Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Civilization Tier List
Age of Empires II (AoE II) remains strong after its 2019 release, remaining high on the top played Steam games through 2021 and even through 2023. It’s both an eSports title of kind as competitive PvP is a big scene and friends everywhere are reliving playing both PvE and PvP in AoE II.
The following tier list is both for LAND and SEA. This is a generalized mix based on who is the overall most powerful across the board. If you’re looking for an easy civilization to pickup and play (and win) then our S-Tier is where you’re going to want to go. If you’re looking for a good civilization with good starting skills and mobility, look to the A Tier. From B Tier on, it’s more your choice to play than the best the game can offer. Though with the right build order, most civilizations can fair well.
In PvP you also have to consider counters as well. Our S Tier picks will stay strong against any other pick.
We break out new civilizations, as this tier list works well for the original game too.
S Tier
Aztecs: Strong infantry and monks, fast production, extra gold from relics.
Mayans: Long-lasting resources, cheap and fast archers, strong economy.
Britons: Extra range and damage for archers, cheaper town centers, faster shepherds.
New Civilization
Bohemians: A gunpowder and monk civilization that can research Hussite Reforms, ranged units get extra melee armor.
A Tier
Franks: Free farm upgrades, more durable knights, cheaper castles.
Huns: No houses required, cheaper cavalry archers, faster stables.
Mongols: Faster hunting, stronger light cavalry and siege, unique Mangudai unit.
Vikings: Free wheelbarrow and hand cart, cheaper docks and warships, berserks with regeneration.
New Civilizations
Burgundians: A cavalry civilization that can access economic upgrades one age earlier and can turn their villagers into militia. They also have cheaper cavalry upgrades and a unique technology that gives their cavalry extra attack against gunpowder units.
Sicilians: A civilization that can build Donjons, a unique fortification that trains Serjeants, and can reduce bonus damage from enemy attacks. They also have cheaper Castle Age and team bonus for transport ships, making them good on water maps.
B Tier
Japanese: Faster infantry attack, cheaper mills and lumber camps, fishing ships with more armor and work rate.
Incas: Free llama, cheaper buildings, strong infantry with slinger support.
Malians: Wood savings on buildings, faster university research, strong cavalry and infantry with unique Gbeto unit.
Ethiopians: Faster firing archers, free pikeman upgrade, extra resources upon aging up.
Indians: Cheaper villagers, stronger and faster camels, unique Elephant Archer unit.
New Civilizations
Bengalis: An elephant and naval civilization that can research Bengali Chariot, a unique technology that gives their cavalry archers extra attack and range. They also have cheaper elephants and faster villagers, making them strong in the late game.
Dravidians: A camel and naval civilization that can research Dravidian Architecture, a unique technology that gives their buildings extra armor and garrison space. They also have cheaper camels and fire ships, making them effective against cavalry and navy.
Gurjaras: A cavalry and monk civilization that can research Gurjara Migration, a unique technology that allows them to move their town center once per age. They also have faster cavalry and cheaper monks, making them mobile and flexible.
Hindustanis: An elephant and gunpowder civilization that can research Hindustani Resistance, a unique technology that gives their units extra resistance against conversion and monks extra healing range. They also have cheaper gunpowder units and elephants with trample damage, making them powerful in the late game.
Romans: A siege and infantry civilization that can research Roman Engineering, a unique technology that gives their siege weapons extra blast radius and damage. They also have cheaper barracks and siege workshops, making them strong in the early game.
C Tier
Spanish: Faster builders, blacksmith upgrades don’t cost gold, strong gunpowder units and unique Conquistador unit.
Teutons: Cheaper farms, stronger towers and castles, more melee armor for infantry and cavalry.
Byzantines: Cheaper imperial age and counter units, stronger buildings and monks, unique Cataphract unit.
Slavs: Faster farmers, cheaper siege weapons, unique Boyar unit.
Saracens: Faster market trade, more damage for archers against buildings, strong camels and navy.
