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This article is about the building in Age of Empires II. For the building in other games of the series, see House.

Each House supports 5 units (villagers, military units, ships, Trade Carts).
Age of Empires II description

The House is a civilian building in Age of Empires II. It provides five population, making it one of the most essential buildings there are. If a House is destroyed, the population value it provided is lost (except for the Mongols after researching Nomads).

Houses are available to all civilizations except for the Huns, who start the game with the population at the maximum in exchange for -100 wood at the game start.

Tactics and placement[]

Apart from walls, the House is the cheapest building in the game. Its only purpose is to increase population capacity. In the Dark Age, the House is the very first building a player should build (unless they are playing as the Huns or the Chinese). In fact, building a House should be the very first thing to do besides creating new Villagers. When playing with standard settings, it is recommendable to build at least four Houses before advancing to the Feudal Age.

As Houses are cheap and built quickly, they are used in many circumstances as a wall replacement with the plus of support population, especially in early stages of the game to defend against a rush.

The Khmer have a very distinctive bonus that enables the player to use the House as a supportive building when defending from a raid, as they can garrison up to five Villagers inside (however unlike when garrisoned in Town Centers, towers, or Castles, the garrisoned Villagers do not shoot arrows). This helps the Khmer to minimize losses, so in their particular case, is advisable to build Houses next to busy working places. Also, if they want to substitute walls with Houses, they can move their Villagers inside their base through a House.

Houses are often built in clusters to save space for buildings and resource extraction. This optimizes the flow of units through the player's town, however, it also makes them particularly vulnerable to siege weapons such as Onagers or Capped Rams.

Aesthetically, Houses have three different variants that are randomly selected. In the Definitive Edition, the scroll wheel can be used to configure the variant used.

Upgrades[]

Hit points Masonry aoe2de Masonry (+10%)
ArchitectureDE Architecture (+10%)
Armor Masonry aoe2de Masonry (+1/+1, +3 building armor)
ArchitectureDE Architecture (+1/+1, +3 building armor)
Line of Sight TownWatchDE Town Watch (+4)
TownPatrolDE Town Patrol (+4)
Conversion defense Devotion icon AoE2DE Devotion (+1 min, +1 max)
FaithDE Faith (+4 min, +4 max)
HeresyDE Heresy (die upon getting converted)
Construction speed TreadmillCraneDE Treadmill Crane (+20%)
Other UniqueTechCastle-DE Nomads (Houses do not lose their population room when destroyed, Mongols only)

Civilization bonuses[]

  • CivIcon-Burmese Burmese: Researching Devotion and Faith is 50% cheaper.
  • CivIcon-Byzantines Byzantines: Houses have +10%/+20%/+30%/+40% HP in the Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age. Town Watch and Town Patrol are free.
  • CivIcon-Chinese Chinese: Technologies that benefit Houses are 5%/10%/15% cheaper in the Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
  • CivIcon-Incas Incas: Houses provide 10 population.
  • CivIcon-Georgians Georgians: Houses receive -20% damage (-40% instead of -25%) when fighting from higher elevation.
  • CivIcon-Khmer Khmer: Up to five Villagers and Kings can garrison in a House.
  • CivIcon-Malians Malians: Houses are 15% cheaper.
  • CivIcon-Persians Persians: Researching Town Watch and Town Patrol is 10%/15%/20% faster in the Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
  • CivIcon-Romans Romans: Houses are built and repaired 5% faster.
  • CivIcon-Spanish Spanish: Houses are built 30% faster. Researching technologies that benefit Houses provides 20 gold each.

Team bonuses[]

Changelog[]

AoE2-DLCicon-0 The Age of Kings[]

  • Houses cost 30 wood.
  • Houses always have 900 HP.
  • Houses have 0/1/2 melee armor in the Dark/Feudal/Castle Age.

AoE2-DLCicon-1 The Conquerors[]

AoE2-DLCicon-2 The Forgotten[]

  • Houses cost 25 wood.
  • House HP staggered: 550/750/900/900 in the Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
  • CivIcon-Mongols Mongols: Nomads introduced. Due to an unintended oversight, it gives +5 population even if a House foundation is destroyed.

AoEIIDE icon Definitive Edition[]

  • Fixed the issue which made Houses able to attack.
  • CivIcon-Mongols Mongols: Nomads works as intended, and destroyed foundations no longer give population room.

Dawn of the Dukes icon Dawn of the Dukes[]

  • With update 56005, Houses have -2/-1/1 melee armor in the Dark/Feudal/Castle Age.

