on and cheaper Town Centers later. Lastly, the Briton Monastery is average, though three technologies are lacking, including Redemption.

The Britons do have some shortcomings. Their mounted units are very underwhelming, without Bloodlines or any late-game upgrades. While their Trebuchets are great, their Siege Workshop units are unspectacular, on account of lacking Bombard Cannons, Siege Rams, and Siege Onagers. Due to these shortcomings, their counters to enemy Skirmishers and siege, other than their longer-ranged archers, are limited to Trebuchets or infantry, both of which have speed issues.

Altogether, the Britons have a strong and straightforward game plan, making them a great pick at lower levels.

Changelog[]

AoE2-DLCicon-1 The Conquerors[]

  • Longbowmen gain an attack bonus of +2 Spearmen and are trained in 19 seconds.
  • The team bonus is 20% faster working Archery Ranges

AoE2-DLCicon-2 The Forgotten[]

  • Cannon Galleon added to their technology tree.
  • Heavy Scorpion added to their technology tree.
  • Yeomen moved to the Castle Age.
  • (Elite) Longbowmen are trained faster, in 18 seconds.

AoE2-DLCicon-3 The African Kingdoms[]

  • With patch 4.8, Yeomen affects the secondary arrows of towers (previously only affected the primary arrow).

AoEIIDE icon Definitive Edition[]

  • Warwolf cost increased (500 wood, 250 gold ā†’ 800 wood, 400 gold).
  • The Wonder is changed from Aachen Cathedral to Chichester Cathedral.

AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of India[]

  • With update 66692, the Britons receive access to Treadmill Crane.
  • With update 81058:
    • Team Bonus's effect reduced to 10% faster working Archery Ranges.
    • Fixed an issue where the Town Center cost discount was not reducing the cost of repairing.

AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of Rome[]

Campaign appearances[]

The Britons are a playable civilization in the Edward Longshanks campaign, in the Agincourt scenario from the Battles of the Conquerors, the Cyprus scenario from Battles of the Forgotten, and three scenarios from Victors and Vanquished: Vortigern, Stephen, and Drake. They also appear several times in other scenarios and campaigns as allies or enemies:

CampaignIcon-WilliamDE William Wallace[]

CampaignIcon-JoanDE Joan of Arc[]

CampaignIcon-SaladinDE Saladin[]

CampaignIcon-BarbarossaDE Barbarossa[]

CampaignIcon-AttilaDE Attila the Hun[]

Battles of the Conquerors Icon Battles of the Conquerors[]

Battles of the Forgotten Icon Battles of the Forgotten[]

  • Scn 11 york normal York
    • Mercia - Enemy
    • East Anglia - Enemy

CampaignIcon-EdwardDE Edward Longshanks[]

This campaign is played as the Britons.

  • Vain Ambition
    • Worcester - Ally
    • Gloucester - Enemy ā†’ Ally
    • Kenilworth - Enemy ā†’ Ally
    • Welsh - Enemy ā†’ Ally
  • Of Castles and Kings
    • The Welsh Army - Enemy
    • Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - Enemy
    • Dafydd ap Gruffydd - Enemy
    • Castle Builders - Ally
  • Hammer of the Scots
    • English Engineers - Ally
    • The English Army - Ally

CampaignIcon-DukesDE The Grand Dukes of the West[]

CampaignIcon-TheArtOfWar The Art of War[]

In-game dialogue language[]

The language spoken by the Briton units is a mix of late Old English and early Middle English, as indicated by Old English spelling (dic) & Latinate words (estorer) not present in Old English. The Monks and the Kings speak Latin like the Byzantines, Italians, and Romans, i.e. the same words but with distinct voices.

Villager
Military
Monk
King

AI player names[]

When playing a random map game against the computer, the player may encounter any of the following Briton AI characters:

  • Alfred the Great (849-899): King of Wessex (871-899), successfully stopped the Viking expansion and became the dominant ruler in England, while improving education, people's quality of life and more.
  • Duke of Normandy: Title given to the ruler of the Duchy of Normandy. In 911, the Duchy was granted to the Viking Rollo by French king Charles III. From 1066-1204 held by Kings of England, after which the Duchy was conquered by Philip II and made into a French province.
  • Earl of Warwick: Prestigious title of the ruler of Warwick Castle in central England. Started in 1088 with Henry de Beaumont, and ended in 1499 with the death of the 17th Earl. The title was revived three times more up until today.
  • Earl of Wessex: Title used three times in history for the rule of southwest England (West-Saxons): Godwin (Earl from 1020-1053), Harold the Saxon (Earl from 1053-1066 and last Anglo-Saxon king of England) and William FitzOsbern (created Earl by William the Conqueror in 1066-1071).
  • Edward Longshanks (1239-1307): Edward I, King of England from 1272-1307. Reformer of royal administration and law. A tall man, hence the name; Intimidating and fear-instilling man, earned the name 'Hammer of the Scots' in the first Scottish Independence War. He is the main character of the new campaign with the same name from the Lords of the West expansion.
  • Harold Godwinson (1022ā€“1066): often called Harold II or Harold the Saxon, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon king of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England. His death marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule over England.
  • Henry Bolingbroke (1367-1413): Henry IV, King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1399-1413, born in Bolingbroke Castle (east England). Spent much of his reign defending himself against plots, assassination attempts and numerous rebellions.
  • Henry Tudor (1457-1509): Henry VII, King of England (1485-1509). Was able to defeat other houses in the Wars of the Roses, becoming the first Tudor family king. Restored the power and stability of the English monarchy. This was also a birth name of King Henry VIII (1491-1547), who is best known for his six marriages, and, in particular, his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. The disagreement with the papacy on the question of such an annulment led Henry to initiate the English Reformation. He is also the grandfather of Elizabeth I.
  • Henry V (1386-1422): King of England (1413-1422). Best known for his military successes in the Hundred Years' War, in particular for his victory in the Battle of Agincourt (1415).
  • King Edward: Presumably Edward the Elder (874-924), King of the Anglo-Saxons (899-924), son of Alfred the Great. Captured various parts of eastern England from the Danish Vikings.
  • Lord Henry Percy: Sir Henry (Hotspur) Percy (1364-1403), nobleman from north England and captain during the Anglo-Scottish wars. Led a rebellion against Henry IV, but was killed in battle.
  • Lord Talbot (1384-1453): John Talbot, English military general and commander during the Hundred Years' War. Known for his rapid and aggressive attacks, he was killed by French cannon.
  • Prince John (1166-1216): King of England from 1199-1216, brother of Richard the Lionhearted. Spent much of his reign attempting to regain French territory he had previously lost. Was often pictured as a cruel, evil man; villain in popular Robin Hood stories.
  • Richard II (1367-1400): King of England (1377-1399). Sought to bring an end to the Hundred Years' War; had a love for art and culture. Deposed by Henry Bolingbroke.
  • Richard the Lionhearted (1157-1199): King of England from 1189-1199. Great military leader and warrior, a central commander during the Third Crusade.
  • The Black Prince: Prince Edward (1330-1376), prince of Wales and Aquitaine. Best known for his campaigns in the Hundred Years' War, particularly his great victories in the battles of CrĆ©cy (1346) and Poitiers (1356).
  • William III: Can depict different persons, most likely either King William III of Sicily (1186-1198), the last Norman king of Sicily, or William III, Duke of Aquitaine (915-963) who defended Aquitaine and Poitiers from French kings. William III of England, a member of House of Orange, ruled both the Dutch and England, but would be anachronistic for this game's timeline.

History[]

ā€œFollowing the withdrawal of the Roman legions to Gaul (modern France) around 400, the British Isles fell into a very dark period of several centuries from which almost no written records survive. The Romano-British culture that had existed under 400 years of Roman rule disappeared under relentless invasion and migration by barbarians. Celts came over from Ireland (a tribe called the Scotti gave their name to the northern part of the main island, Scotland). Saxons and Angles came from Germany, Frisians from modern Holland, and Jutes from modern Denmark. By 600, the Angles and Saxons controlled most of modern England. By 800, only modern Wales, Scotland, and West Cornwall remained in largely Celtic hands.
History Britons

The new inhabitants were called Anglo-Saxons (from the Angles and Saxons). The Angles gave their name to the new culture (England from Angle-land), and the Germanic language they brought with them, English, replaced the native Celtic and previously imported Latin. Despite further invasions and even a complete military conquest at a later date, the southern and eastern parts of the largest British Isle have been called England (and its people and language English) ever since.

In 865 the relative peace of England was shattered by a new invasion. Danish Vikings who had been raiding France and Germany formed a great army and turned their attention on the English. Within 10 years, most of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms had fallen or surrendered. Only the West Saxons (modern Wessex) held out under Alfred, the only English ruler to be called "the Great."

