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Update 169123 - Naval Overhaul & The Last Chieftains

The biggest update in Age of Empires II: DE history launches alongside The Last Chieftains DLC. A complete naval overhaul introduces the Hulk ship line, Catapult Galleons, and 7 new naval technologies. The Inca civilization receives a total rework. Over 20 civilizations are rebalanced, plus new map content, cross-platform voice chat, and regional garrison flags.

Key Highlights

  • Naval Overhaul: Hulk → War Hulk → Carrack melee ship line
  • Catapult Galleon available for civs without Cannon Galleon
  • 7 new naval technologies (Medium/Heavy Warships, Carvel Hull, etc.)
  • Inca rework: gains Settlements & Champi Warriors, loses Eagles & eco buildings
  • Fishing Ship rework: garrison in Docks, harvest gold from Whales
  • Siege Tower HP reduced, no infantry speed boost
  • Fire Lancer cost and train time increased
  • 20+ civilization balance changes
  • Cross-platform voice chat added
  • New servers in Texas and Chile

Content

Naval Overhaul: - NEW Ship Line: Hulk (Castle Age) → War Hulk (Imperial Age) → Carrack (Imperial Age upgrade). Melee ships that counter Fire Ships. Available to most civilizations. - NEW Ship: Catapult Galleon. A siege ship available to civilizations without access to the Cannon Galleon (Aztecs, Cumans, Inca, Maya, and others). Fires stone projectiles with area damage. - NEW Technology: Medium Warships (Castle Age, Dock). Upgrades Galley-line and Hulk-line stats. - NEW Technology: Heavy Warships (Imperial Age, Dock). Further upgrades Galley-line and Hulk-line stats. - NEW Technology: Carvel Hull (Imperial Age, Dock). Increases ship pierce armor by +1 and HP by +10%. - NEW Technology: Clinker Construction (Castle Age, Dock). Increases ship speed by +10%. - NEW Technology: Siphons (Imperial Age, Dock). Fire Ships deal +20% damage. - NEW Technology: Incendiaries (Imperial Age, Dock). Demolition Ships deal +30% blast radius damage. - NEW Technology: Fishing Lines (Feudal Age, Dock). Fishing Ships gather +15% faster from deep fish. - Fishing Ship rework: HP reduced 60 → 50. Gather rate reduced by 15%. Fishing Ships can now garrison inside Docks for protection. Fishing Ships can now harvest gold from Whales (slow rate, ~0.3 gold/sec). - Demolition Ship: Damage reduced by 20%. Cost reduced 70w 50g → 60w 40g.

Inca Rework: - Inca now have access to Champi Warriors, Catapult Galleons, and Settlements. - Inca LOSE access to Eagle Warriors, Lumber Camps, Mining Camps, and Mills. Settlements serve as their primary eco building. - Soldiers cost food bonus reduced: 10/15/20/25% → 8/12/16/20%. - Fabric Shields effect reduced: +1/+2 armor → +1/+1 armor. - Elite Kamayuk pierce armor increased: 1 → 2.

General Changes: - Fortified Church: Bonus damage reduced by 15%. Range reduced 7 → 6. - Siege Tower: HP reduced 220 → 180. Infantry garrisoned inside no longer grant a speed boost to the Siege Tower. - Fire Lancer: Cost increased 40w 45g → 45w 55g. Train time increased 16s → 20s. - Skirmisher: Bonus vs Mameluke armor class increased +0 → +3. - Watch Tower-line: Bonus vs Ships reduced +4 → +2. - Farms: Food yields are now proportionally affected by farming upgrades (Horse Collar, Heavy Plow, Crop Rotation). Base food 175 unchanged, but upgrades now provide +75/+125/+175 food respectively (was flat +75 each).

