Bulgarians
Infantry & CavalryTeam Bonus
Blacksmiths work +80% faster
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"The Bulgarians are an infantry and cavalry civilization with free militia upgrades, cheaper blacksmith technologies, and the unique Konnik that continues fighting as infantry when dismounted."
Civilization Bonuses
- 1
Militia-line upgrades free
- 2
Blacksmith and Siege Workshop technologies cost -50% food
- 3
Town Centers cost -50% stone
- 4
Can build Krepost in Castle Age
Unique Units
Unique Technologies
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AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
Bulgarians are an infantry and cavalry civilization in Age of Empires II. Their Militia-line upgrades are completely free, letting them spam upgraded infantry cheaply, and their Blacksmith and Siege Workshop technologies cost 50% less food. Town Centers cost 50% less stone, easing expansion, and they can build the Krepost, a mini-castle, already in the Castle Age, which trains their unique Konnik, a cavalry unit that fights on as a dismounted soldier after the horse dies. Their team bonus makes Blacksmiths work 80% faster. This blend of cheap, strong infantry and resilient cavalry, plus discounted siege and blacksmith techs, makes them a flexible, aggressive military civilization that performs well on open maps like Arabia.
History & balance
Bulgarians arrived in Age of Empires II as part of the Definitive Edition's Eastern European roster, drawing on the medieval First and Second Bulgarian Empires and their formidable cavalry traditions. Their identity celebrates cheap, upgradeable infantry and the iconic Konnik whose dismounted second life makes their cavalry uniquely sticky in a fight. Across patches they have generally been viewed as a solid open-map civilization, capable of flexible Knight, infantry, and siege play, with the Krepost enabling early Castle-Age aggression and unit production. They are appreciated for their straightforward but powerful military toolkit, and while their economy is conventional, their discounts on key military techs make them a reliable, well-rounded fighting civilization in the Definitive Edition.
In pro play
Pros play Bulgarians as a flexible open-map fighter, often opening with a Scout rush or Men-at-Arms into a Krepost-backed Castle-Age push. The free Militia-line upgrades let them flood cost-effective infantry, while the cheaper Blacksmith techs make their Knights and Konniks hit harder for less food. A common strong-player approach is to build a Krepost on the map to apply early Castle-Age pressure with Konniks, whose dismounted form punishes opponents who think they have won the fight. The 50% stone discount on Town Centers supports a strong boom alongside aggression. The playstyle rewards aggressive, mechanically active players who can micro infantry-cavalry-siege mixes; on Arabia they pressure relentlessly while keeping a resilient economy.
How to counter it
To counter Bulgarians, respect the Konnik's second life: do not over-commit melee units that will get ground down by the dismounted soldier, and instead use ranged units, Camel Riders, and Halberdiers to handle their cavalry efficiently. Their infantry, though cheap and well-upgraded, still folds to Archers, Skirmishers, and Hand Cannoneers, so leaning on ranged compositions blunts their Militia-line flood. Because much of their strength is military with a conventional economy, raid their Villagers and force defensive responses to slow their unit production. Counter early Krepost aggression by walling, scouting for the building, and denying favorable engagements until you have the right counter mix. Avoid clumping melee against their blacksmith-buffed army; keep your composition ranged-heavy and mobile to exploit their lack of a discounted economic engine.