Lets deep dive into the analysis of the sudden Age of Empires 2 December Patch according the great expert: Hera! This update arrived unexpectedly on December 2nd, 2025, introducing sweeping balance changes that will significantly impact the competitive landscape. Our focus here is on the online, competitive side of the game—the “meat and potatoes” where these balance adjustments really count. This new patch brings critical adjustments to core gameplay elements, substantial civilization buffs (and some controversial double-buffs), and key nerfs designed to promote diversity in unit choice.
Core Gameplay Changes: Elevating Early Game Strategy
The latest balance sheet includes several general tweaks that change resource management and unit efficiency across all civilizations.
Resource and Unit Cost Adjustments
One notable enhancement is to the value of chicken-type animals. Chicken food value increased from 65 to 75. Previously, many players considered chickens too “skippable” without incurring a major resource disadvantage, but this 10-food increase per animal makes them much more valuable and incentivizes players to seek them out.
The cost structure for the Eagle Warrior saw a significant reversal:
• 
Eagle Warrior cost decreased from 25 
– 50 
to 20 – 50 .
For veterans, this adjustment restores the Eagle Warrior to its original price when the Definitive Edition first launched, effectively reversing a prior nerf that added +5 
. This change is a substantial buff for Mesoamerican civilizations. It specifically strengthens “all-in” strategies featuring Eagles in the Castle Age and also allows for effective late-game spamming due to the lower food cost, enabling low-economy Eagle floods to become a very legitimate threat.
The cost of the Gambesons infantry upgrade was also reduced from 100 / 100 down to 50 / 100 . Considering this technology provides only +1 
, making it cheaper is a welcome change that improves its affordability for infantry civilizations.
Adjusting the Power of Traction Trebuchets
The patch implemented focused changes to the Traction Trebuchet line to address its overpowering performance against armies in massed situations.
These siege weapons received a mix of changes designed to make them worse against units but significantly better against buildings:
• Reload time increased from 9 seconds to 11 seconds.
• Bonus damage for buildings increased from 175 to 230.
• Movement speed reduced from 0.6 to 0.57.
Historically, competitive players on closed maps like Black Forest or Arena would mass 20 to 30 Traction Trebuchets, defending them with hordes of units, and use them to obliterate enemy armies. This shift attempts to introduce necessary counterplay by nerfing their anti-unit capability while enhancing their core role as building demolition tools.
Civilization Balance: Major Buffs and Controversial Changes
The patch includes numerous civilization-specific adjustments, many of which appear to push the unique aspects of each faction even further. However, some of these changes are controversial because they buff units that were already considered strong or viable.
The Questionable “Double Buff” Trend
A recurring theme in this update is the application of “double buffs,” where a unit receives multiple strengthening changes simultaneously, sometimes leading to concerns about over-tuning.
Armenians
The Warrior Priest unit cost was reduced from 30 / 60 to 30 / 50 . This is viewed as an “insane” change, as the unit was already considered exceptionally strong. Saving 10 per unit makes it easier to afford them for securing relics and enables massive savings when massing them in large numbers (e.g., 40 units saves 400 ).
Spanish
Conquistadors
The Spanish Conquistador received two substantial buffs in 
Imp. Age, leading to concerns that they will become overpowered, especially on a low economy:
1. Elite Conquistador ⚔️attack increased from 18 to 19.
2. 🫰Elite Conquistador upgrade cost reduced from 1,200 / 600 to 900 / 600 .
This 300 reduction in the upgrade cost makes transitioning to the Elite unit significantly easier. When combined with the attack buff and existing stats (like +1 Pierce Armor and +15 ❤️HP over the base unit), many strategists worry this will allow Spanish players to rush to Elite Conquistadors too easily, particularly in team games after an aggressive 
Castle Age play.
Georgians
🔻The Georgians received a “triple buff,” focusing primarily on their late-game performance:
• The unique technology 👑 Asnori Cavalry effect improved, reducing mounted units’ population space from 15% to 20%.
• 👑 Asnori Cavalry upgrade cost reduced from 750 / 250 to 550 / 250 .
• Fortified Churches’ influence area increased from 8,000 to 9,000.
