Today we journey to Western Europe in the Middle Ages to consider the Franks, a powerful new addition to the Age of Empires franchise. Of the five civilizations we have showcased so far, the Franks are by far the most aggressive and offense-minded. They are a military power, with a strong and overbearing army. They don't finesse their way to victory; they brutally rush towards it, trampling all that stand in their way, with their mighty knights. History shows us that the Franks were a strong Germanic tribe that eventually became a great cavalry power, using knights and mounted warriors as the backbone of their armies for much of the Middle Ages. However, they also were flexible and were not above adopting new technologies, such as gunpowder, as these new advances became available.

The Franks in Age II have an economic bonus to support their strong military.

In Age of Empires II, the Franks retain these historical advantages. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, parts of the Frankish empire became what today is known as France. The Franks, and later the French, would become embroiled in many of Europe's most famous conflicts, playing major roles in the Crusades and, of course, the Hundred Years War. With such a strong martial history, it is no wonder that the Franks have one of the most powerful militaries in the game.

The Franks' Throwing Axeman.

Greg Street, designer on Age II, says:
"Make no mistake, the Franks had one of the greatest impacts on medieval history of any of the civilizations in Age of Kings. Just look at how many unit names in AOK (e.g. arbalest, cavalier, trebuchet) are of French origin. The Franks invaded Roman Britain early on, saw the rise of Charlemagne and the consolidation of barbarian tribes into huge nation-states, did the majority of the fighting on the European side of the Crusades, and were a major combatant in the Hundred Years War."

For more on the history of the Franks, go to the next page. Otherwise, you can skip ahead to the gameplay portions of this article. We talk about the Franks' cultural bonuses and their unique unit, and we showcase the cannon galley, the mill, and the Joan of Arc campaign.

Next: A brief history