Donsos · Cattle — Malians AoE4
Pit Mine, then the Quarry (0:00–4:11)
Place the Pit Mine and its 7 Houses with 150 wood, have 14 villagers on food at 2:45, then click the Mansa Quarry: Age II arrives at 4:11 with 18 villagers.
- 0:00 — 5 villagers chop a straggler tree up to 150 wood, then go to food; the sixth builds the Pit Mine and 7 Houses around it, gathers 10 gold, then goes to food.
- 0:20 — The next villager chops a second straggler tree up to 25 wood, then goes to food; rally on food until 14.
- 2:45 — Age up: 5 food villagers build the Mansa Quarry; 5 others go chop wood, 50 on a straggler tree then a Lumber Camp on the woodline. Rally on wood up to 10.
- 3:40 — A woodcutter builds a Mill on the berries, then goes back to wood.
Donsos, javelins, then cattle (4:11)
Get 7 Donsos and 4 Javelin Throwers out before 7:00 with 26 villagers, build Cattle Ranches, then go up to Age III with at least 12 cows (20 if the opponent goes Fast Castle).
- 4:11 — Age II: Wheelbarrow and Double Broadax. The Quarry builders go back to food.
- 4:35 — A Barracks, built by 1 food villager: Donso production. Rally on food once 10 are on wood.
- 5:05 — An Archery Range: Javelin Thrower production.
- 5:50 — 1 woodcutter builds a second Pit Mine, with its 7 Houses and a Mining Camp, guarded by 2 Donsos and 2 Javelin Throwers, then goes back to food.
- 6:10 — Horticulture; production goes on: 7 Donsos and 4 Javelin Throwers.
- 6:55 — A Cattle Ranch built by 1 food villager, then 3 Cattle.
- 7:00 — 5 food villagers go to the deer, 4 of them build a Mill near the deer, 1 a Toll Outpost; the army protects them and kills the deer near the Mill.
- 7:30 — Restart 7 Donsos and 4 Javelin Throwers, then keep making units until you have at least 12 cows: only then go to Age III. If the opponent goes 2 Town Centers and Fast Castle, stop making units and aim for 20 cows before Age III.
- 7:55 — 2 food villagers move to wood.
Tips
- The Mansa Quarry yields 75 gold per minute and the Pit Mine 36, without depleting the vein: no villager is put on gold in this build.
- Do not go up to Age III under 12 cows; if the opponent goes 2 Town Centers and Fast Castle, no more units, but 20 cows before Age III.
- Escort the 5 deer hunters with the army and kill the deer near the Mill, to relay the sheep.
- Variant: raspoutek has the Mansa Quarry produce stone against an aggressive opponent, to place Toll Outposts near the deer and the gold.
- Variant: BeksBE (defensive) puts only 4 villagers on the Mansa Quarry, reaches Age II at 4:30, builds the Barracks with those 4 builders, then the Archery Range and the Blacksmith at 5:24.
Source: AoE4 Guides