Age of Empires 4 brings the beloved RTS franchise into the modern era with stunning visuals, improved gameplay mechanics, and deep strategic options. Whether you're new to the series or returning after years away, this guide will help you understand the core concepts and start winning games.
Understanding the Game Basics
Age of Empires 4 is a real-time strategy game where you build an empire, gather resources, train armies, and defeat your opponents. The game progresses through four ages, each unlocking new technologies and units.
Dark Age
Build your economy and prepare for advancement
Feudal Age
First military units and early aggression options
Castle Age
Powerful units, siege weapons, and key technologies
Imperial Age
Ultimate units and technologies for late-game dominance
Economy Management
A strong economy is the foundation of every successful strategy. There are four resources in AoE4:
๐พ Food
Gathered from sheep, berries, farms, fish, deer, and boar. Essential for villagers and most units.
๐ชต Wood
Gathered from trees. Used for buildings, farms, and many units.
๐ช Gold
Mined from gold deposits or earned through trade. Required for powerful units and technologies.
๐ชจ Stone
Mined from stone deposits. Used for walls, towers, castles, and some landmarks.
Golden Rule of Economy
Never stop making villagers in the early game. Aim for 100+ villagers by the 15-minute mark for a strong economy. Queue villagers constantly from your Town Center.
Resource Gathering Priorities
- Dark Age: Focus on food (sheep, berries) and wood
- Transition to Feudal: Add gold miners for age-up cost
- Feudal Age: Balance based on your strategy (more gold for knights, more food for infantry)
- Castle Age: Stone becomes important for defensive structures
Age Advancement
Advancing through the ages unlocks new buildings, units, and technologies. Each age requires specific resources and a landmark building.
Feudal Age (II)
400 Food + 200 Gold
Castle Age (III)
1200 Food + 600 Gold
Imperial Age (IV)
2400 Food + 1200 Gold
Landmark Choice: Each age-up requires building one of two landmarks. Your choice affects your strategyโsome provide economic bonuses, others military advantages. Choose based on your game plan.
Military Basics
Understanding the unit counter system is essential for combat success:
Combat Tips
- Always scout your opponent to see what units they're making
- Produce the counter units to their army composition
- Use hotkeys to control your army more efficiently
- Protect your siege weaponsโthey're vulnerable but powerful
Best Civilizations for Beginners
These civilizations are excellent for learning the game:
๐ด๓ง๓ข๓ฅ๓ฎ๓ง๓ฟ English
Strong longbowmen, network of castles bonus, and straightforward gameplay. Perfect for learning fundamentals.
Strength: Early aggression๐ซ๐ท French
Powerful knights, economic bonuses, and clear win conditions. Great for aggressive players.
Strength: Knight rushes๐ท๐บ Rus
Unique bounty system rewards hunting. Strong economy and versatile military options.
Strength: Economic flexibilityPro Tips for New Players
- Always be producing villagers โ Your economy is your lifeline
- Scout early and often โ Information wins games
- Learn hotkeys โ They dramatically improve your speed
- Watch pro players โ YouTube and Twitch are great learning resources
- Play against AI first โ Practice build orders before ranked
- Don't float resources โ If you have 1000+ of a resource, spend it
- Control map resources โ Sacred sites and relics provide advantages
- Build multiple production buildings โ More barracks = faster army
Ready for More?
Check out our build order guides to learn specific strategies, or explore civilization guides for detailed civ breakdowns.