Team bonus

The same screen, seen in *Age of Empires II HD: The African Kingdoms*.

A team bonus is a specific civilization bonus in Age of Empires II that applies to both the player's civilization and those of all allied players from the start of each game.

Two of the same civilization's team bonuses do not stack, but a team bonus can stack with another bonus. It is also important to note that should a player be defeated or resigns, their team bonus remains active for their allies. However, In diplomacy games (with no locked teams), team bonuses do not affect allies. This is because team bonuses function as a technology that is researched at the beginning of the game, and as such, changing allies mid-game will not transfer the team bonus. A team bonus can be applied in a diplomacy game if players set their team at the beginning of the game.

Team bonuses list[]

The following list shows of team bonuses.

Aztecs: Relics generate 33% more gold.
Berbers: Genitours are available at the Archery Range in the Castle Age.
Bohemians: Markets work 80% faster.
Britons: Archery Ranges work 20% faster.
Bulgarians: Blacksmiths work 80% faster.
Burgundians: Relics generate both Gold and Food at a rate of 30 per minute.
Burmese: Relics are visible on the map from the game start.
Byzantines: Monks heal 50% faster.
Celts: Siege Workshops work 20% faster.
Chinese: Farms provide +10% food.
Cumans: Palisade Walls have +33% hit points (HP).
Ethiopians: Towers and Outposts have +3 Line of Sight.
Franks: Knight line has +2 Line of Sight.
Goths: Barracks work 20% faster.
Huns: Stables work 20% faster.
Incas: Farms are built 100% faster.
Indians: Camel units have +4 attack against standard buildings.
Italians: Condottieri are available at the Barracks in the Imperial Age.
Japanese: Galleys have +50% Line of Sight.
Khmer: Scorpions have +1 range.
Koreans: Mangonel line minimum range reduced to 1.
Lithuanians: Monasteries work 20% faster.
Magyars: Foot archers (excluding the Skirmisher line) have +2 Line of Sight.
Malay: Docks and Harbors have +100% Line of Sight.
Malians: Universities work 80% faster.
Mayans: Walls and Gates are 50% cheaper (Stone Walls -2 stone per segment, Palisade Walls -1 wood).
Mongols: Scout Cavalry line has +2 Line of Sight.
Persians: Knight line has +2 attack against archers.
Poles: Scout Cavalry line has +1 attack against archers.
Portuguese: Free Cartography from the Dark Age.
Saracens: All foot archers have +3 attack against standard buildings.
Sicilians: Transport Ships cost -50% and have +5 Line of Sight.
Slavs: Military production buildings (except Castles, Kreposts, and Docks) provide +5 population.
Spanish: Trade Carts and Trade Cogs return 25% more gold.
Tatars: Cavalry Archers (including unique units) have +2 Line of Sight.
Teutons: All units resist conversion (half as effective as Faith, but stacks with the effect of this technology).
Turks: Gunpowder units are created 25% faster.
Vietnamese: Elite Skirmishers can be upgraded to Imperial Skirmishers in the Imperial Age.
Vikings: Docks are 15% cheaper.

Note that while not technically a team bonus, the Berbers' Castle Age unique technology Kasbah can be considered a team bonus as well since it, like regular team bonuses, affects the entire team. Unlike normal team bonuses, the effects of Kasbah stack if multiple Berber teammates research it. The Vietnamese and Cumans also have unique Imperial Age technologies that benefit the entire team: Paper Money and Cuman Mercenaries. But since they are only one-time use, it is arguable whether they can be considered team bonuses.

Out of all 51 unique units in the game, three are available as team bonuses: the Condottiero, Genitour, and Imperial Skirmisher. These are often used to supplement lacking unit lines (for example Condottieri can make up for the Persians' lacking Militia line; Aztec Imperial Skirmishers surpass the Aztec Arbalester; and Turks as they lack Elite Skirmishers and have fantastic Genitours with their Sipahi technology.), or to cover a niche, such as a late Imperial Age trash game.

