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Age of Empires 2: Best Civilizations, Ranked

This page contains information on the Age of Empires 2 best civilization.

The best Age of Empires 2 civilizations are ranked based on several factors. One of the main factors is power. Power is determined by economic and military prowess. It comes from special bonuses and technology, which leads to building a solid strategic foundation.

Another ranking factor is the ease of use. Civilizations that are easy to use need minimal effort to obtain victory in the game. This entails a civilization with extra bonuses that aid in maintaining the economy and a robust technology tree.

The other factor is the level of cohesive design civilizations have. The available technology tree dictates the design. Good flexibility is also crucial for civilizations because it will allow players to quickly counter their enemies using archer, cavalry, and infantry counter.

Here are the best AoE2 Civilizations:

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Due to these factors, the civilizations in the Age of Empires are divided into four tiers, S, A, C, and B.

Tier S is one of the best civilization options because they have valuable bonuses in a massive part of making game decisions. Tier A is strong civilizations but not powerful enough to counter units for various situations.

The next tier, Tier C, is a weak civilization because it lacks a unified sense of direction, leaving them with many weak points. The last tier is Tier B, which is a capable civilization. Still, they have a significant weakness in their technology tree.

Aztec Civilization

Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Aztec
Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Aztec

They have a mighty economic bonus and infantry, which is handy in the game. This safeguards them with an open path to victory that entails using their infantry to push their enemies, backed up with their technology tree and civilization bonus, making them a deadly battlefield opponent.

Briton Civilization

Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Briton
Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Briton

This civilization puts the main focus on the use of foot archers who use long-ranged arrows. It is best suitable for players with a strong archery army or inclined towards playing a game infused by archers. Apart from having a good archery army, they have sufficient food production despite being enough during the game’s early stages.

Related: How to Select Idle Villagers in Age of Empires 2

Byzantine Civilization

Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Byzantine
Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Byzantine

This civilization is best for new players because they have solid, durable buildings and can produce vital counter units. It boasts a traditional defensive powerhouse throughout the Age of Empires map and modes.

Moreover, the civilizations have the best performance in maps covered majorly by water because their structures have more health and advantages of being a town watch, making it easy to see incoming enemies and survive the attack as you move the civilization’s forces to counter the attack.

Chinese Civilization

Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Chinese
Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Chinese

Civilization provides a great starting point for building any strategy. The Chinese also have an affordable technology option, ensuring the economy is more potent than your enemies with minimal investment. A huge farming boost also provides a bonus that propels the economy to greater heights. Moreover, they have a strong unit and technology tree that will surely lead the civilization to victory.

Frank Civilization

Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Frank
Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Frank

This civilization is one of the most popular ones due to their functional Knight rush capabilities and vital economic bonuses that ensure the cavalry is well equipped and deadly. They are quick to react and adjust because of their cheap castles.

Japanese Civilization

Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Japanese
Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Japanese

The Japanese civilization has a very high level of flexibility throughout their technology tree, with bonuses that make sure there is an option to survive in land and water maps. Fishing bonuses and affordable resource buildings make them easily thrive in water environments.

When defending against enemies, players can use towers to defend their territory. Due to their advanced and capable technologies, the Japanese army effectively uses defensive and offensive strategies.

Viking Civilization

Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Viking
Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Viking

The Vikings were influential civilizations since they could thrive on land and water maps. They have an economic advantage over other civilizations, and upgrading the hand cart and wheelbarrow boosts players to effectively gather foodstuffs. They are undoubtedly the best options for players seeking civilizations with the best infantry that reigns over the dominion of water.

However, the main disadvantage of the Viking civilization was their weak technology tree which gave them a very narrow pool of options compared to other civilizations. Therefore, players will need to capitalize heavily on the infantry, specifically the Berserk unit, which is lethal and impregnable.

Persian Civilization

Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Persian
Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Persian

They are luckily boosted at the beginning of the game with food and wood, enabling them to maintain the village at a cheaper rate than other civilizations. They also have war elephants that, when teamed up with archers, can thwart any enemy, making their arm one of the most feared.

Lithuanian Civilization

Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Lithuanian
Age of Empires 2 Best Civilizations: Lithuanian

This type of civilization is advantageous in that they have a strong starting due to the availability of extra food, allowing players to make early game mistakes and chances for catching up. Additionally, the players can obtain relics, giving them an added advantage for their cavalry unit. However, this is a small addition compared to their technology tree’s immense wealth.

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