Shinobi · Horsemen — Japanese AoE4
Barracks, Forge, Koka Township (0:00–5:00)
Reach Age II at 5:00 with 21 villagers: 2 Spearmen from the Barracks, 3 villagers on gold at a Forge, then 4 sheep villagers build the Koka Township around 3:50.
- 0:00 — 3 villagers on food, 2 on wood, and the sixth builds a Barracks then a Farmhouse on the berries. Rally on sheep. Two Spearmen come out of the Barracks.
- 2:00 — At 8 villagers on food, 1 wood villager moves to gold and builds the Forge; rally on gold until 3 on gold.
- 3:00 — With 3 on gold, rally on sheep; when Tawara is almost done, 7 or 8 sheep villagers move to the berries.
- 3:50 — Age up: 4 sheep villagers build the Koka Township.
- 4:00 — While it builds: 3 berry villagers to wood, and rally on wood.
Shinobi and Horsemen, then Floating Gate (5:00–9:00)
Apply pressure with Shinobi and 3 Horsemen, then start the Floating Gate around 7:40 with 9 to 12 sheep villagers: Age III around 9:00 with 32 villagers.
- 5:00 — Koka Township done: queue Shinobi; the 4 builders go to gold; 2 wood villagers build a Stable then go to sheep. The Stable produces 3 Horsemen for the pressure.
- 7:40 — Age up: between 9 and 12 sheep villagers build the Floating Gate; rally on wood.
Mounted Samurai, safely (9:00)
Redistribute the villagers as soon as the Floating Gate is done: 12 on gold and 13 to 15 on food, then Mounted Samurai.
- 9:00 — The Floating Gate builders reshape the economy: 12 on gold, 13 to 15 on food. Then Mounted Samurai.
Tips
- Designed by VortiX to harass the opponent in Age II while keeping a safe Age III transition, around 8 to 9 minutes, that leads into Mounted Samurai.
- Shinobi destroy buildings: very effective against a civilization that relies on its housing to grow, like the Malians.
- Variant (taktaktab): no Barracks; 6 villagers on sheep then a Forge on the gold; the Scout finds deer early, the 6 villagers go there with Survival Techniques; Koka Township at 3:00 with 4 sheep villagers, Age II around 4:20.
- Shinobi and Horsemen are there to delay the opponent: use them to harass, not to fight battles.
- The 2 Spearmen come out right from the start of the game, before the Koka Township.
Source: AoE4 Guides