Age of Empires Series Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Info icon
This article is about the technology in Age of Empires II. For other uses of the term, see Mercenary.

Corvinian Army (called Mercenaries before the Definitive Edition) is a technology in Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten that is unique to the Magyars and can be researched at the Castle. Once researched, it replaces gold cost of Magyar Huszar by additional food cost.

Strategy[]

As Corvinian Army replaces the gold cost of the Magyar Huszar with food, it must be researched as soon as the player starts to require a large number of these units that in general perform much better than regular Hussars. This turns the Magyar Huszar into a trash unit and allows the player to save a lot of gold in the long term and perform much better in trash wars in the late game.

Like the Persian unique technology Kamandaran, the Malay unique technology Forced Levy and the Bohemian unique technology Hussite Reforms, the player should research Corvinian Army as soon as they require more Magyar Huszars in order to have the highest possible use. Since without Corvinian Army, a Magyar Huszar costs 45 gold, it is only worth researching Corvinian Army when more than 6 Magyar Huszars are trained after researching.

Team bonuses[]

  • CivIcon-Portuguese Portuguese: Researching Corvinian Army is 25% faster.

Changelog[]

AoE2-DLCicon-2 The Forgotten[]

  • The technology is called Mercenaries.

AoEIIDE icon Definitive Edition[]

  • Mercenaries renamed to Corvinian Army.

AoE2Icon-MountainRoyals The Mountain Royals[]

  • With update 95810, Corvinian Army effect changed from Magyar Huszar cost no gold to Magyar Huszar gold cost is replaced by additional food cost.

History[]

Mercenaries[]

During the 9th and 10th centuries, the Hungarian cavalry were often hired as mercenaries by various rulers, including the Byzantines when they settled at Ethelkoz (located at the north of the Black Sea). Their ability to fight on the horse while firing arrows from great distance made their service in great demand. Besides receiving gifts and tributes from their employers, they also got their income from looting after successfully repelling the enemy.[1]

Garamszentbenedek

Infantrymen in the church of Garamszentbenedek

Corvinian Army[]

The Corvinian Army refers to the armed forces of Hungary under King Matthias Corvinus in the mid to late 15th century. Known more famously as the Black Army, possibly due to the color of their armor, they were one of the most professional standing armies in medieval Europe, being one of the first to make extensive use of early firearms. Under the leadership of King Matthias, they fought against the Holy Roman Empire, the Ottomans, and the Hussites.

Numbering around 28,000 men in 1485, the Black Army was the largest professional standing army in Europe at the time, far larger even than the army of King Louis XI of France, then the only other permanent professional European army. Its soldiers consisted of recruits from many different nations, including Czechs, Germans, Serbs, Poles and, from 1480, Hungarians.

References[]

