Also, despite their powerful heavy cavalry, they lack the Hussar upgrade. Their Throwing Axemen do not truly fill this gap either, as they have a long attack startup and lower range. Their Cavalry Archer are just as unusable as the rest of their archers, especially as the 20% extra hit points leaves them worse than if they had Bloodlines. In contrast with their cavalry, their archers are very weak, lacking Bracer, Arbalester, Thumb Ring, and Ring Archer Armor, the latter of which hurts their Hand Cannoneers, their only viable Archery Range unit. Outside of the Throwing Axeman, the Franks have a solid infantry tree with all the upgrades, and their siege tree is a similar story. While functioning similarly to a Champion in terms of unit matchups, their range allows them support their Knights. Another thing their cheap Castles can do is help them create their unique unit, the Throwing Axeman. This allows them to both build more Castles and build them earlier, making them better at securing parts of the map and pressuring the enemy directly. Another major advantage is their 25% cheaper Castles. They have a strong early- and mid-game economy, due to their faster gathering Foragers and free Farm upgrades, respectively. A smaller but still notable buff is the extra Line of Sight, something appreciated by a unit that normally has a low Line of Sight. Their unique technology, Chivalry, is not a trade-off, giving Stables a 40% work rate, allowing the Franks to replenish lost forces faster. While the Knight line is better off with this, their Light Cavalry and Cavalry Archers are not (though the latter are not a viable option regardless). Their mounted units receive +20% hit points, though this is partially offset by their lack of Bloodlines. 5.2 Disadvantages vs other civilizations.

5 Compared advantages and disadvantages.

3.3 Strategy changes in Lords of the West.

3.2 Strategy changes in The African Kingdoms.

Age of empires 2 japenese build order