In Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, prioritize upgrades that enhance your army's effectiveness in combat, like blacksmith upgrades for weapons and armor, military unit upgrades at the university, and unique technology upgrades at the castle. Balancing economic upgrades like farming and mining is also crucial for sustaining a strong army.
Resource Management and Economy
In Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, one of the primary aspects to focus on is resource management and economy. Building a strong economy is crucial for sustaining a powerful army. Ensure you have a steady flow of resources such as food, wood, gold, and stone. Prioritize upgrades that improve your villagers' gathering efficiency, like Loom at the start, then focus on upgrades that increase the gather rate of resources, such as Wheelbarrow and Hand Cart. Utilize your villagers effectively by assigning them to the right tasks and balancing your economy to support your military endeavors.
Blacksmith Upgrades
The Blacksmith is a crucial building for upgrading your units' attack and defense capabilities. Prioritize upgrading your infantry, archers, and cavalry with relevant Blacksmith upgrades according to the units you are primarily using in your army composition. Focus on upgrades like Fletching, Bodkin Arrow, and Bracer for archers, Forging, Iron Casting, and Blast Furnace for infantry, and Scale Barding Armor, Chain Barding Armor, and Plate Barding Armor for cavalry units to enhance their effectiveness in battle.
University Technologies
The University is another important structure for improving your army's efficiency and versatility. Research technologies that can give you an edge in combat, defense, or economy. Prioritize upgrades like Ballistics for improved archer accuracy, Murder Holes for better defense of your buildings, and Chemistry for stronger gunpowder units. Additionally, researching technologies like Siege Engineers for better siege weapons, Treadmill Crane for faster building construction, and Masonry and Architecture for stronger buildings can also greatly benefit your army and overall gameplay.
Military Upgrades
Invest in military upgrades that directly impact the combat effectiveness of your units. Prioritize unit-specific upgrades that suit your army composition and strategy. For example, if you are focusing on cavalry, prioritize upgrades like Bloodlines for more HP on your cavalry units, Husbandry for faster cavalry movement speed, and Hussar upgrade for stronger light cavalry. If you prefer archers, prioritize upgrades like Thumb Ring for faster archer firing speed, Parthian Tactics for improved cavalry archers, and Squires for faster infantry speed.
Siege Workshop Upgrades
Siege weapons play a crucial role in breaking through enemy defenses and dealing with large groups of enemy units. Prioritize upgrading your siege weapons at the Siege Workshop to increase their power and efficiency. Research upgrades like Siege Engineers for improved siege weapon accuracy and range, Siege Workshop units' unique upgrades like Mangonel to Onager and Onager to Siege Onager, and technologies like Chemistry for stronger Onagers and Bombard Cannons. Investing in siege weapon upgrades can greatly enhance your army's capabilities on the battlefield.
Monastery Technologies
The Monastery provides unique technologies that can support your army in various ways, such as healing injured units, converting enemy units, or providing buffs. Prioritize researching Monastery technologies like Redemption for converting enemy siege units, Sanctity for increasing Monks' hit points, Atonement for converting enemy Monks, and Illumination for faster Monk healing speed. These technologies can add versatility to your army and provide strategic advantages in different situations.
Conclusion
In Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, prioritizing upgrades for your army involves a strategic approach encompassing resource management, technology advancements, and military enhancements across various buildings like the Blacksmith, University, Siege Workshop, and Monastery. By focusing on a well-rounded economy, unit upgrades, and siege weapon advancements, you can build a powerful and versatile army capable of dominating your opponents on the battlefield.