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Aoe2de wood

Wood is an important resource used throughout the Age of Empires series. It is most often required for buildings or training ranged units and is usually acquired by felling trees.

Methods to obtain wood[]

Villager treecutanim aoe2de

Wood can be collected by a few methods which are all listed below.

Forestry
Woodcut aoe2de

Trees are abundant on almost every map found in the game, including arid ones. Major forests can easily be located and cut down, both supplying wood for new buildings and clearing land to build on.

Market

Gold can be traded for wood at the Market. The more wood a player buys, the more expensive it gets. In Age of Empires and Age of Empires III, the Market also contains essential upgrades that can increase the speed of wood collecting from chopping down trees. In Age of Empires IV, French Traders may also drop off wood at the Market.

Resource-generating buildings

Throughout the series, a few buildings are featured that steadily generate wood:

Trade Route

In Age of Empires III, building Trading Posts is another way to obtain wood. Some units of a chosen resource are produced for free each time a Coach or Train makes a full loop around a Trade Route (the amount depends on the length of the Trade Route), and the player can choose to make that resource wood.

Improvements[]

Wood Crate Wood Crates Ships 500 wood; Chinese only
Woodland Dwellers Woodland Dwellers Ships 500 wood for every 10 minutes of game passed, up to 30 minutes; Haudenosaunee only
Zapotec Cloud People Zapotec Cloud People Ships 100 wood for every 2 minutes of game passed, up to 30 minutes
Ottoman Home City 1 (Silk Road) Nanban Trade Crates and Trade Routes contain/generate +25% resources and XP; Japanese only
British Home City 4 (Distributivism) Wood Trickle Gives a trickle of 1.25 wood; Chinese only
Jagiellon legacy Jagiellonian Legacy Units and resources already earned from age-ups are provided again
Jagiellonian Legacy affects The Quartermaster, The Admiral of the Ocean Sea, The Viceroy (for the Germans and Portuguese), The Wise Woman (for the Haudenosaunee), The Chief (for the Lakota), Karni Mata, Tower of Victory, South Carolina, Vermont, Illinois, Connecticut, Portuguese Alliance, Hausa Alliance, Sonora, Coahuila, Oaxaca, and Jalisco.

Home City shipments[]

Age of Empires III also offers the option of Home City shipments as a means to get extra wood. Once selected, wood arrives in the form of cords to the shipment point which by default is a Town Center. Villagers must work on them to unpack the shipments. All shipments that provide wood are listed in the following table.

