Franks

[ AOE2 CIVILIZATION ]

Franks

The default cavalry civ — knight rush on rails with economic runway to pivot.

Tier S cavalry economy farm open map bully knight rush poster child

[ IDENTIDAD ]

Franks are the archetypal cavalry civilization. Their economic bonuses (free and automatic farm upgrades, cheaper castles, faster foraging) liberate wood that would otherwise buy farm techs — that wood fuels an extra Town Center and more stables. Their military identity is knight-centric: Knights come with +20% HP (team bonus), reach full Paladin upgrade, and transition smoothly into the late game. They lack Halberdier, Arbalest, and Hussar — the standard "gap fillers" of less-specialized civs — but that's deliberate. Franks want to decide the game in Castle Age with Knights. When Knights alone don't suffice, Throwing Axemen (their UU) provide a hybrid ranged-melee option with generous upgrades (Bearded Axe +1 range in Castle, Chivalry 40% faster stables in Imperial).

Datos clave

Mejor mapa
Arabia
Peor mapa
Team Islands / any naval
Estrategia firma
knight rush → paladin snowball
Pro icon
TheViper historically; Liereyy on Iberian/open maps

⚡ Civ bonuses

Team bonus

Knights have +20% HP (applies to allied Knights too).

Unique bonus #1

Castles cost -25% stone (487 stone instead of 650).

Castle drop is 163 stone cheaper — enables forward plays impossible for other civs at the same timing.

Unique bonus #2

Farm upgrades (Horse Collar, Heavy Plow, Crop Rotation) are researched automatically and for free when the corresponding age is reached.

Saves 375 food + 500 wood over the course of a full game, plus ~75 seconds of mill research time.

Unique bonus #3

Foragers work +25% faster.

First ~400 food comes in noticeably quicker — translates to ~30s earlier feudal click with tight macro.

Unique bonus #4

Knights (line) have +20% HP starting Castle Age (stacking with Team Bonus for allied Franks).

Franks Paladins have ~216 HP vs 180 base — a 20% edge in Castle age fights.

⚠️ Key tech the civ DOES NOT have
  • · Ring Archer ArmorCrossbowmen are 2 armor short → Franks archers are purely a supplementary unit, never a main line.
  • · Bloodlines[VERIFY — most sources say Franks HAVE Bloodlines; older wikis disagreed. Confirm current patch.]
  • · HalberdierStop at Pikeman — significant weakness vs camel civs and elite cavalry mirror.
  • · ArbalestStop at Crossbowman — no late-game archer option, must pivot to Throwing Axeman or Paladin.
  • · Hussar[VERIFY — believe Franks have Hussar; confirm]
  • · Siege Onager + Heavy ScorpionSiege is limited to Onager + Bombard Cannon. No push-clear in Imperial vs turtled bases.
🛡️ Unique unit · Castle Age

Lanzador de hachas

ranged infantry with melee-type damage

  • · Anti-archer screen for Knight advance — archers melt to melee-typed ranged attack
  • · Imperial composition vs unwalled archer civs
  • · Niche anti-meta pick in 1000-1500 ELO bracket
⚗️ Unique tech · Castle Age

Hacha Barbada

Throwing Axemen gain +1 range (from 3/4 to 4/5).

When: Only when planning a Throwing Axeman-heavy army; skip in pure knight comp.

⚗️ Unique tech · Imperial Age

Caballería

Stables work 40% faster.

When: Imperial, after first Paladin upgrade batch starts.

🎯 Recommended build order

Knight Rush + Castle Drop Option

Bracket 1300-1600

Choose between standard knight rush or forward castle drop based on scouting.

Alternativa

Scouts → Archers FlexOpponent scouted doing eagles or early Pikeman counter

❌ Common mistakes playing Franks

  • Producing Knights without researching Bloodlines

    Bloodlines adds 20 HP per Knight — missing it means knights die in 1-2 extra hits

    fix:Bloodlines is the very first click after Castle Age up. Always.

    Full walling the base too early

    Wastes 200+ wood and villager seconds while losing tempo

    fix:Wall only the gold flank. Leave the front open for scout pressure.

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⚡ Pregame brief — antes que termine el countdown

As soon as we detect you started a ranked match, a strategic brief lands on you in ~10 segundos. We tell you who your rival is, what they usually do on that map,and what to adapt in your Franks build order.

Free. Doesn't cost credits. You get it as long as you have the app running.

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⚔️ Which civ will you face?

Franks vs Britons

favored · 54%

Knight rush pre-arbalest. Brittons slow in feudal; knights +20% HP tank archer fire.

📚 Read the Britons guide →

Want a specific plan for THAT match?

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🛡️ Cuidado con estas unidades

Halberdier (any civ with it) HIGH

Anti-cavalry specialist; Franks have no answer beyond monk split

Camel Rider / Heavy Camel HIGH

Bonus damage vs cavalry; Franks can't mirror with own camel

Monks (converted knights) MEDIUM

Franks monks lack Redemption/Block Printing; conversion wars lost

Massed Crossbow + Skirmisher MEDIUM

Well-microed archer civ can kite; Franks no Arbalest for answer

Mangonel + Onager (siege civs) MEDIUM

AoE damage kills knight clumps; Franks knights die to well-placed mangos

Kamayuk / Eagle Warrior line (Meso civs) MEDIUM

Anti-cav specialty + speed; Franks must switch to infantry/archer

🗺️ Performance por mapa

arabia
S

The safest S-tier pick for a player learning open-map aggression. Castle Age kni…

arena
B

Castle cost bonus less useful behind walls. Paladin boom viable but not oppressi…

nomad
B

Farm-upgrade bonus shines (fast eco setup), but without fixed map control, knigh…

black forest
A

Paladin-only trash-cleaner comp is strong late-game. Wall-break with BBC + trebs…

fortress
A

Castle discount + forward aggression synergize with pre-walled base.

four lakes
C

Water presence hurts; lacks Fast Fire Ship.

team islands
D

Avoid on pure-water maps. If queued, pivot to flank and focus eco support.

mediterranean
C

Mixed map, but naval weakness limits top pick.

megarandom
B

Variance rewards the strong default — knights work on ~70% of rolled maps.

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