21Â POPULATION SCOUTS INTO KNIGHTS
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 and then transitioning into Knights in the Castle Age. 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 version has a transition into Knights to provide a strong, mobile power spike in Castle Age. This build order is for a generic civilization so does not account for any specific bonuses. It is ideally suited to the Cavalry player in a team game.
With a Scouts build order, the aim is to get Scouts out as quickly as possible while maintaining constant production of Scouts and Villagers. By the end of the Scouts section of this build order (after you have 14 on farms), instead of going into Knights, 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 be sensible instead to transition into Archers or Skirmishers to pick off the Spearment, allowing your Scouts free rein to disrupt their economy. Other times, it may be more beneficial to Advance to the Castle Age as soon as possible in order to build a Castle and then produce your unique unit.
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.
5 TO GOLD, BUILD A BLACKSMITH
Wood 10 Food 18
Gold 5 Stone 0
Total Vils: 33
Begin sending Villagers to gold in order to save the gold ready to progress to Castle Age. As the berries run out, move those Villagers onto farms. Build a Blacksmith in preparation for the upgrades you will Research while ageing up.
RESEARCH WHEELBARROW AND CLICK UP TO CASTLE AGE
Wood 10 Food 18
Gold 5 Stone 0
Total Vils: 33
Once you have the Villagers on gold, research Wheelbarrow in order to make your farmers more efficient and then click to advance to Castle Age.
Advancing to Castle Age
RESEARCH BLOODLINES, SCALE BARDING ARMOUR AND GOLD MINING, BUILD SECOND STABLE
Wood 10 Food 18
Gold 5 Stone 0
Total Vils: 33
Once clicking up, research Bloodlines from the Stable to give your Cavalry extra HP. Scale Barding Armour from the Blacksmith to give the Cavalry extra armour. Gold Mining from the Mining Camp to improve the collection rate. Build a second Stable ready for the start of Castle Age to allow increased production.
Castle Age
CONTINUE PRODUCING VILLAGERS, MAKE KNIGHTS FROM BOTH STABLES
Wood 10 Food 18
Gold 5 Stone 0
Total Vils: 33
Keep adding Villagers to food and gold to allow you to support production from additional Town Centres and Stables. Produce Knights as fast as possible, ensuring even spread of the production queue.
RESEARCH BOWSAW, CHAIN BARDING ARMOUR, ADD TOWN CENTRES
Wood 10+ Food 18+
Gold 5+ Stone 0+
Total Vils: 33+
Research Bowsaw to improve the collection rate of wood. Research Chain Barding Armour to increase the armour for your Knights. When you have the available resources, add additional Town Centres, one on a woodline and one on a gold.
RESEARCH FORGING, IRON CASTING AND HUSBANDRY. ADD MORE STABLES
Wood 10+ Food 18+
Gold 5+ Stone 0+
Total Vils: 33+
Research Forging and Iron Casting as soon as possible to increase the damage output for the Knights. Research Husbandry when one of the Stables is idle to increase the speed of your Knights. Add in more stables as soon as you can to increase production of Knights. Continue producing Villagers and Knights whilst saving for Imperial Age. Focus on adding farms to improve your food income. You will need 1000 food and 800 gold to advance to the Imperial Age.
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 with 2 Villagers
Research double bit axe and horse collar
1 on wood
Sheep/boar Villagers build farms
All new Villagers to farms until 14 farms
Next 5 Villagers on gold
Make Blacksmith ASAP
Research Wheelbarrow
Advance to Castle Age ASAP
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Advancing to Castle Age
Research Bloodlines and Scale Barding Armour
Research Gold Mining
Build second Stable
Castle Age
Continue producing villagers
Make Knights from both Stables
Build additional Town Centres, aim for one on gold and one on a woodline
Research Bowsaw
Research Chain Barding Armour as soon as possible
Research Forging and Iron Casting when you can afford them
Research Husbandry as soon as possible
Add extra Stables as soon as you have the food and gold to sustain production
VARIATIONS
Scouts Into Skirmishers
Scouts Into Unique Unit
20 Population Scouts
19 Population Scouts (Mongols)