Dock
Military - DarkBase values, before building technologies. Masonry and then Architecture each give buildings "+10% HP, +1/+1 Armor": late in a game, the real numbers are higher.
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Try it freeDescription
"Naval production building. Creates fishing ships, transport ships, and warships. Also researches naval technologies."
Strategic Analysis
Strategic Role
The Dock is essential on water maps. Control of the seas determines who can safely fish, transport armies, and dominate coastal areas.
Key Tactics
Early Fishing
On water maps, immediately build fishing ships. Deep fish provides 1 food per second - faster than any land source.
Galley Rush
In Feudal Age, Galleys can kill enemy fishing ships and deny food income. Water control early often wins water maps.
Transport Drops
Use Transport Ships to move armies across water, enabling surprise attacks on enemy coastlines.
Fire Ships
Fire Ships counter Galleys and are essential for naval combat. Mix them with your War Galleys.
Warning
Losing water control on island maps is often game-ending. Invest heavily in navy if the map requires it.
Stats Analysis
The Dock is both a production building and a drop-off point for fishing ships. Its garrison capability provides defense in coastal areas.
Hit Points
1800 HP
Durable but vulnerable to warships. Protect your Docks with military ships.
Garrison Capacity
10 Units
Can garrison units for protection. Garrisoned units provide arrow fire.
Naval Techs
4 Upgrades
Gillnets for fishing, Careening/Dry Dock/Shipwright for military ships.
Units Produced
Technologies
Placement Tip
Build Docks near deep fish for efficient fishing. For military production, place Docks to cover key water areas.
Timing Tip
Build your first Dock with your 6th-7th villager on water maps. Fishing ships should be your primary food source early game.
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Other Buildings
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Dock is the Dark Age water hub: 1,800 HP, 0 melee armor, 7 pierce armor, 5 line of sight, 10 garrison space, 150 wood, and 35 seconds of build time. The official help says it trains and upgrades ships, receives food from Fishing Ships, and enables sea trade. Its production list spans Fishing Ships, transports, the Galley-line, Fire Ships, Demolition Ships, Cannon Galleons, and the Dromon, so one building can represent economy, transport, and military control at once. The Dock is not a combat unit; its value is the water economy and production queue it keeps alive.
History & balance
AoE2 makes the Dock the first decision that turns a water map into a different economy. It is available in the Dark Age, and its official description combines three jobs that are easy to separate mentally but not in the game: deposit food from Fishing Ships, train and upgrade ships, and trade by sea. The building also offers the technologies that shape that fleet, including Gillnets, Careening, Dry Dock, and Shipwright. Its 150-wood cost is therefore more than a house-like expense: it is the entry ticket to a production system whose returns depend on fish, shoreline safety, and access to the water.
In pro play
Place a Dock where the fishing line can deposit safely and where the first military ships can contest the approach. Queue the economic ship before the warship only when the shoreline is secure; otherwise the same building becomes an exposed 150-wood queue that feeds the opponent. Use garrison space and the 5 line of sight to buy information, keep production continuous, and add a second Dock only when fish or naval pressure can support it. The coach question is never just “did you build a Dock?” It is “what is this Dock producing, what protects it, and when does the next queue change the map?”
How to counter it
A Dock has no official Strong vs. or Weak vs. combat line; the classic mistake is attacking one ship while leaving the production-and-fishing engine untouched. Neutralize what the building produces: deny the nearby fish, raid the wood line that funds new Docks, interrupt builders, and force ships to idle or fight without reinforcement. If a Dock is supporting trade or transport, pressure the route and the shoreline rather than diving blindly into the water. The building has 1,800 HP, so denial and vision often matter more than a heroic first hit. If you keep losing water control without knowing what to deny or when, AoE Coach reads your match-up and gives you the composition and timing.