POSTED BY.. READ THIS... GOODSPEED on AGE COMM.... i put a strike thro ottos for u guys tho..
List of units and counters:
Ranged infantry (RI) = all ranged infantry with a multiplier vs HI and ranged cav. For example skirms, cassadores, xbows, yumis, etc… urumis are also in this class, despite the fact that they are melee inf.
Light infantry (LI) = cav-like infantry such as coyote runners, counters RI and artillery.
Heavy infantry (HI) = all anti-cav infantry, counters all cavalry. For example musketeers, pikemen, rodeleros, etc.
Ranged cavalry = cavalry with guns or bows, counters Heavy cavalry and artillery. For example dragoons, ruyters, howdahs, yabusame, etc.
Heavy cavalry = all melee cavalry, counters RI and artillery. For example cuirassier, hussar, mahout, etc.
Civs from best to worst:
Overall:
OP: Chinese, Dutch, Sioux.
Above average: Spanish, Japanese.
Balanced: French, Iroquois, Ottomans, Russians, British.
Below average: Indians, Aztecs, Germans.
UP: Ports.
Boom/turtling:
Good at: British, Dutch, Ports.
Above average: Russians, Iroquois, Germans.
Rushing:
Good at: Chinese, Sioux, Ottomans, Russians.
(Above) average: Germans, Spanish, Aztecs, Japanese, Iro, French.
Bad at: Dutch, Ports.
Fast Fortressing:
Good at: Chinese, Sioux, Spanish, Dutch.
(Above) average: Iro, Indians, Germans, Ports, Ottomans, French.
Bad at: Russians, Japanese, Aztecs.
Early/mid/late game:
Early game civs: Sioux, Ottomans, Spanish, Aztecs.
Middle game civs: Dutch, Russians, Indians, Iro.
Late game civs: Ports.
Overall: French, Germans, Chinese, Japs, Brits.
Specific civilisation guides:
Portuguese:
Pros: Strong defensive (water) booming, bestieros, very strong jinetes can be used with heavy cannon and/or cassadores.
Cons: weakest at rushing and in early game stages, least versatile.
Difficulty: Hard
Best Against: French, Iroquois.
Best strategy: Defensive Fast fortress (turtle).
Portuguese match-ups:
On water maps ALWAYS use the water strat.
On non-water maps:
Vs Portuguese: Defensive FF, no CM and spread TCs.
Vs Spain: Defensive FF
Vs French: Defensive FF
Vs Ottomans: Defensive FF
Vs Russians: Defensive FF
Vs Dutch: Resign.
Vs British: Defensive FF
Vs Germans: Defensive FF
Vs Sioux: Resign.
Vs Aztec: Defensive FF
Vs Iroquois: Defensive FF
Vs Japanese: Defensive FF
Vs Chinese: Resign.
Vs Indians: Defensive FF
Notes:
- Against some civs on the right maps you can ATP FF, this is recommended on maps like Yukon, great lakes, new England, etc. vs less aggressive civs who will likely give u a little more time than others (brits, ports, dutch, germans, etc.)
- Only spread your TCs if you are certain that it’s not dangerous of if you have absolutely no resources at your first TC. Always secure as many hunts/wood/gold as possible with 2nd/3rd while trying to keep them as close to your 1st TC as possible.
- With ports, vill production is extra important. Surviving early game stages can only lead to victory if you manage to effectively outboom your opponent.
Spanish:
Pros: Strong HI rush, one of the strongest FFs in the game, Lancers and rodeleros awesome fortress shipment combo.
Cons: weak economy, relying on military in early game stages.
Difficulty: Below average, harder on higher levels.
Best against: Ports, Russians, Indians, Iroquois, British.
Best strategy: ATP FF.
Spanish match-ups:
On maps with 3 or more TPs always ATP FF and on maps with 2 TPs always 2 TP FF. I will leave water maps out as it makes things too complicated.
On maps with no TPs:
Vs Portuguese: FF
Vs Spanish: HI rush
Vs French: FF
Vs Ottomans: Turtle FF
Vs Russians: FF
Vs Dutch: HI rush
Vs British: FF (go cannons)
Vs Germans: scout, if he FFs go HI rush and if he rushes go FF.
