Best Civilizations For Beginners In Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition

Highlights

Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition attracts old and new players, but choosing from 30+ civilizations can be overwhelming for beginners.
Vietnamese offer a defensive learning experience with unique archer units, making them a great starting point for new players.
Britons excel in long-range attacks with powerful archers, providing strategic advantages for beginners to learn and implement.

The definitive version of Age Of Empires 2 brought a lot of old fans back to the game and franchise, but it also helped the strategy franchise pick up some new, first-time players. With over thirty civilizations available, however, it can be hard for newcomers to figure out a good starting place.

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With different, unique units and a variety of advantages and disadvantages for each of the various races, Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition makes it a little tricky to get started. But after learning one civilization while playing against others, players will begin to get to grips with the various civilizations and the options the game provides.

Updated on March 31, 2024, by Chris Harkin: Age of Empires 2, despite being an older game, is one that is ever-changing, even in its definitive form. While updates to the various civilizations continue to change the nature of the game, it can be difficult to get a grip on them and get started. However, it is possible to get into Age Of Empires 2 at any point with the right civ on one's side, and this article will continue to be updated as the game changes, providing new information on which of the factions remain great choices for players looking to get their start in the beloved RTS game.

7 Vietnamese

Win Rate: 46.75%

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Vietnamese

Played 2.50% Of Time

A civilization based in archery, this Southeast Asian culture comes with delightful architecture and some great unique civilization upgrades and units. While some players starting out will struggle with tactics, it is difficult to find gaps in a strategy that involves building lots of defenses and using lots of archers to scare off invaders.

For cautious beginners in Age of Empires 2, the Vietnamese provide great cover for learning the mechanics of the game while staying defensive. With unique archer units, like the Rattan Archer and the Imperial Skirmisher, and all the archer upgrades in the game within their grasp, the Vietnamese are both a vibrant culture and a great starting point for new Age of Empires 2 players.

6 Britons

Win Rate: 47.68%

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Britons

Played 3.86% Of Time

If new players love the idea of a civilization that can take entire enemy armies out from long range, then the Britons may be the perfect beginning faction. This civilization has advantages in wood saving, a huge food gathering boost as shepherds work 25% quicker than the norm, and most importantly, some huge boosts for archers and archery ranges.

Not only do archers get +1 extra range, which increases to +2 once players reach the Imperial Age, but archery ranges also work much quicker than they do for other civilizations. All of this added together makes for a lot of great strategic ideas for beginners. Just a thin line of other units out front with archers behind will make for a devastating defense or attack against enemy forces, allowing players to lose far fewer units than their enemy in most situations. This kind of archer line is incredibly frustrating to deal with.

5 Byzantines

Win Rate: 48.10%

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Byzantines

Played 2.25% Of Time

The opposite of the Franks is likely the Byzantines, another well-heralded beginner civilization that gives new players the opportunity to hole up defensively while they learn some of the basics. They come with a nearly filled tech tree, and thus, players will be able to try out more strategies with them than with many of the other civilizations, whose limitations will often peg them back slightly in terms of options.

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Hero Units

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However, the Byzantines are at their best when they are defending. This is because they have a huge bonus to building HP, which increases through the ages. Additionally, some units like Camel Riders and Skirmishers cost less, and upgrades like "town watch" and "town patrol" come free of any cost at all. When all of these advantages are put together, it's easy to come up with a variety of strategies for the Byzantines, and it is a great civilization for those hoping to learn more about the game due to the defensive nature helping beginners last longer in tough matches.

4 Romans

Win Rate: 50.88%

Played 1.12% Of Time

Though classed in-game as an infantry civilization, the Romans have a wide variety of great upgrades and units, which make them a well-balanced civ to try and learn as a beginner. They've got unique units like the Legionary, a solid infantry unit that gives them an advantage in this area, but they also have a great unique cavalry unit in the Centurion.

Additionally, Romans can back their front lines up with ballista since they have some great cost reduction and range improvement upgrades for these siege weapons. Overall, the Romans are incredibly good to get started with because they can help a new player learn about using almost every type of unit, instead of focusing all learning on a particular type, which is often the case in other civilizations.

3 Teutons

Win Rate: 51.40%

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Teutons

Played 2.55% Of Time

A great blend of economic advantages and defensive capability, the Teutons are a great civilization for beginners simply because it is difficult to get rid of them, and after lasting long enough without attacking too much, the build-up of force that can be created can be devastating.

Teutons are the Age of Empires 2 definition of "slow and steady." With many final upgrades available in lieu of being able to get a lot of speed upgrades, the Teutons will fire out deadly forces toward their enemy but are easy to pick off. This trade-off is worth it for beginners, as enemies may have a strategic advantage but will struggle anyway against such powerfully dominant units. Melee armor bonuses and a generally strong infantry due to their unique unit, the Teutonic Knight, make the Teutons easy to get to grips with for their best strategies, providing an easy time for beginners while they pick up the more complex aspects of the game.

2 Franks

Win Rate: 51.51%

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition - Gameplay

Played 5.46% Of Time

One of the most typical civilizations to get started with while playing Age Of Empires 2, the Franks have a variety of advantages that beginners may not pick up on at first but will notice the more they play the game. For instance, free mill technologies provide a massive food resource boost. It can be hard to find ways to make the economy flourish for newbies to the game, so the Franks are a good way to get a boost and not crash on resources completely.

Additionally, foragers work quicker than the average for another resource boost, and the huge boost that the Franks gain in cavalry hit points allows for simple-to-learn beginner strategies such as a rush of cavalry units at an enemy force. Running through opposition easily without losing many units is a safe, simple plan that can continuously frustrate opponents. Together, the extra resources and simple planning for successful attacks make the Franks a very fun, comfortable way to learn the game.

1 Mongols

Win Rate: 51.85%

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Mongols

Played 7.7% Of Time

Another offensive civilization with some very specific advantages, such as their talent for cavalry archer units, the Mongols are great at guerrilla warfare. Attacking hard and fast and then backing away again in attempts to harass the enemy are ingenious and work particularly well since it is such a frustrating type of attack to fight back against.

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This involves wearing down the enemy, and while it might seem like a complicated way to play, the Mongols have very fast hunter units, so they can get through early ages quickly. Their scouts are better than most, and their specialized unit, the Mangudai, is incredibly useful and easy to get to grips with. This makes it much easier for new players to learn how to micromanage units and teaches a lot of valuable skills from an easy beginning place.