This article is about the Age in Age of Empires II. For other uses, see Feudal Age. |
The Feudal Age is the second Age in Age of Empires II. It allows the training and building of more units and buildings as well as more technologies to research. Players have access to a spectrum of infantry, cavalry, archer, and naval units and effective defensive structures.
The Feudal Age is followed by the Castle Age.
Strategy[]
The Feudal Age is a period of economic development, where military clashes usually begin to occur, such as raiding enemy Villagers. It is at this stage of the game that most players decide which strategies they will use throughout the game.
This is usually the stage of the game where aggression starts on open maps. Early on, the Man-at-Arms and Scout Cavalry are the main choices for early aggression, while Archers are a strong option that require more investment. If an opponent is going for a low military strategy, towers can be used to deny access to important resources. On water, the primary naval unit is the Fire Galley, with the Demolition Raft being effective at countering enemy Fire Galleys.
For players going for infantry, archer, or cavalry rushes, at least two of the appropriate buildings, depending on the civilization's specialty, should be built. The Blacksmith is also important to improve the units. Furthermore, focusing on the required resources for creating and improving the units of choice is important. For example, four Gold Miners will keep an Archery Range in full Archer production.
Alternatively, players intending on booming or going for a Fast Castle should build a Blacksmith followed by either Stables for a Knight rush, or a Market for other Castle Age strategies. They should also make sure to wall off their base to protect themselves from aggression.
Typically, by this stage Berry Bushes, herdable animals, and huntable animals are exhausted, and the food economy moves towards Farms, supported by lumber. Gold mining also begins for technological and military advancements, including the advancement to the Castle Age. Considering early stone mining for tower rushing or future Castles or Town Centers should also be considered.
When advancing to the Castle Age, two buildings from the Feudal Age are required, which typically include a Blacksmith and either a Market or one of the new military buildings. The Castle Age is very important and should be prioritized unless the player is engaged in combat and unable to take advantage of its benefits.
In team games, reaching the Feudal Age for the Market becomes even more important, as it gives the ability to exchange resources, enabling Sling tactics.
Note: The list below only shows the units, buildings, and technologies that are activated when a player advances to the Feudal Age.
Available buildings[]
Civilian buildings[]
- Blacksmith - building to research military upgrades
- Fish Trap - water food source
- Market - building for trade
- Town Center - trains and upgrades Villagers (Cumans only1)
- It takes 270 seconds (120 more than the standard Castle Age Town Center) for Cumans to create a Town Center in the Feudal Age and they can only build a maximum of one.
Military buildings[]
- Archery Range - trains and upgrades archers
- Stable - trains and upgrades cavalry
- Siege Workshop - trains and upgrades siege units (Cumans only)
Defensive structures[]
- Watch Tower - defensive Tower that attacks enemies on sight
- Donjon1 - defensive Tower that attacks enemies on sight (Sicilians only)
- Stone Wall - protects an area from enemy attacks
- Gate - integrated into Walls, allows allies to pass
- The Donjon is also a military building that trains Serjeants and Spearmen, but is not counted for the requirement for ageing up.
Available units[]
Civilian units[]
At the Dock:
- Trade Cog - naval trade unit
At the Market:
- Trade Cart - land trade unit
Military units[]
At the Barracks:
- Man-at-Arms (upgrade of Militia) - Long Swordsman (Armenians only) - swordsman unit
- Spearman ā Pikeman (Armenians only) - anti-cavalry unit
- Eagle Scout - scout unit (Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans only)
At the Archery Range:
- Archer - basic foot archer unit
- Skirmisher - anti-archer foot archer unit
At the Stable:
- Scout Cavalry - basic cavalry unit, which is also a scout unit
- Camel Scout - anti-cavalry cavalry unit (Gurjaras only)
At the Siege Workshop:
- Battering Ram - anti-building siege unit that is almost immune to missiles (Cumans only)
At the Dock:
- Galley - basic war ship
- Demolition Raft - self-destructive vessel
- Fire Galley - war ship with a flamethrower
At the Donjon (Sicilians only):