It should also be noted that although the bonuses are referred to as "team" bonuses, they do apply in 1v1 games. However, two of the team bonuses, the Portuguese free Cartography and the Spanish +25% gold from Trade Carts, are entirely useless in 1v1 games.

Changelog[]

The Age of Kings[]

A team containing Byzantines: Monks heal 3x as fast as normal.
A team containing Chinese: Farms have +45 food.
A team containing Saracens: Foot archers have +2 attack against standard buildings.
The Turkish team bonus does not affect Elite Janissaries.
A team containing Vikings: Docks are 25% cheaper.

The Conquerors[]

A team containing Byzantines: Monks heal 1.5x as fast as normal.
A team containing Koreans: Mangonels have +1 range.
A team containing Spanish: Trade units generate +33% gold.

The Forgotten[]

A team containing Indians: Camels have +5 attack against buildings.
Condottieri require a Castle. Condottieri have 9 attack and 1 speed and train in 11 seconds.
A team containing Koreans: The Mangonel line now has the minimum range reduced instead of +1 range.
Elite Janissaries are now affected by the Turkish team bonus.
A team containing Vikings: Docks are now 15% cheaper.

The African Kingdoms[]

Initially, Non-Elite Genitours have 4 attack and 3 range. With patch 4.8, they have 3 attack and 4 range. Non-Elite Genitours have 3 pierce armor.
Condottieri no longer require a Castle. Condottieri have 10 attack and 1.2 speed. With patch 4.8, Condottieri train in 13 seconds.
A team containing Spanish: With patch 4.8, trade units generate +25% gold.

Rise of Rajas[]

With patch 5.7, Condottieri have 9 attack and 0 pierce armor and have a unique armor class that resists bonus damage from gunpowder units (+10 armor), but not from other anti-infantry attacks. Condottieri train in 18 seconds.
With patch 5.7, Cartography was removed from the game. However, the Portuguese team bonus still shares the Line of Sight of all allies from the beginning of team games, while all other civilizations have to build a Market in order to share their Line of Sight.
Paper Money costs 800 food and 200 gold, and takes 40 seconds to research.

Definitive Edition[]

A team containing Cumans: Palisade Walls have +50% hit points.
With update 35584, Non-Elite Genitours have 4 pierce armor.
Initially, Bulgarians Team Bonus gave the Blacksmith a 50% work rate boost. With update 42848, this was changed to a 80% work rate boost.
Fixed the issue where the Burmese Relic bonus would permanently reveal spots on the map.
Initially Kipchaks have 1.8 ROF. With update 34055, they now have 2.2 ROF. (Elite) Kipchaks have 50 (55) HP. With Update 34055, they now have 40 (45) HP. Elite Kipchaks fire four arrows at once. With Update 34055, they now fire three arrows at once. With update 36202, Kipchak [Standard and Elite] now fire +1 extra arrow.
With update 42848, Kipchak [Standard & Elite]: Now have a 0.5 second fire delay, equivalent to the Mangudai.
With update 42848, Indian team bonus is Camels have +4 attack against buildings (Reduced from +5).
With update 39284: Condottieri now have 10 attack, and Pavise now affects them.
Paper Money now costs 500 food and 300 wood, and takes 60 seconds to research.

Lords of the West[]

With update 47820, a team containing Cumans, Palisade Walls have +33% hit points.
A team containing Saracens, Foot archers have +3 attack against standard buildings.
A team containing Sicilians, Transport Ships +5 carry capacity and +10 armor versus anti-ship bonus damage

Down of the Dukes[]

With update 51737, Chinese team bonus is Farms have +10% food.
With Update 51737, a team containing Sicilians, the first Transport Ship is free and created instantly.
With Update 54480, a team containing Sicilians, Transport Ships cost -50% and have +5 Line of Sight.