Fast Castle · Anti-knights — Macedonian Dynasty AoE4
Slow Hippodrome, Varangian Stronghold first (0:00–5:20)
Hold the Dark Age with a Varangian Stronghold on top of the Imperial Hippodrome, then reach Age II at 5:20 with 22 villagers, 6 of them miners.
- 0:00 — If there are deer: a Mill on them and Survival Techniques. Otherwise, everyone on sheep.
- 0:45 — A Varangian Warcamp and a Mining Camp: 2 villagers on gold.
- 1:35 — A third villager on gold, 8 on food.
- 2:05 — Wood starts: 1 villager on wood.
- 2:41 — Age up with the Imperial Hippodrome, at first with a single builder taken from food. One miner moves to wood, and the rally point too.
- 4:00 — A Varangian Stronghold and a House as soon as possible (3 builders): plan at least 3 or 4 Atgeirmaðr against early enemy Knights.
- 4:26 — Once the Varangian Stronghold is done, its builders help the Imperial Hippodrome. Start wooden Palisades, taking the villager closest to the wall to build. Rally on gold until 5 miners.
Atgeirmaðr, Horsemen, Arsenal (5:20–8:35)
Counter the Knights with 3 or 4 Atgeirmaðr, add 2 to 4 Hippodrome Horsemen to pressure or to protect against archers, then age up at 7:40 with 12 villagers.
- 5:20 — Age II: the new villagers have gone to gold. Count on 3 or 4 Atgeirmaðr; Hippodrome Horsemen (2 to 4) if you can pressure or if archers threaten, and more Atgeirmaðr to stop the Knights.
- 7:00 — Varangian Arsenal, then Scale Barding and Blade Inlaying as soon as possible.
- 7:40 — Age up: 12 villagers build the Age III landmark (the author does not name it).
Monastery and Riddari (8:35)
Enter Age III at 8:35 with 31 villagers, build a Monastery and get Riddari out.
- 8:35 — Age III: a Monastery, then Riddari.
Tips
- Designed against Knight openings in Age II: 3 or 4 Atgeirmaðr at the very least, more if the pressure keeps coming.
- The Hippodrome Horsemen (2 to 4) are there to pressure, or to protect yourself if the opponent masses archers.
- Wooden Palisades against the first attacks: each time, take the villager closest to the wall to build.
- Slower than “Hippodrome Fast Castle”: the Age II landmark has only one builder at the start, and Age II arrives at 5:20 instead of 4:00.
- Watch out for heavy cavalry civilizations in Age II (Japanese, French): their opening is what this build is meant to absorb.
Source: AoE4 Guides