- Serjeant - Heavy infantry that can build Donjons
- Spearman - anti-cavalry unit
At the Castle* (Sicilians only):
Available technologies[]
Economic technologies[]
At the Town Center:
- Town Watch - increases building Line of Sight by 4
- Wheelbarrow - makes Villagers more effective
- Hand Cart - makes Villagers more effective (Burgundians only)
At the Mill (Folwark for the Poles):
- Horse Collar - gives Farms +75 food
- Heavy Plow - gives Farms +125 food and farmers +1 carry capacity (Burgundians only)
At the Lumber Camp:
- Double-Bit Axe - increases wood-chopping speed by 20%
- Bow Saw - increases wood-chopping speed (Burgundians only)
At the Mining Camp:
- Stone Mining - increases stone-mining speed by 15%
- Gold Mining - increases gold-mining speed by 15%
- Stone Shaft Mining - increases stone-mining speed (Burgundians only)
- Gold Shaft Mining - increases gold-mining speed (Burgundians only)
At the Mule Cart (Armenians and Georgians only):
- Double-Bit Axe - increases wood-chopping speed by 20%
- Gold Mining - increases gold-mining speed by 15%
- Stone Mining - increases stone-mining speed by 15%
At the Market:
- Caravan - increases the speed of trade units by 50% (Burgundians only)
At the Dock:
- Gillnets - increases the working rate of Fishing Ships (Burgundians only)
Military technologies[]
At the Barracks:
At the Stable:
- Bloodlines - increases mounted units' hit points by 20
At the Blacksmith:
- Scale Mail Armor - increases infantry armor by +1/+1
- Fletching - projectiles' range and attack increased by +1
- Padded Archer Armor - increases archer armor by +1/+1
- Forging - increases infantry and cavalry attack by +1
- Scale Barding Armor - increases cavalry armor by +1/+1
Free upgrades[]
- Infantry units gain +2 Line of Sight
- Eagle Scouts gain +1 Line of Sight (stacks with infantry bonus)
- Scout Cavalry gain +2 Line of Sight, +2 attack, +29.2% movement speed
- Camel Scouts gain +1 Line of Sight, +2 attack, +20.8% movement speed, +5 vs cavalry, +2 vs camels and ships
- Palisade Walls and Gates gain +66.6% hit points
- Outposts gain +2 Line of Sight
- Buildings (except walls, outposts and farms) gain +1/+1 armor
- Barracks gain +300 hit points
- Mills, Lumber Camps, Mining Camps, Folwarks, and Houses gain +200 hit points
Civilization bonuses[]
- Bengalis: Spawn 2 villagers from every Town Center when they reach the Feudal Age.
- Burgundians: Feudal Age economic technologies are available in the Dark Age. Castle Age economic technologies are available in the Feudal Age.
- Dravidians: Receive 200 wood when they reach the Feudal Age.
- Ethiopians: Receive 100 food, 100 gold when they reach the Feudal Age.
- Italians: Advancing to the Feudal Age is 15% cheaper, 425 food instead of 500 food.
- Khmer: No buildings are required to advance to the Feudal Age.
- Malay: Advancing to the Feudal Age is 66% faster (78 seconds instead of 130).
- Persians: Town Centers and Docks work 10% faster in the Feudal Age. Advancing to the Feudal Age is 5% faster (124 seconds instead of 130).
Changelog[]
The Age of Kings[]
- Persians: Could not yet advance to the Feudal Age 5% faster.
Definitive Edition[]
- Persians: In the release version, advancing to the Feudal Age is 5% faster. With update 36906, advancing to the Feudal Age speed is restored to normal. With Update 95810, advancing to the Feudal Age is 5% faster again.
History[]
ā | The Frankish Empire assembled by Charlemagne in the ninth century can be considered the end of the Dark Age in Europe and the beginning of the Feudal Age. Barbarian tribal groups that overran much of Western Europe were giving way to better-organized regional powers. The church in Rome was providing a unifying social fabric. Charlemagne attempted to revive learning and encouraged a new interest in the arts. His empire fractured after his death, however, and new waves of barbarians undid much of his work. Political and economic power shifted away from kings to local lords who ruled within a shifting hierarchy of vassalage. The common people worked the land to support the hierarchy of nobles and churchmen above them. | ā |
—Age of Empires II manual |
Ages in the Age of Empires series | |
---|---|
Age of Empires | |
Stone Age Ā· Tool Age Ā· Bronze Age Ā· Iron Age Cut: Prehistoric Age Ā· Republic Age | |
Age of Empires II | |
Dark Age Ā· Feudal Age Ā· Castle Age Ā· Imperial Age | |
Age of Mythology | |
Archaic Age Ā· Classical Age Ā· Heroic Age Ā· Mythic Age Ā· Titan Age | |
Age of Empires III | |
Exploration Age Ā· Commerce Age Ā· Fortress Age Ā· Industrial Age Ā· Imperial Age Revolution | |
Age of Empires IV | |
Dark Age Ā· Feudal Age Ā· Castle Age Ā· Imperial Age |