VINCHESTER'S FAST CASTLE WITH GALLEYS
OVERVIEW
DETAILED BUILD ORDER
QUICK REFERENCE BUILD ORDER
OTHER PRO BUILDS
OVERVIEW
Vinchester used this build order in the Hidden Cup IV Qualifiers on Islands. He managed to hit Castle Age around 17 minutes with Italians but he did not utilise their cheaper up time. This can therefore be done with any civ.
This is an advanced build order, it requires deer pushing, luring the boars with your scout and many transitions on the way to Feudal Age but if done well, gives you a really strong build.
You can find the recording of this here.
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.
4 ON WOOD
Wood 4 Food 6
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 10
Build a Lumber Camp with the first of these 4Â against the woodline, ensuring there is space to go around both sides. After 2 Villagers are on wood, push in your first deer. Ensure 2 Villagers are on each side of the Lumber Camp.
1 HOUSE THEN DOCK
Wood 4 Food 6
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 11
The 11th Villager goes out to build a house before building the dock. Make sure this is at the back to allow time to mass Galleys. While this house is being built, lure the boar under your Town Centre using your Scout.
1 TO WOOD, 3 TO FOOD, LURE 2ND BOAR
Wood 5 Food 10
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 15
Add another Villager to wood and push in another deer using the Scout. Then 3 more to food under the Town Centre. While the fishing Villager builds another house before resuming fishing. Lure the second boar with your Scout
1 TO WOOD, 2 FISHING SHIPS, 2 TO FOOD
Wood 6 Food 12
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 18
Add another Villager to wood and two more to food, building two fishing ships at this time.
5 FROM FOOD TO WOOD, 2 MORE FISHING SHIPS
Wood 11 Food 9
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 20
Once the second deer has run out, move 5 villagers to straggler trees including 2 new Villagers, leaving 8Â taking food from the boar. Add two more fishing ships.
LOOM AND CLICK UP
Wood 11 Food 9
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. As soon as you have clicked up, be ready for transitions.
Advancing to Feudal Age
8 FROM FOOD TO WOOD
Wood 19 Food 1
Gold 0 Stone 0
Total Vils: 20
Move 6Â Villagers from food under the Town Centre to collect wood, building a new Lumber Camp . The other 2 Villagers can go to straggler trees.
4 TO GOLD, BUILD A HOUSE
Wood 14 Food 1
Gold 4 Stone 0
Total Vils: 20
Send 4 Villagers from straggler trees to build a Mining Camp on gold. Send 1 Villager to build two houses.
BUILD A NEW DOCK, 1 TO GOLD
Wood 12 Food 1
Gold 5 Stone 0
Total Vils: 20
Send 1 Villager from straggler trees to build a new dock then collect from shorefish. 1 Villager from straggler trees goes to gold. Queue up 2 Villagers.
Feudal Age
RESEARCHÂ DOUBLE BIT AXE, PRODUCE GALLEYS, BUILD A BLACKSMITH, RESEARCH FLETCHING
Wood 12 Food 2
Gold 5 Stone 0
Total Vils: 20
Immediately research Double Bit Axe and build a Blacksmith, researching Fletching as soon as it is finished. Produce Galleys from both Docks.
1 TO FISH, 1 FROM WOOD TO WALL
Wood 12 Food 3
Gold 5 Stone 0
Total Vils: 21
Send a new Villager to collect from shorefish. When the Villager has finished building the Blacksmith, send it to wood and send one Villager from wood to wall up (you can continue with the original builder if it is closer to the gap that needs walling).
2 FROM WOOD TO BERRIES, 5 ON SHEEP
Wood 11 Food 10
Gold 5 Stone 0
Total Vils: 25
Send 2 Villagers from wood to build a mill on the berries. Put 5 new Villagers onto sheep. When the wall Villager has finished, return it to wood.
BUILD A HOUSE AND MARKET, 3 ON SHEEP, 1 TO GOLD
Wood 11 Food 13
Gold 6 Stone 0
Total Vils: 31
Send a Villager from under the Town Centre to build a house and then a Market. 3 new Villagers to sheep and then send one new one to gold.
CLICK UP TO CASTLE AGE
Wood 11 Food 13
Gold 6 Stone 0
Total Vils: 31
Once the Market completes, click up to Castle Age.
Advancing to Castle Age
RESEARCH GOLD MINING, SEND VILLAGERS FROM SHEEP TO WOOD, BUILD 3RD DOCK, QUEUE VILLAGERS
Wood 19 Food 9
Gold 6 Stone 0
Total Vils: 31
Once clicked up, research Gold Mining from the Mining Camp to improve the gold collection rate. Send the Villagers to wood when the sheep run out. Build a 3rd Dock. Queue up new Villagers ready for reaching the Castle Age.
Castle Age
RESEARCH BODKIN ARROW AND WAR GALLEYS, SPEND YOUR RESOURCES
Wood 19 Food 9
Gold 6 Stone 0
Total Vils: 31
Prioritise researching Bodkin Arrow to increase range of the Galleys and then research War Galleys to upgrade them further.
IF YOU WISH TO GO FOR AN ECONOMY APPROACH, CONTINUE PRODUCING VILLAGERS, BUILD ADDITIONAL TOWN CENTRES
Wood 19+ Food 9+
Gold 6+ Stone 0
Total Vils: 31+
Build additional Town Centres on reaching Castle Age. Continue producing Villagers and sending them to food and wood. Research Horse Collar and start dropping farms.
IF YOU WISH TO GO FOR A MILITARY APPROACH, BUILD A UNIVERSITY, RESEARCH BALLISTICS
Wood 19+ Food 9+
Gold 6+ Stone 0
Total Vils: 31+
If you are able to take military engagements, build a University and research Ballistics to allow your War Galleys to hit moving targets more accurately. Add additional Town Centres behind this if you can afford to improve your economy.
QUICK REFERENCE BUILD ORDER
Dark Age
6 on sheep
4 on wood (pushing 1 deer after 2)
Lure boar with scout
1 on wood (push 2nd deer)
1 builds house then dock then 2nd house then fishes
Up to 9 on food under TC
1 on wood
2 fishing ships
2 on food under TC
5 from TC to wood (including 1 new Villager)
2 more fishing ships
Research Loom
Advance to Feudal Age
Advancing to Feudal Age
6 from under TC to build new Lumber Camp
1 to build 2 houses
6 to stragglers
4 from stragglers to build Mining Camp
1 from stragglers to new dock
1 from stragglers to gold
Queue 2 Villagers
Feudal Age
Research Double Bit Axe
Build Blacksmith then research Fletching
Queue Galleys from both Docks
1 to fish
1 from wood to wall, Blacksmith builder goes to wood
2 from wood to berries
Up to 5 on sheep
Wall Villager back to wood
New Villager to build 1 house then market
Up to 8 on sheep
1 to gold
Advance to Castle Age
Advancing to Castle Age
Continue Galley production throughout
Research Gold Mining
Queue Villagers
Castle Age
Research Bodkin Arrow and War Galleys upgrade
At this point, you have spare resources to do as you wish
If economy approach, add additional Town Centres
If military approach, build University and research Ballistics