A Commander Is You / Age of Empires

The Age of Empires franchise has many different civilizations in each of its iterations.

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Age of Empires II

Age of Empires II

The Age of Kings

• Britons: Ranger/Unit Specialist (Foot Archery): They have access to the entire European Archery Range roster. Their non-Skirmisher foot archers have range bonuses from Castle Age onwards. Their UU is the Longbowman. They have an unique tech (Yeomen) which increases the range of their foot archers and towers. Finally, their Team Bonus increases the workrate speed of the Archery Ranges. All of this comes at the cost of them having poor Infantry, Cavalry and Siege lines.
• Byzantines:
  • Balanced: Has no notable strengths and weaknesses in their tech tree, having benefits on all non-Siege areas.
  • Spammer: Their Skirmishers and Spearmen are -25% cheap and easily massable.
  • Economist: Their farms gain an HP bonus dependant on age: +10% on Dark, +20% on Feudal, +30% on Castle and +40 on Imperial.
  • Turtle: Their walls and gates gain an HP bonus dependant on age: +10% on Dark, +20% on Feudal, +30% on Castle and +40 on Imperial. Their Bombard Towers deal +5 splash damage thanks to "Greek Fire". They also get the building LOS-increasing "Town Watch" and "Town Patrol" for free.
  • Research: They have the lowest cost to reach the Imperial Age (33% cheaper), which means that they can quickly field very powerful units while their opponents are still in the Castle Age.
• Celts:
  • Brute Force: They can brute force easily with their faster moving infantry and siege weapons, but their defensive capacity is one of the weakest, missing a couple of defensive upgrades for their buildings. Furthermore, they have an Imperial Age unique tech, Furor Celtica, that improves their Siege units' HP.
  • Unit Specialist:
    • Infantry: Their unique unit is a fast Infantry unit with bonus damage against buildings, and their Infantry units move +15% faster starting from Feudal Age. They also have a full European infantry roster as well as all the required Infantry techs.
    • Siege: They have several bonus for their Siege Workshop units: they fire +25% faster, Furor Celtica increases their HP, and their Team Bonus makes Siege Workshops work 20% faster. And if all of this isn't enough, their unique Infantry unit has bonus damage against buildings.
  • Economist: They can convert herdables as long as they're in their LOS range, regardless if an enemy saw them first. Their lumberjacks also work 15% faster.
  • Turtle: Their Unique Castle Age tech Stronghold improves the rate of fire of Castles and Towers, and makes Castles heal allies at 30 HP/s in a 7-tile radius.
• Chinese:
  • Ranger: They're an archer civilization. Their unique unit is a multi-arrow firing foot archer with an unique tech boosting their pierce attack as well as that of their Scorpions. They even have access to all the relevant Archery-based techs such as Bracer and Thumb Ring. They don't have access to the Hand Cannoneer nor Parthian Tactics for their Cavalry Archers, though.
  • Economist: They get more starting villagers at the beginning of the game at the cost of some key resources. Their Town Centers also support extra population. Their Team Bonus also makes Farms start with +10% extra food. In order to make up for the latter, though, they lack the last Mill upgrade as well as Guilds in the Market.
  • Research: They get a gradual discount for Techs starting from Feudal Age's -10% to the Imperial Age's -20%.
  • Turtle: Their Great Wall Castle Age unique tech increases the HP of walls and castles by +30%. Their Town Centers also have extended LOS. However, their Castles cannot benefit from Hoardings.
• Franks:
  • Ranger: Their unique unit is a foot infantry unit with a ranged attack whose range is extended with their Castle Age unique tech Bearded Axe. They also have an almost full European Archery Range roster (only lacking the Arbalester upgrade).
  • Unit Specialist:
    • Infantry: Their unique unit is a ranged foot infantry unit who also benefit from an unique tech. They also get a full European Infantry roster and all the relevant Blacksmith upgrades.
    • Knight line: They have +20 HP as a civ bonus, +2 LOS as a team bonus, and their unique Imperial Age tech Chivalry makes Stables work 40% faster. They also get all the relevant upgrades sans Bloodlines.
  • Economist: Their Farm upgrades are free, and their Foragers work 15% faster.
• Goths:
  • SPAMMER: In addition to them being able to access Conscription, they have two techs that allows the creation of their unique unit at the Barracks, and another that doubles up the working speed of Barracks. They also get a progressive cost bonus that goes from -20% in the Dark Age to -35% in the Imperial Age with a Team Bonus making said Barracks work another 20% faster. As a result, you're able to output tons of cheap and fast Infantry units and Huskarls at lightning speed and at a quite cheap cost.
  • Brute Force: Can throw tons of cheap Infantry units at the enemy at a lightning pace.
  • Unit Specialist (Infantry): In addition to the creation time and cost benefits, their Unique unit has an innate resistance to archery fire and bonus attacks vs. buildings, and all their Infantry have a progressive attack bonus vs. buildings as well.
  • Economist: Their Hunters have extra attack vs. herdable and wild animals, their hunts last +20% longer and they carry +15 food. In addition, they get the benefits of Loom instantly.
• Japanese:
  • Generalist/Balanced: They have bonuses for all non-Cavalry unit lines as well as a full European Barracks and Archery Range roster. Even their Siege gets bonuses in spite of them lacking the final upgrades for the Mangonels and Rams.
  • Brute Force: They tend to have a strong economy and use cheaper foot units such as their Archers or their faster attacking Infantry. Like the Britons, they lack variety in siege weapons and have weak cavalry so their unit roster is limited, though their ship fleet is significantly better.
  • Economist: Their Fishing Ships have double HP, +2 pierce armor, and work 5%/10%/15%/20% faster in the Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age. Their Mills, Lumber Camps and Mining Camps are 50% cheaper. In order to make up for this, they lack "Crop Rotation", "Stone Shaft Mining" and "Guilds".
• Mongols:
  • Ranger: They have the best horse archers in the game, and an unit, the Mangudai, which excels at Hit-and-Run Tactics.
  • Technical: Their cavalry units aren't the best defensive wise, as their cavalry units lack the Paladin upgrade and the last Blacksmith armor upgrade. They make up for this with their strong hit-and-run tactics with their cavalry archers and their siege weapons, which require a lot of micromanagement skill from the player.
  • Unit Specialist:
    • Cavalry: Their unique unit excels at Hit-and-Run Tactics and is a mounted archer. Both their Mangudai and Cavalry Archers fire 25% faster, in addition to them being able to access Parthian Tactics. Lastly, their Light Cavaliers/Hussars and Steppe Lancers have +30 HP, and the Scout Cavalry line has +2 LOS.
    • Siege: Their Siege Workshop units move 50% faster. They have access to Siege Ram, Heavy Scorpion and Siege Onager upgrades, as well as Siege Engineers (lacking only the Bombard Cannon).
• Persians: Elitist
• Saracens: Elitist/Ranger/Technical
• Teutons: Brute/Economist/Elitist
• Turks: Elitist
• Vikings: Unit Specialist (Naval)

