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ā€œ Filled with explosives. Self-destructs when used. ā€
Age of Empires II description

The Heavy Demolition Ship is a ship in Age of Empires II that can be upgraded from the Demolition Ship at the Dock once the Imperial Age is reached. It is packed with explosives that blows up enemy ships, Docks, land units caught in shallows, and anything too close the shore. It has better armor (although still very little) and a much stronger and larger explosion than its predecessor. Since they are suicide units, they may be referred to as the Petards of the sea (even though they were introduced in the game before Petards).

Availability chart[]

Heavydemolitionshipavailable AvailableHeavydemolitionshipunavailable Unavailable
x means that the civilizations gets fully upgradeable Heavy Demolition Ships. The technologies being considered here are Dry Dock and Shipwright.
+ means that the civilization gets some civilization or team bonus or a unique technology that benefits the combat strength of the Heavy Demolition Ship.

Tactics[]

The Heavy Demolition Ship has +10 hit points, +30 attack, +60 anti-building damage, +2 pierce armor, +2 ship armor and +0.5 blast radius over its predecessor.

Heavy Demolition Ships are very good against other ships, especially Fire Ships and fully loaded Transports. Heavy Demolition Ships explode when killed, dealing blast damage to any nearby units. However, they do not cause friendly fire damage, so any nearby allied units will not be damaged.

The Heavy Demolition Ship and its predecessor are the fastest military vessels in the game, making them capable of chasing down enemies. It can cause great damage when it hits and will destroy most ships in one shot, but since it is a suicide unit, it is ineffective when used as the basis of a navy. Heavy Demolition Ships are useful against the Galley line if they manage to approach them, excellent against Fire Ships, and devastating against Transport Ships.

Further statistics[]

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. buildings in the shoreline, melee units in the shallows, Cannon Galleons
Weak vs. Turtle Ships, towers, Castles, ranged units on the shoreline
Upgrades
Attack SiegeEngineersDE Siege Engineers (+40% against buildings)
Armor CareeningDE Careening (+0/+1)
UniqueTechCastle-DE Carrack (+1/+1, Portuguese only)
Speed DryDockDE Dry Dock (+15%)
Conversion defense Devotion icon AoE2DE Devotion (+1 min, +1 max)
FaithDE Faith (+4 min, +4 max)
HeresyDE Heresy (die upon getting converted)
UniqueTechCastle-DE First Crusade (+4 min, +4 max, Sicilians only)
Creation speed ShipwrightDE Shipwright (+54%)
Train cost ShipwrightDE Shipwright (-20%)
Blast radius UniqueTechCastle-DE Cilician Fleet (+20%, Armenians only)

Civilization bonuses[]

  • Berbers AoE2 Berbers: Heavy Demolition Ships move 10% faster.
  • Celts AoE2 Celts: Heavy Demolition Ships can convert herdable animals even if enemy units are next to them.
  • Chinese AoE2 Chinese: Technologies that benefit Heavy Demolition Ships are 10%/15% cheaper in the Castle/Imperial Age. Heavy Demolition Ships have +50% HP.
  • Persians AoE2 Persians: Heavy Demolition Ships are created 20% faster. Careening is researched 15%/20% faster in the Castle/Imperial Age. Dry Dock is researched 20% faster.
  • Portuguese AoE2 Portuguese: Heavy Demolition Ships have +10% hit points and cost -20% gold.
  • Spanish AoE2 Spanish: Researching technologies that benefit Heavy Demolition Ships provides 20 gold each.
  • Vikings AoE2 Vikings: Heavy Demolition Ships are 20% cheaper.

Team bonuses[]

Changelog[]

AoE2-DLCicon-0 The Age of Kings[]

AoE2-DLCicon-1 The Conquerors[]

  • With patch 1.0b, Shipwright also decreases train time by 35% now.
  • Heresy introduced.

AoE2-DLCicon-2 The Forgotten[]

  • Heavy Demolition Ships have 70 hit points.

