What order should I play Age of Empires 2?

As both a passionate AOE2 gamer with over 800 hours played and a content creator offering tips to newcomers, the #1 question I get asked is:

What is the best order to play Age of Empires 2 campaigns and multiplayer matches?

Let‘s explore that in-depth…

Getting Started with the William Wallace Tutorial

Before you play any campaigns or multiplayer, I always advise completing the William Wallace tutorial. This brief three-scenario adventure teaches you the fundamentals:

• Gathering wood, food, gold and stone
• Training military units like knights and archers
• Building structures such as houses, barracks and castles
• Employing basic combat tactics against enemies

With these essential skills unlocked, you‘ll be prepared to take on the rest of the game‘s vast content.

Playing Campaigns in Order of Release

For newcomers seeking single player content, I typically recommend experiencing campaigns in their release order:

Age of Empires II: Age of Kings (1999)

The initial release features iconic medieval European commanders like Joan of Arc and Saladin across over 35 scenarios. These campaigns have simpler objectives compared to later expansions, making them ideal starting points:

Beginner Difficulty Campaigns

• Joan of Arc – Repel English invaders from France
• Saladin – Unite Arabia under the Ayyubid Sultanate

Intermediate Difficulty Campaigns

• Genghis Khan – Conquer Central Asia and China for the Mongol Empire
• Barbarossa – Expand the Holy Roman Empire through trade, diplomacy and war

Age of Empires II: The Conquerors (2000)

The first expansion introduces brutal new leaders like Attila the Hun while expanding into Mesoamerica with campaigns like Montezuma. With richer storylines and complex scenarios, the challenge takes a leap:

Intermediate Difficulty Campaigns

• Attila the Hun – Raze cities across Europe with the legendary barbarian‘s horde
• El Cid – Fight for Medieval Spain as a mercenary-turned-nobleman

Advanced Difficulty Campaigns

• Montezuma – Attempt to resist Hernan Cortes‘ conquistadors with the Aztecs

Subsequent Expansions

Later additions like The Forgotten and The Last Khans provide both familiar and esoteric scenarios spanning history. From legendary samurai like Tomyris to Southeast Asia‘s Gajah Mada, they allow you to explore new civilizations off the beaten path for European medieval war games.

I suggest diving into these expansions after finishing Age of Kings and The Conquerors as they build on fundamental gameplay concepts. The diversity of campaigns keeps single-player intriguing for veterans even after hundreds of hours.

Getting Competitive with Multiplayer

When you want to transition from solo to competitive play, be ready for an exponential leap in difficulty. Real opponents pose complex strategic and tactical challenges exceeding any AI.

Here is my suggested progression path:

1. Practice Build Orders vs. AI – Master essential opening moves and early economy all ins like scout and archer rushes. Replay and refine strategies till you can decisively defeat Hard difficulty AIs.
2. Team Matches – Partner with more experienced players initially. Learn from them by observing their approach and unit compositions.
3. 1v1 Ranked – Once you can follow build orders smoothly and respond to harassments appropriately, dive into the competitive solo queue to test yourself and improve through losses. Stay resilient.
4. Tournaments – Ultimately, join or organize tournaments to play in structured events against skilled opponents under tournament settings.

Pushing through the demanding multiplayer learning curve pays dividends in fun, rewarding matches!

Comparing the 14 Most Popular Civilizations

With over 30 civilizations in Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition, selecting your faction is crucial before matches. Below I compare stats for some of today‘s top choices in 2023 multiplayer:

Franks remain incredibly popular for new players due to their powerful cavalry and bonuses carrying games. But the rich uniqueness between factions keeps the meta diverse and engaging for veterans too.

Final Thoughts

With over 350 hours played across solo campaigns and competitive multiplayer, I‘m still discovering new aspects about Age of Empires 2 regularly even after all these years. That incredible depth and replayability has built a thriving community more than two decades later since the initial 1999 release. There‘s truly nothing else like it!

Hopefully this guide gives you a structured path getting into the game. Let me know if you have any other questions – I‘m always happy to provide tips so this timeless classic continues delighting strategy gamers for the next 20 years and beyond!