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to Wood
Some cards are highlighted with:
Green TEAM Shipment that is sent to each player in a team
Purple Shipment that can be sent an INFINITE number of times
Red Shipment that can be sent twice
Blue Shipment that arrives fast (5 seconds)
All
Card Description Age HC level
Spanish Home City 1 (300 Wood) Cords of 300 Wood Ships 300 wood
Age I tech tree aoe3
1
Spanish Home City 1 (600 Wood) Cords of 600 Wood Ships 600 wood (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans)
Age II tech tree aoe3
1
Spanish Home City 1 (700 Wood) Cords of 700 Wood Ships 700 wood (also +2 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Villager for the Indians)
Age II tech tree aoe3
10
Spanish Home City 1 (1000 Wood) Cords of 1000 Wood Ships 1,000 wood (also +3 Uhlans for the Germans; +1 Villager for the Indians)
Age III tech tree aoe3
10
French Home City 1 (1600 Wood) Cords of 1600 Wood Ships 1,600 wood (also +1 Villager for the Indians)
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
25
Inca Home City 1 (1200 Wood INF) Cords of 1200 Wood Ships 1,200 wood
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
N/A
British Home City 4 (Distributivism) Distributivism Gives a trickle of 1.25 wood
Age I tech tree aoe3
25
  • "Cords of 600 Wood" is not available to the Haudenosaunee, Inca, Indians, and Japanese.
  • "Cords of 700 Wood" is not available to the Haudenosaunee, Inca, and Japanese.
  • "Cords of 1,000 Wood" is available to all civilizations.
  • "Cords of 1,600 Wood" is available to the Aztecs, Chinese, Dutch, French, Italians, Mexicans, Portuguese, Russians, and Swedes.
  • "Cords of 1,200 Wood" is available to the Ethiopians, Hausa, and Inca.
  • "Distributivism" is available to the British, French, Indians, Maltese, and Russians.
Asians
Card Description Age HC level
Japanese Home City 4 (Sumptuary Laws) Sumptuary Laws Gives a trickle of 0.3 food, 0.3 wood, 0.3 coin, 0.15 export, 0.15 XP
Age I tech tree aoe3
25
  • "Sumptuary Laws" is available to the Chinese and Japanese.
Europeans
Card Description Age HC level
British Home City 4 (South Sea Bubble) South Sea Bubble Exchanges all coin for Ɨ1.25 the amount of wood
Age I tech tree aoe3
40
  • "South Sea Bubble" card is available to the British and Dutch.
French
Card Description Age
Revolutionary French Home City (Guillotine) Guillotine You receive 10 wood, 10 coin for each lost economic unit; Sansculottes get Ɨ2.0 multiplier against Hero
Revolution
Iroquois Home City 1 (1500 FWC Inf) Crates of 500 Food, 500 Wood, and 500 Coin Ships 500 food, 500 wood, 500 coin
Revolution
  • "Guillotine" and "Crates of 500 Food, 500 Wood, and 500 Coin" is available upon revolting to Revolutionary France.
Haudenosaunee
Card Description Age HC level
Iroquois Home City 1 (300 FWC) Crates of 100 Food, 100 Wood, and 100 Coin Ships 100 food, 100 wood, 100 coin
Age I tech tree aoe3
1
Haudenosaunee Home City 1 (800 FWC) Crates of 300 Food, 300 Wood, and 200 Coin Ships 300 food, 300 wood, 200 coin
Age II tech tree aoe3
1
Iroquois Home City 1 (900 FWC) Crates of 300 Food, 300 Wood, and 300 Coin Ships 300 food, 300 wood, 300 coin
Age III tech tree aoe3
10
Iroquois Home City 1 (1200 FWC) Crates of 400 Food, 400 Wood, and 400 Coin Ships 400 food, 400 wood, 400 coin
Age III tech tree aoe3
25
Iroquois Home City 1 (1800 FWC) Crates of 600 Food, 600 Wood, and 600 Coin Ships 600 food, 600 wood, 600 coin
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
25
Iroquois Home City 1 (1500 FWC Inf) Crates of 500 Food, 500 Wood, and 500 Coin Ships 500 food, 500 wood, 500 coin
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
1
Iroquois Home City 5 (Onodaga Support) Onondaga Support Ships 14 Tomahawks and 500 wood; costs 1,000 coin
Age III tech tree aoe3
1
Inca
Card Description Age
Inca Home City 1 (600 Wood INF) Cords of 600 Wood Ships 600 wood
Age II tech tree aoe3
Inca Home City 1 (TEAM Seasonal Labor) TEAM Seasonal Labor Ships 2 Villagers, 2 fattened Llamas, and 200 wood
Age III tech tree aoe3
Indians
Card Description Age HC level
Indian Home City 1 (900 Wood) Cords of 900 Wood Ships 900 wood
Age III tech tree aoe3
10
Indian Home City 1 (500 Wood) Cords of 500 Wood Ships 500 wood
Age II tech tree aoe3
10
Indian Home City (900 Wood) Cords of 900 Wood Ships 900 wood
Age III tech tree aoe3
10
Indian Home City 1 (1300 Wood) Cords of 1300 Wood Ships 1,300 wood
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
25
Indian Home City 2(Grazing) Grazing Camels generate 0.05 food per second; Elephants generate 0.1 wood per second; Sacred Cows generate 0.075 coin per second; +1 Villager
Age II tech tree aoe3
40
Indian Home City 4 (Foreign Logging) Foreign Logging Gives a trickle of 2.35 wood; +1 Villager
Age II tech tree aoe3
40
Indian Home City 4 (TEAM Sumptuary Laws) TEAM Sumptuary Laws Gives a trickle of 0.2 food, 0.2 wood, 0.2 coin, 0.1 export, 0.1 XP, 0.1 influence
Age I tech tree aoe3
25
Italians
Card Description Age
Italian Home City 1 (TEAM Pizza) TEAM Pizza Ships 100 food, 100 wood, 100 coin, 100 XP
Age II tech tree aoe3
Japanese
Card Description Age HC level
Japanese Home City 1 (600 Wood) Cords of 600 Wood Ships 600 wood
Age II tech tree aoe3
1
Japanese Home City 1 (1000 Wood) Cords of 1000 Wood Ships 1,000 wood
Age III tech tree aoe3
10
Lakota
Card Description Age HC level
Sioux Home City 5 (Sans Arc Support) Sans Arc Support Ships 16 War Clubs and 500 wood; costs 1,000 coin
Age III tech tree aoe3
40
Maltese
Card Description Age
Maltese Home City 1 (Merchant Republics) Merchant Republics Returns 25% of resources previously gained from Trade Routes; Trade Routes generate +35% resources
Age I tech tree aoe3
Maltese Home City 1 (Shipping Supplies) Shipping Supplies Ships 2,000 wood the first time sent; ships 1,300 wood thereafter
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
Maltese Home City 3 (Barrakka Gardens) Barrakka Gardens Exchanges all food for an equal amount of wood
Age I tech tree aoe3
Maltese Home City 2 (Trip To Jerusalem) Trip To Jerusalem Returns 10 wood, 10 coin for each unit lost so far this game (up to 1,500 resources)
Age II tech tree aoe3
Mexicans
Card Description Age
Mexican Home City 1 (TEAM Pinatas) TEAM PiƱatas Ships resources at random, the total amount of which depends on the Age this card is sent: 200 at Exploration Age; 400 at Commerce Age; 600 at Fortress Age; 1,000 at Industrial Age; 1,600 at Imperial Age
Age I tech tree aoe3
Federal card cerro de mercado Cerro de Mercado Deposits 350 coin and exchanges all wood for Ɨ1.25 the amount of coin
Age II tech tree aoe3
Federal card sierra madre forests Sierra Madre Forests Gives a trickle of 3 wood; Villagers gather wood from trees 30% faster; trees last 30% longer
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
Spanish Home City 1 (600 Wood) Cords of 600 Wood Ships 600 wood
Revolution
Spanish Home City 1 (700 Wood) Cords of 700 Wood Ships 700 wood
Revolution
Spanish Home City 1 (1000 Wood) Cords of 1000 Wood Ships 1,000 wood
Revolution
  • "TEAM PiƱatas" is also available to the California.
  • "Cerro de Mercado" is available upon selecting the Durango Federal State.
  • "Sierra Madre Forests" is available upon selecting the Chihuahua Federal State.
  • "Cords of 600 Wood" and "Cords of 700 Wood" are available upon revolting to Central America.
  • "Cords of 1000 Wood" is available upon revolting to YucatĆ”n.
Ottomans
Card Description Age HC level
Ottoman Home City 1 (Silk Road) Silk Road Crates and Trade Routes contain +25% resources and XP
Age I tech tree aoe3
25
Ottoman Home City 4 (Sublime Porte) Sublime Porte Exchanges all food for Ɨ1.25 the amount of wood
Age I tech tree aoe3
40
Portuguese
Card Description Age
Portuguese Home City 4 (Feitorias) Feitorias Town Centers generate 0.5 food, 0.24 wood, 0.24 coin/sec (totally 0.98 per Town Center)
Age I tech tree aoe3
Russians
Card Description Age
Spanish Home City 1 (1000 Wood) Cords of 1000 Wood Ships 1,000 wood
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
United States
Card Description Age
United States Home City 4 (Washington Lumber Mills) Washington Lumber Mills Ships 400 wood; Land villagers gather wood from trees and Mango Groves 10% faster
Age II tech tree aoe3
Federal card new jersey seaports New Jersey Seaports Resource shipments' content +900 and are immediately gathered; can send resource-only shipments that have already been sent for the second time, as well as "Washington Lumber Mills", "Minneapolis Mills", and "Plymouth Settlers" (except TEAM ones); infinite crate cards are only increased by +300
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
  • "New Jersey Seaports" is available upon selecting the New Jersey Federal State.

