19 Vils 1-Range Archers

The goal here is to reach Feudal Age fairly quickly and start massing Archers right away. This build commits to just 1 Range, since getting Fletching sooner matters more than having a 2nd Range and more army. That lets you either reach Castle Age faster, or pivot into Scouts if your opponent responds with a lot of Skirmishers. It's best played with a civilization that has both Arbalest and Bracer, since that's what you're scaling toward. It also works with a cavalry-based civilization, though you'll have to transition into a completely different unit class in mid Castle Age or Imperial Age, which can feel a bit awkward.

  1. [Dark] Send 6 villagers to sheep (pop 6)
  2. [Dark] Send 3 villagers to wood (pop 9)
  3. [Dark] Send 1 villager to boar (pop 10)
  4. [Dark] Send 1 vil to make house then mill on berries (pop 11)
  5. [Dark] [Recommended] Lure deer with your scout once you found all your sheep
  6. [Dark] Next 6 vils to hunt under TC (get the second boar during this time) (pop 17)
  7. [Dark] Send 2 villagers to wood (pop 19)
  8. [Dark] Research loom
  9. [Dark] Research Feudal Age (perfect landing time: 9:15) (pop 19)
  10. [Feudal] Move 5 vils from under TC and make a lumber camp on a second woodline (pop 19)
  11. [Feudal] Move 2 vils from under TC and send them to straggler trees (pop 19)
  12. [Feudal] Move 1 vil from under TC and make a house >barracks >back to food (pop 19)
  13. [Feudal] Move 2 vils from under TC and make a mining camp on the gold (pop 19)
  14. [Feudal] Get Double-Bit Axe (we will skip Horse Collar for now)
  15. [Feudal] Make a range and start producing archers asap
  16. [Feudal] Send 2 villagers to gold (pop 21)
  17. [Feudal] Make a blacksmith and get Fletching when you can afford it
  18. [Feudal] [Optional] Make 1-4 spears if you are scared of enemy scouts
  19. [Feudal] Move 4 more vils from TC to berries (5 total on berries) (pop 21)
  20. [Feudal] Start making farms as soon as you have the wood for it
  21. [Feudal] Start walling with 2-3 vils using a mix of houses and palisades

What next: From here, the goal is to reach Castle Age with a healthy mass of 10-15 Archers and pick up Crossbowman and Bodkin Arrow. If your opponent is attacking with a lot of Skirmishers and your walls aren't up yet, add a Stable and use a few Scouts to help your Archers defend. When you click up to Castle Age, add a second production building, either another Range or a Stable. Once in Castle Age, you have plenty of options: start with Bow Saw, Bodkin Arrow, and Crossbowman, then either add Town Centers for your economy, or invest further into military with a Monastery, University, or Siege Workshop. Which path you take depends a lot on your personal style, the civilization matchup, and your position in the game, stay flexible and weigh your options.

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