Unique technologies are technologies introduced in Age of Empires II: The Conquerors that are unique to a civilization and can be researched at the Castle. In The Conquerors, every civilizations but the Goths (who had two) had access to exactly one unique technology. From The Forgotten and onwards, every civilization has access to two unique technologies, one in the Castle Age and one in the Imperial Age. These technologies typically benefit one or more aspects of that civilization's characteristics and unique units.
Unique technologies can be disabled in favor of additional abilities and units via the "Full Tech Tree" option, thus granting a civilization access to contents that they normally cannot utilize (e.g. Native American civilizations can build Stables and train cavalry) at the cost of their characteristic upgrades that usually benefit their original playing style.
Note that unique technologies also feature in Age of Mythology and Age of Empires III. They are much more common in these games and thus are dealt with in the respective technology articles.
List of unique technologies[edit | edit source]
Castle Age[edit | edit source]
Civilization | Unique technology | Effect | Cost | Time |
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Atlatl | +1 Skirmisher range and attack | 400 food, 350 gold | 40 |
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Kasbah | +25% Castle work speed for team | 250 food, 250 gold | 40 |
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Yeomen | +1 Foot archer range +2 Tower attack |
750 wood, 450 gold | 60 |
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Stirrups | +33% Cavalry attack speed | 400 food, 200 gold | 35 |
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Burgundian Vineyards | Convert food stockpile into gold at 2:1 ratio Farmers generate small amount of gold |
400 food, 300 gold | 45 |
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Howdah | +1 Battle Elephant armor and pierce armor | 400 food, 300 wood | 40 |
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Greek Fire | +1 Fire Ship range | 250 food, 300 gold | 40 |
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Stronghold | +25% Castle and Tower attack speed | 250 food, 200 gold | 30 |
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Great Wall | +30% Wall and Tower Hit points | 400 wood, 200 stone | 40 |
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Steppe Husbandry | +100% Scout line, Steppe Lancer, and Cavalry Archer training speed | 200 food, 300 wood | 40 |
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Royal Heirs | +100% Shotel Warrior training speed | 300 food, 300 gold | 40 |
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Chivalry | +40% Stables work speed | 400 wood, 400 gold | 40 |
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Anarchy | Huskarls can be trained at Barracks | 450 food, 250 gold | 40 |
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Marauders | Tarkans can be trained at Stables | 300 wood, 200 gold | 40 |
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Andean Sling | Minimum range of Skirmishers and Slingers removed | 200 food, 300 gold | 40 |
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Sultans | +10% Gold gathering speed from all sources (Mines, trade, and Relics) | 400 food, 400 wood | 40 |
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Pavise | +1 Archer and Condottiero armor and pierce armor | 300 food, 150 gold | 40 |
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Yasama | Towers fire 2 additional arrows | 300 food, 300 wood | 40 |
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Tusk Swords | +3 Battle Elephant attack | 300 wood, 450 gold | 40 |
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Panokseon (before the Definitive Edition) Eupseong (in the Definitive Edition) |
Before DE: +15% Turtle Ship movement speed In DE: +2 Watch Tower line range |
300 food, 300 wood | 40 |
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Hill Forts | +3 Town Center range | 250 food, 250 gold | 40 |
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Corvinian Army | Magyar Huszar gold cost removed | 200 food, 300 gold | 40 |
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Thalassocracy | Upgrades Docks into Harbors | 300 food, 300 gold | 40 |
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Tigui | Town Centers can fire arrows without garrisoned units | 200 food, 300 wood | 40 |
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Obsidian Arrows (before the Definitive Edition) Hul'che Javelineers (in the Definitive Edition) |
Before DE: +6 Archer attack against standard buildings In DE: Skirmishers throw 2 projectiles |
300 food, 300 gold | 40 |
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Nomads | Destroyed Houses still count towards population cap | 300 wood, 150 gold | 40 |
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Boiling Oil (before the Definitive Edition) Kamandaran (in the Definitive Edition) |
Before DE: +9 Castle attack against rams In DE: Archer-line costs 60 wood instead of 25 wood and 45 gold |
Before DE: 200 wood, 100 stone In DE: 400 food, 300 gold |
40 |
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Carrack | +1 Ship armor and pierce armor | 200 wood, 300 gold | 40 |
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Madrasah | Monks return 33 gold when killed | 200 food, 100 gold | 30 |
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First Crusade | Up to 5 Town Centers each spawn 7 Serjeants | 300 food, 600 gold | 60 |
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Orthodoxy | +3 Monk armor and pierce armor | 200 food, 300 gold | 40 |
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Inquisition | Monks and Missionaries convert faster | 100 food, 300 gold | 40 |
