Sultan Al-Mailk

Learn how to counter the Sultan Al-Mailk's aggressive early-game attacks in Anno 1404. Discover his weaknesses and strategies to gain the upper hand and cripple his economy.

Alright, it's time to get serious! The Sultan Al-Mailk is a whole different ballgame compared to the pacifist NPCs you've faced so far. He's super aggressive, so be ready for a big attack – think 3-4 Battleships – within the first hour of the game, at the latest.

Your first priority is to get Barracks built as soon as you can afford it. Keep a close eye on his islands; if you spot him building Battleships, you know trouble's brewing. Don't forget, you can buy basic resources like Iron early on if you're short for that Barracks – speed is key here!

Be careful not to expand too quickly. If you spread yourself too thin, you'll be an easy target. The Sultan is quick to snatch up any islands that aren't well-defended.

The Sultan's main weakness? He's just too darn aggressive! He pours a ton of resources into Battleships and Barracks, which means his settlement development will lag behind yours. If you can survive his initial onslaught (the first 2-3 attacks), you'll find he's way behind in both his economy and his tech tree. That's your cue to take the lead!

Another thing the Sultan isn't great at is knowing when to quit. Even when the battle's clearly turning against him, he'll keep sending wave after wave of Battleships. Build up your own fleet and wait for one of these doomed attacks. Then, strike his main island. You'll be fighting on two fronts, but as long as you can hold your ground at the Barracks on each island, you should come out on top. Once his economic base is gone, he'll be crippled, and cleaning up the rest of his islands will be a breeze.