Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings: Prima's Unauthorized Strategy Guide

I bought this book along with the Ensemble Studio book. This book has a few tables that list the actual number of Attack Bonus of the unique units (like cataphract +8 vs infantry) that I can't find elsewhere unless you actually play the game (it becomes handy). Also the chapters on Campaigns are very very good (to me, better than the ES book on this aspect). I actually won a few campaigns using the guidance of this book that I can't win before. If you are starting as a single player and want to win the campaigns, I recommend this book. But if you want to be a good multiplayer gamer, this book offers no help at all and get the ES book instead (see my other review).

I am biased because I contributed to this book, and I know all of the authors and contributing authors. I would, nevertheless, encourage this book for players who plan to play this game online against other people. In truth, the single-player campaign strategy is top-notch as well, but the key differentiating factor between this book and the others is that is was written entirely by on-line real-time strategy players and experts.

Section 3 on Civilizations, Section 4 on game features, Section 5 on Advanced Unit Control, and Sections 6 through 9 on planning, building, defending, and expanding your empire are all really crucial for someone who is good versus the computer to read BEFORE venturing onto the internet and feeling like a deer stuck in the headlights on an oncoming battering ram.

Most good single-player players do not realize the enormous chasm between expert at single player and intermediate at multi-player in skills. Playing versus other players is the only...Read more

I received the book through Air Mail three days ago and I just began reading yesterday, but I already recommend it. There is a nice introduction, and then it explains the civilizations, shows units carts and gives detailed strategies on maps. Then it takes an extensive explanation, during several chapters, on how to develop a civilization and rule the world. After, it shows detailed walkthroughs to each campaign. Some online ettiquete finish the book. I highly recommend it to any player who is beggining on Age of Kings, mastering, or playing knowing its brother, Age of Empires (my case). Buy it and excel at your games, I guarantee!