The Conquerors

• Aztecs: Brute/Technical
• Huns: Unit Specialist (Cavalry)/Brute/Spammer
• Koreans: Elitist/Ranger/Technical
• Mayans: Spammer/Ranger
• Spanish: Elitist/Industrial

The Forgotten

• Hindustanis: Elitist/Economist/Unit Specialist (Camels)
• Incas: Economist/Industrial/Unit Specialist (Counter-units)
• Italians: Ranger
• Magyars: Ranger/Spammer/Research
• Slavs: Brute/Spammer

The African Kingdoms

• Berbers: Ranger/Guerilla
• Ethiopians: Ranger/Economist/Brute Force/Spammer
• Malians: Generalist/Economist/Research
• Portuguese: Economist/Ranger

Rise of the Rajas

• Burmese: Generalist/Brute
• Khmer: Generalist/Technical/Brute
• Malays: Unit Specialist (Naval)/Economist/Spammer/Brute Force
• Vietnamese: Ranger/Guerilla

The Last Khans

• Bulgarians: Brute/Economist
• Cumans: Technical/Gimmick
• Lithuanians: Generalist/Elitist
• Tatars: Ranger/Unit Specialist (Cavalry)

Lords of the West

• Burgundians: Brute/Spammer/Economist
• Sicilians: Spammer/Turtle

Dawn of the Dukes

• Bohemians: Industrial/Ranger/Unit Specialist (Gunpowder)
• Poles: Economist/Unit Specialist (Cavalry)

Dynasties of India

• Bengalis: Economist/Elitist/Unit Specialist (Elephants)
• Dravidians: Economist/Unit Specialist (Infantry)
• Gurjaras: Spammer/Unit Specialist (Cavalry)/Gimmick

Return to Rome

• Romans: Elitist/Unit Specialist (Infantry)

The Mountain Royals

• Armenians: Generalist/Economist
• Georgians: Turtle/Spammer/Unit Specialist (Cavalry)

Age of Empires III

Age of Empires III

European-style civilizations

• British: Balanced/Ranger/Industrial. Britain can create Settlers faster than anyone else by building Manors, so their economy can flourish very early on. Britain's card deck supports a stellar naval game (arguably the best of all civilizations) and a plethora of strong unit upgrades. They have access to unique ranged units, namely the Longbowman, Ranger, and the Congreve Rocket, and they have the best Musketeers as well.
• Dutch: Economist/Technical. Dutch Merchants (the civilization's Settler equivalent) cost coin instead of food, giving them a slow start, but they mine gold faster and can build Banks for an infinite steady stream of money. The Dutch card deck emphasizes a focus on strong economics while also allowing for a competent navy.
• French: Brute/Diplomatic/Spammer. The French start with a Native Scout right off the bat and their Coureurs gather every resource faster than standard settlers, though they are more expensive to raise. Their Cuirassier unique heavy cavalry are one of the strongest in the game. France's card deck allows for raising up native units quickly and easily to supplement the expensive and powerful regular units.
• Germans: Diplomatic/Ranger/Spammer. The Germans receive free Uhlan light cavalry with every Home City shipment which gives them a lot of mobility and map control. They use Settler Wagons to supplement their settlers and boosting their early economy. As of the Definitive Edition, their true strength lies in their access to mercenary and Royal House units. Not only do they have much cheaper mercenary shipments and can strengthen the capabilities of their mercenaries, but they also have access to unique cards such as "Prince-Electors" (which allows them select a European Royal House to ally with) and "Mercenary Camps" (which upgrades their Taverns into Mercenary Camps that have a wider selection of mercenaries).
• Italians: Diplomatic/Economist/Industrial. They receive free Settlers with each technology, can speed up building construction with the unique Architect and Basilica, and the Lombard allows them to invest resources, which allows for the free conversion of resources over time. Several of their cards are geared towards bolstering their economic output such as "Marco Polo Voyages" and "Merchant Republics", as well as unique "Company" cards which send different combinations of native, mercenary, or other European units.
• Maltese: Diplomatic/Turtle. The Maltese are geared towards a highly defensive playstyle. Their units get more durable with each shipment, heal over time, and are stronger near their own buildings. They have multiple unique buildings that augment their defensive playstyle, such as the Hospital which heals nearby units, the Depot which bolsters the firepower of nearby gunpowder units, and the Fixed Gun. Their deck has "Tongue" cards that work like the Swedes' "Contract" cards in that they not only send upgraded versions of foreign units but also unlock said foreign units for recruitment at their unique Commandery.
• Ottomans: Unconventional/Unit Specialist (Artillery). The Ottomans can field artillery earlier than any other civilization (by Age II) and they get several special artillery units: Humbaracis, Abus Gunners, and Great Bombards. On the other hand, the rest of their unit roster is limited, especially regarding elite units such as the Spahis and Nizam Fusiliers which are only available through shipments or technologies. Finally, Ottoman Town Centers automatically generate free Yoruks (the civilization's Settler equivalent).
• Portuguese: Industrial/Technical. A difficult faction to play due to the very slow start (they do not have settler shipment cards like everyone else) but they get a free Covered Wagon as they advance each age, allowing Portugal to quickly sprawl across the map and lock down the resources. They have strong light infantry (their unique Caçadors) and Dragoons, and a strong navy. The Portuguese deck also gives them a strong coastal defense and the unique "Navigation School" card for faster ships.
• Russians: Spammer/Turtle. Russian units are cheaper than equivalents in other nations and train in batches, allowing an army to be raised very quickly. The Russian Blockhouse combines the Barracks with the defensive capabilities of an Outpost and can garrison troops, and this also lets them rushdown well. They also have access to an additional Fort compared to other European civilizations. Russia's card deck is geared for Zerg Rush, with cards like Mass Army and Fencing School allowing infantry to be raised even quicker.
• Spanish: Generalist/Balanced. Spain has the widest selection of units and they get Home City shipments faster than everyone else, this civilization suits all levels and styles of play. Much like their units, Spain's card deck is diverse and average across the board.
• Swedes: Economist. Their unique House, the Torp, gives them a fantastic early game economy by automatically gathering from nearby natural resources without the use of villagers. Their unit selection is powerful, but specialized, and difficult to access in breadth, often forcing them to rely on hiring mercenaries to fill gaps. However, not only they can hire cheaper mercenaries than other civilizations and get unique combat bonuses when they use them in the late game, they are always able to guarantee their access to certain mercenaries via special cards that permanently unlock them for training, even outside the Tavern.