Vs Sioux: FF
Vs Aztec: FF
Vs Iroquois: FF
Vs Japanese: FF
Vs Chinese: see Germans.
Vs Indians: FF
Notes:
- Mind the wardogs being recruited for 75 food by your explorer, they can power up your rush and are a very strong defence against a rush if you FF. they are cav-like, counter RI, and are strong treasure gatherers.
- If you FF, villager allocation is different against some civs. Against ports and british go for more gold (mercs and/or cannons) than usual.
- If you naked FF, instead of 700 wood you can also go for 5 villagers and chop all the wood. You won’t have your TP but you will have a somewhat stronger economy. Consider doing this if you collect more than say 150 wood from treasures.
- Spain is a very micro-heavy civ as your armies are very diversed and will likely be outmassed (if you’re being rushed) by combos such as strelet/musk, xbow/pike, or LB/musk. Your victory in battle will rely on more professional troops and good micro.
French:
Pros: Coureurs; French are a strong allround civ. Strong dual rax Xbow/pike rush is best in almost any situation, but FF or hussar/musk semi-FFs can be used in almost any situation too.
Cons: They don’t have a clear weakness, no schooners though.
Difficulty: Medium
Best against: Ottomans, Spanish, Dutch.
Best strategy: Xbow/pike rush.
French match ups:
Vs Portuguese: 15 musk semi-FF
Vs Spanish: Xbow/pike harassment (on higher levels (major+) Defensive FF).
Vs French: Hussar semi-FF (if he rushes send 700w and go Xbow).
Vs Ottomans: Xbow defensively.
Vs Russians: Xbow/pike rush or Hussar/Xbow in colonial.
Vs Dutch: Xbow/pike rush.
Vs British: Xbow/pike rush.
Vs Germans: Xbow/pike rush.
Vs Sioux: Xbow/pike rush.
Vs Aztec: Xbow/pike rush.
Vs Iroquois: Xbow/pike rush.
Vs Japanese: Xbow/pike rush.
Vs Chinese: Xbow/pike rush.
Vs Indians: Xbow/pike rush.
Notes:
- Semi-FF is strong against enemy FF’s, as you will have early raiding and a better fortress economy cs of 4 vil shipment. The risk is that if his FF is strong military-wise (like the Spanish and Dutch one) you might not make it to fortress unharmed.
- If you initially musk rush it’s meant to be some sort of semi-FF and is more economic than the usual rush. when musk rushing it's way easier to just stop military production and go fortress w/ 700g card. if you xbow/pike rush that's more difficult/takes longer. Musk rushes will pretty much always lead to fortress before 10 mins, so I’ll just call it a semi-FF.
Ottomans:
***…THIS…LAME…CIV!!
Ok next.
Russians:
Pros: Strong rush, strong early game, and ultimate raiders.
Cons: rather weak hand cavalry and FF.
Best against: Dutch, British, Japs.
Difficulty: Medium.
Best strategy: Strelet/musk rush.
Russian match ups:
Vs Portuguese: Strelet/musk rush.
Vs Spanish: Full musk + Cossack shipments.
Vs French: Strelet/musk.
Vs Ottomans: Strelet/musk.
Vs Russians: Strelet/cossack.
Vs Dutch: Strelet/cossack.
Vs British: Strelet/cossack
Vs Germans: Strelet/musk.
Vs Sioux: Full musk + Cossack shipments.
Vs Aztec: Strelet/musk
Vs Iroquois: Full musk + Cossack shipments
Vs Japanese: Strelet/musk
Vs Chinese: Strelet/musk.
Vs Indians: Strelet/musk.
Notes:
- Pure musk rush includes 9 cossacks from shipments to counter RI. Hold them back until they’re needed, don’t let them get close to the enemy TC or they’ll get shot.
- The Russian rush is the best and pretty much the only strat available to Russians. Their FF is mediocre at best, and why would you FF, if in any case your rush is stronger, which it is.
- The different combos in the Russian rush are meant for different situations. Depending on your opponent’s armies your combos will be made (so scout well), and some civs just can’t break through the massed infantry Russians can bring in very short time periods.
