Age of Empires 2 Turks Guide: Bonuses, Janissary and Strategy
The Turks are a gunpowder civilization that has been in Age of Empires 2 since the original 1999 release. They represent the Oghuz Turks, from the Seljuks to the Seljuks of Anatolia and on to the Ottoman Empire. They aren't the game's only Turkic civilization either: the Tatars represent the Turkic and Turko-Mongol peoples of Central Asia, and the Cumans the Turkic peoples of the Eurasian steppe.
They have some of the best gunpowder units in the game, but you should also know they're one of the civilizations that struggle most when the gold runs out. This guide covers both.
Civilization bonuses
- Gunpowder units have +25% hit points.
- Chemistry is free.
- The Bombard Tower technology and the Elite Cannon Galleon upgrade cost 50% less.
- Gold miners work 25% faster.
- Light Cavalry and Hussar upgrades are free.
- The Scout Cavalry line has +1 pierce armor.
Team bonus: Gunpowder units are created 25% faster. This bonus affects your allies too.
Janissary
The Turks' unique unit, trained at the Castle: a stronger version of the Hand Cannoneer.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | 60 food, 55 gold |
| Training time | 16.8 seconds (with the team bonus) |
| Hit points | 44, 50 when Elite |
| Attack | 17, 22 when Elite |
| Range | 7, 8 when Elite |
| Accuracy | 50%, 65% when Elite |
| Armor | 1 melee, 0 pierce; 2 melee, 0 pierce when Elite |
| Elite upgrade | 850 food, 750 gold, 55 seconds |
The Janissary hits hard but has zero pierce armor. Don't leave it alone against archers and Skirmishers. The Elite upgrade raises accuracy from 50% to 65%, so if you're going to invest in Janissaries, make it your first goal.
Unique technologies
| Technology | Effect and cost |
|---|---|
| Sipahi (Castle Age) | +20 hit points for cavalry archers. 350 food, 150 gold, 60 seconds. |
| Artillery (Imperial Age) | +2 range for Bombard Towers, Bombard Cannons and Cannon Galleons. 600 food, 650 gold, 40 seconds. |
Sipahi makes Turkish cavalry archers some of the best in the game: after Sipahi and Bloodlines, the Heavy Cavalry Archer reaches 100 hit points. Artillery lets Turkish Bombard Towers outrange enemy Bombard Cannons. The Elite Cannon Galleon's range also goes up to 17; almost nothing in the game shoots farther.
Strengths of the Turks
Their gunpowder units are both tougher and faster to train, and they have a range advantage with Bombard Cannons and towers. Since Chemistry is free, you can switch to gunpowder units as soon as you reach the Imperial Age. That makes the Turks a great fit for a Fast Imperial strategy.
Their cavalry is good too: they have every cavalry upgrade except the Paladin. Light Cavalry and Hussar are free, and the extra pierce armor makes them effective against archers. Their navy is complete apart from the Fast Fire Ship, their monks get all the Castle Age upgrades, and their defensive structures get every upgrade.
Weaknesses
The Turks have two big gaps: no Elite Skirmisher and no Pikeman upgrade. That means you can't defend with the classic counter units:
- If your opponent masses Crossbowmen, use Light Cavalry and Mangonels.
- If your opponent masses Knights, use Camel Riders and monks.
The real problem is gold. The Turks' only economy bonus is gold mining speed, and all their best units cost gold. Once the gold on the map runs out, they turn into one of the weakest civilizations in the game, and they don't have the Onager either. With Crop Rotation and Stone Shaft Mining missing, their economy is below average, and they're slow early in the game.
When should you pick the Turks?
The Turks shine most in two situations:
- Closed maps: You can build your economy safely behind walls and move into gunpowder units with a Fast Castle or Fast Imperial strategy.
- Team games: Trade keeps the gold flowing, which covers the Turks' biggest weakness. The team bonus also speeds up your allies' gunpowder units.
On open maps, though, you can struggle if there's no trade and your opponent applies pressure and drains your gold.
The Turks in campaigns
There are scenarios where you play as the Turks too: in Manzikert, about the Battle of Manzikert, you play against the Byzantines and Saracens. In Bapheus you command Osman, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Fetih tells the story of the conquest of Constantinople from the Ottoman side.
If you want to try the Turks with cheats, see our Age of Empires 2 cheat codes page; for the changes in the game's latest update, see our article on update 185872. To see which play style the other 55 civilizations suit, take a look at our Age of Empires 2 civilization picker guide.
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