Summary
Age Of Empires 2is often described as being notoriously difficult to get the hang of, and this goes double for the campaign missions. They are complicated and challenging, even for the most experienced players. Forplayers newto the genre,the difficulty level is even higher, as the frustrating campaigns do not offer much in the way of mercy.
With that being said, some campaign missions sit above the rest in terms of difficulty and complexity. Many of these have harsh time constraints, while others simply have a lot of enemies to contend with. For players looking for a challenge, these missions are ideal choices.
Updated May 13, 2025, by Sam Carrick:Age Of Empires 2 remains one of the most difficult games of its kind, and yet it is also beloved by a wide variety of players. The difficulty is key to what keeps players coming back. Finding out the best way to complete a campaign scenario with as few casualties as possible can become addictive, and the hardest campaign missions can require multiple attempts to even succeed in the first place. The game is a classic of the genre and is as engaging as ever despite showing its age at times. With that being said, here are thehardest campaign missions in Age Of Empires 2.
10The Old Tiger (Bayinnaung, Mission Five)
A deceptively frustrating simple-sounding mission
The Old Tiger is a scenario included inRise Of The Rajas, and it isa trickycampaignmissionfor bothAge Of Empires 2veterans and new players alike. The objectives are to keep Bayinnaung alive, bring him to four Buddhist temples, and defeat all enemies. Depending on the difficulty level players select, this can add even more of a challenge, as the resources granted vary a lot between levels. With four enemies to contend with as well, this mission is not for the faint of heart.
While this may seem simple at first glance, it is extremely easy to become overwhelmed by enemies while trying to focus on the non-military goals of this scenario. The Old Tiger is a complex mission inAge Of Empires 2,and players will need to keep a cool head to achieve victory.
9Challenging A Thalassocracy (Suryavarman I, Mission Four)
A Naval-themed mission with simple yet challenging objectives
Challenging A Thalassocracy is another mission with deceptively simplistic objectives. Players must defeat both the Tambralingas and the Srivirijaya while also keeping their Chola allies alive through the battle. The enemies involved with this mission are far more powerful than the player and the Chola, meaning this is not a fair fight in any way. Keeping the Chola and the player’s own army alive for long enough to succeed becomes frustrating quickly.
The first two objectives are fairly standard, but the Chola allies in this scenario are not able to survive for long as enemies attack from the water. The Chola are weak without player support, and the enemy AI is strong. This is where many players will fail. Players mustkeep on top of theirnaval unitsin this mission, as without strong naval support, the last objective will be impossible to complete.
8The Siege of Paris (Joan Of Arc, Mission Five)
This mission has complex objectives and challenges players with unit restriction
This mission hasmorecomplicatedobjectives than othersin the game, which is only part of what makes it so challenging. Players must keep Joan of Arc alive, locate at least six refugees, rendezvous with the King’s reinforcements, and finally get Joan and at least six of the refugees to the Chateau of Compiegne.
Players must do all of this with no healers, as well, to add to the difficulty. Without healers, keeping Joan and the refugees alive while fighting through the city becomes extremely difficult. It is very easy to slip up by not focusing on these objectives, so players should keep that in mind if they attempt this mission.
The Siege Of Paris is a ruthlessAge Of Empires 2campaign mission, no matter the difficulty level set by the player.
7The Digvijaya (Prithviraj, Mission Two)
A mission which attempts to trip players up at the very beginning
For success in this mission, players must keep Prithviraj alive, find and kill the Tiger, and kill enemy Rajas to conquer Rajasthan once and for all. For a bonus and to add more challenge, players can defeat the Dacoits as well. There are a lot of enemies trying to attack and defeat the player while all of this is going on, which can become distracting as players won’t be able to focus on finding the tiger if they’re bogged down by enemies. While some allies can be gained throughout the mission, players will likely destroy a lot of usable land in their quest to defeat them, meaning these allies are not that valuable depending on play style.