AoE2Icon-MountainRoyals The Mountain Royals[]

History[]

During the Middle Ages in Europe, peasants often kept farm animals in a separate room or on the ground floor of their houses. Merchants and craftsmen also used ground floors as a place of business with living areas above. Lords lived in larger manor houses with kitchens separated to reduce the risk of fire. The homes of lords in the Dark Ages were fortified before the advent of castles.
Age of Empires II manual

Trivia[]

  • Houses and Gates are the only buildings that can be rotated in the Scenario Editor. In the House's case, each visual variant is internally stored as a rotation.

Gallery[]

Buildings in Age of Empires II
Civilian buildings
EconomicTowncenter aoe2DE Town Center · Dock aoe2de Dock · Fish trap aoe2DE Fish Trap · Mill aoe2de Mill · FarmDE Farm · Market aoe2DE Market · Lumber camp aoe2de Lumber Camp · Mining camp aoe2de Mining Camp · Feitoria aoe2DE Feitoria · Folwark Folwark · Ao2de caravanserai icon Caravanserai · AoE2 MuleCart Mule Cart
ResearchBlacksmith aoe2de Blacksmith · University AoE2 DE University
ReligiousAoE2 FortifiedChurch Fortified Church · MonasteryAoe2DE Monastery
MiscellaneousHouse aoe2DE House · Wonder aoe2DE Wonder
Military buildings
ProductionBarracks aoe2DE Barracks · Archery range aoe2DE Archery Range · Stable aoe2DE Stable · Siege workshop aoe2DE Siege Workshop · Dock aoe2de Dock
Fortified productionCastle aoe2DE Castle · Harbor aoe2de Harbor · Krepost icon updated Krepost · Aoe2-icon-donjon Donjon
TowerTowncenter aoe2DE Town Center · AoE2 FortifiedChurch Fortified Church · Outpost aoe2de Outpost · Watch Tower icon AoE2DE Watch Tower · Guard Tower icon AoE2DE Guard Tower · Keep icon AoE2DE Keep · Bombard tower aoe2DE Bombard Tower
WallPalisade wall aoe2de Palisade Wall · Palisade gate aoe2DE Palisade Gate · Stone wall aoe2de Stone Wall · Gate aoe2de Gate · Fortified wall aoe2de Fortified Wall · Gate aoe2de Fortified Gate
Scenario Editor buildings
AoE2-DLCicon-0 The Age of KingsBridge · MonasteryAoe2DE Cathedral · Wonder aoe2DE Dome of the Rock · Pyramid aoe2DE Great Pyramid · MonasteryAoe2DE Mosque · Pavilion big icon AoE2DE Pavilion · Pyramid aoe2DE Pyramid · Accursed tower aoe2DE The Accursed Tower · Accursed tower aoe2DE The Tower of Flies · Market aoe2DE Trade Workshop · Yurt thatch big aoe2DE Yurt
AoE2-DLCicon-1 The ConquerorsWonder aoe2DE Monument · SeaGateDE Sea Gate · Watch Tower icon AoE2DE Sea Tower · Sea Wall icon AoE2DE Sea Wall
AoE2-DLCicon-2 The ForgottenAmphitheatre aoe2DE Amphitheatre · Aqueduct aoe2DE Aqueduct · Wonder aoe2DE Arch of Constantine · Fortified wall aoe2de City Wall · Amphitheatre aoe2DE Colosseum · Keep icon AoE2DE Fire Tower · Palisade wall aoe2de Fortified Palisade Wall · Castle aoe2DE Fortress · Castle aoe2DE Poenari Castle · Wonder aoe2DE Quimper Cathedral · MonasteryAoe2DE Temple of Heaven · Wooden Bridge
AoE2-DLCicon-3 The African KingdomsBarricade aoe2DE Barricade · Fence aoe2DE Fence · Accursed tower aoe2DE Fortified Tower · 2de granary new icon Granary · Hut small aoe2DE Hut · Wondericon Palace (removed) · Aoe2de storage icon new Storage · Tent small aoe2DE Tent
AoE2-DLCicon-4 Rise of the RajasTent army small aoe2DE Army Tent · Wonder aoe2DE Gol Gumbaz · Wonder aoe2DE Sanchi Stupa
AoE2-DLCicon-5 The Last KhansWonder aoe2DE Aachen Cathedral · Chain aoe2DE Chain · Gate aoe2de City Gate · Wonder aoe2DE Dormition Cathedral · Wonder aoe2DE Rock Church · Wonder aoe2DE Sankore Madrasah · MonasteryAoe2DE Shrine · Wonder aoe2DE Tower of London
Dawn of the Dukes icon Dawn of the DukesAoe2de pagan shrine icon Pagan Shrine
AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of IndiaWonder aoe2DE Minaret of Jam
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