Faith

This article is about the technology in Age of Empires II. For the renamed technology in Age of Empires IV, see Proselytization.

Faith
Availability
Introduced in	Age of Empires II
Civilization	All except the Bulgarians, Gurjaras, Jurchens, Magyars, and Tatars
Age	Imperial Age
Research
Researched at	Monastery Fortified Church
Prerequisite(s)	Devotion*
Food	550
Gold	750
Research time	60 seconds
Effect
Minimum and maximum conversion time increased by 4 seconds

“	Units are 50% harder for enemy Monks to convert.	”
—In-game description

Faith is a technology in Age of Empires II that can be researched at the Monastery once Devotion has been researched and the Imperial Age is reached. Once researched, it increases the resistance of all units against conversion by raising the minimum and maximum time needed for a conversion by four seconds.

Strategy

Faith is the most expensive technology in the Monastery. For this reason, it is not recommended to acquire this technology unless the enemy is making a lot of Monks or the player lacks good Hussars.

Synergy

The Teutons give all their own units and their team mates' units a higher conversion resistance, and also have access to Faith. The Sicilian unique technology First Crusade also gives their units a higher conversion resistance, and they also have access to Faith. As a result, these two civilizations have the highest resistances against conversion in 1v1 games. In team games, the Sicilians with a Teuton ally have the highest possible conversion resistance.

Civilizations

The following civilizations can research technologies or have bonuses related to Faith:

Unique technologies

• Bohemians: Hussite Reforms gold cost of Faith replaced with food.

Civilization bonuses

• Aztecs: Faith gives Monks +5 hit points.
• Burmese: Faith is 50% cheaper.
• Chinese: Faith is 15% cheaper.
• Spanish: Receive 20 gold after researching Faith.

Team bonuses

• Lithuanians: Researching Faith is 20% faster.
• Portuguese: Researching Faith is 25% faster.

Changelog

The Age of Kings

• Faith costs 750 food, 1,000 gold.
• Faith increases the minimum time needed for a conversion by two seconds, and the maximum time by about four seconds. The chance that a Monk has per second to complete the conversion is also lowered by 67% (which increases the average conversion time) by increasing the conversion resistance level by 3.

The Forgotten

• Slavs: Cannot research Faith.

Rise of the Rajas

• Khmer: Cannot research Faith.

Definitive Edition

• Khmer: Faith added to their technology tree.
• Slavs: Faith added to their technology tree.
• Portuguese: With update 42848, all technologies are researched 30% faster.

The Mountain Royals

• With update 99311, Faith requires Devotion to be researched and costs 550 food, 750 gold.
• With update 99311, Faith increases the minimum and maximum time needed for a conversion by 4 seconds each.

Trivia

• The Tatars are the only civilization that lacks both Faith and Heresy, thus having minimum protection against conversion.
• Faith's icon is based on a stain glass window depicting Saint John in St Patrick's Basilica in Ottawa, Canada, to whom the Gospel of John's authorship is traditionally attributed.
• Faith was the only Monastery technology before The Conquerors and between patch 1.0b and update 99311 to cost food.
  • Since its introduction in The Conquerors and before patch 1.0b, Theocracy also cost food.
  • Since its introduction in update 99311, Devotion also costs food.

History

“	Civilizations can conflict ideologically, as well as militarily and economically. When the Christian Crusaders invaded the Holy Lands, for example, they encountered the ideas of Islam, as well as new weapons, tactics, and desirable goods.	”
—Age of Empires II manual