Optimizing your build order is the single most impactful advanced strategy in Age of Mythology. A good build order ensures you're gathering resources efficiently, producing Villagers continuously, and advancing through ages at the optimal time. This isn't just about 'what to build', but 'when to build it' and 'how many Villagers to assign to each resource'.
- Continuous Villager Production: Never stop training Villagers from your Town Center until you have at least 25-30, or more if booming. Idle Town Centers are wasted potential.
- Early Scouting: Use your starting scout to find all nearby resource patches, enemy Town Centers, and relics. This informs your early strategy.
- Age-Up Timing: Aim for specific age-up times (e.g., Classical Age by 4:30-5:30 for aggressive rushes, 6:00-7:00 for booms). Practice these timings.
- Resource Balance: Constantly monitor your resource income and expenditure. If you have a surplus of one resource and a deficit of another, reassign Villagers or use the Market to trade.
- Hotkeys: Master hotkeys for everything – Villager production, building construction, unit training, and unit commands. This saves precious seconds.
Each mythology has specific optimal build orders. Research and practice them for your preferred civilization. For example, a fast Classical Age for Norse to rush, or a strong Archaic Age economy for Egyptians.