England was divided among the Vikings, the West Saxons, and a few other English kingdoms for nearly 200 years. The Viking half was called the Danelaw ("under Danish law"). The Vikings collected a large payment, called the Danegeld ("the Dane's gold"), to be peaceful. The Danes became Christians and gradually became more settled. In time the English turned on the Danes, and in 954 the last Viking king of York was killed. England was united for the first time under an English king from Wessex.

In 1066 the Witan ("king's council") offered the crown to Harold, son of the Earl of Wessex. Two others claimed the throne: Harald Hardrada (meaning "the hard ruler"), King of Norway, and Duke William of Normandy. The Norwegian landed first, near York, but was defeated by Harold at the battle of Stamford Bridge. Immediately after the victory, Harold force-marched his army south to meet William at Hastings. The battle seesawed back and forth all day, but near dusk Harold was mortally wounded by an arrow in the eye. Over the next two years, William, now "the Conqueror," solidified his conquest of England.

During the remainder of the Middle Ages, the successors of William largely exhausted themselves and their country in a series of confrontations and wars attempting to expand or defend land holdings in France. The Hundred Years War between England and France was an on-and-off conflict that stretched from 1337 to 1453. It was triggered by an English king's claim to the throne of France, thanks to family intermarriages. The war was also fought over control of the lucrative wool trade and French support for Scotland's independence. The early part of the war featured a string of improbable, yet complete, English victories, thanks usually to English longbowmen mowing down hordes of ornately armored French knights from long range.

The English could not bring the war to closure, however, and the French rallied. Inspired by Joan of Arc, a peasant girl who professed divine guidance, the French fought back, ending the war with the capture of Bordeaux in 1453. The English were left holding only Calais on the mainland (and not for long).[1]
ā€

Trivia[]

  • The Britons' civilization icon in the Definitive Edition is based on the coat of arms of the Angevin dynasty, which eventually became the Royal arms of England.
  • The user interface image in the Definitive Edition displays the Tudor rose.
  • Age of Empires II often calls the Britons "British", which is historically incorrect, as no British nation existed back in the Medieval period. The proper term would be "English". Historically, "Britons" referred to the Cornish and Welsh cultural groups native to Britain, identified by their Celtic languages.
    • In other languages like Spanish, the civilization is correctly named, as they are called "Ingleses", which means "English".
  • In The Conquerors, the Britons are the only civilization to not have access to any non-unique unit/technology that 9 or fewer civilizations have access to.
  • The appearance of the Briton Wonder before the Definitive Edition is actually based on the Aachen Cathedral, a landmark located in modern Germany, for unknown reasons.
  • The following heroes available in the Scenario Editor are themed on the Britons (English): Bad Neighbor, Friar Tuck, God's Own Sling, Richard the Lionheart, Robin Hood, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sir John Fastolf, The Black Prince, Henry V, Henry II, Little John, Richard de Clare, Edward Longshanks, Gilbert de Clare, and the Warwolf Trebuchet.
  • The Britons historically were known to have master horse-breeding which played a crucial role in their wars in Scotland and Ireland, but lack access to Paladin and Bloodlines. This is for gameplay balance purposes to create a clear weakness to their strong archer civilization bonuses and their unique unit.
    • They are the only Western European civilization with Ring Archer Armor and the Arbalester, and also the only one that lacks the Paladin.
  • Other than the sixth Barbarossa scenario, and some Edward Longshanks scenarios where the Britons appear as allies, the Briton factions in other campaigns are nearly always antagonists.
  • The Britons are one of the most popular civilizations for team games as the flank, mostly because their team bonus is extremely strong with another prominent archer civilization. For this reason, the team bonus was eventually made less overbearing in update 81058.
  • The Britons are often picked by newer players to learn archer rushes because of their straightforward civilization bonuses, strong early game economic bonuses, and longer-ranged archers which are easier to micro. The characteristic of a ranged focused and easy to play civilization with a strong economy is shared with their counterparts in Age of Empires III and Age of Empires IV, the British and English, respectively.