Native American-style civilizations

• In general: Guerilla/Spammer. They have units that can use stealth and ambush the enemy (Aztec Jaguar Prowler Knights, Iroquois/Haudenosaunee Forest Prowlers, Sioux/Lakota Tashunke Prowlers, and Inca Jungle Bowmen, Chimu Runners, War Huts, and Strongholds (though they must send specific cards first)). They are also able to more easily spam units, and their War Chiefs provide different auras to buff nearby units.
• Aztecs: Brute/Unit Specialist (Infantry). The Aztecs specialize in infantry. Their unique Warrior Priests heal like Medicine Men but have high attack and can dance at fire pits to bestow special effects. They also have the best navy of the native civilizations, and while they cannot match most European and Asian navies, appropriate War Council card play and the Water Dance can make up for it. However, they lack any kind of cavalry or artillery. The Aztec War Council card deck is quite versatile, allowing proper rushdown, boom or turtle strategies.
• Inca: Turtle/Unit Specialist (Infantry). The Inca possess excellent walls and unique building variants to make it easier to stake out territory, including an armed trading post that can garrison villagers, a fortress that can be built by the War Chief, and a elite barracks that can hold a garrison of military units without taking up population space. Like the Aztecs, their roster consists entirely of infantry. Many of their units have unique Gimmicks, including a shock infantry unit immune to snares that can duck in and out of battle at will, an archer with a stacking poison damage-over-time effect, and a ranged unit whose thrown bolas deal area-damage and slow down whoever it hits. Their deck does have access to quite a few unique cards, most notably the "Tupac Rebellion" card which basically acts like a European Revolution by turning all of their units into a modernized European army.
• Iroquois/Haudenosaunee: Balanced/Industrial/Ranger. The Iroquois/Haudenosaunee play the closest to an European civilization, as they have a mixture of artillery and decent infantry and cavalry. They do have a sizable emphasis on ranged combat. Their Travois can build most buildings for free, and their War Chief gives every unit around bonus hitpoints.
• Sioux/Lakota: Brute/Unit Specialist (Cavalry). Nearly all of the Sioux/Lakota army is composed by cavalry units, and they are very strong indeed. They do not build houses for population, instead they start with the cap maxed out and Teepees give bonus hitpoints and attack to surrounding units. However, they have mediocre infantry, and no artillery. The Sioux War Council Card deck is geared mainly towards reducing their resource dependency; which comes in handy when considering how costly their cavalry is.