  1. J. France and C.R. Bowlus. 2008. "Mercenaries and Paid Men: The Mercenary Identity in the Middle Ages" (p. 193–195). Brill, Leiden.
Unique technologies in Age of Empires II
AoE2-DLCicon-0 The Age of Kings civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Britons Yeomen · CivIcon-Byzantines Greek Fire · CivIcon-Celts Stronghold · CivIcon-Chinese Great Wall · CivIcon-Franks Bearded Axe · CivIcon-Goths Anarchy · CivIcon-Japanese Yasama · CivIcon-Mongols Nomads · CivIcon-Persians Kamandaran · CivIcon-Saracens Bimaristan · CivIcon-Teutons Ironclad · CivIcon-Turks Sipahi · CivIcon-Vikings Chieftains
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Britons Warwolf · CivIcon-Byzantines Logistica · CivIcon-Celts Furor Celtica · CivIcon-Chinese Rocketry · CivIcon-Franks Chivalry · CivIcon-Goths Perfusion · CivIcon-Japanese Kataparuto · CivIcon-Mongols Drill · CivIcon-Persians Citadels · CivIcon-Saracens Counterweights · CivIcon-Teutons Crenellations · CivIcon-Turks Artillery · CivIcon-Vikings Bogsveigar
AoE2-DLCicon-1 The Conquerors civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Aztecs Atlatl · CivIcon-Huns Marauders · CivIcon-Koreans Eupseong · CivIcon-Mayans Hul'che Javelineers · CivIcon-Spanish Inquisition
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Aztecs Garland Wars · CivIcon-Huns Atheism · CivIcon-Koreans Shinkichon · CivIcon-Mayans El Dorado · CivIcon-Spanish Supremacy
AoE2-DLCicon-2 The Forgotten civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Incas Andean Sling · CivIcon-Italians Pavise · CivIcon-Magyars Corvinian Army · CivIcon-Slavs Detinets
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Incas Fabric Shields · CivIcon-Italians Silk Road · CivIcon-Magyars Recurve Bow · CivIcon-Slavs Druzhina
AoE2-DLCicon-3 The African Kingdoms civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Berbers Kasbah · CivIcon-Ethiopians Tigui · CivIcon-Malians Royal Heirs · CivIcon-Portuguese Carrack
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Berbers Maghrebi Camels · CivIcon-Ethiopians Farimba · CivIcon-Malians Torsion Engines · CivIcon-Portuguese Arquebus
AoE2-DLCicon-4 Rise of the Rajas civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Burmese Howdah · CivIcon-Khmer Tusk Swords · CivIcon-Malay Thalassocracy · CivIcon-Vietnamese Chatras
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Burmese Manipur Cavalry · CivIcon-Khmer Double Crossbow · CivIcon-Malay Forced Levy · CivIcon-Vietnamese Paper Money
AoE2-DLCicon-5 The Last Khans civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Bulgarians Stirrups · CivIcon-Cumans Steppe Husbandry · CivIcon-Lithuanians Hill Forts · CivIcon-Tatars Silk Armor
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Bulgarians Bagains · CivIcon-Cumans Cuman Mercenaries · CivIcon-Lithuanians Tower Shields · CivIcon-Tatars Timurid Siegecraft
AoE2Icon-LordsWest Lords of the West civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Burgundians Burgundian Vineyards · CivIcon-Sicilians First Crusade
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Burgundians Flemish Revolution · CivIcon-Sicilians Hauberk
Dawn of the Dukes icon Dawn of the Dukes civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Bohemians Wagenburg Tactics · CivIcon-Poles Szlachta Privileges
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Bohemians Hussite Reforms · CivIcon-Poles Lechitic Legacy
AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of India civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Bengalis Paiks · CivIcon-Dravidians Medical Corps · CivIcon-Gurjaras Kshatriyas · CivIcon-Hindustanis Grand Trunk Road
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Bengalis Mahayana · CivIcon-Dravidians Wootz Steel · CivIcon-Gurjaras Frontier Guards · CivIcon-Hindustanis Shatagni
AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of Rome civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Romans Ballistas
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Romans Comitatenses
AoE2Icon-MountainRoyals The Mountain Royals civilizations
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Armenians Cilician Fleet · CivIcon-Georgians Svan Towers
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Armenians Fereters · CivIcon-Georgians Aznauri Cavalry
Removed technologies
UniqueTechCastle-DECivIcon-Persians Boiling Oil · CivIcon-Saracens Camelry · CivIcon-Saracens Madrasah · CivIcon-Mayans Obsidian Arrows · CivIcon-Slavs Orthodoxy · CivIcon-Koreans Panokseon
UniqueTechImperialDECivIcon-Vikings Berserkergang · CivIcon-Persians Mahouts · CivIcon-Sicilians Scutage · CivIcon-Saracens Zealotry
Revised technologies
UniqueTechImperialDE Couriers · UniqueTechImperialDE Manipur Cavalry · UniqueTechImperialDE Paper Money · UniqueTechCastle-DE Royal Heirs
Advertisement