Gallery[]

References[]

Civilizations in Age of Empires II
Categorised by architecture sets
AfricanCivIcon-Ethiopians Ethiopians Ā· CivIcon-Malians Malians
Central AsianCivIcon-Cumans Cumans Ā· CivIcon-Tatars Tatars
Central EuropeanCivIcon-Goths Goths Ā· CivIcon-Huns Huns Ā· CivIcon-Teutons Teutons Ā· CivIcon-Vikings Vikings
East AsianCivIcon-Chinese Chinese Ā· CivIcon-Japanese Japanese Ā· CivIcon-Koreans Koreans Ā· CivIcon-Mongols Mongols Ā· CivIcon-Vietnamese Vietnamese
Eastern EuropeanCivIcon-Bohemians Bohemians Ā· CivIcon-Bulgarians Bulgarians Ā· CivIcon-Lithuanians Lithuanians Ā· CivIcon-Magyars Magyars Ā· CivIcon-Poles Poles Ā· CivIcon-Slavs Slavs
MediterraneanCivIcon-Armenians Armenians Ā· CivIcon-Byzantines Byzantines Ā· CivIcon-Georgians Georgians Ā· CivIcon-Italians Italians Ā· CivIcon-Portuguese Portuguese Ā· CivIcon-Romans Romans Ā· CivIcon-Sicilians Sicilians Ā· CivIcon-Spanish Spanish
Middle EasternCivIcon-Berbers Berbers Ā· CivIcon-Persians Persians Ā· CivIcon-Saracens Saracens Ā· CivIcon-Turks Turks
Native AmericanCivIcon-Aztecs Aztecs Ā· CivIcon-Incas Incas Ā· CivIcon-Mayans Mayans
South Asian/IndianCivIcon-Bengalis Bengalis Ā· CivIcon-Dravidians Dravidians Ā· CivIcon-Gurjaras Gurjaras Ā· CivIcon-Hindustanis Hindustanis Ā· CivIcon-Indians Indians (removed)
Southeast AsianCivIcon-Burmese Burmese Ā· CivIcon-Khmer Khmer Ā· CivIcon-Malay Malay
Western EuropeanCivIcon-Britons Britons Ā· CivIcon-Burgundians Burgundians Ā· CivIcon-Celts Celts Ā· CivIcon-Franks Franks
Categorised by expansions
AoE2-DLCicon-0 The Age of KingsCivIcon-Britons Britons Ā· CivIcon-Byzantines Byzantines Ā· CivIcon-Celts Celts Ā· CivIcon-Chinese Chinese Ā· CivIcon-Franks Franks Ā· CivIcon-Goths Goths Ā· CivIcon-Japanese Japanese Ā· CivIcon-Mongols Mongols Ā· CivIcon-Persians Persians Ā· CivIcon-Saracens Saracens Ā· CivIcon-Teutons Teutons Ā· CivIcon-Turks Turks Ā· CivIcon-Vikings Vikings
AoE2-DLCicon-1 The ConquerorsCivIcon-Aztecs Aztecs Ā· CivIcon-Huns Huns Ā· CivIcon-Koreans Koreans Ā· CivIcon-Mayans Mayans Ā· CivIcon-Spanish Spanish
AoE2-DLCicon-2 The ForgottenCivIcon-Incas Incas Ā· CivIcon-Indians Indians (removed) Ā· CivIcon-Italians Italians Ā· CivIcon-Magyars Magyars Ā· CivIcon-Slavs Slavs
AoE2-DLCicon-3 The African KingdomsCivIcon-Berbers Berbers Ā· CivIcon-Ethiopians Ethiopians Ā· CivIcon-Malians Malians Ā· CivIcon-Portuguese Portuguese
AoE2-DLCicon-4 Rise of the RajasCivIcon-Burmese Burmese Ā· CivIcon-Khmer Khmer Ā· CivIcon-Malay Malay Ā· CivIcon-Vietnamese Vietnamese
AoE2-DLCicon-5 The Last KhansCivIcon-Bulgarians Bulgarians Ā· CivIcon-Cumans Cumans Ā· CivIcon-Lithuanians Lithuanians Ā· CivIcon-Tatars Tatars
AoE2Icon-LordsWest Lords of the WestCivIcon-Burgundians Burgundians Ā· CivIcon-Sicilians Sicilians
Dawn of the Dukes icon Dawn of the DukesCivIcon-Bohemians Bohemians Ā· CivIcon-Poles Poles
AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of IndiaCivIcon-Bengalis Bengalis Ā· CivIcon-Dravidians Dravidians Ā· CivIcon-Gurjaras Gurjaras Ā· CivIcon-Hindustanis Hindustanis
AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of RomeCivIcon-Romans Romans
AoE2Icon-MountainRoyals The Mountain RoyalsCivIcon-Armenians Armenians Ā· CivIcon-Georgians Georgians
Advertisement