The Fortified Tower (called Sea Fortification before the Definitive Edition) is an unconstructable, powerful tower introduced in Age of Empires II HD: The African Kingdoms, that appears in some campaign scenarios and the Scenario Editor.
As a hero building, it is immune to conversion and can regenerate hit points.
Campaign appearances[]
- Lion of Africa: Prior to Return of Rome, the southwestern edge of El Araich is protected by a Fortified Tower.
- Razzia: There is a Fortified Tower along the southern walls of the eastern and northern bases of the Frankish army. There's also a Fortified Tower by the southwest Castle of Bordeaux.
- The Lion's Den: Fortified Towers are owned by the enemy and present in the sea between the player and Koumbi Saleh, as well as the coastline of the latter.
- Welcome Home: The city of Aksum is defended by Fortified Towers. Destroying them switches ownership to the city section it's defending to an ally.
- The Battle at Hanoi: The "Turtle Tower" within Hanoi is a renamed Fortified Tower.
- Quelling the Rebellion: Each enemy faction has a camp with a Fortified Tower as its central fortification. Destroying a Tower will convert that base to Suryavarman's side.
- Challenging a Thalassocracy: The Tambralingas have a Fortified Tower in their island base, with a Relic underneath the Tower.
- Serving the New King: Kingdom of Luwu has several Fortified Towers along the coast of their base. Makassar also has a Fortified Tower on the southern cliff, overlooking the sea entrance into their naval base.
- The Pasunda Bubat Tragedy: The Sunda control two Fortified Towers protecting the western river next to Trowulan.
- Born of Fire: Nagarjuna has a Fortified Tower on the river.
- The Digvijaya: A Fortified Tower belongs to the Paramara, overlooking the sea entrance into their base.
- Hand of a Princess: Lal Kot controls a Fortified Tower in the southeastern area of the map.
- The Fate of India: The Buddhist Monks are protected by a Fortified Tower.
- A Fortified Tower guards the western flank of the Tatar base.
- Where the One-Eyed Man is King: A Fortified Tower protects the Polish Wonder in the north.
- Blood for Blood: Fortified Towers are found along the southern coast of the Danube. One is under control of the Teutons towards the exit, and one is under the Hungarians, overlooking the Danube.
- A New Home: A Fortified Tower is located on an island east of Nesebar, belonging to the Latin Empire.
Lake Poyang: Several high-attack Fortified Towers under Admiral Chen's command appear along the lakeside, protecting enemy fortifications. Their attack stat is much higher than what is normally possible.- Bapheus: The Byzantines have two Fortified Towers, one in their northern and southern Bases each.
- Vain Ambition: Two Fortified Towers protect Hereford. The eastern base of the Baronial Forces also contains a Fortified Tower.
- A Man of God: Fortified Towers protect Limassol, Acre and Tripoli, as well as the eastern Crusader fort and the Mamlukian base in the eastern corner.
- Of Castles and Kings: There are Fortified Towers protecting the main bases of Llywelyn and Dafydd, as well as one Fortified Tower in each of the two military bases of the Welsh army in the northwest. There are also Fortified Towers by the first and third Castles.
- Toom Tabard: Several Fortified Towers protect Berwick.
- Hammer of the Scots: Several Fortified Towers protect Berwick and one is present inside Stirling. There are also Fortified Towers in the fortified northern base of the Scottish army, presumably Methven.
- Roger in Sicily: Two Fortified Towers defend the city of Palermo in the northwest.
- Bohemond in the East: Numerous enemy Fortified Towers surround Antioch, as well as defend various bases around the map. A singular Fortified Tower is also located within Antioch, defending the Saracen held fort in the southeast.
- Wonder of the World: Two Fortified Towers defend the Berber base in the southwest.
- Unholy Marriage: Several Fortified Towers defend English towns and Castles in England.
- The Maid Falls: A Fortified Tower defends the northwest entrance into Compiègne.
- No Man's Land: Three Fortified Towers protect the eastern river crossing under the control of the Teutonic Order. Bryansk also has a Fortified Tower south of the city.
- A Worthy Opponent: Fortified Towers are present inside the Kremlin Fortress.
- Duel of the Dukes: A Fortified Tower is present in the Vytautas' middle starting base.