Civilization Changes: - Armenians: Warrior Priest cost increased 30f 50g → 35f 55g. - Aztecs: Gain access to Catapult Galleons. - Bengalis: (Elite) Ratha pierce armor reduced 3/2 → 2/1. - Berbers: Genitour bonus vs Mameluke armor class increased +0 → +3. - Burgundians: Feudal Age Flemish Militia HP reduced 75 → 60. Gain access to Fishing Lines in Dark Age. - Byzantines: Fire Ships and Dromons bonus attack increased 20% → 25%. - Chinese: Dragon Ship HP reduced 250 → 220. - Cumans: Gain access to Catapult Galleons. - Hindustanis: Allied Steppe Lancers no longer receive bonus damage vs buildings from the team bonus. - Italians: Dock and University technology cost bonus reduced -33% → -25%. - Khitans: Herder gather rate reduced (net income +7% → +5% vs generic farmers). Training speed bonus for mounted units reduced 15% → 12%. - Koreans: Turtle Ship cost reduced 200w 200g → 180w 180g. (Elite) War Wagon pierce armor reduced 4(5) → 3(4). - Maya: Gain access to Catapult Galleons. - Poles: Folwarks now collect food from existing farms placed nearby (not just newly seeded ones). Collection amount unchanged at 10%. - Portuguese: Carrack technology removed (replaced by the generic Carvel Hull). NEW unique technology: Circumnavigation (Imperial Age, 400f 400g) — Ships +15% speed and +2 LOS. Portuguese LOSE access to Demolition Ships. - Spanish: Missionaries can now carry Relics. Missionary speed reduced 1.3 → 1.1 while carrying a Relic. - Vietnamese: Imperial Skirmisher bonus vs Mameluke armor class increased +0 → +3. - Vikings: Longboat HP reduced 130(160) → 120(150). Gain access to Fire Galleys (Feudal Age only). LOSE access to Demolition Ships. Naval cost discount reduced -15/15/20% → -10/10/15%. - Wei: Xianbei Raider train time increased 14s → 18s. Free Villager bonus now also triggers when researching Fishing Lines. - Wu: Careening and Dry Dock are now free. Infantry HP regeneration adjusted: 15 HP/min → 10 HP/min (starts Castle Age instead of Feudal). (Elite) Jian Swordsman melee armor reduced 2 → 1.

New Map Content: - New Animals: Capybara, Tapir, Guanaco, Rhea, Caiman, Serpent, Black Panther, Condor, Flamingo, Alpaca, Whale. - New Trees: Holm Oak, Monkey Puzzle, Brazilwood, Wax Palm. - New Terrains: Dry South American Forest, Grass Water, Terrace Cliff. - Map Changes: Arabia adjusted (slightly more open, fewer forward woodlines). Coastal Forest now features a neutral Dock in the center. Fortress adjusted (larger starting base area). Whales added to deep water on all ocean and island maps.

Campaign Updates: - Pachacuti (Inca): Complete rework with new objectives and updated enemy civilizations to reflect the Inca rework. Settlements replace standard eco buildings throughout all scenarios. - Art of War Naval: Updated tutorial to cover the new naval system (Hulk line, new technologies, Fishing Ship garrison mechanic).

New Features: - Cross-platform voice chat: Full voice communication between Steam, Xbox, Microsoft Store, and PlayStation players. - Regional garrison flags: Garrison flags now display region-appropriate banners (South American, East Asian, European, etc.) based on the civilization. - New profile icons: 3 tiers of civilization-specific profile icons unlocked at 10, 50, and 100 ranked victories with each civilization. - New servers: Dedicated game servers added in Texas (US) and Chile (South America) for improved latency.

FAQ

What is the new Hulk ship line and how does it work?

The Hulk is a new melee ship available from the Castle Age. It upgrades to the War Hulk and then the Carrack in the Imperial Age. Hulks are designed to counter Fire Ships in close combat and fill the role of a tanky frontline vessel. They are vulnerable to Galleons at range but dominate in close-quarters naval fights.

How does the Inca rework change their playstyle?

The Inca lose Eagle Warriors, Lumber Camps, Mining Camps, and Mills. Instead, they rely on Settlements — a unique building that serves as a dropsite for all resources and supports population. They also gain Champi Warriors as a fast infantry option. This makes the Inca play very differently from other Meso civilizations, with a focus on Settlement placement and Champi Warrior raids.

What happened to the Fishing Ship in Update 169123?

Fishing Ships received a major rework. Their HP was reduced from 60 to 50 and gather rate decreased by 15%, but they gained two powerful new abilities: they can garrison inside Docks for protection against raids, and they can harvest gold from Whales at a slow rate (~0.3 gold/sec). The new Fishing Lines technology in Feudal Age helps offset the gather rate reduction.

Which civilizations lost or gained Demolition Ships?

Portuguese and Vikings both lost access to Demolition Ships in this update. In exchange, Portuguese received the new Circumnavigation unique technology (+15% ship speed, +2 LOS), and Vikings gained access to Fire Galleys in the Feudal Age. This reflects their historical naval identities more accurately.

Is cross-platform voice chat available for all platforms?

Yes. Update 169123 introduces full cross-platform voice chat between Steam, Xbox, Microsoft Store, and PlayStation 5 players. You can communicate with teammates regardless of their platform during multiplayer matches.