Summary
With such an expansive tech tree inAge Of Empires 2, it can be hard for players to decide what to focus on research-wise, especially in the early stages of the game. There are upgrades for nearly every aspect of the game to make life forthe player’s civilizationeasier and more efficient, and some are more effective than others.
Whether they are military upgrades that provide access to new and more effective units, or they just increase villager speed, there are a lot of opportunities for players to improve their virtual societies. So, the question remains: what are the best technologies inAge Of Empires 2,and which should be prioritized first?
11Horse Collar
Farms Produce More Food
Food is a vital resource inthe famedAge Of Empires2, and it’s one that a lot of early-game players struggle to stockpile. Horse Collar is a Feudal Age upgrade that allows farms to produce up to 250 food before they have to be reseeded, a 75 upgrade from before the upgrade is applied. While this technology only applies to farms built after the technology is researched, it is still a key upgrade for all civilizations.
Horse Collar should be researched, no matter what civilization players choose to control, as without it, collecting food can be a struggle.
10Fletching
+1 Range & Attack For Archers, Towers, & Castles
Fletching is one of the best military technologies available to players in the early game. This is because it increases the range of a lot of key units, such as archers, towers, and castles, as well as increasing thestrength of the attacks. This technology also increases the attack of town centers by 1, making it a vital technology to research for defense-focused players.
Fletching is so core toAge Of Empires 2that it is another technology that cannot be missed, as the benefits it offers are invaluable.
9Crossbowman
New Unit
The Crossbowman is an upgrade available to the standard archer units once players reach the Castle age, and it increases their power by an incredible amount. This unit is particularly useful against other land units and provides a big advantage over other civilizations through its sheer power, making it a vital upgrade to players' armies. With sharp accuracy and decent range, the crossbowman can be the difference between winning battles and losing them.
The Crossbowman becomes a key advantage for the middle game and the late game, making it a much-needed upgrade.
8Scale Barding Armor
Increases Calvary & Pierce Armor By 1
Scale Barding Armor is an available technology for every civilization inAge Of Empires 2,bar the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayans. It is the starting point for some extremely useful upgrades that only become available in thelater agesof the game, and even by itself it gains players a big advantage. Increased armor strength can increase the longevity of the other military units, meaning less time spent replenishing them.
Scale Barding Armor is a key upgrade for players with weaker armies, as this simple and relatively cheap upgrade can make them last for longer.
7Conscription
Increases Speed Of Production By 33%
Conscription is one of the most useful technologies inAge Of Empires 2, and it should absolutely not be missed. Just this one tech increases the work rate of the Barracks, archery ranges, castles, kreposts, stables, and donjons by 33% while simultaneously increasing the speed at which technologies are researched by all of these buildings too. Conscription, then, is one of the most powerful technologies in the game.
Conscription might not seem that vital to players at first glance, but once all of this is considered, it seems impossible to win without it.
6Light Cavalry
Effective New Unit
Light Cavalry is a fast and powerful unit available to be researched during the Castle Age, especially considering it only costs food to build. For players who are low on other resources, LightCavalry is a unitthat will help the situation and allow players to continue to build their army despite this fact. They are excellent against archers, Monks, and siege units while not being quite so good against heavy cavalry.
Light Cavalry is a cheap technology to research and it will get players results fast, making it a great one to go for.
5Man At Arms
Strong New Unit
Man-At-Arms is another early-game unit that holds a big advantage over most of the other units available during the Feudal Age. Being an all-purpose infantry unit, there are not many scenarios in which this unit isn’t useful. Later in the game, this unit can also be upgraded to a Long Swordsman, meaning researching this unit technology as early as possible will have benefits all through the game.
Man-At-Arms is one of the best units inAge Of Empires 2,especially in the early game, and should be prioritized for research as soon as possible.
4Double-Bit Axe
Villagers Collect Wood Faster
Double-Bit Axe is another technology aimed at helping players who struggle to collect resources fast enough for all of theircity-buildingplans inAge Of Empires 2.This technology makes villagers collect wood 20% faster, which may seem like a small increase but, in actuality, it will feel miles faster. This technology is also a prerequisite for the much-loved Bow Saw technology for later in the game, which speeds wood collecting up even more.
Double-Bit Axe is a technology that will massively help players speed their civilizations up, making it invaluable.
3Wheelbarrow
Faster Villager Movement & Increased Carry Weight
Wheelbarrow should be one of the first Feudal Age technologies researched in any civilization due to its huge bonus to villager movement speed and villager carry capacity. Again, this technology really works to speed things up, as the bonus for speed is 10% while the carry capacity is increased by nearly 27%.
This more than makes up for the 75-second blockage of the town center villager production while it is researched. Wheelbarrow is a core technology inAge Of Empires 2and players should not miss out on it.
2Gold Mining
Villagers Mine Gold 15% Faster
Gold Mining is a technology that helps players get gold faster. While this is a very simple upgrade, it opens doors to increase the speed of gold gathering even further as the Ages progress. Gold is akey resource inAge Of Empires2for any civilization, and so the ability to gather more gold in less time is obviously a huge advantage, no matter what the play style.
Gold Mining is often missed by players who seek to research other technologies first. However, it can be a massive help in the early stages of the game, and therefore, it should be researched as soon as possible.