Dutch:
Pros: fastest (OP) boom, strong (OP) turtling.
Cons: weak rush.
Difficulty: Above average.
Best against: Spanish, Portuguese, British, Ottomans.
Best strategy: 4 bank semi-FF.
Dutch match ups:
The military buildings you build during transition to fortress vary against each civ: A= art foundry S= stable B= barracks
Vs Portuguese: 4 bank semi-FF (A+S )
Vs Spanish: 4 bank FF (CM) (B+S )
Vs French: 4 bank FF (CM) (B+S )
Vs Ottomans: 4 bank FF (CM) (B+S )
Vs Russians: 4 bank FF (CM) (A+S )
Vs Dutch: 4 bank semi-FF (B+B )
Vs British: 4 bank FF (A+S )
Vs Germans: 4 bank semi-FF (B+S )
Vs Sioux: 4 bank FF (CM) (B+B )
Vs Aztec: 4 bank semi-FF (B+B )
Vs Iroquois: 4 bank semi-FF (A+S )
Vs Japanese: 4 bank FF (CM) (B+S )
Vs Chinese: 4 bank FF (CM) (B+S )
Vs Indians: 4 bank FF (CM) (B+S )
Notes:
- The Dutch are the most special civ in this game imo, what makes them a hard civ is that they are quite weak in colonial and have to go fortress sooner or later to avoid getting beaten by cavalry. Going skirm+hussar to counter cavalry can be a good idea, but always have CM with this.
- Herding is extra important as with dutch you’ll find yourself being rushed upon quite a lot and you’ll need your hunts close to your TC.
- If you 4 bank FF, you’ll be able to send 700w, CM, AND 600w, and the 600w can be used merely for military buildings and housing. The dutch economy will always be able to support multiple military buildings spamming in fortress, so build different building combos in every situation and mind ur housing (6/7 vils on wood is good to be certain).
- A possibility is a full turtle strat in which you send advancec explorer (300w TCs) and build 3 TCs quickly. With CM, this is a strong defense, but only do this if your hunts are extraordinary, because with bad hunts you’ll reach out of food and going mills is risky.
British:
Pros: Very strong early boomers, longbows make them hard to rush.
Cons: somewhat slow, mostly defensive in early stages, stuck in colonial.
Difficulty: Hard
Best against: Ports, French, Ottomans.
Best strategy: Colonial defensive boom.
British match ups:
Vs Portuguese: Boom fast, harass with cavalry and follow into fortress.
Vs Spanish: Boom fast, harass with musks and outmass him.
Vs French: defensive colonial (LB+hussar)
Vs Ottomans: defensive colonial (LB+musk).
Vs Russians: go hussar fast and pressure his eco while booming
Vs Dutch: harass with LB and boom fast.
Vs British: Outboom/outmass in colonial.
Vs Germans: defensive colonial (LB+musk).
Vs Sioux: defensive colonial (hussar+LB+pike).
Vs Aztec: mass musk while booming.
Vs Iroquois: harass and boom.
Vs Japanese: outboom/outmass in colonial
Vs Chinese: defensive colonial (LB+musk)
Vs Indians: defensive colonial (musk+hussar)
Notes:
- There’s, imo, only 1 strong british strat, which is the colonial boom. Their ability to boom while keeping on spamming lb’s or musks is awesome, and they can have dual barracks spam at 7/8 mins. Fast fortressing with Brits, I didn’t ever see the point in that, maybe a turtle against Russians…
- The British colonial boom takes a lot of practise to master, cs you have to be producing 3 things instead of 2. not just vils and military, also manors. And you must time this correctly.
- The discussion about the 1st card will always stay there, but I say 3 vils, not Virginia. (manors for 88 wood) only send Virginia if you have good wood treasures.
- Herding is again extra important as you will stay in colonial long and you’re in the defensive, so you’ll be vulnerable to raids. Keep your vils protected!
- British require a lot of adaptation because a lot of different combos and strats are needed to play them right, and this requires a lot of skill at this game. It’s what makes them a hard civ to play.
Germans:
Pros: Very strong late game economy, easy cav massing, good at anything but fishing, very strong (vill) shipments.