AoE2-DLCicon-3 The African Kingdoms[]

AoEIIDE icon Definitive Edition[]

Aoe2 hb Victors and Vanquished[]

History[]

ā€œ Demolition ships eventually were made larger and filled them with explosives of greater power, especially gunpowder. This heavy demolition ship resulted in greater explosions and a greater chance of damaging or destroying one or more enemy ships. It could be devastating against a large target or many enemy ships caught traveling close together. ā€
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings manual

Trivia[]

  • Heavy Demolition Ships cause the second greatest amount of base damage in the entire game (140), only Trebuchets have greater damage output (200).
  • Berber Heavy Demolition Ships with Dry Dock researched are the second fastest unit (2.024), behind Berber Trade Cogs with Caravan (2.5047), thus they are also the fastest military unit in the game.
  • None of the four civilizations introduced in The Last Khans and neither of the two civilizations introduced in Dawn of the Dukes has access to Heavy Demolition Ships. As a result, none of the Eastern European civilizations have access to it.
  • After the building style changed to East Asian for the Vietnamese, none of the Southeast Asian civilizations have access to Heavy Demolition Ships either. The South Asian style Heavy Demolition Ship is unique to the Dravidians.
    • With the removal of the Heavy Demolition Ship for Hindustanis (former Indians), none of the civilizations introduced in The Forgotten have access to it.

Gallery[]

Video[]

