Where does the data come from?

Unit stats are extracted directly from the Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition game files (the .dat), then fully upgraded for each of the 53 civilizations using every blacksmith, university and unique-tech upgrade plus that civ's bonuses.

What do the 30v30 and 3k scores mean?

30v30 is an equal-population fight (30 units a side); 3k is an equal-resources, cost-parity fight (3,000 resources a side). The Average score blends both, so it rewards raw strength and cost-efficiency together.

Is this an official Microsoft site?

No. AoE2 Matchup is a free fan-made tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft, Forgotten Empires, or World's Edge.

How AoE2 Matchup works — data & simulation methodology

Q: How is the winner of a matchup decided?

A deterministic, tick-by-tick battle simulation models armor classes, attack delays, projectile travel time and accuracy, charge attacks, trample, bleed and healing. About 500,000 matchups are pre-simulated.

AoE2 Matchup is a free, fan-made analysis suite for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. It turns the game's own data into battle simulations, unit rankings, and civilization breakdowns you can explore.

Where the data comes from

Every unit's stats are extracted directly from the game's binary data file (the .dat) — the same source the game itself reads. We then compute fully-upgraded Imperial-age stats for all 53 civilizations (including every unique unit and the Three Kingdoms civs), applying all the blacksmith, university and unique-technology upgrades a civilization can reach, plus its civ bonuses. So the numbers you see are what a unit actually looks like late-game for that civ — not the base stat card.

How a matchup is decided

Who wins isn't guessed from a formula — it's simulated. A deterministic, tick-by-tick model fights the units against each other, accounting for armor classes, attack reload and delays, projectile travel time and accuracy, charge attacks, trample, bleed, healing, and the other special mechanics in the game. Roughly 500,000 unit matchups are pre-simulated so the rankings and matchup pages load instantly.

What the scores mean

Each unit is scored from two kinds of fight, because they test different things:

30v30 (population) — 30 units a side. This rewards raw, per-unit strength at the population cap.
3k (cost-parity) — 3,000 resources a side. This rewards cost-efficiency: cheap units field bigger armies.
Average — blends the two, so a unit has to be both strong and cost-effective to top the list. Higher is better.

The tools

Battle Simulator — pit any units from any civs against each other and watch the fight.
Unit Rankings — every unit scored and ranked across all civs.
Civilizations — each civ's strategic identity and strongest units.
Matchup Advisor — what to build against a given civ.
Unit Matchups — head-to-head pages for every unique-unit pairing.
Patch Tracker — how each balance update changed the numbers.
Replay Analyzer — watch and share recorded games on an isometric map.

Keeping current

When Age of Empires II ships a balance patch, the stats and simulations are re-derived and the Patch Tracker shows exactly which units and matchups moved.

Frequently asked

Is this an official Microsoft site?: No — it's a free fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft, Forgotten Empires, or World's Edge.
Why might a result differ from my own game?: Simulations assume fully-upgraded Imperial-age units fighting head-on; real games add micro, terrain, and tech timing the sim doesn't model.