Cons: Uhlans somewhat weaker than hussars cost-effectively, bad shipment rate.
Difficulty: Medium
Best against: Ports, British.
Best strategy: Xbow semi-FF.
German match ups:
Vs Portuguese: FF.
Vs Spanish: Xbow semi-FF.
Vs French: Xbow semi-FF.
Vs Ottomans: colonial Xbow spam.
Vs Russians: colonial Xbow spam, dual rax asap.
Vs Dutch: Xbow semi-FF.
Vs British: Xbow/Uhlan semi-FF.
Vs Germans: Xbow semi-FF.
Vs Sioux: FF.
Vs Aztec: Xbow/pike semi-FF.
Vs Iroquois: Xbow semi-FF.
Vs Japanese: colonial Xbow/pike, dual rax asap.
Vs Chinese: Xbow/pike semi-FF.
Vs Indians: Xbow semi-FF.
Notes:
- The German Xbow semi-FF is strong because both vill cards are sent and uhlans are good raiders. Also the early Xbow harassing is a pain in the ass for most civs. The Xbow semi-FF is very easily turned into a rush, and you can build another rax for dual rax spam rather quickly. If you plan on going fortress you can be there in 10.00 having made about 30 xbows, and having a pretty devastating economy (say 40 vils).
- Uhlans are a weak unit but very easily massed. The 8 and 9 uhlan shipments in age3 can really overwhelm your opponent if he doesn’t have enough anticav, and with good micro you can take out his anti cav with skirms. (skirm+uhlan = microheavy)
- A strong thing to do is go cannons when you are fortress. Make/send some dopples/WW with them and you’ll have an awesome combo against which most civs have trouble (especially good against ports and british). Your eco can easily support going cannon at this point.
Civs i'm less XP'd with:
Ottomans:
Pros: Very fast rush and always dominates the game as in they can do any strat and the enemy will have to adapt (except against china and sioux).
Cons: weak economy, if they fail to damage opponent in early game they're pretty much dead.
Difficulty: Easy
Best against: Spain, Ports.
Best strategy: Silkroad jan rush.
Sioux:
Pros: OP warclub rush, OP wakina FF. siege dance takes care of building defenses. very hard to counter.
Cons: rather weak economy, they're like spain, but OP.
Difficulty: Below average
Best against: Ports, Spain, Brits.
Best strategy: Wakina FF
Aztecs:
Pros: Fairly good early game, mostly on the offensive early on, strong units such as ERK and coyote runners.
Cons: rather weak overall civ, they can only rush and can't do that superbly either. i'd say they were UP but ppl tell me they're not THAT bad.
Difficulty: Above average
Best against: Dunno
Best strategy: Rush, combo depending on opponent. Big Button Rush can work against some civs.
Iroquois:
Pros: pretty strong FF, forest prowlers strong overall unit. Toma rush viable against some civs.
Cons: not very versatile, there's only a few viable iro strats, and weak RI in colonial.
Difficulty: Medium
Best against: Dunno
Best strategy: FF.
Japanese:
Pros: very strong colonial, strong cards on water maps (2x 5 fishing ships) ashigarus can have 47 attack in colonial in 1v1 games, and yumis can be very strong RI if upgraded. strong middle/late game.
Cons: can't really FF, has to rely on weaker units against FFing civs.
Difficulty: Medium
Best against: French, Germans.
Best strategy: colonial boom while rushing, combo depends on opponent, mostly ashigaru first and later yumi or naginata.
Chinese:
Pros: OP disciple FF and OP rush, uncounterable by some civs and hardly counterable by most. troops way too cheap.
Cons: none i can think of, their eco's good, early/middle/late game all good, rush good, FF good, there's really no weakness... except maybe for fishing but i don't know about that.
Difficulty: Below average
Best against: they win against anything but really own the somewhat UP civs such as Ports, Aztecs, India, Germans.
Best strategy: disciple FF.
Indians:
Pros: rather strong rush cs of sepoy, howdahs very strong light cav.
Cons: rather weak early economy as vills cost wood, mahouts too expensive.
Difficulty: Above average
Best against: Dunno.
Best strategy: i'd say sepoy rush but i'm not sure.
