Small Wall

Small Wall
Building information
Introduced in	Age of Empires
Type	Wall
Civilization	All civilizations
Age	Tool Age
Construction
Requires	Small Wall
Stone	5
Build time	7 seconds
Statistics
Size	1×1 tiles
Hit points	200
Melee armor	0
Pierce armor	3
Armor classes	Buildings and Fire Galley Defensive structures Walls
Line of Sight	3
Building evolution
Upgrades to	Medium Wall
Upgrade cost	180 food, 100 stone
Upgrade time	60 seconds

“	A simple wall. Used to keep out enemies.	”
—In-game description in the Definitive Edition

The Small Wall is an early part of fortification available for all civilizations in Age of Empires.

Gameplay

Built with stone, this is the first wall that can be built for a civilization, an artificial barrier that can't be passed by any unit, but can be destroyed. The Small Wall does not offer much resistance compared to other buildings, but is cheap and can be built far more quickly. This makes it ideal to cordon off a place on the map and defend it against early rushes from the Stone to the Tool Age. Walls have no attack, and is used only for obstructing and protecting vulnerable areas. Players often place towers, archers or other long range units behind the walls.

The Small Wall can be researched in the Granary, and cost 5 units of stone. It can be upgraded into Medium Wall. Like all buildings, when Architecture is researched, its hit points increases (totaling up to 240) and build time is reduced.

Further statistics

• Architecture increases hit points by 20% and reduces build time by 33%.

Civilization bonuses

• Babylonians & Shang: Small Walls have +60% hit points.
• Persians: Small Walls cost -20%.*

Team bonuses

• Babylonians: Small Walls are built 10% faster.
• Choson: Small Walls have +2 Line of Sight.
• Palmyrans: Technologies which benefit Small Walls are researched 30% faster.

Changelog

Return of Rome

• Team bonuses added.
• Persian Small Walls cost -20%.

History

In his book, A History of Warfare, John Keegan speaks of three forms of fortification—refuges, strongholds, and strategic defenses. He describes the refuge as a place of short-term safety from an enemy who does not possess the means for a protracted siege or who wishes only to raid and carry off plunder, perhaps repeatedly over time. The earliest walls were built to protect food supplies from nomadic raiders who found readily available supplies of food an irresistible attraction. The existence of a Granary made necessary the provision of a wall or the Granary would be pillaged quickly. A Small Wall represents the defense provided by a refuge. The modest investment in a wooden palisade or simple wall of dirt stopped the casual raider, but would not seriously delay a large army set on destroying or capturing a refuge.

Gallery

Small Walls in the Definitive Edition

Small Walls in the original

Buildings in Age of Empires
Stone Age Starting Tool Age Bronze Age Additional Iron Age