Age of Empires 2 Civilizations: Which Civilization Should You Pick?
Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition has 56 civilizations, and for someone new to the game that list is intimidating. On this page we've grouped the civilizations by play style rather than strength: do you like archers, cavalry, or playing behind walls?
Why no tier list? Civilization strength changes with every balance patch, and the latest one came out only about two weeks ago. The focus areas we use here come from the game's own civilization descriptions and rarely change with patches. If you're curious about current win rates, AoE2 Insights publishes up-to-date statistics based on match data.
A focus doesn't mean you can only play the civilization that way; it shows what its bonuses and unique units support most. Many civilizations fall into two groups.
For archer fans
| Civilization | Focus |
|---|---|
| Britons | Foot archers |
| Ethiopians | Foot archers |
| Maya | Foot archers |
| Mongols | Cavalry archers |
| Muisca (The Last Chieftains) | Archers and monks |
| Shu (The Three Kingdoms) | Archers and siege |
| Tatars | Cavalry archers |
| Tupi (The Last Chieftains) | Archers and infantry |
| Vietnamese | Archers |
| Chinese | Archers and gunpowder |
| Italians | Foot archers and navy |
For cavalry fans
| Civilization | Focus |
|---|---|
| Berbers | Cavalry and navy |
| Burmese | Infantry and cavalry |
| Bulgarians | Infantry and cavalry |
| Burgundians | Cavalry |
| Jurchens (The Three Kingdoms) | Cavalry and gunpowder |
| Franks | Cavalry |
| Gurjaras | Cavalry and camels |
| Georgians (The Mountain Royals) | Cavalry and defense |
| Huns | Cavalry |
| Khitans (The Three Kingdoms) | Infantry and cavalry |
| Cumans | Cavalry |
| Lithuanians | Cavalry and monks |
| Magyars | Cavalry |
| Mapuche (The Last Chieftains) | Cavalry and counter units |
| Persians | Cavalry |
| Poles | Cavalry |
| Sicilians | Infantry and cavalry |
| Varangians (The Viking Sagas) | Cavalry and navy |
| Wei (The Three Kingdoms) | Cavalry |
For infantry fans
| Civilization | Focus |
|---|---|
| Aztecs | Infantry and monks |
| Burmese | Infantry and cavalry |
| Bulgarians | Infantry and cavalry |
| Danes (The Viking Sagas) | Infantry and siege |
| Dravidians | Infantry and navy |
| Armenians (The Mountain Royals) | Infantry and navy |
| Goths | Infantry |
| Japanese | Infantry |
| Celts | Infantry and siege |
| Khitans (The Three Kingdoms) | Infantry and cavalry |
| Malay | Infantry and navy |
| Malians | Infantry |
| Romans (Return of Rome) | Infantry |
| Saxons (The Viking Sagas) | Infantry and defense |
| Sicilians | Infantry and cavalry |
| Slavs | Infantry and siege |
| Tupi (The Last Chieftains) | Archers and infantry |
| Teutons | Infantry |
| Vikings | Infantry and navy |
| Wu (The Three Kingdoms) | Infantry and navy |
| Inca | Infantry |
For gunpowder fans
| Civilization | Focus |
|---|---|
| Bohemians | Gunpowder and monks |
| Jurchens (The Three Kingdoms) | Cavalry and gunpowder |
| Hindustanis | Camels and gunpowder |
| Portuguese | Navy and gunpowder |
| Turks | Gunpowder |
| Chinese | Archers and gunpowder |
| Spanish | Gunpowder and monks |
Camels and elephants
| Civilization | Focus |
|---|---|
| Bengalis | Elephants and navy |
| Gurjaras | Cavalry and camels |
| Hindustanis | Camels and gunpowder |
| Khmer | Siege and elephants |
| Saracens | Camels and navy |
Defense and siege
| Civilization | Focus |
|---|---|
| Byzantines | Defense |
| Danes (The Viking Sagas) | Infantry and siege |
| Georgians (The Mountain Royals) | Cavalry and defense |
| Celts | Infantry and siege |
| Khmer | Siege and elephants |
| Koreans | Defense and navy |
| Saxons (The Viking Sagas) | Infantry and defense |
| Shu (The Three Kingdoms) | Archers and siege |
| Slavs | Infantry and siege |
For water maps
| Civilization | Focus |
|---|---|
| Bengalis | Elephants and navy |
| Berbers | Cavalry and navy |
| Dravidians | Infantry and navy |
| Armenians (The Mountain Royals) | Infantry and navy |
| Koreans | Defense and navy |
| Malay | Infantry and navy |
| Portuguese | Navy and gunpowder |
| Saracens | Camels and navy |
| Varangians (The Viking Sagas) | Cavalry and navy |
| Vikings | Infantry and navy |
| Wu (The Three Kingdoms) | Infantry and navy |
| Italians | Foot archers and navy |
Monk-focused civilizations
| Civilization | Focus |
|---|---|
| Aztecs | Infantry and monks |
| Bohemians | Gunpowder and monks |
| Lithuanians | Cavalry and monks |
| Muisca (The Last Chieftains) | Archers and monks |
| Spanish | Gunpowder and monks |
Which civilizations are free?
42 civilizations come ready when you buy the game. The 14 civilizations with a DLC name in brackets in the tables come with paid packs:
- Return of Rome: Romans
- The Mountain Royals: Armenians, Georgians
- The Three Kingdoms: Shu, Wei, Wu, Jurchens, Khitans
- The Last Chieftains: Mapuche, Muisca, Tupi
- The Viking Sagas: Danes, Saxons, Varangians
We cover what each pack includes and what it costs in our which version to buy guide.
If you're just starting out
This part is our recommendation, not data: for your first matches, start with a civilization that has a single, clear focus. The Britons are about archers, the Franks cavalry, the Goths infantry, the Turks gunpowder. Instead of thinking about what to build, you can concentrate on your economy and the map. Once you know the game better, move on to civilizations with two focuses.
The Turkic civilizations
There are three Turkic civilizations in the game: the Turks focus on gunpowder, the Tatars on cavalry archers and the Cumans on cavalry. We explain how to play the Turks in detail in our Age of Empires 2 Turks guide.
Source: https://ageofempires.fandom.com/wiki/Civilization_(Age_of_Empires_II)
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