Fast Castle · Berries — Japanese AoE4
Forge, berries and Kura Storehouse (0:00–5:41)
Start the Kura Storehouse at 2:25 with a single villager and reach Age II at 5:41 with 23 villagers: 3 on gold at a Forge, sheep then berries, an Outpost on the gold.
- 0:05 — 5 villagers on sheep; the sixth builds a Farmhouse next to the berries. The Town Center rallies on sheep.
- 0:20 — Rally the Town Center on gold: the next 3 villagers go there.
- 0:25 — The first villager to reach the gold builds a Forge next to the vein.
- 0:30 — Farmhouse done: Tawara.
- 1:02 — Tawara finished: the sheep villagers move to the berries; rally on sheep.
- 2:25 — One sheep villager builds the Kura Storehouse: that is the age-up. New villagers go to gold.
- 2:35 — While it builds: 3 sheep villagers to wood, 1 to gold.
- 3:55 — With 100 wood, an Outpost on the gold.
- 4:05 — With 50 wood: the 3 wood villagers go back to sheep and 1 villager builds a Farmhouse.
- 4:55 — Put the 8 sheep villagers in a control group (Ctrl + number): they are the ones who will build the Floating Gate.
Floating Gate at 6:30 (5:41–7:45)
Start the Floating Gate at 6:30 with 8 sheep villagers and put up the Stable as soon as you have 150 wood: Age III at 7:45 with 29 villagers.
- 5:41 — Age II. Gold Outpost: Arrowslits.
- 6:30 — Age up with the Floating Gate: the 8 sheep villagers build it, then go to wood. Rally on sheep.
- 7:15 — At 28 villagers out of 30 population, a Farmhouse.
- 7:44 — With 150 wood, a Stable.
Mounted Samurai and relics (7:45)
Produce Mounted Samurai non-stop, grab the relics and go up to 10 villagers on gold to sustain production.
- 7:45 — The first Yorishiro goes in the Stable, the second in the Town Center, the third in the Farmhouse.
- 8:30 — 5 sheep villagers to gold.
- 8:35 — Mounted Samurai non-stop, villagers from the Town Center, Daimyo Manor as soon as you have enough stone. Go and get the relics.
- — Depending on the enemy composition: 3 Archery Ranges and 1 Barracks.
- — A Shinto Shrine, to place the relics in.
- — At the Forge: Iron Undermesh, then Tatara, Steeled Arrow and Specialized Pick. At the Farmhouse: Takezaiku; at the Kura Storehouse: Double Broadax if you play macro.
Tips
- Variant (VortiX): the Kura Storehouse with 4 villagers from 2:24 gives Age II at 4:03; Outpost on the gold at 4:25, Floating Gate around 7:05 with 10 villagers, Age III around 8:00.
- Variant (Swaggy Professor): 4 builders on the Kura Storehouse, Age II at 4:25, Floating Gate at 6:30 with 8 villagers, Age III at 7:45; Daimyo Manor as soon as you have 175 stone.
- To produce Mounted Samurai and villagers non-stop you need about 20 villagers on food and 10 on gold (Swaggy Professor); after that 2 Archery Ranges and 10 Yumi Ashigaru around 10:45.
- No army before Age III: keep 100 wood for the gold Outpost and watch your opponent; against a very aggressive player, prefer “Two Spearmen, then Fast Castle”.
- Against knight civilizations, Swaggy Professor suggests Onna-Musha instead of Mounted Samurai.
Source: AoE4 Guides