American-style civilizations

• In general: Diplomatic/Turtle/Unconventional. While resembling European civilizations on paper, they have several notable differences. Rather than aging up with Politicians, they age up with Federal States that not only grant resources and technologies but also two unique Federal cards that cannot be accessed by building a deck regularly (as a trade-off, their deck capacity is smaller than usual). Instead of an Explorer, they have a General who is more combat focused, can plant Inspiring Flags to boost nearby units and buildings, and builds Forts that can be upgraded via unique cards to train specialty units they would normally not have access to, such as Grenadiers and Magyar Hussars for the United States or Cuirassiers and Lancers for Mexico. They also have the Saloon instead of the Tavern, which can train unique outlaws specific to each civilization.
• United States: Balanced/Diplomatic/Ranger. The Americans focus on gunpowder units like the Regular, Carbine Cavalry, and Gatling Gun that greatly outrange and outdamage their European counterparts. They can supplement their forces via special cards that allow them to recruit specialty foreign units at the Fort, such as Polish Uhlans and Magyar Hussars. Instead of Settler cards, they instead get "Immigrant" cards that function similarly to the Consulate system used by the Asian civilizations, and they can train Wagons via the State Capitol while other civilizations must rely on sending them from the Home City, aging up, or researching technologies. These unique capabilities allow the United States to tailor its playstyle to match any opponent.
• Mexicans: Economist/Unit Specialist (Cavalry)/Unconventional. The Mexicans on paper are geared towards being a booming civilization, with their economy revolving around Haciendas and the Cathedral granting unique technologies that get more powerful as the game progresses. However, they are perhaps one of the more unpredictable civilizations in the game, as not only can they revolt at any time, in most cases they can also revert back while keeping the bonuses from the revolution (or even revolt again in one particular instance). Their deck has access to a wide range of unorthodox cards that can alter their playstyle dramatically, such as the various "Plan" cards that allow them to change certain units into different units while bolstering their stats, but at the cost of lacking in conventional unit cards. Regardless of how they may change up their playstyle, the Mexican military boasts one of the best cavalry selections in the game supplemented by a unique array of infantry. They have the Cuatrero and Chinaco which can also later be trained at Haciendas, and through unique cards they can unlock Cuirassiers and Lancers - two of the strongest heavy cavalry units in the game - at the Fort.

Asian-style civilizations

• In general: Diplomatic/Industrial/Unconventional. In addition to having entirely unique unit rosters, they also have unique gameplay mechanics that cause them to play very differently from other civilizations. They all share the mechanic of having to build Wonders to age up. Each Asian civ has five distinct Wonders, which each provide unique perks like unique active abilities, passive bonuses or even the capacity to raise units. They also have a unique Consulate building which allows them to get new units and technologies from specific European civilizations
• Chinese: Brute/Spammer. Like the Russians, the Chinese train armies in batches with the added caveat that these "banner armies" are predetermined combinations of two units. While it is easy for the Chinese to quickly raise a large army, doing so can get expensive and the troops tend to be quite weaker than their European counterparts individually. The Chinese even get a higher pop cap, at 220. Chinese War Junks and Fuchuan are actually superior to the European Caravels and Frigates, but again, beware as prices for these powerful naval units can get exorbitant. The Chinese card deck has a number of impressive unique cards like "Confucius Gift", which allows for near-instantaneous shipments and technology unlocks.
• Japanese: Economist/Elitist/Brute. Japanese land units are expensive but powerful — Samurai are hands down the best melee infantry in the game. However the Japanese do not gather as normal; they build Shrines which produce a trickle of resources, and this means the Japanese economy is fragile and cannot recover easily from a disaster. In addition, the Japanese get a Daimyo hero unit; the Daimyo is a capable fighter on his own but he also bestows bonuses and can even raise units in the field. Many of their Home City cards can be sent twice, and the Japanese deck features a lot of mercenary shipments and unit upgrades to make their military an unstoppable juggernaut.
• Indians: Technical/Unit Specialist (Cavalry). India has a well-balanced army with a diverse range of units, but the cornerstone of the Indian army is war elephants, of which they have multiple varieties. Indian villagers cost wood instead of food, which can leave Indian players playing a delicate balancing act and expanding quickly to fuel their wood binge, but fortunately they get free villagers with every Home City shipment. They cannot slaughter animals for food, instead gaining experience from them in a Sacred Field. The Indian card deck lacks any villager cards, but it still has a few tricks, like "The Raj" card which changes villager cost from wood to food, completely reworking the Indian economy and letting the civ play more like a conventional European counterpart.