- The Siege of Vilnius: There are Fortified Towers in the main Teutonic camp, and one Fortified Tower in the camp of the Teutonic raiders.
- Vytautas' Crusade: Fortified Tower is present along the river coast in Golden Horde lands. A couple of Fortified Towers are present in Vozia. Several Fortified Towers also protect Kazikermen, and its Market in the eastern corner of the map.
- The Fruits of Her Labor: Fortified Towers protect the entrances of the two Teutonic forts.
- Courage and Coin: Teutonic Order have a Fortified Tower in each of their two bases, close to their castles and commanders. Crusader Knights also have two Fortified Towers in their base.
- The Emperor's Fury: There is a Fortified Tower in the center of Kutna Hora. A Fortified Tower is also present as part of the Teutons' fortified position in the east.
- Pearl of the East: Babur's starting base is protected by a Fortified Tower, and it must be protected until the night ends.
- Rising Star: A Fortified Tower defends the waters north of the Khmer base. A Fortified Tower also protects Chola Docks.
- Sacred Waters: The Pala Empire has a Fortified Tower by the coastline close to the delta of the river Ganges.
- Slaying the Vritra: The Khmer have a Fortified Tower by the coast south of their base.
- Alexander Safavi: A Fortified Tower defends the Wonder district in Baghdad.
- Charlemagne: A Fortified Tower is present in the base of Minor Factions to the west of Carloman base.
- Constantine XI: Fortified Towers are present in the Ottoman bases. There is also one Fortified Tower on an island to the west of Constantinople. In Constantinople, two Fortified Towers protect the western Gate and Hagia Sophia each.
- Fetih: In Constantinople, two Fortified Towers protect the western gate and Hagia Sophia each.
- Komnenos: The Seljuk Turks have a Fortified Tower near the Docks.
- Seljuk: A Fortified Tower is located in the center of southernmost camp of the Ghaznavids.
- Shimazu: A Fortified Tower is present on an island near the north of Korea.
Variations[]
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The various appearances of the Fortified Towers are based on several real-life structures.
- The East Asian model is based on tiered tower-like Pagodas built in east and southeast Asia beginning from around the 5th Century.
- The East European model is based on the original white towers of the Moscow Kremlin built in 1495.
- The Middle Eastern model is based on square-base watch towers present along with cylindrical ones (although the latter type is more common) in the Arabian peninsula, such as the fort towers of Al-Mudayrib Castle in Oman.
- The South Asian/Indian model is based on the Vijaya Stambha built in 1448, and present in Age of Empires III as the Tower of Victory.
Trivia[]
- As with other Scenario Editor-exclusive towers (except for the Fire Tower), the Fortified Tower shares its secondary projectiles with the Watch Tower line and the Donjon, due to which they benefit from researching Guard Tower, Keep, and Arrowslits.
- In The African Kingdoms, all Fortified Towers have the African building style regardless of civilization assigned in the Editor, but in Rise of the Rajas a second sprite is introduced that is unique to the Southeast Asian style.
- The appearance varies with every architecture set since in the Definitive Edition. Therefore, it is, along with the Trade Workshop, the only unconstructable buildings which have architecture set-specific graphics.
- As of the Definitive Edition, the Fortified Tower is the first and only building in Age of Empires II that has unique icons based on architecture set.
- Though Fortified Towers seem to occupy 2×2 tiles, they actually occupy 1×1 like other towers.
- In the Definitive Edition, the Western European model of the Fortified Tower has the same appearance as The Tower of Flies and The Accursed Tower. In addition, the Fortified Tower shares its hit points with the Tower of Flies, and range and Line of Sight with The Accursed Tower. It does not share firing rate with either of those two towers.
- The statues at the entrance of the East and Southeast Asian Fortified Towers are Chinese guardian lions (Shī), also called Foo Dogs or Lion Dogs in the West. They were traditionally built at the entrance of government buildings and the houses of the wealthy, and were said to have protective qualities. This custom was imported from India, where lions were used as a symbol of power, at the same time as Buddhism (lions are not native to East Asia).
- In Chronicles, all civilizations reuse the Mediterranean icon for the Fortified Tower, but have new unique in-game sprites for the new architecture sets.
