21Â POPULATION SCOUTS INTO ARCHERS
OVERVIEW
This is a build order aimed to ensure that players are able to have a stable economy to keep up constant production of Scouts and Villagers. Scouts are an excellent unit to harass the opponent’s economy early in the game and should utilise their mobility to find vulnerable points and to prevent the opponent from having walls established. They can also provide the basis for a good economy to transition into a variety of different options. This build order is for a generic civilization so does not account for any specific bonuses. It is ideally suited to a player in a 1v1 game when the opponent has committed into Spearmen or if the player intends to transition to ranged units throughout the game.
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With a Scouts build order, the aim is to get Scouts out as quickly as possible whilst still being able to maintain constant production of Scouts and Villagers. By the end of the Scouts section of this build order, instead of going into Archers, you have other options for your transitions which are situational and depend upon the game. If your opponent has produced Spearmen to counter your Scouts, it may instead be sensible to advance to the Castle Age as soon as possible in order to focus on developing your own economy as the investment into Spearmen may harm the speed with which your opponent can build their own farms – thereby delaying their own Castle Age.
DETAILED BUILD ORDER
Dark Age
6 ON SHEEP
Wood 0 Food 6
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 6
Queue villagers in the Town Centre, build 1 house with 2 Villagers and 1 house with 1 Villager. Move 1 sheep under the Town Centre (use your Scout to 'collect' them if needed). Set the gather point from the Town Centre onto the sheep and shift-queue the Villagers onto the same sheep. Use your Scout to begin scouting the map, going in concentric circles around your existing vision. Make sure there is another sheep under the Town Centre, ready for when one finishes.
3 ON WOOD
Wood 3 Food 6
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 9
Build a Lumber Camp with the first of these 3 against the woodline, ensuring there is space to go around both sides. Have 2 Villagers on one side of the Lumber Camp and 1 Villager on the other.
1 ON BOAR, 1 ON SHEEP
Wood 3 Food 8
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 11
The 10th Villager goes out to collect the boar. The 11th joins the Villagers collecting food under the Town Centre, either on sheep or boar if it is back.
3 ON BERRIES
Wood 3 Food 11
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 14
The next Villager should build 2 Houses and then begin collecting berries. The one after can build a Mill next to the berries.
1 ON BOAR, 1 ON BERRIES, 1 ON BOAR
Wood 3 Food 14
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 17
The next Villager should go to collect the boar (this may need to be adjusted and come slightly earlier if the 1st boar is down to about 30-40% food remaining). 4th Villager is added to berries before adding one more to the food under the Town Centre.
3 ON WOOD
Wood 6 Food 14
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 20
Add 3 more Villagers to wood, 2 go to the existing Lumber Camp, ensuring Villagers are well distributed, 1 goes to build a new Lumber Camp.
LOOM AND CLICK UP
Wood 6 Food 14
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 20
Research Loom, this can be queued behind the final Villager and then click to Advance to the Feudal Age. You may need to force drop resources from Villagers - again try to ensure it is queued up behind Loom to reduce idle time.
Advancing to Feudal Age
3 FROM FOOD TO WOOD, BUILD BARRACKS, QUEUE VILLAGER
Wood 9 Food 11
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 20
Move 3 Villagers from food under the Town Centre to the new Lumber Camp. When the Feudal Age research is approximately 50-60% complete, begin building a Barracks with 1 Villager (if you are slightly late on this, use 2 Villagers). Make sure you have already queued a Villager for when you reach the Feudal Age.
Feudal Age
BUILD STABLE, RESEARCH DOUBLE BIT AXE AND HORSE COLLAR
Wood 9 Food 11
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 20
Use 2 Villagers to build a Stable immediately. Then research Double Bit Axe from the Lumber Camp and Horse Collar from the Mill. Add another house. As soon as the Stable has finished building, begin producing Scout Cavalry. It may be difficult to queue more than one as well as queue Villagers, so you may need to pay extra attention to keep both producing.
1 ON WOOD
Wood 10 Food 11
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 21
Have 10 on wood total split equally between 2 Lumber Camps. As the food under the Town Centre finishes, use the Villagers to add Farms, if not enough wood, move them onto collecting from the 'straggler trees' around the Town Centre.