African-style civilizations

• In general: Diplomatic/Economist. Much like the American civilizations, they select a different Alliance to age up, and the selection remains the same throughout the game. Each Alliance grants unique units and shipments that cost Influence, their unique resource, of which both civilizations have different ways of attaining. They do share the ability to gain Influence at the Livestock Market and can build Granaries (which work like the Japanese Shrine) to increase food output. These allied units (alongside Desert outlaws they can recruit from their Towers) make up for the fact that on their own, the African civilizations have minimal unit rosters.
• Ethiopians: Unit Specialist (Infantry). The Ethiopians are primarily an infantry focused civilization with access to flexible units like the Gascenya and Neftenya, though they do have access to some specialty units such as the Oromo Warrior and the powerful Sebastopol Mortar.
• Hausa: Industrial/Unit Specialist (Cavalry). The Hausa gain Influence through the University, and said Influence output can be improved through placing Town Centers, Trading Posts, and Palaces in its proximity. Their military roster primarily focuses on cavalry with limited access to infantry outside of Alliances.

Age of Empires IV

Age of Empires IV

• Abbasid Dynasty: Economist/Industrial/Research/Unconventional. The Abbasid playstyle centers on their sole Landmark, the House of Wisdom. The House of Wisdom can be upgraded with different wings to advance through age, contains many unique technologies, and can trigger a Golden Age based on how many structures are built within its influence. Golden Ages speed up resource gather rate, research times, and production. With this unique system, the Abbasids do not need to free up their Villagers in order to advance in Age, allowing them to maintain their economy. However, this does mean that losing the House of Wisdom is catastrophic for them. They are also the only civilization with access to camel units, which excel against other cavalry by reducing their damage output.
• Byzantines: Diplomatic/Elitist/Industrial/Turtle. The Byzantines have a fifth resource, Olive Oil, which they can use to recruit Mercenary Units from other civilizations. Their gameplay revolves around urban planning, as their unique Cistern and Aqueduct infrastructure allow them to bolster their productivity based on their water level. Outside of mercenaries, the Byzantines have powerful yet expensive unique units such as the Varangian Guard, Cataphract, and Cheirosiphon. They also excel at defensive play - they collect extra Stone for every building constructed and their Outposts and Keeps have Mangonel Emplacements instead of Springald Emplacements.
• Chinese: Balanced/Industrial/Ranger/Research. The Chinese are a flexible civilization that can adapt to any situation via the Dynasty System, which unlocks unique units and technologies. To unlock a Dynasty, they must build both Landmarks for a given Age, which allows them to take both benefits without having to choose one over the other. Their buildings generate Tax Gold whenever resources are dropped off, units are produced, or technologies are researched. They can task Imperial Officials to work on buildings, which allows them to collect additional Tax Gold, increase the quantities of resources that are dropped off, and speed up production and research times. In battle, the Chinese boast advanced siege engines and gunpowder units, such as the Fire Lancer and Nest of Bees. They also have more unique units than any civilization, though a good portion of these are locked based on what Dynasty they are in unless the Spirit Way Landmark has been built.
• Delhi Sultanate: Brute/Research/Turtle. The Delhi Sultanate has a unique approach to research. All of their technologies are free, but research incredibly slowly unless Scholars are garrisoned to speed up the research rate. Their infantry units are able to construct defensive structures in the field, and they can eventually field powerful War Elephants to trample their foes into submission.