New Civilizations
Tatars: A cavalry archer civilization that can build Keshiks, a unique unit that generates gold while fighting, and can research Timurid Siegecraft, a unique technology that gives their trebuchets extra range and enables them to fire flaming projectiles. They also have free Thumb Ring and Parthian Tactics upgrades, making their cavalry archers very accurate and durable.
Vietnamese: An archer civilization that can build Rattan Archers, a unique unit with high pierce armor, and can research Paper Money, a unique technology that gives them and their allies a lump sum of gold. They also have free Conscription upgrade and reveal enemy positions at the start of the game, making them good at scouting and producing units faster.
D Tier
Persians: Faster town centers and docks, stronger knights and war elephants, unique Kamandaran technology.
Goths: Cheaper and faster infantry, more population limit, unique Huskarl unit.
Burgundians: Economic upgrades available one age earlier, cheaper cavalry upgrades, unique Coustillier unit.
Italians: Cheaper advancing to next age and gunpowder units, strong navy and archers, unique Genoese Crossbowman unit.
Koreans: Free tower upgrades and extra range, cheaper wood costs for units and siege weapons, unique War Wagon and Turtle Ship units.
Portuguese: All units cost less gold, free cartography and extra HP for buildings and navy, unique Organ Gun and Caravel units.
Cumans: Extra town center in feudal age, faster cavalry and siege workshop in feudal age, unique Kipchak unit.
Turks: Free gunpowder unit upgrades and chemistry, faster gold miners, strong gunpowder units and unique Janissary unit.
Magyars: Free blacksmith upgrades for melee units, cheaper scouts and light cavalry, unique Magyar Huszar unit.
New Civilizations
Khmer: An elephant and siege civilization that does not require buildings to advance or unlock other buildings, has faster farmers and elephants, and can build Ballista Elephants, a unique unit with a scorpion bolt attack. They also have access to Scorpions with double projectiles and Battle Elephants with extra movement speed, making them strong in massed battles.
Malay: A naval and infantry civilization that advances to the next age faster, has cheaper fishing ships and fish traps, and can build Karambit Warriors, a unique unit that only takes half a population slot. They also have access to two-handed swordsmen with extra attack speed and Battle Elephants with extra armor, making them good at raiding and defending.
F Tier
Khmer: No buildings required to advance or unlock other buildings, faster farmers and elephants, unique Ballista Elephant unit.
Sicilians: Reduced bonus damage from enemy attacks, cheaper castle age and team bonus for transport ships. Unique Serjeant unit that can build Donjons.
Bulgarians: Free militia-line upgrades and faster blacksmiths. Cheaper town centers. Unique Konnik unit that spawns a dismounted version upon death.
Berbers: Cheaper cavalry units. Faster villagers and naval units. Unique Camel Archer and Genitour units.
Lithuanians: Extra food at the start. Faster monks. Extra attack for cavalry based on relics collected. Unique Leitis unit that ignores armor.
New Civilizations
Bulgarians: A cavalry and infantry civilization that has free militia-line upgrades and faster blacksmiths. They also have cheaper town centers and can build Konniks, a unique unit that spawns a dismounted version upon death. However, they lack many important technologies for their units, such as Plate Barding Armor, Ring Archer Armor, Bracer, Siege Engineers, etc.
Berbers: A cavalry and naval civilization that has cheaper cavalry units. They also have faster villagers and naval units and can build Camel Archers and Genitours, unique units that counter cavalry archers and skirmishers respectively. However, they lack many important technologies for their units, such as Halberdier, Paladin, Arbalester, Siege Ram, etc.
Lithuanians: A cavalry and monk civilization that has extra food at the start. They also have faster monks and extra attack for cavalry based on relics collected. They can build Leitis, a unique unit that ignores armor. However, they lack many important technologies for their units, such as Plate Mail Armor, Siege Onager, Bombard Cannon, etc.