Age of Empires IV has a simple premise, where you start a civilization, build and expand it, and progress through multiple ages. The objectives are clearly explained, but you need to understand all the elements and mechanics if you want to win. This guide will explain the gameplay, mechanics, ages, and how to win.
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Age of Empires IV gameplay
The game’s gameplay is simple because each match essentially follows the same cycle
Train villagers
Collect resources
Build and expand
Build military units
Advance through the ages
Adapt to the ages
Attack or defend
Economy
You grow and advance by building a strong economy, as everything is linked to your being financially prosperous. If you have bought the game from LootBar or a similar marketplace, you can try different strategies to build a strong economy.
Villagers
Training villagers is also essential to building a strong economy, and is a core element in the game.
Scouts
Scouting is essential, as it helps you see what your opponents are planning and base your strategy on it.
Understanding how you win in the Age of Empires IV
Before we get into anything else, it's important for you to first understand what the win condition is in the Age of Empires IV.
You win by:
Destroying all enemy landmarks
Forcing a surrender
Taking control of key map objectives
Winning isn’t done just by killing, and you must ensure you destroy your opponent’s economy and future. This is why strategies must deal with economic and geopolitical warfare.
Choosing a beginner-friendly civilization
Each civilization in the game has different pros and cons, but here are the two that beginners will find better initially.
English
Easy for the early game
Provides a learning curve
Has strong defenses
French
Has a strong army
Has economic buffs
Has a simple, aggressive strategy
Other civilizations, such as the Mongols, are more complex, and you should wait until you understand the gameplay and mechanics before you experiment with them.
How many ages are in Age of Empires IV
There are a total of four ages in the game.
Dark Age
This is the first age, and where each civilization starts.
You must focus on your economy and scouting
You have limited options
You need to strategize and build to advance
To progress:
Train villagers and scouts
Gather sheep and food
Explore with scouts
Build structures
Create early combat units
Keep the strategy simple in the Dark Age:
Gather resources
Scout the map
Avoid unnecessary combat
Feudal Age
This is the second age in the game, and you have more options.
Combat becomes more common
Military options start forming
Strategy changes from training and gathering to planning your next move
You will notice
Small-scale battles
Economic and military expansion
This age unlocks:
Archers and Cavalry
Military structures
Early sieges
The strategy also changes:
You should focus on building your army, so you are better defended
Scout enemies to know their moves
Protect your economy from raids
Castle Age
This is the third age, and when your strategies matter the most, as you will either enter the last age strong or weak.
You will see stronger armored units
Siege warfare begins
Controlling your territories becomes essential
This age brings:
Knights
Crossbowmen
Siege weapons
Relics
Keeps
Sacred Sites
You must:
Multitask fighting and boosting your economy
Prioritize adapting and controlling
Secure relics for a long-lasting economy
Imperial Age
The final age of the game.
Fully upgraded units
Larger-scale battles
Maximum economic potential
Unlocks:
Top-tier upgrades
Stronger siege
Wonder construction
Gameplay:
Constantly strive to protect your resources and economy
Mistakes can break you
To win:
Destroy landmarks
Control Sacred Sites
Build a Wonder to force a win
Economy management
A strong economy is instrumental to winning, and most losses occur because you fail financially rather than perish in battle.
Villagers: Continue building villagers, at least 100 is normal for the game
Laziness: Villagers fooling around will lead to the wastage of resources
Balance: Collect resources but don’t go overboard, as too much of one will lead to issues
Explaining combat
Combat is important, but not a make-or-break game type in the early game.
Units:
Spearmen: Anti-cavalry
Archers: Ranged units
Cavalry: Used for raids
Siege: For destroying structures
Focus on one or two units in the beginning, based on your strategy.
Landmark mechanics
You must choose a landmark in each age, which will replace your tech tree progression.
Landmarks are important structures
Destroying them helps you win
You must strategize around them
Map control
Controlling your surroundings is an important aspect of winning.
You must control:
Gold and other resources
Relics
Sacred Sites
What are Sacred Sites?
Sacred Sites are important map locations that become instrumental in the late game.
They are:
Fixed locations on the map
Found in neutral territories
Can be captured by the army or monks
How they work:
You can capture them by standing near them
Once captured, they generate a timer
Control all Sacred Sites long enough to win the game
What are Wonders
Wonders are a late-game win condition that requires you to build a large structure.
How they work:
You build the Wonder
Protect it until the timer runs out to win
Your opponent can destroy the wonder to stop your win
Common mistakes
These are some of the most common mistakes players make when playing Age of Empires IV.
Ignoring villagers: Your economy will suffer if you don't continue making villagers
Wasting resources: Not using collected resources means inefficiency
Ignoring scouting: Not scouting will lead to unexpected raids
Prioritizing combat: While combat is important, ignoring other elements will also be an issue
Build only military units: You won’t win just by having a strong army
Conclusion
Age of Empires IV is challenging because of how unpredictable things are in the game, but it can become easier if you learn how the mechanics work. Focusing on your economy, building villagers, and fighting only when necessary is a good strategy to win. Once you learn the ropes, you can start using different civilizations. If you are ready to build and expand your civilization, you can get the Age of Empires IV Steam key from LootBar.