• English: Balanced/Ranger/Turtle. The English are a well-rounded civilization that excels at defensive play and ranged combat and are easy to learn for new players. Their Network of Castles bonus encourages defensive play as their Town Centers, Outposts, Towers, and Keeps grant additional attack speed to nearby units, and not only do their Town Centers have twice the arrows, but their Villagers are armed with bows, making English towns much harder to invade in the early game. Their army boasts more durable Men-at-Arms and one of the best ranged infantry units in the game in the form of the Longbowmen. They also have cheaper Farms that gather faster near Mills, which allows them to better support their economy.
• French: Brute/Economist. The French rely primarily on their powerful cavalry, the Royal Knight, which are enhanced by the fact they gain all melee damage technologies for free. All of their unique units are just stronger versions of their generic counterparts. They are more than able to fuel their war machine in a myriad of ways, as they have cheaper economic technologies and drop-off buildings, enhanced trade units, and faster Villager production. As a tradeoff, the French have a more limited unit selection compared to other civilizations.
• Holy Roman Empire: Brute/Turtle/Unit Specialist (Infantry). The Holy Roman Empire combines an infantry-focused army with potent religious bonuses. Their infantry such as Landsknechts and Men-at-Arms with Maces are hard hitting and robust. Their Prelates can be used to enhance their early game economy by inspiring Villagers, and can later on be upgraded to inspire military units as well. Their defensive structures have cheaper emplacements and can be further enhanced by garrisoning Relics inside of them.
• Japanese: Economist/Elitist/Unconventional. The Japanese playstyle has a strong economic focus. Their Farmhouses combine Mills and Houses and their Forges combine both Mining Camps and Blacksmiths, they get bonus Gold from Stone and vice versa, and have cheaper Fishing Boats. Their Town Centers can be upgraded twice, first into Daimyo Manors and then into Shogunate Castles to improve defenses, the harvest rates of nearby Farms, and the production cap of Samurai Bannermen who buff nearby units. Their military revolves around the powerful Samurai and Onna-Bugeisha who come in both infantry and cavalry versions. Many of their unique units are tied to specific Landmarks, which makes certain units mutually exclusive with one another.
• Malians: Economist/Guerilla: The Malians have many bonuses towards both acquiring Gold and spending it. Their unit lineup and abilities encourages players to build fast and big to offset their relative lack of durability, taking advantage of their ease of generating Gold and Food. On the unit side they tend towards fast and hard-hitting but fragile, with enhanced stealth abilities, a lack of heavy infantry, and other unique upgrades that push them towards Hit-and-Run Tactics.
• Mongols: Ranger/Spammer/Unit Specialist (Cavalry). The Mongols excel at hit-and-run military strategies are able to field vast hordes of cavalry due to them always having the maximum population without the need for houses as well as having increased production when near the Ovoo. They not only have access to the best ranged cavalry in the game, they also have early access to melee cavalry. Their buildings are able to pack up and move, allowing them to follow their armies along the march.
• Ottomans: Spammer/Unit Specialist (Gunpowder)/Unconventional. The Ottomans have access to the unique Military School, which passively generates units for free. They can speed up military unit production via influence from Blacksmiths and Universities after every age-up, and all military and technology buildings are cheaper for them. In addition, aging up and training units provides Vizier Points, which can be spent on unlocking Imperial Council members with unique bonuses, unit shipments, and technologies. In battle, the Ottomans possess potent gunpowder units such as the Janissary and Great Bombard, supplemented by unique cavalry such as the Sipahi and Mehter.
• Rus: Guerilla/Ranger/Unit Specialist (Cavalry). The Rus primarily rely on their cavalry, having early Knights, Horse Archers, and Warrior Monks. Their economy places great emphasis on hunting and the wilderness, with the Rus gaining further economic boons based on hunting bounties. However, the Rus lack Stone defenses and must make do with stronger Palisades and Wooden Fortresses instead, and they are also lacking in naval options.

