Steam app 221380 is the 2013 HD Edition of Age of Empires II, renamed Age of Empires II (2013) in August 2019 and Age of Empires II (Retired) in January 2024. It has received no updates since Definitive Edition shipped on 14 November 2019, and the store page states plainly that it will not be updated further. If you are buying Age of Empires II today, buy the Definitive Edition: this page is for people who already own HD and want to know whether it still runs.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Arabia | A build frozen since 2019 basics | Franks | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Black Forest | 31 civilizations across three expansions mastery | Franks | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Gold Rush | Steam multiplayer lobbies and Workshop + gear | Britons or Franks | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Migration | Build optimization | Britons | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Fortress | Min-max | Britons or Vietnamese | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Arabia)
The open, sparse default competitive map where walls are expensive and early aggression is standard. HD's older pathing shows itself here first, because army movement across open terrain never stops.
Level/Difficulty: All skill levels, the default 1v1 map Key Rewards: Fast games and the clearest test of build order timing
What to Do in Arabia
- Learn A build frozen since 2019. Development stopped when Definitive Edition launched on 14 November 2019, so HD sits permanently on its last patch. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Franks as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Check whether you already own HD before spending anything. Definitive Edition sits at app 813780, is still patched, and goes on sale regularly, while the $19.99 HD listing buys a build that stopped receiving updates in 2019.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Throwing Axeman or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand A build frozen since 2019 fundamentals
- Franks selected and functional
- Arabia main content cleared
- Ready for Black Forest
Phase 2: Early Game (Black Forest)
Dense forest with narrow chokepoints, the classic map for booming behind walls for forty minutes. Games routinely reach Imperial Age with full trade lines running.
Level/Difficulty: Casual and team games Key Rewards: Long booms, siege heavy endgames, safe teching
What to Do in Black Forest
- Work on 31 civilizations across three expansions. The 2013 base release shipped 18 civilizations. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Throwing Axeman if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Everyone in your lobby needs matching DLC. A player without Rise of the Rajas cannot join a game where someone picked Vietnamese, and there is no graceful fallback.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Gold Rush.
- Consider whether Britons might suit your playstyle better than Franks.
Phase 2 Checklist
- 31 civilizations across three expansions integrated into gameplay
- Throwing Axeman acquired
- Black Forest fully cleared
- Ready for Gold Rush
Phase 3: Mid Game (Gold Rush)
A central gold pile ringed by open ground, which turns the middle into a permanent fight. Whoever holds the center gold usually wins the late game.
Level/Difficulty: Team games and free for all Key Rewards: Concentrated central gold and constant midgame skirmishing
What to Do in Gold Rush
- Master Steam multiplayer lobbies and Workshop. Multiplayer runs through Steam rather than the original 1999 matchmaking, so lobbies, friend invites and Steam Workshop mods all still function. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Longbowman. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- The multiplayer population is small. Public lobbies can sit empty for a long time, so treat HD as a game for a specific group rather than a matchmaking queue.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Original Age of Kings and Conquerors campaigns for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Steam multiplayer lobbies and Workshop mastered
- Longbowman acquired or in progress
- Gold Rush fully cleared
- Ready for Migration
Phase 4: Late Game (Migration)
Every player starts on their own island and has to build transports to reach the mainland. It is the map that most rewards knowing what your civilization's navy can actually do.
Level/Difficulty: Casual and team games Key Rewards: A safe early boom plus naval control of the crossing
What to Do in Migration
- Finalize your build. You should be running Britons or Franks with optimized gear.
- Longbowman should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Expect 2013 pathing. Large groups of siege and cavalry snag on corners in ways Definitive Edition fixed, so move armies in smaller stages rather than one enormous blob.
- Pre Definitive Edition unit pathing optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Fortress.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Longbowman upgraded to max
- Migration fully cleared
- Ready for Fortress
Phase 5: Endgame (Fortress)
Each player starts inside a pre built stone wall enclosure, which makes early aggression expensive. Games settle into siege and trebuchet duels instead of feudal raids.
Level/Difficulty: Team games Key Rewards: A guaranteed safe start and clean Castle Age power spikes
What to Do in Fortress
- Fortress tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- The original campaign scripting is intact. William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Saladin, Genghis Khan, Barbarossa and Attila play the way they did in 1999 and 2000, before the Definitive Edition rewrites.
- The endgame loop: run Fortress, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Vietnamese for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Pre Definitive Edition unit pathing mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Fortress fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Buying HD as a first Age of Empires II purchase. Definitive Edition has more civilizations, fixed pathing and a live population, and it is the version Microsoft actually supports.
- Assuming HD and Definitive Edition players can play together. They are separate Steam apps with separate multiplayer and nothing crosses between them.
- Following modern build orders. The civilization reworks that came after 2019 never reached HD, so guides written for Definitive Edition give you wrong timings and wrong bonuses.
- Buying only one expansion and then finding half the lobby cannot host what you wanted. DLC ownership has to match across every player in the game.
- Expecting the Definitive Edition civilizations. Burgundians, Sicilians, Poles, Bohemians, Bengalis, Dravidians, Gurjaras, Romans, Armenians and Georgians were all added after HD stopped being updated and will never appear here.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Check whether you already own HD before spending anything. Definitive Edition sits at app 813780, is still patched, and goes on sale regularly, while the $19.99 HD listing buys a build that stopped receiving updates in 2019.
- Everyone in your lobby needs matching DLC. A player without Rise of the Rajas cannot join a game where someone picked Vietnamese, and there is no graceful fallback.
- The multiplayer population is small. Public lobbies can sit empty for a long time, so treat HD as a game for a specific group rather than a matchmaking queue.
- Expect 2013 pathing. Large groups of siege and cavalry snag on corners in ways Definitive Edition fixed, so move armies in smaller stages rather than one enormous blob.
- The original campaign scripting is intact. William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Saladin, Genghis Khan, Barbarossa and Attila play the way they did in 1999 and 2000, before the Definitive Edition rewrites.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Age of Empires II (Retired) Guides
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Age of Empires II (Retired) Overview
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Best Builds
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Tier List
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Beginner's Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Tips & Tricks
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Weapons Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Combat Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Boss Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Maps & Locations
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Crafting Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Classes & Characters
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