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Silk Armor | +1 Scout line, Steppe Lancer and Cavalry Archer armor and pierce armor | 400 wood, 300 gold | 40 |
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Ironclad | +4 Siege weapon melee armor | 400 wood, 350 gold | 60 |
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Sipahi | +20 Cavalry Archer hit points | 350 food, 150 gold | 60 |
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Chatras | +50 Battle Elephant hit points | 250 food, 250 gold | 40 |
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Chieftains | +5 Infantry attack against cavalry, +4 against camels |
700 food, 500 gold | 40 |
Imperial Age[edit | edit source]
Civilization | Unique technology | Effect | Cost | Time |
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Garland Wars | +4 Infantry attack | 450 food, 750 gold | 60 |
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Maghrabi Camels | Camel units regenerate | 700 food, 300 gold | 40 |
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Warwolf | Trebuchets do Area of Effect damage +100% accuracy against units |
800 wood, 400 gold | 40 |
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Bagains | +5 Militia line armor | 900 food, 450 gold | 40 |
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Flemish Revolution | Villagers are converted into Flemish Militia Flemish Militia can be trained at Town Centers |
800 food, 450 gold | 10 |
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Manipur Cavalry | +6 Cavalry and Arambai attack against standard buildings | 650 food, 400 gold | 40 |
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Logistica | Cataphracts do trample damage +6 attack against infantry |
800 food, 600 gold | 50 |
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Furor Celtica | +40% siege weapon hit points | 750 food, 450 gold | 50 |
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Rocketry | +2 Chu Ko Nu attack +4 Scorpion attack |
600 wood, 600 gold | 60 |
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Cuman Mercenaries | Team can train up to 10 free Elite Kipchaks | 650 food, 400 gold | 40 |
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Torsion Engines | Siege weapon blast radius increased | 1000 food, 600 gold | 40 |
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Bearded Axe | +1 Throwing Axemen range | 400 food, 400 gold | 60 |
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Perfusion | +100% Barracks work speed | 400 wood, 600 gold | 40 |
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Atheism | Relic and Wonder victories take +100 years longer -50% enemy Relic gold income |
500 food, 500 gold | 60 |
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Couriers (before the Definitive Edition) Fabric Shields (in the Definitive Edition). |
+1/+2 Kamayuk, Slinger, and Eagle Warrior armor and pierce armor | 600 food, 600 gold | 40 |
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Shatagni | +1 Hand Cannoneer range | 500 food, 300 gold | 40 |
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Silk Road | -50% Trade Cart and Trade Cog cost | 500 food, 250 gold | 60 |
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Kataparuto | +72% pack/unpack speed, +33% attack speed for Trebuchets |
750 wood, 400 gold | 60 |
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Double Crossbow | Ballista Elephants and Scorpions fire two projectiles | 700 food, 400 gold | 40 |
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Shinkichon | +1 Mangonel range | 800 wood, 500 gold | 60 |
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Tower Shields | +2 Spearmen and Skirmisher pierce armor | 500 food, 200 gold | 40 |
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Recurve Bow | +1 Cavalry Archer range and attack | 600 wood, 400 gold | 40 |
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Forced Levy | Militia line gold cost converted to food | 850 food, 500 gold | 40 |
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Farimba | +5 Stable unit attack | 650 food, 400 gold | 40 |
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El Dorado | +40 Eagle Warrior hit points | 750 food, 450 gold | 70 |
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Drill | +50% Siege weapon movement speed | 500 food, 450 gold | 60 |
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Mahouts | +30% War Elephant movement speed | 300 food, 300 gold | 50 |
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Arquebus | Improved gunpowder unit accuracy against moving targets Bombard Cannon and Bombard Tower projectiles move faster |
700 food, 400 gold | 40 |
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Zealotry | +20 Mameluke and Camel Rider hit points | 500 food, 450 gold | 50 |
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Scutage | Team receives 15 gold per military unit | 500 food, 400 gold | 60 |
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Druzhina | Infantry deals trample damage | 1200 food, 500 gold | 40 |
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Supremacy | +6 attack, +2 armor and pierce armor, and +40 hit points for Villagers | 450 food, 250 gold | 60 |
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Timurid Siegecraft | +2 Trebuchet range Flaming Camel can be trained at Castles |
400 wood, 500 gold | 50 |
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Crenellations | +3 Castle range Garrisoned infantry fire arrows |
600 food, 400 stone | 60 |
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Artillery | +2 Bombard Tower, Bombard Cannon, and Cannon Galleon range | 500 gold, 450 stone | 40 |
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Paper Money | Team receives 500 gold | 500 food, 300 wood | 60 |
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Berserkergang | Berserks regenerate faster | 850 food, 400 gold | 40 |