Age of Empires Online

Age of Empires Online

• Babylonians: Economist. The Babylonians have a predominantly economic playstyle, with their Ox Carts acting as mobile drop sites and their Gardens being able to trickle resources.
• Celts: Brute/Technical. The Celts boast strong heavy infantry such as Woad Raiders and Champions backed by priests such as Druids and Augurs capable of bestowing potent buffs. Despite their focus, they also have capable ranged units such as the Gaesatae and Longbowmen, though these are locked behind Advisors. However, their siege capabilities are limited, and unlike other civilizations they do not get cavalry until Age III and have only one kind of warship.
• Egyptians: Spammer/Technical. The Egyptians must build specific Temples to age up, which not only provide unique technologies but also allow them to recruit special priest units with unique abilities. While most of their initial units are weak, they also have access to War Elephants in the late game.
• Greeks: Balanced/Generalist. The Greeks have a balanced roster of units, especially in the infantry department. Their military tends to be well armored and strong if a bit expensive. Fortunately their economy is also easy to manage.
• Indians: Economist/Unit Specialist/Gimmick. The Indians specialize in War Elephants, even having their own unique building from which to train them, but the rest of their roster is quite limited as a result. Their Plantations are larger than regular Farms and can support two Villagers at once, they cannot gather from herdables but instead can task them onto Shrines to generate resources and spawn Monkey units, and their Gatherer Elephants gather much faster than Villagers. Lastly, like the Persians they possess mutually exclusive technologies they can research at the Monastery which can allow them to adapt to any situation.
• Norse: Brute. The Norse also specialize in strong heavy infantry such as Throwing Axemen, Berserkers, and Ulfhednar who can also build structures. They excel at rushdown strategies, as they start with two different Scouts instead of one to allow them to explore the map faster and their unique Outposts are able to train War Dogs. Also like the Celts, their siege capabilities are weak, though their navy is a little better.
• Persians: Ranger/Gimmick. The Persians have a diverse array of ranged units such as Immortals to War Wagons which are reinforced by powerful cavalry such as Cataphracts. They also have unique Toggle Techs that they can research at the Academy, which buff certain capabilities while weakening them in others.
• Romans: Balanced/Elitist. The Romans have a flexible roster that revolves around a core of strong heavy infantry backed by auxiliary troops and powerful siege weapons, though the rest of their roster is not as good as that of the Greeks. They also have unique officer units that can buff surrounding units while holding themselves in combat, but are limited in quantity.

Age of Mythology

Age of Mythology

• Atlanteans: Elitist/Technical. Atlantean citizens take longer to train and are more expensive, but they gather and build three times faster than other workers and require no drop sites. Rather than pre-set hero units, the Atlanteans can promote any human unit into a hero who will be a bit better at fighting other humans and much better at fighting myth units. Their units are expensive but really strong, even moreso than the Norse.
• Chinese: Spammer/Technical. The Chinese focus on a booming economy and fast generation of units in large numbers. The Chinese garner Favor through Gardens that can also generate other resources. The Chinese army is primarily composed of cavalry, but the eight Immortals are their heroes and their best anti-myth units. On top of that, the Monk can heal your wounded units and convert enemy units to his side. However Chinese units are highly specialized and pound-for-pound not as strong as other cultures due to limited unit-enhancing technologies.
• Egyptians: Spammer/Ranger, with a side of Guerrilla. The Egyptians build slowly but don't have to do a lot of wood chopping to get their economy up and running. They have the best towers and the best walls, and plentiful access to healing. The Pharaoh can heal allies, smack down myth units and empower buildings at the base to help development (for example, faster unit training at production centers, faster research, faster Favor accumulation for Monuments, etc.), but he is a valuable asset and must be used carefully. Egypt's army emphasizes mobility and range, and quantity over quality. While the units tend to be very cheap, they have to be upgraded individually, as opposed as the other civilizations that upgrade Infantry/Archers/Cavalry by groups.
• Greeks: Balanced/Unit Specialist. The Greeks play most like a faction from Age of Empires II. Their military tends towards Mighty Glacier and their units (human warriors and myth units) are quite well armored and strong, if a bit slow and expensive. Fortunately their economy is also easy to manage. The weaknesses of the Greek army are their vulnerability to ranged and fast-moving units and their limited access to healing.
• Norse: Spammer/Brute. The Norse have mobile Ox Carts instead of stationary drop-off sites, and all their warriors can construct buildings and gain Favor when they fight; being able to replenish themselves at the frontline is a big advantages and gives the Norse a daring, aggressive playstyle. But they are poor at defending their own holdings — their walls and towers are weak and they have few ranged options. Norse armies feature human warriors with very high attack power, Hersir heroes that can be produced in numbers and powerful myth units.

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