While these are individually small changes, their cumulative effect greatly enhances the Georgian late game, particularly in 1v1 matchups.
Other Key Buffs
• Burgundians: Flemish Militia movement speed increased from 0.9 to 0.94. This is a second recent buff to the unit after skirmishers were prevented from dealing bonus damage to them. This enhanced speed makes the Flemish Militia much more capable of chasing down skirmishers and archers, potentially making them extremely strong.
• Gurjaras: The civilization bonus for mounted units and fire lancers attacking faster increased from 20% to 25%. This unit speed was already considered very good, allowing Gurjara scouts to consistently land a second hit on opponents during quick engagements and retreats. This buff makes an already strong unit better at what it does, potentially forcing players into a very “one-dimensional” strategy.
• Persians: The key unique technology, Keyn, saw its cost reduced from 60 wood to 50 wood. This makes the archer unit line dramatically cheaper, perhaps even more affordable than a standard skirmisher. This massive cost reduction could elevate Keyn from a niche, low-ELO tech to a highly competitive, potentially “broken” late-game option for Persians.
• Tatars: The Keshik received HP buffs in both Castle Age (110 to 120 HP) and Elite (140 to 145 HP), alongside a reduction in the Elite upgrade cost. While less controversial than the Conquistador buffs, this makes Keshiks much easier to utilize in Castle Age, possibly encouraging Tatars to play Keshiks instead of standard Knights in team game pocket roles.
• Turks: The Gold Miners civilization bonus increased from 20% to 25%. This small change could significantly impact established strategies, potentially making the “Fast Imperial Age” build order on Arena maps much stronger, possibly pushing it into the “broken” category.
Significant Nerfs to Top-Tier Civs
Not all changes were positive. A few civilizations received substantial nerfs aimed at pulling them down from the top tier of competitive play.
• Poles (Shu): The civilization bonus where lumberjacks generate food alongside wood has been reduced from 9% to 7%. This was originally 10% when the civ was considered overpowered. This substantial reduction is likely enough to knock the Poles out of the top tier of win rates, possibly dropping them to B-tier.
• Khitan: The Khitan early game economy has been targeted via their key structure, the Pasture:
◦ Pasture cost increased from 100 wood to 110 .
◦ Pasture construction time increased from 18 to 22 seconds.
◦ Pasture animal food increased from 105 to 115 food to offset the cost. This overall nerf hurts the Khitan’s ability to get started quickly and makes them much more vulnerable to early pressure strategies, such as laming or Men-at-Arms rushes.
• Wu: The Janssen Swordsman training time increased from 27 seconds to 35 seconds. This is a positive and necessary nerf, as the unit was highly oppressive and felt “broken” when produced rapidly in the Castle Age. The longer creation time gives the opponent a crucial window to prepare defensive units like Long Swordsmen, Knights, or Monks.
Competitive Outlook: Red Bull Ladder and New Maps
Beyond balance changes, the patch sets the stage for major competitive events.
The new 1v1 Red Bull ladder is scheduled to start on January 2nd, featuring a rating reset. This provides a fresh opportunity for players of all skill levels, even beginners, to compete in the exact same format used by professionals.
The patch also introduced nine new maps. These include: Land of Hills, Crownwood, Dorothy, Aquar, Glacus, Hedgehold, Lochness, Rampart, Stonefront, and Tames. These maps are strongly suspected to be designed for the upcoming Red Bull tournament circuit. Competitive players can expect a flurry of analysis and gameplay content focusing on these new terrains.
Key Takeaways
The December AoE2 Patch focuses heavily on adjusting unit viability, often through significant cost reductions and stat boosts. While many changes are positive—like the necessary nerfs to the Wu and Khitan, and the improved resource management for chickens—a major concern revolves around the trend of “double buffing” units that were already viable.
When the development team continually buffs a civilization’s unique unit or specialized feature, there is a risk that the faction becomes too “one-dimensional”. Players might feel they are obligated to choose that specific option or risk losing, which can make the meta feel less diverse and potentially boring over time. Players should monitor the performance of heavily buffed civs like the Spanish and Armenians closely in the coming months.