Finding the tiger is a challenge in itself as Prithviraj cannot outrun it and willlose health rapidly incombat. The very first hurdle is where a lot of the challenge here comes from. The Digvijaya is not a classically complexAge Of Empires 2mission, but it is challenging to complete all the objectives, especially when the bonus objective is taken into consideration.
6The Split (El Dorado, Mission 2)
Reaching the goal with a small team is frustrating even for veteran players
The El Dorado missions are unavailable inAge Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition,but they did appear inAge Of Empires 2 HD: The Forgotten.The entire campaign focuses on the journey to find the city of El Dorado, and this mission continues that story. The enemies in this mission are not the main concern, as they will not attack the player unless they are provoked first, however the natural area is ripe with dangers that will still affect the player if they aren’t careful. Keeping the small unit alive is key to success.
Players begin with a single team of conquistadores, with one beingahero unit. Moving south, the player will have to watch for danger and keep their small unit alive, making this scenario a frustratingly challenging one. The Split has difficulty in that there are few units available to the players for such a giant challenge.
5Lord Of Arabia (Saladin, Mission Two)
A mission that incorporates defense for a change of pace
Lord Of Arabia is a mission that,unlike many others inAge Of Empires 2,does not instruct players to destroy absolutely everything. The objectives here are to defeat Reynald’s bandits, pirates, and raiders while ensuring that the town centers of Aqaba and Medina don’t get destroyed. The defense aspect of this mission can be difficult for a lot of players as defense rarely comes into play in the game, so they might not be used to this.
Players cannot advance past the Castle Age, while the enemies can get to the Imperial Age, and neither town will assist the player despite the requirement to defend them. Lord Of Arabia is a challenge because the enemies can do a lot that the player can’t, which can be frustrating, as the player must use limited resources to keep themselves and their allies alive.
4Into China (Genghis Khan, Mission Three)
A mission that needs to be completed rapidly for any hope of success
Into China only has one objective: conquer the Tanguts, Hsi Hsia, Jin, and Sung. Despite the limited number of objectives, there is still a lot to achieve in this mission. Increasing the difficulty even further, the Jin begin building a wonder overseas soon after the scenario begins, meaning players must hurry to get enough resources for a naval assault.
For an even greater challenge, players must defeat the Jin before they complete the wonder, as this will bag an achievement. Into China is a mission that challenges players to succeed with limited resources and time constraints.
3Lake Poyang (Battles Of The Forgotten)
Completing this mission within 25 minutes is a real challenge
Previously named Langshan Jiang, Lake Poyang is a mission with both main objectives and secondary objectives. A large part of the challenge in this mission is the time constraints; for example, the first objective is to clear the way for the first shipment for the Nanchang temple complex, and players only have twenty-five minutes to complete this.
The overarching goal is to finish building the temple and to protect it from attacking enemies. Lake Poyang challenges players to work within tight time constraints and complete the task at hand safely, making it one of the hardest inAge Of Empires 2.
2A Man Of God (Edward Longshanks, Mission Two)
A mission that restricts players so much that it becomes nearly impossible
Part ofLords Of The West,A Man Of God is another mission that revolves around time pressure. Players must hold Acre and Tripoli for an hour of game time, and at least one castle in each city must stay standing by the end. There are secondary objectives that are there to assist players in this task. However, they merely add more to think about.
The enemies here will advance beyond the Castle Age, which the player is stuck in, meaning siege weapons are likely to destroy the cities that players are protecting. A Man Of God is a scenario that has a lot of restrictions involved, making it hard to succeed or even to hold an advantage for very long.
1A Fallen Crown (Yodit, Mission Three)
Attempt to defeat the most powerful army in the game with time pressure
In A Fallen Crown, players are given fifty minutes to weaken the opponent’s army as much as possible and must also kill Dagnajan before the time limit is up. This sounds simple. However, Dagnajan’s army is one of the most powerful in the game, laden with war elephants and crossbowmen.
To add to this, Dagnajan is often described as the strongest unit in the entire game. Defeating him requires an incredible amount of skill. A Fallen Crown is the most difficult mission inAge Of Empires 2, depending on how players develop their armies during the time frame they’re given.
