General Tips & Tricks

Welcome, aspiring emperors and empresses! This section is dedicated to providing you with a robust foundation for success in Age of Empires IV. Whether you're a seasoned veteran of the series or a fresh recruit, these detailed strategies and actionable steps will elevate your gameplay.

Early Game Dominance: The First Few Minutes

The initial moments of any match are critical. A strong start can snowball into an insurmountable advantage. Focus on efficiency and resource acquisition.

Scouting is Paramount: Immediately send your starting Scout unit to explore your immediate surroundings. Prioritize locating crucial resources:

Sheep: These are your primary early food source. Gather at least 6-8 sheep near your Town Center.
Deer/Boar: More potent food sources, but require more villagers and potentially a Mill or Hunting Cabin.
Stone Deposits: Essential for building defensive structures and later, advanced buildings.
Gold Veins: Crucial for unit production and technology upgrades.
Woodlines: Necessary for almost every building and many unit types.

Villager Production: Your Town Center should be producing Villagers continuously. Never let it sit idle in the early game. Aim for a steady stream of new workers to rapidly expand your economy.
Resource Allocation (Opening Build Order):

Villager 1-6: Send directly to gather food from Sheep under your Town Center.
Villager 7-8: Send to build a Lumber Camp near a dense woodline. Once built, they will begin chopping wood.
Villager 9-10: Send to build a Mining Camp near a Gold Vein. Once built, they will begin mining gold.
Subsequent Villagers: Continue to balance your resource gathering based on your chosen civilization and planned Age Up strategy. A common early game ratio is roughly 60% Food, 20% Wood, 20% Gold.

Early Defensive Structures: Consider building a Palisade Wall around your resource gatherers if you anticipate early aggression from opponents or encounter aggressive wildlife. A single Outpost near a contested resource can also provide valuable vision and deter early raids.

Mid-Game Expansion & Technology

Once your economy is stable, the mid-game focuses on expanding your territory, researching key technologies, and preparing for military engagements.

Age Up Efficiently: Researching the next Age (e.g., from Dark Age to Feudal Age) is a significant power spike. Ensure you have the required resources (Food and Gold) and enough Villagers to construct the Landmark quickly.
Landmark Selection: Each civilization has unique Landmarks. Choose the Landmark that best suits your current strategy. For example, the English's Council Hall provides early longbowman production, while the French's School of Cavalry offers discounted Knights.
Economic Upgrades: Don't neglect your economy! Research upgrades at your Lumber Camp (e.g., Double-Broadaxe for increased wood gathering), Mining Camp (e.g., Mining Efficiency for faster gold/stone gathering), and Mill (e.g., Wheelbarrow for increased villager carry capacity and movement speed). These seemingly small upgrades provide massive long-term benefits.
Map Control: Use your Scouts and early military units to maintain map control. Identify enemy expansion, resource locations, and potential attack routes. Building additional Outposts or even a second Town Center in a strategic location can secure vital resources and provide forward production.
Unit Composition: Begin to diversify your military. A balanced army typically includes a mix of melee infantry (e.g., Spearmen, Men-at-Arms), ranged units (e.g., Archers, Crossbowmen), and cavalry (e.g., Knights, Horsemen). Countering your opponent's unit choices is key.

Late Game Power Plays: Siege & Advanced Tactics

The late game is often decided by superior economy, advanced technology, and effective siege warfare.

Siege Weaponry: Once you reach the Castle Age or Imperial Age, siege units become indispensable for breaking through enemy defenses.

Mangonels: Excellent for area-of-effect damage against clustered infantry and defensive structures.
Springalds: Crucial for countering enemy siege weapons and high-health units.
Trebuchets/Bombards: Your primary tools for destroying enemy Town Centers, Castles, and Keeps from a safe distance.

Trade Routes: Establish trade routes with neutral markets or allied players using Traders from your Market. This provides a steady income of Gold, especially useful when natural gold veins are depleted. Protect your trade routes with Outposts or military patrols.
Relics and Sacred Sites: Capturing and holding Relics (found by Monks) and Sacred Sites provides a continuous trickle of Gold, offering a significant economic advantage over time.
Imperial Age Technologies: Researching Imperial Age technologies at your University and Blacksmith provides powerful upgrades to your units and economy. Prioritize those that complement your army composition or address specific weaknesses.
Flanking and Encirclement: Don't just send your army in a straight line. Use terrain and unit speed to flank enemy positions, target their vulnerable ranged units or siege, and encircle their forces for maximum damage.

General Best Practices

Hotkeys: Learn and utilize hotkeys for unit production, building construction, and command groups. This dramatically increases your efficiency and reaction time.
Mini-Map Awareness: Constantly check your mini-map for enemy movements, resource depletion, and new opportunities.
Unit Counters: Understand the basic rock-paper-scissors mechanics:
- Spearmen counter Cavalry.
- Archers counter Spearmen.
- Cavalry counter Archers.
- Siege weapons counter Buildings and clustered units.
Economy First: A strong economy allows for a strong army. Never stop producing Villagers until you have a thriving economy (typically 100-120+ Villagers).
Practice Makes Perfect: The best way to improve is to play, experiment with different civilizations, and learn from your mistakes. Don't be afraid to try new strategies!