Age of Empires II age-up costs and building requirements
Find original advancement costs, prerequisites and the opportunities each age opens.
Edition covered
The 1999 Age of Kings core game and its thirteen original civilizations. Pictures are publisher media from the later HD Edition and can include The Conquerors content. Definitive Edition balancing, civilizations and DLC campaigns are outside this guide.
Advance at the Town Center
Research the next age once resources and prerequisites are ready. That Town Center cannot train villagers during advancement, so the timing also affects economic growth.
| Destination | Cost | Building requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Feudal Age | 500 food | Two qualifying Dark Age building types |
| Castle Age | 800 food and 200 gold | Two qualifying Feudal Age building types |
| Imperial Age | 1,000 food and 800 gold | Two qualifying Castle Age types or a Castle |
| Dark Age start | No advancement payment | Standard opening age |
Meet the building requirement
The next age normally needs two qualifying building types from the current age. Houses and repeated copies do not satisfy that requirement. A Castle also satisfies the Imperial building prerequisite.
| Age | Examples | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Age | Villagers and basic economy | Find resources and avoid idle time |
| Feudal Age | Archers, Spears and Scouts | Sustain military production |
| Castle Age | Knights, Monks and siege | Secure gold and army support |
| Imperial Age | Trebuchets and final upgrades | Maintain resources for expensive improvements |
Prepare to use the unlocks
Castle Age helps when you can afford Knights, Monks, siege or additional economy afterward. Saving every resource while an enemy approaches can lose the position first.
Check your civilization tree
Not every civilization gets every unit or final upgrade. These are core Age of Kings costs; later balance and civilization bonuses change practical build timings.
Not every civilization gets every unit or final upgrade. These are core Age of Kings costs; later balance and civilization bonuses change practical build timings.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Age of Empires II publisher listing | store.steampowered.com |
| Microsoft Age of Kings manual, archived copy | manuals.plus |