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Get used to doing this because it’s the easiest way to divide your soldiers and handle specific threats.
Press the number you want to create the group.
Highlight the units you want in a group. This somewhat eliminates the need to constantly double-click units or draw boxes around them in combat, for example. Utilize Control GroupsĪge of Empires 4 lets you lump units in groups using the “Control” key and numbers from zero through nine. Run down archers with your horses, and deploy spearmen against cavalry. If you want to be more efficient or even roleplay, it’s worth taking the early-game tutorial and Art of War lessons to heart.ĭeploy archers to harass footsoldiers, and keep them out of harm’s way by placing them in Stealth Forests and up on cliffs. Archers are strong against barracks unitsĪs with any AoE game, you can technically overpower any enemy just by throwing a huge army at them. Barracks units (soldiers, lancers, etc.) are strong against cavalry. The Triangle of DeathĪge of Empires 4 features a simple, but important unit hierarchy. That way, you don’t have to wait while Stables and Barracks produce more units to replace those you lost, leaving you vulnerable to other nations. If you have more resources to spare, though, and a more pressing threat elsewhere, it’s almost always just worth paying them off. If you manage your units well enough, you can leave a small force at your main base to defend it and send the overwhelming majority of your army to deal with the second threat, bulldozing your enemy into submission. At some points during your campaigns or skirmishes, you’ll have the choice to pay off a potential rival or engage them in combat. Your overall strategy will likely vary how you approach diplomatic issues. And the only issue fishing is that you'll need lots of wood not only for fishing vessels but also galleys and warships, wood you could spend elsewhere. Keep in mind there are no fish traps in Age of Empires 4 to acts as water farms. Lastly, if playing on a map with rivers or oceans, don't discount building a dock and fishing as a viable supplement to farming when you enter the mid-game. Use your scouts to herd sheep to your Town Center, Mill, or Pasture for your villagers to harvest. Researching the Survival Techniques technology, for example, is then important because it increases how much food you get from hunting. Mills and similar civilization-specific structures are also a good idea if you plan to focus on hunting or herding in the early Ages, which is a viable strategy to conserve wood resources. Technologies such as Wheelbarrow and Horticulture allow your villagers to gather more food from farms and faster, so be sure to research them quickly. Some civilizations, such as the English, gain production boosts from building Farms adjacent to Mills. Your best bet is building a Mill and plonking down Farms around it.Īlways put Farms as close to mills as possible to keep your villagers from having to travel too far. Don’t waste your time with berries since they provide little sustenance for the time it takes to harvest them. Ol’ McEmpire Had a Farm - and a MillĪnd you should too, multiple ones. This is shown to the right of the resources and your stockpile numbers in the menu in the bottom left corner of the screen. You can also keep track of how many villagers are assigned to gather specific resources. Use the “.” key to cycle through idle villagers and put them to work, or view them by clicking the button at the top of the menu in the bottom left corner of the screen. If work is interrupted or resources run dry, they'll need some redirecting.
Villagers will continue with their tasks indefinitely as long as resources and tasks are available. More villagers means constructing buildings faster. They are responsible for producing food, gathering wood, and mining stone and gold. Villagers are the life force of your civilization. Villagers fuel your empire, and you’ll want to produce plenty of villagers as soon as possible. Age of Empires 4 Tips & Tricks It Takes a Villager to Raise an Empire All that freedom can be a bit overwhelming, especially for beginners, so we’ve put together a list of helpful tips and tricks guide to help you navigate the centuries and dominate the world regardless of the win conditions.