by Ian Stevens, Senior Program Manager, World’s Edge

A new year is upon us and what better way to celebrate than by challenging your friends in battle with two new civilizations and testing your mettle and strategy in three new fully-voiced campaigns! The Lords of the West expansion is available now for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on the Microsoft Store and Steam!

In addition to the 16 new achievements, here are some of the features you can look forward to in the Lords of the West expansion…

Burgundian Civilization
A cavalry civilization specializing in economic development. Take advantage of the ability to perform economic upgrades one age earlier than other civilizations, stable technologies cost 50% less, and gunpowder units gain 25% attack.

Sicilian Civilization
An infantry civilization specializing in city building and defensive capabilities to fuel their relentless drive for expansion. Build Donjons for additional fortifications around your towns, employ the First Crusade technology to spawn batches of the unique Serjeant unit in all Town Centers and utilize the Scutage technology to refill you and your team members’ battle coffers with 15 gold for each military unit you own.

Edward Longshanks Campaign
Edward I is widely considered as one of England’s greatest rulers, mentioned in the same breath as Alfred the Great and Elizabeth I. Known as “Longshanks” for his height and intimidating stature, he was a man that commanded respect as he transformed England from a tattered state into a prominent European power.

The Grand Dukes of the West Campaign
The Burgundian dukes are driven by ambition and greed. They lead an extremely luxurious life and need to constantly expand their domains to pay for it. Image and publicity mean everything to them. Philip the Bold earned his nickname after the defeat at Poitiers and John the Fearless earned his after a defeat in the Crusades, so these dukes know the importance of propaganda.

The Hautevilles Campaign
Robert Guiscard arrived in Italy in 1047 CE with a robber-band of 35 men. Within a century, his Hauteville family included dukes in Italy, princes in the Middle East, and even the King of Sicily. Join this intrepid family of Norman adventurers and complete their unlikely and compelling story.

Burgundians

Rise from a mere duchy to the marvel of Western Europe through economic might, cultural achievement, and the use of advanced military technology and tactics.

The dukes of Burgundy played a vital role in the politics of medieval Western Europe. They led the transformation from the medieval to the early modern world and ushered in a golden age for the region called the Northern Renaissance. At their height, these “Grand Dukes of the West” controlled large parts of modern-day France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Carving a new polity out of French, English, and Holy Roman domains was a daunting task that came with a high price: decades of war and bloodshed. However, the Burgundians knew to use more than just warfare to get what they wanted. Their diplomatic and marriage policies proved to be even stronger than their swords.

• Civilization Bonuses
  • Cavalry civilization
  • Economic upgrades are available one Age earlier than other civs
  • Stable technologies cost -50%
  • Gunpowder units gain +25% attack
  • Cavalier upgrade available in the Castle Age
• Team Bonus
  • Relics generate both Gold & Food
• Unique Units
  • Coustillier (cavalry) – Burgundian cavalry unit that utilizes a powerful shock attack when charging into battle. Strong vs. infantry and archers. Weak vs. Camel Riders and Monks.
  • Flemish Militia (infantry) – Burgundian unique infantry unit. Strong vs. cavalry. Weak vs. archers.
• Unique Technologies
  • Burgundian Vineyards – Convert all food into gold at a 2:1 ratio, Farmers slowly generate gold in addition to food.
  • Flemish Revolution – Upgrades all existing Villagers into Flemish Militia, allows creation of Flemish Militia at Town Centres.

Sicilians

Experience the diverse cultures and martial spirit of the Mediterranean’s crossroads as you build one of the most coveted kingdoms of medieval Europe. Robert Guiscard arrived in Italy in 1047 CE with a robber-band of 35 men. Within a century, his Hauteville family included dukes in Italy, princes in the Middle East, and even the King of Sicily. Join this intrepid family of Norman adventurers and complete their unlikely and compelling story, starting with Robert Guiscard’s arrival in Italy to his nephew Roger II’s consolidation of the Hauteville lands into the Kingdom of Sicily.

The Italo-Normans, as the conquerors and rulers in Norman Italy and Sicily are now known, were successful on the battlefield because of their fierce disposition, vigorous military tradition, keen affinity for tactics and the use of cunning, and sheer torrid speed. In these, they most closely resembled their Viking and Frankish forebears, but as they settled in Italy and Sicily they embraced local cultural customs and norms of governance.

• Civilization Bonuses
  • Infantry civilization
  • Castles and Town Centres are constructed 100% faster
  • Land military units absorb 50% of all incoming bonus damage
  • Farm upgrades provide +100% additional food to Farms before they need to be reseeded
• Team Bonus
  • Transport ships +5 carry capacity and +10 armour against anti-ship attacks
• Unique Unit
  • Serjeant – A hardy infantry unit which can also construct Donjons
• Unique Building
  • Donjon – Unique fortification used to train Serjeants. Units can garrison in the building for protection; Archers and Villagers shoot additional projectiles when garrisoned.
• Unique Technologies
  • First Crusade – Upon researching, each Town Centre (up to 5) spawns a one-time group of 10 Serjeants
  • Scutage – Upon researching, each team member receives a one-time payment of 15 gold for each military unit that they own Lords of the West is available now on the Microsoft Store and Steam, and Xbox Game Pass members can use their member discount to save 10%.