Units in Age of Empires II
CivilianMaleVillDE Villager Ā· Tradecart aoe2DE Trade Cart Ā· FishingShipDE Fishing Ship Ā· Trade cog aoe2DE Trade Cog Ā· King eu aoe2DE King
ReligiousMonk aoe2DE Monk
InfantryMilitiaDE Militia Ā· Manatarms aoe2DE Man-at-Arms Ā· Longswordsman aoe2DE Long Swordsman Ā· Twohanded aoe2DE Two-Handed Swordsman Ā· Champion aoe2DE Champion
Spearman aoe2DE Spearman Ā· Aoe2-infantry-2-pikeman Pikeman Ā· Halberdier aoe2DE Halberdier
ArcherArcher aoe2DE Archer Ā· Crossbowman aoe2DE Crossbowman Ā· Arbalester aoe2DE Arbalester
Skirmisher aoe2DE Skirmisher Ā· Elite skirmisher aoe2DE Elite Skirmisher
Hand cannoneer aoe2DE Hand Cannoneer
Cavalryarcher aoe2DE Cavalry Archer Ā· Heavycavalryarcher aoe2de Heavy Cavalry Archer
CavalryScoutcavalry aoe2DE Scout Cavalry Ā· Lightcavalry aoe2DE Light Cavalry Ā· Hussar aoe2DE Hussar
Knight aoe2DE Knight Ā· Cavalier aoe2DE Cavalier Ā· Paladin aoe2DE Paladin
Camelrider aoe2DE Camel Rider Ā· Aoe2 heavycamelriderDE Heavy Camel Rider
SiegeBattering ram aoe2DE Battering Ram Ā· Capped ram aoe2DE Capped Ram Ā· Siege ram aoe2DE Siege Ram
Mangonel aoe2DE Mangonel Ā· Onager aoe2DE Onager Ā· Siege onager aoe2DE Siege Onager
Scorpion aoe2DE Scorpion Ā· Heavyscorpion aoe2DE Heavy Scorpion
Bombard cannon aoe2DE Bombard Cannon
Trebuchet aoe2DE Trebuchet
Petard aoe2DE Petard
Siegetower aoe2DE Siege Tower
War shipTransportship aoe2DE Transport Ship
Galley aoe2DE Galley Ā· War galley aoe2DE War Galley Ā· Galleon aoe2DE Galleon
Fire galley aoe2DE Fire Galley Ā· Fireship aoe2DE Fire Ship Ā· Fastfireship aoe2DE Fast Fire Ship
Demoraft aoe2DE Demolition Raft Ā· Demoship aoe2DE Demolition Ship Ā· Heavydemoship aoe2de Heavy Demolition Ship
Cannon galleon aoe2DE Cannon Galleon Ā· Elite cannon galleon aoe2de Elite Cannon Galleon
Regional
InfantryEaglescout aoe2DE Eagle Scout Ā· Eaglewarrior aoe2DE Eagle Warrior Ā· EliteEaglewarrior aoe2DE Elite Eagle Warrior
ArcherAoe2de DOI elephant archer icon Elephant Archer Ā· ElephantArcherIcon-DE Elite Elephant Archer
CavalryBattle elephant aoe2DE Battle Elephant Ā· Elite battle elephant aoe2DE Elite Battle Elephant
Steppelancericon Steppe Lancer Ā· Elitesteppelancericon Elite Steppe Lancer
Xolotlicon Xolotl Warrior
AoE2DE Armored Elephant icon Armored Elephant Ā· AoE2DE Siege Elephant icon Siege Elephant
War shipAoE2 Dromon Dromon
Unique
ReligiousMissionaryIcon-DE Missionary Ā· AoE2 WarriorPriest Warrior Priest
InfantryBerserkIcon-DE Berserk Ā· Aoe2de Chakram Chakram Thrower Ā· CondottieroIcon-DE Condottiero Ā· Aoe2-icon-flemish-militia Flemish Militia Ā· GbetoIcon-DE Gbeto Ā· Aoe2de Ghulam Ghulam Ā· HuskarlIcon-DE Huskarl Ā· JaguarWarriorIcon-DE Jaguar Warrior Ā· KamayukIcon-DE Kamayuk Ā· Karambitwarrioricon-DE Karambit Warrior Ā· AoE2 DE Legionary new icon Legionary Ā· Aoe2-icon--obuch Obuch Ā· SamuraiIcon-DE Samurai Ā· Aoe2-icon-serjeant Serjeant Ā· Shotelwarrioricon-DE Shotel Warrior Ā· TeutonicKnightIcon-DE Teutonic Knight Ā· ThrowingAxemanIcon-DE Throwing Axeman Ā· Aoe2de Urumi Urumi Swordsman Ā· AoE2 WarriorPriest Warrior Priest Ā· WoadRaiderIcon-DE Woad Raider
ArcherArambaiicon-DE Arambai Ā· CamelArcherIcon-DE Camel Archer Ā· ChukoNuIcon-DE Chu Ko Nu Ā· AoE2 CompositeBowman Composite Bowman Ā· ConquistadorIcon-DE Conquistador Ā· GenitourIcon-DE Genitour Ā· GenoeseCrossbowmanIcon-DE Genoese Crossbowman Ā· Imperialskirmishericon-DE Imperial Skirmisher Ā· JanissaryIcon-DE Janissary Ā· Kipchakicon Kipchak Ā· LongbowmanIcon-DE Longbowman Ā· MangudaiIcon-DE Mangudai Ā· PlumedArcherIcon-DE Plumed Archer Ā· Aoe2de ratha ranged Ranged Ratha Ā· Rattanarchericon-DE Rattan Archer Ā· SlingerIcon-DE Slinger Ā· WarWagonIcon-DE War Wagon
CavalryBallistaelephanticon-DE Ballista Elephant Ā· BoyarIcon-DE Boyar Ā· Aoe2de camel scout Camel Scout Ā· CataphractIcon-DE Cataphract Ā· Aoe2de roman unique centurion icon Centurion Ā· Aoe2-icon-coustillier Coustillier Ā· Flaming camel icon Flaming Camel Ā· ImperialCamelRiderIcon-DE Imperial Camel Rider Ā· Keshikicon Keshik Ā· Konnikicon Konnik Ā· Leitisicon Leitis Ā· MagyarHuszarIcon-DE Magyar Huszar Ā· MamelukeIcon-DE Mameluke Ā· AoE2 Monaspa Monaspa Ā· Aoe2de ratha melee Melee Ratha Ā· AoE2 Savar Savar Ā· Aoe2de shrivamsha rider Shrivamsha Rider Ā· TarkanIcon-DE Tarkan Ā· WarElephantIcon-DE War Elephant Ā· Aoe2-icon-winged-hussar Winged Hussar
SiegeAoe2-icon--houfnice Houfnice Ā· Aoe2-icon-hussite-wagon Hussite Wagon Ā· OrganGunIcon-DE Organ Gun
War shipCaravelIcon-DE Caravel Ā· LongboatIcon-DE Longboat Ā· Aoe2de Thirisadai Thirisadai Ā· TurtleShipIcon-DE Turtle Ship
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