Heavy Plow

This article is about the technology in Age of Empires II. For similar technologies in other games of the series, see Plow.

Heavy Plow
Availability
Introduced in	Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
Civilization	All except Khitans
Age	Castle Age
Research
Researched at	Mill Folwark (Poles only)
Prerequisite(s)	Horse Collar
Required for	Crop Rotation
Food	125
Wood	125
Research time	40 seconds
Effect
Farms provide +125 food, Villagers carry +1 food

Heavy Plow is a technology in Age of Empires II that can be researched at the Mill or at the Folwark (Poles only) once the Castle Age is reached. Once researched, it gives Farms +125 food (for a total of 375) and allows Villagers to carry +1 food. The increase to carry capacity makes Heavy Plow stand out compared to Horse Collar before it and Crop Rotation after it, and boosts food collection rate slightly.

Farms that are built before Heavy Plow is researched do not gain the food bonus. If the technology is completed while a Farm is being built, the food bonus applies to that Farm.

Crop Rotation is the further upgrade of this technology, and Pastoralism is the Pasture equivalent of this technology.

Further statistics

Civilization bonuses
Resource cost	Burgundians (-33% food) Chinese (-10%/-15% in the Castle/Imperial Age) Vietnamese (-100% wood)
Research speed	Vietnamese (+100%)
Other	Burgundians (available in the Feudal Age) Franks (free) Sicilians (provides +125% additional food) Spanish (receive 20 gold after researching Heavy Plow) Wei (receive one Villager after researching Heavy Plow)

Team bonuses
Research speed	Portuguese (+25%)

Changelog

Rise of the Rajas

• Vietnamese: Heavy Plow costs the regular price.

Definitive Edition

• Vietnamese: With update 35584, Heavy Plow costs no wood.
• Portuguese: With update 42848, Heavy Plow is researched 30% faster as a civilization bonus.

Lords of the West

• Burgundians: With update 47820, Heavy Plow costs -50% food.

Dynasties of India

• Burgundians: With update 66692, Heavy Plow costs -40% food. With update 78174, Heavy Plow costs -33% food.
• Portuguese: With update 73855, Heavy Plow is researched 25% faster as a team bonus.

Return of Rome

• Vietnamese: With update 87863, Heavy Plow is researched 100% faster.

History

“

Following the implementation of the chest horse collar, the next important innovation for European farming was the heavy plow. This was a large wood and metal plow that could bite deep into the dense, rich soil deposited on the European plains following the last Ice Age. The heavy grasses in these areas defied previous attempts to plow. The heavy plow pulled behind strong horses bred for power broke open these soils. This opened vast tracks of land that proved very productive and greatly increased food production. Populations climbed as a result.

”