Specialized Pick

Specialized Pick
Availability
Introduced in	Age of Empires IV
Civilization	All civilizations
Age	Feudal Age
Research
Researched at	Mining Camp Ger Forge Steppe Redoubt Kura Storehouse<
Required for	Acid Distillation
Wood	50
Gold	100
Research time	45 seconds
Effect
Villager gold / stone gather rate +15%

Specialized Pick is a technology in Age of Empires IV that can be researched at the Mining Camp, Ger, Forge, or various landmarks starting in the Feudal Age. Once researched, it increases the rate at which Villagers mine Gold and Stone by 15%.

Civilization bonuses

• Abbasid Dynasty: Research speeds are +15%/+20% faster while Golden Age tiers 2/3 are active. If Preservation of Knowledge has been researched, this technology costs -20%.
• Ayyubids: Research speeds are 50% faster while Golden Age tier 2 is active
• Byzantines: Research speeds are 30% faster per water level at buildings within the influence of a Cistern with the Dialecticus ability active.
• Chinese and Zhu Xi's Legacy: The technology researches 150% faster when the Mining Camp is supervised by an Imperial Official. For Zhu Xi's Legacy, this can be improved to 300% faster after researching Regional Inspection.
• Delhi Sultanate: The technology is free, but takes 3.5x as long to research (157.5 seconds instead of 45 seconds).
• French and Jeanne d'Arc: Economic technologies are 30% cheaper.
• Malians: Technologies take less time to research based on how much gold has been obtained through trade.
• Mongols: Can research Improved technology for another 150 stone - Villager food gather rate +22.5%.

Changelog

• Originally, the base research time for the Delhi Sultanate was 5x default (375 seconds). With update 8324, this was decreased to 3.5x default.
• Originally, the Mongols' Improved Specialized Pick provided an additional 5% gathering rate (for a total bonus of 20%). With Season Two Update 17718, it provides an additional 7.5% gathering rate (for a total bonus of 22.5%).
• Originally, Specialized Pick cost 75 wood, 175 gold and took 75 seconds to research. With update 24916, it costs 50 wood, 100 gold and takes 45 seconds to research.

Campaign version

Because the campaigns have not been rebalanced since the release of the game, Specialized Pick has different stats there:

• It only affects gold mining rates, not stone mining (there is a separate technology for stone called Heavy Sledge)
• It costs 200 gold and takes 75 seconds to research
• The Mongol improved version costs +200 stone and increases gather rate by an additional 5% only (for a total of +20%).