All Civilization Bonuses, Strengths, and Difficulty Levels in Age of Empires IV

Age of Empires IV has several civilizations to choose from, and each of these civilizations has its own strengths, bonuses, and level of difficulty. This means that some civilizations are harder to play than others but may have a clearer path to victory if you can govern them well.

Civilization List

Each civilization focuses on different aspects of battle and advancement to gain leverage in a match. This makes it possible for all players to choose the style that works best for them. From the list below, choose the civilization that most closely resembles your playstyle!

Abbasid Dynasty

• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Strengths
  • Anti-Cavalry: Advanced attack and defense against cavalry units.
  • Golden Age: Faster and better access to upgrades that improve speeds to research, production, and gathering. The House of Wisdom building provides access to unique upgrades that provide additional bonuses.
  • Aggressive Raiding: Camels Riders and Camel Archers are available only to this civilization, which are some of the strongest and fastest mounted units in the game. The mobile infantry is ideal for disrupting battle plans early to prevent opponents from getting too strong.
• Bonuses
  • Gather from Berry Bushes 25% faster. Cannot gather from Boars.
  • The Siege Engineering upgrade is not required for infantry to construct siege weapons on the battlefield.
  • Ages advanced by adding wings to the House of Wisdom, providing +5 fire armor to nearby buildings.
  • Entering the Golden Age increases gathering, research, and production times.
  • Docks are 50% cheaper.

Chinese

• Difficulty Level: Hard
• Strengths
  • Dynasties: Constructing both Landmarks for one age advances your current Dynasty, each of which provides unique benefits.
  • Gunpowder and Explosives: Unique Units specialize in artillery, fire, explosives, and area of effect damage.
  • Expansion: Shifts focus and strengths across different ages and expands outward rather than up. Massive coverage and map presence is one of this civilization's greatest strengths.
• Bonuses
  • Villagers construct defenses 50% faster and all other buildings 100% faster.
  • Each Dynasty provides unique benefits, but these benefits are lost when you progress to another Dynasty.
  • The Chemistry upgrade is automatically granted when you advance to the Imperial Age.
  • Docks produce 20% faster.

Related: Full Chinese Technology Tree in Age of Empires IV

Delhi Sultanate

• Difficulty Level: Hard
• Strengths
  • Research: All Research is free and can be stopped and started at your choosing. Increase the speed of research with Scholars.
  • Defense: Infantry can construct palisades instead of villagers, which provides access to strong defense early in the game. Keeps are constructed with a weapon emplacement.
  • Military: Has some of the most powerful military units in the game, including the War Elephant.
• Bonuses
  • Gather from Berry Bushes 25% faster and cultivate them into Orchards for higher food yield. Cannot gather from Boars.
  • The unique Scholar unit (which can improve production and research speeds) is available in the Dark Age.
  • All technology is free and can be researched at advanced speeds with Scholars.
  • Fishing Ships automatically have an Archer equipped.
  • War Elephants can deal damage as a siege unit or a melee unit.

English

• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Strengths
  • Longbows: Unique to the English Civilization. Longbowmen have better range than archers, and they can deploy palings that protect them from melee and cavalry units. These are great units to have on patrol.
  • Defense: Better structure defense. Town centers fire twice as many arrows, Vanguard Man-at-Arms is available in the Dark Age, and villagers defend with bows instead of farming tools. Several English structures provide buffs to nearby units when an invasion is detected.
  • Economy: Has exceptional food product capabilities, allowing you to get out more units at moments' notice.
• Bonuses
  • Farms are 50 percent cheaper and gather 15 percent faster when placed near a mill.
  • Vanguard Man-at-Arms is available in the Dark Age.
  • Villagers are stronger and wield bows.
  • Network of Citadels bonus gives 25 percent bonus attack speed to nearby units.
  • Military Ships have +1 range.