Uses[]

ReturnRome-AoEIcon Age of Empires[]

Wood is needed to make all buildings except walls and towers, and is the primary resource for ships and siege weapons. It is also needed for Bowmen, Chariots, Chariot Archers and a number of technologies (mostly economic ones at the Market, but also for Architecture, Ballistics, Engineering, Urbanization and upgrading to Improved/Composite Bowmen, Scythe Chariots, Catapults and Helepolis).

Wood is the most abundant natural resource on nearly all maps and can be used to create Farms which ensure food production, but in the original and Definitive versions of the game it is still a finite resource. In Return of Rome it can be obtained indefinitely with commodity trading at the Market, but this is an expensive way to acquire it.

Trees create a movement barrier referred to as a "wood line", which most units are incapable of removing. In Age of Empires, the only ways to demolish a wood line are to slowly cut away at it with Villagers, or to use the "Attack ground" feature of Heavy Catapults, expensive late-game units that many factions are unable to train. An effective defensive strategy is to keep wood lines intact to prevent enemy incursions into the player's territory, providing a more robust barrier than walls.

AoE2-DLCicon-0 Age of Empires II[]

Wood has a myriad of uses in Age of Empires II. Wood is used to make almost all buildings: houses, resource collection, military production, palisades, etc. Secondly, it is usually used in the collection of food via farming or Fish Traps. Wood is also used for the Spearman line, Archery Range units, siege units, and naval units. Wood is invested into economic upgrades (as well as Thumb Ring at the Archery Range and certain University technologies). Overall it is generally important to collect some wood no matter what strategy is pursued.

