AOE2 Guide
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Map guide

Arena

closed · 143,164 ranked games

Ranked · Win rate

Best civs on this map

Table view
  1. 1Turks58.82%1,877
  2. 2Celts54.75%621
  3. 3Saracens54.14%314
  4. 4Cumans54.04%829
  5. 5Poles54%763
  6. 6Bengalis53.35%328
  7. 7Teutons53.33%1,397
  8. 8Romans53.23%464
  9. 9Khmer53.15%1,240
  10. 10Malay53.15%429
  11. 11Italians52.88%624
  12. 12Bulgarians52.84%422
  13. 13Malians52.8%322
  14. 14Portuguese52.58%949
  15. 15Spanish52.41%1,704
  16. 16Burmese51.82%220
  17. 17Burgundians51.5%1,198
  18. 18Sicilians51.13%399
  19. 19Bohemians51.1%1,636
  20. 20Japanese49.8%504
  21. 21Aztecs49.77%440
  22. 22Armenians49.71%344
  23. 23Wei49.33%298
  24. 24Slavs49.31%363
  25. 25Persians49.27%954
  26. 26Britons49.07%1,500
  27. 27Chinese48.91%460
  28. 28Mongols48.71%1,082
  29. 29Vikings48.53%272
  30. 30Lithuanians47.78%676
  31. 31Incas47.09%361
  32. 32Vietnamese47.03%723
  33. 33Byzantines46.57%816
  34. 34Hindustanis46.52%445
  35. 35Goths45.99%685
  36. 36Franks45.73%1,804
  37. 37Ethiopians45.51%523
  38. 38Jurchens43.93%214
  39. 39Gurjaras43.75%288
  40. 40Huns42.86%518
  41. 41Magyars42.55%557
  42. 42Koreans42.16%370
  43. 43Tatars39.6%202
  44. 44Berbers38.92%203
  45. 45Mayans34.87%261

45 civs · Ranked by win rate · 50% = average. Source: aoestats.io ranked ladder archive (all-time)

Recommended Civilizations

Team Compositions

2v2

Flank

Fast Castle flank civs who boom and push with Knights or Rams in Castle Age. Franks' Chivalry gives Knights extra HP; Celts get faster siege production.

Pocket

Monk + siege pocket. Aztecs get +5 relic gold/sec; Byzantines have cheap Greek Fire and Cataphracts; Turks fast imperial with Janissaries; Bohemians have cheaper Chemistry.

4v4

Flank

Flanks boom into Castle Age and push with cavalry + Battering Rams. Cumans 2TC Feudal boom gives the largest economic advantage of any civ on Arena.

Pocket

Pocket focuses on monks, relics, and Castle Age siege push. Turks go fast Imperial with gunpowder; Bohemians' cheaper Chemistry means faster Cannon Galleons and Hand Cannoneers.

Arena is the canonical closed map. Every player starts inside a ring of stone walls that fully encloses their base resources. No Feudal aggression is possible from outside the walls, making the default strategy Fast Castle into Boom. Games extend into late Castle Age or Imperial Age and are decided by relic control, army composition, and economic macro rather than early pressure. Monk-and-siege armies are common and highly effective.

Opening

Standard opener is a 23-villager Fast Castle. Advance on exactly 23 villagers, adding 2 more during the transition, then immediately research Castle Age. Most players produce no Feudal military and focus entirely on villager production. An alternative is a 22-villager slightly faster Feudal advance with 1–2 scouts produced during transition to grab relics outside the walls. Relic scouts are critical — whichever player sends their scout out of the gate first can often grab 2–3 relics before the enemy even reaches Feudal Age. On reaching Castle Age, priorities are additional Town Centers (boom to 3–4 TCs), a Monastery, and a University.

Mid game

Castle Age is dominated by monk-and-knight or monk-and-siege combinations. Unique units shine here — the economy is safe enough to afford them. Teutonic Knights, Janissaries, Huskarls, and Coustilliers all excel. Breaking enemy stone walls requires siege — Rams in early Castle Age, Trebuchets and Onagers in late Castle and Imperial. Gunpowder civs (Turks, Portuguese, Bohemians) benefit especially in Imperial Age. Produce 60–80 farms for sustained food. When gold runs low, the market becomes a key resource equalizer. Maintain and repair stone walls actively throughout the game.

Watch out for

  • Losing the relic race — if you do not send your scout out the gate immediately, the opponent grabs 4–5 relics and wins a slow gold war.
  • Over-booming without pressure awareness — Arena is safe but not impenetrable; a well-timed Castle Age castle drop near your wall can collapse the position.
  • Forgetting Masonry and Architecture — stone walls have low HP without these upgrades and are trivial to raze with Battering Rams.
  • Being out-teched in Imperial Age — Arena frequently reaches late-game states where Blacksmith and University upgrades matter enormously.
  • Conversion vulnerability — monks converting your knights without Redemption researched is a common game-losing scenario.