7 TO FARMS
Wood 10 Food 18
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 28
Continue adding Farms with each new Villager until you have a total of 14 (with 4 remaining on berries). Remember to add in a house, approximately after the 2nd of these.
BUILD 2 ARCHERY RANGES, 2 FROM BERRIES TO GOLD
Wood 10 Food 16
Gold 2 Stone 0
Total Vils: 28
Build your Archery Ranges and send 2 Villagers from berries to gold. Begin training Archers, sending them forward as soon as possible to support your Scouts by sniping Spearmen.
5 TO GOLD, BUILD A BLACKSMITH, RESEARCH FLETCHING
Wood 10 Food 16
Gold 7 Stone 0
Total Vils: 33
Begin sending Villagers to gold in order to maintain production of Archers from 2 Ranges. As the berries run out, move those Villagers onto gold. Build a Blacksmith and research Fletching.
RESEARCH WHEELBARROW AND CLICK UP TO CASTLE AGE
Wood 10 Food 14
Gold 10 Stone 0
Total Vils: 34
Once you have 7 Villagers on gold, research Wheelbarrow in order to make your farmers more efficient. Then go up to 10 Villagers on gold and then click to advance to Castle Age.
Advancing to Castle Age
RESEARCH LEATHER ARCHER ARMOUR, AND GOLD MINING, BUILD THIRD ARCHERY RANGE
Wood 10 Food 14
Gold 10 Stone 0
Total Vils: 34
Once clicked up, research Leather Archer Armour from the Blacksmith to give the Archers extra armour. Gold Mining from the Mining Camp to improve the collection rate. Build a third Archery Range ready for the start of Castle Age to allow increased production.
Castle Age
RESEARCH CROSSBOW, BODKIN ARROW AND BOWSAW
Wood 10 Food 14
Gold 10 Stone 0
Total Vils: 34
Immediately click to upgrade your Archers to Crossbowmen. Research Bodkin Arrow to increase their damage and range and research Bowsaw to increase your wood collection rate.
CONTINUE PRODUCING VILLAGERS, MAKE ARCHERS FROM ALL ARCHERY RANGES
Wood 10+ Food 14+
Gold 10 Stone 0
Total Vils: 34+
Keep adding Villagers to wood and food to allow you to prepare for additional Town Centres. Produce Crossbowmen as fast as possible, ensuring even spread of the production queue.
BUILD UNIVERSITY, RESEARCH BALLISTICS, THUMB RING AND BUILD ADDITIONAL TOWN CENTRES
Wood 10+ Food 14+
Gold 10+ Stone 0+
Total Vils: 34+
Build a University as soon as you have enough wood and research Ballistics in order to allow your Crossbowmen to hit moving targets. When you can afford it, research Thumb Ring to increase the accuracy and firing rate of your Crossbowmen. Add additional Town Centres when you can afford it.
QUICK REFERENCE BUILD ORDER
Dark Age
6 on sheep
3 on wood
1 on boar
1 on sheep
3 on berries
1 on boar
1 on berries
1 on boar
3 on wood
Research Loom
Advance to Feudal Age
Advancing to Feudal
3 from sheep/boar to wood
Build barracks
Queue next villager
Feudal
Build stable
Research double bit axe and horse collar
1 on wood
Sheep/boar Villagers build farms
All new Villagers to farms until 14 farms
Build 2 Archery Ranges
2 from berries to gold
Next Villagers on gold until you have 7
Research Wheelbarrow
Build Blacksmith, research Fletching
3 more to gold
Advance to Castle Age
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Advancing to Castle Age
Research Gold mining upgrade
Research leather archer armour
Build 3rd Archery Range
Castle Age
Research Crossbow, Bodkin Arrow & Bowsaw
Continue producing Villagers and Crossbowmen
Build University ASAP then research Ballistics
Research Thumb Ring
Add Town Centres
VARIATIONS
Scouts Into Skirmishers
Scouts Into Unique Unit
20 Population Scouts
19 Population Scouts (Mongols)