French

• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Strengths
  • Cavalry and Naval Units: Cavalry units are stronger than other civilizations, and technology is more advanced. There are also a few unique Naval units that make it easy to command the seas.
  • Aggression: Special units, such as the Royal Knight, gain perks by attack, and melee damage technologies are researched for free.
  • Economy: Resource drop-offs are cheaper, economic technologies/upgrades improve efficiency, and Traders are more versatile. Trade posts are also visible on the map from the start of the game.
• Bonuses
  • Faster Villager and Scout production with each age (10 percent, 15 percent, 20 percent, 20 percent).
  • Economic technology is 30 percent cheaper.
  • Resource drop-off buildings are 25 Wood cheaper to construct.
  • Trade Posts are revealed on the map at the start of the match.
  • Traders can return any resource to the market.
  • Melee damage technologies can be researched for free.
  • Trade ships return 20 percent more gold.

Holy Roman Empire

• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Strengths
  • Infantry: Best for counter-attacks rather than an aggressive playstyle. Early Man-at-Arms is available in the Feudal Age and military technology is available earlier than most other civilizations.
  • Religion: Prelate is available in the Dark Age, which provides buffs to nearby units and can capture Sacred Sites earlier than other civilizations. Relics garrisoned inside buildings provide buffs to the building's range, armor, and damage.
  • Defense: Buildings near the Town Center or Keep have the Emergency Repairability, making them easy to repair after an attack. Relics can improve building stats to make defenses stronger and ward off early attacks.
• Bonuses
  • Prelate (religious unit) is available in the Dark Age.
  • Early Man-at-Arms is available in the Feudal Age.
  • Relics Garrisoned in Outposts, Keeps, and Towers improve sight range, weapon range, armor, and damage.
  • Relics garrisoned in docks cause your ships' attack speed to increase by five percent per relic.
  • Emplacements in Outposts, Wall Towers, and Keeps are 25 percent cheaper.

Related: Full English Technology Tree in Age of Empires IV

Mongols

• Difficulty Level: Hard
• Strengths
  • Aggression: Best for early aggressive playstyles. Mounted units are available much earlier than other civilizations, and Mongols gain benefits from raiding enemy buildings. Several aggressive units are unique to the Mongols that deal heavy damage and provide buffs to nearby units.
  • Nomadic: Buildings can be packed up and moved to a new location. Houses are not required, and you start with the maximum population.
  • Mobility: Has stronger mounted units than most other civilizations and bases can be moved.
• Bonuses
  • Plunder 50 Food and Gold when you ignite enemy buildings.
  • All buildings can be packed up and redeployed at a new location.
  • Start with the maximum population limit.
  • Early Horsemen are available in the Dark Age and Early Lancers available in the Feudal Age.
  • Double produce units or research advanced versions of technologies with Stone.
  • Gain 10 percent Food, Wood, Gold, and Stone from trade routes with extra Traders.
  • Transport ships have 50 percent more health and move 15 percent faster.

Rus

• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Strengths
  • Conquest: Strong Cavalry units make it possible to take over a large portion of the map. The Rus have a unique ranged unit that uses guns, and the Warrior Monks provide buffs that make campsite raids difficult to fend off.
  • Hunting: Quickly gathers resources early in the game by using Scouts and Hunting Cabins, which provide buffs to gathering Wood and Food. Hunting Cabins also passively produce Gold depending on how many trees are nearby.
  • Expansion: Having a wider map presence makes it more difficult for opponents to branch outward. Fortifications are stronger, so any expansions you make are more difficult and timely to take down.
• Bonuses
  • Generate Gold and increase bounty when killing animals. Higher bounty provides additional Food from all sources.
  • Early Knight is available in the Feudal Age.
  • Stronger Palisades with twice as much health.
  • Hunting Cabins produce stronger Scouts and generate Gold from nearby forests.
  • Wooden Fortresses act as improved Outposts with extra health and garrison slots.
  • Fishing Ships don't have to return to the dock to drop off Food.

That covers all the strengths and bonuses for each civilization in Age of Empires IV!

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