The second expansion for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition will be released on 10 August, and comes with a handful of new civilizations, units, buildings and technologies. It also lets players make aesthetically pleasing farms with the new Folkwark building.
Dawn of the Dukes adds two new civilizations, the Bohemians and the Poles, to the 22 year-old Age of Empires II. It also introduces three new campaigns, one for each of the new civilizations and one for the Lithuanian civilization.
Bohemian principality
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – Dawn of the Dukes
Image Credit: Xbox Game Studios
The new Bohemian civilization is concentrated on novel gunpowder weapons and the heavy use of monks. The Hussite Wagon is a wooden war wagon based on those used during the Hussite Wars in the 15th century. It has strong gunpowder weapons and protects units behind them.
The Houfnice is an upgrade to the Bombard Cannon, while the technologies Wagenburg Tactics and Hussite Reforms boost gunpowder units and Monks, respectively.
New Polish civilization
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – Dawn of the Dukes screenshot from video
Image Credit: Xbox Game Studios
Meanwhile the Polish are oriented around cavalry, with their two unique technologies Szlachta Privileges and Lechitic Legacy providing boosts to cavalry units. As might be expected, the Polish field the Winged Hussar. It has a distinctive look, though seems to simply replace the existing Hussar upgrade common to a lot of civilizations.
Here’s a fact: at the Battle of Vienna in 1683, the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth defeated the invading Ottoman Empire in part thanks to a cavalry charge, the largest in history, led by the Polish Winged Hussars.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – Dawn of the Dukes screenshot from video
Image Credit: Xbox Game Studios
The Poles also have the Obuch, an anti-armour unit with a massive hammer, and the Folkwark. This building replaces the Mill and gives a bonus to nearby farms, possibly encouraging players to arrange food production around farms from the early game. As you can see in the trailer, it’s ideally sized for aesthetic farm placement
New campaigns
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – Dawn of the Dukes
Image Credit: Xbox Game Studios
Dawn of the Dukes adds three new, voice-acted campaigns which deploy the Poles and Bohemians, as well as the Lithuanians. These explore the stories of the Lithuanian Prince Algirdas, Queen Jadwiga of Poland, and the Czech national hero Jan Žižka.
Dawn of the Dukes is the second expansion of recent years to the classic RTS. Age of Empires II: DE is one of our favourite games, which you may have gathered from our announcement of the History Hit Open.
