c. Franks [AOK6C]

Discover the strengths and weaknesses of the Frankish civilization in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Learn about their cavalry bonuses, Castle discounts, and unique tech tree.

Alright, let's talk about the Franks in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. They're a really cool civilization with a strong historical background, and in the game, they really lean into their cavalry heritage. Think of them as the kings of the charge!

Civilization Attributes & Team Bonus:

• Team Bonus: All your Knights get +2 Line of Sight. This is huge because your scouts can spot enemies from way further out, meaning you don't have to risk them getting caught.
• Castle Discount: Franks can build Castles for 25% less Stone. That means a Castle only costs 488 Stone instead of the usual 650. This makes it way easier to spam Castles for defense or to produce powerful units like Paladins. It's a much better deal than building a bunch of Guard Towers.
• Knight HP Bonus: All Knights get +20% HP. This is what really makes their cavalry shine. For example, a Paladin gets an extra 32 HP, bringing its total to 192 HP. This makes them incredibly tanky and hard to take down in a fight. Seriously, Franks are a top-tier cavalry civ because of this.
• Free Farm Upgrades: As long as you have a Mill, you get Horse Collar, Heavy Plow, and Crop Rotation for free. This means your farms will produce more food over time without you having to spend resources on the upgrades.

Technology Tree Breakdown:

Archers: Frankish archers are a bit of a mixed bag. They're similar to the Celts, but they're missing a key unit: the Arbalest. Your best Imperial Age archer option is the Heavy Cavalry Archer, but honestly, they're not super efficient because they have shorter range. To make things worse, they don't get the Bracer or Ring Archer Armor blacksmith upgrades. So, archers aren't really their strong suit. However, they do get the Hand Cannoneer, which is great for blasting enemy infantry. If you're going to use ranged units, consider training a bunch of Hand Cannoneers instead of archers, but keep in mind their limited range is still a bit of a drawback.

Infantry: Their infantry is pretty standard, much like the British. They have the full line from Militia up to Champion, and they also get the Spearmen and Pikemen lines. They also have the two main infantry blacksmith upgrades available.