Some other uses include being sold for gold at the Market, particularly if the price of food is already low. Massed Halberdiers or Skirmishers are sometimes considered during trash unit wars due to wood's general abundance throughout the game. The amount of wood collected may vary depending on the units in the strategy; for example, wood costs for siege units can accumulate rather quickly if multiple Siege Workshops are maintaining production.

Aom original icon Age of Mythology[]

In this game, wood has changed its role significantly. While there are fewer buildings needed, each individual building tends to cost more wood. For example, dropoff buildings are not required, while Houses have double capacity, but now cost 100 wood instead of the 25 wood in Age of Empires II. This is an equivalent to 10 wood per population (instead of 5 in the previous installment). Additionally, the rate of wood collection starts off slower to obtain than even coin and remains this way prior to Circular Saw.[1] Because of this, it is common to avoid chopping much wood unless necessary, and especially prior to the Fortress Age. The usual way to do this is to send wood crates, which provide enough for early military buildings or the first Town Center.

There are several other specific cases that change from their Age of Empires II equivalent uses:

  • With respect to food, it has reduced prominence, due to the abundance of huntable animals delaying the requirement for Farms. Mills are generally produced late in the game if at all necessary and a one-time cost producing infinite food over time without requiring more input of wood.
  • Wood is very heavily used for unit upgrades along with coin, unlike in Age of Empires II, where most unit upgrades cost food and gold. For example Royal Guard upgrades cost 1,000 wood. Wood is still required for archaic units and archers, cannon/siege, and naval units, although the number of different types of these units is fewer overall and most compositions focus on food/coin.
  • Wood partially takes on the role of stone in producing defensive buildings and walls, including the Town Center which costs 600 wood (500 since the Definitive Edition), over double its equivalent in Age of Empires II.

GameIcon-AoE4 Age of Empires IV[]

RusVill Wood

Rus Villagers gathering wood

Wood is needed to make all buildings except Landmarks, Stone Walls (and accompanying structures), and Keeps. It is also the only resource required to build most buildings, with the exceptions being the Town Center, Wonder, and Military School. Notably, the House of Wisdom costs 50 wood which is unusual for a Landmark, but understandable since it behaves very differently from conventional Landmarks.

Among units, all siege engines (elephants excluded) and ships cost wood. In addition, the Spearman, Horseman, Archer and their variations, and Camel Archer, Horse Archer, Fire Lancer, Zhuge Nu and Grenadier cost wood. A fair number of technologies cost wood, but the number is less than 50%.

Cheats to obtain wood[]

  • Age of Empires: woodstock +1,000 wood
  • Age of Empires II:
    • lumberjack - 10,000 wood
    • ninjaconnor or ninjalui or rowshep - 100,000 wood (along with 100,000 food, 100,000 gold, and 100,000 stone)
  • Age of Mythology: TROJAN HORSE FOR SALE +1,000 wood
  • Age of Empires III: <censored> +10,000 wood
  • Age of Empires IV: knock on wood +100,000 wood

References[]

  1. ā†‘ The settler gathering rates - RTS Sanctuary. "Tree : 0.50/sec"
Resources in Age of Empires series
CommonFood Ā· Wood Ā· Gold/Coin Ā· Stone*
Age of MythologyFavorAOM Favor
Age of Empires IIIResource xp XP Ā· Aoe3 export Export Ā· Aoe3de influence Influence
Age of Empires IVAoE4 Bounty icon Bounty Ā· AoE4 Vizier Point icon Vizier Point Ā· Resource olive oil Olive Oil
Extractable resource sources in the Age of Empires series
CommonTree Ā· Gold Mine Ā· Stone MineĀ· Berry Bush Ā· Farm (I Ā· II Ā· M Ā· III Ā· IV) Ā· Animals (Fish Ā· Herdable animal)
Age of Empires IIFish trap aoe2DE Fish Trap
Age of MythologyAoM Gold Mine icon Jade Mine
Age of Empires IIICherry orchard portrait aoe3de Cherry Orchard Ā· Coal mine portrait Coal Mine Ā· Copper mine portrait Copper Mine Ā· Food crate icon AoE3DE Crate Ā· Gold mine portrait Diamond Mine Ā· Plantation aoe3de Estate Ā· Field portrait aoe3de Field Ā· Hacienda portrait Hacienda Ā· MangoGroveDE Mango Grove Ā· Mill aoe3de Mill Ā· China rice paddy icon aoe3de Rice Paddy Ā· Rock supply icon AoE3DE Rock Ā· Gold mine portrait Salt Mine Ā· Silver Mine icon AoE3DE Silver Mine Ā· Gold mine portrait Tin Mine
Age of Empires IVAoE4 OliveGrove Olive Grove
* not used in Age of Mythology and Age of Empires III
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