In Age of Empires 4, knowing how the game's military units operate is vital for winning the day. Like past entries in the franchise, the unit types in Age of Empires 4 follow a rock-paper-scissors format that dictates their strengths and weaknesses. Even unique units fall within one of these broad categories.
Feeding the wrong troops into a battle where they're most likely to lose is a surefire way to waste one's army. In difficult matches and campaign scenarios, players can't afford to waste their military units in a series of lopsided engagements. Understanding the rock-paper-scissors nature of the combat is the logical first step.
Updated January 21, 2022 by Mark Hospodar: Age of Empires 4 is a return to form for the celebrated franchise. The game has proven to be a highly polished experience that should delight both fans of RTS action and history buffs.
Like its predecessors, Age of Empires 4 uses a rather simplistic method to resolve its combat. Knowing which unit types excel in a particular situation is highly useful information to possess. Furthermore, this guide has been updated to include which civilizations have an edge over the others when it comes to the game's unit types.
Light Melee Infantry
The first and most basic unit type available to the player is Light Melee Infantry. Spearmen make up the bulk of this unit type. They're primarily utilized in an anti-cavalry role, capable of taking on even the toughest enemy Knights. Spearmen, however, make easy targets for Archers.
Spearmen need to be positioned in such a way that allows them to bear the brunt of a cavalry charge. Ordering Light Melee Infantry to stand their ground makes them brace, which completely negates the charge attack bonus of enemy cavalry. Fully upgraded Spearmen can shred through mounted opponents in no time.
Civs That Excel With Light Melee Infantry - HRE
The Holy Roman Empire possesses a slight edge over the other civilizations regarding Light Melee Infantry. This fact stems from one of the HRE's unique units, the Landsknecht. These units possess no armor but pack a significant punch. Landsknecht have above-average health compared to other Light Infantry and can inflict respectable area-of-effect damage with their massive weapons.
Heavy Melee Infantry
For many civilizations, Heavy Melee Infantry, in the form of Men-at-Arms, constitutes the bulk of their armies. With plenty of armor to absorb damage, Men-at-Arms can wade into the thick of a fight while remaining relatively durable. They're perfect for slicing through Spearmen and Archers but prove vulnerable against Heavy Cavalry.
Thus, players should use Men-at-Arms against enemy infantry. Spearmen aren't quite their equals, so engaging them head-on is viable. Archers also won't stand against swords. Crossbowmen and Knights, however, represent a serious threat to Men-at-Arms. Knights can charge them into oblivion while Crossbowmen possess the range and damage to pick them apart from a distance.
Civs That Excel With Heavy Melee Infantry - Delhi Sultanate & HRE
The Delhi Sultanate can reap some nice benefits from Heavy Melee Infantry due to their unique Honed Blades technology that buffs their Men-at-Arms. Similarly, the Holy Roman Empire can field excellent Men-at-Arms, due to a handful of unique upgrades that greatly enhances their combat capabilities. The HRE can also recruit Men-at-Arms in the Feudal Age as opposed to the Castle Age.
Light Ranged Infantry
Archers and Crossbowmen, categorized as Light Ranged Infantry, can put a serious dent in enemy formations, assuming they can be protected. Utilizing Archers against slow-moving infantry, such as Spearmen, is ideal. When placed atop stone walls, Archers can absorb significant punishment coming from the ground.
Crossbowmen are even deadlier than standard Archers. They pack enough punch to take on Heavy Cavalry and Melee Infantry, causing significant damage. Nevertheless, Archers and Crossbowmen are still vulnerable against Light Cavalry and other ranged units.
Civs That Excel With Light Ranged Infantry - French, English & Chinese
The French can call upon unique Crossbowmen in the form of the Arbalétrier. These fellows can utilize Pavises, which grants them extra damage protection. The English possess their deadly Longbowmen, units that can hit their targets harder and at a greater range. Finally, the Chinese have the Zhuge Nu, Crossbowmen who can fire a burst of deadly bolts at once.
Light Cavalry
Light Cavalry units, known as Horsemen, are swift-movers on the battlefield. Though lightly armed, they're perfect for annihilating clumps of enemy Archers and Crossbowmen. They can close distances very quickly, minimizing the damage they take before entering melee range.
Certain civilizations, such as the Abbasid Dynasty and the Mongols, have access to ranged cavalry. Swapping spears for bows, these units are capable of wreaking havoc from afar. Due to their lack of heavy armor, however, Light Cavalry is quite weak against Knights, Spearmen, and Men-at-Arms.
Civs That Excel With Light Cavalry - Abbasid Dynasty & Mongols
The Abbasid Dynasty can employ excellent Light Cavalry by way of their Camel Archers and Camel Riders. The former can shoot while moving, while the latter is deadly to other cavalry units. The Mongols are the ultimate cavalry civilization. Their Mangudai, as well as a host of unique cavalry technologies, makes their horsemen almost unequaled on the battlefield.
Heavy Cavalry
Represented by Knights, Heavy Cavalry is the mobile shock troop of Age of Empires 4. Although not as swift as their lighter counterparts, Heavy Cavalry can deal and absorb plenty of damage. Charging their enemies with outstretched pikes is a devastating tactic of Heavy Cavalry. They're usefully employed against Men-at-Arms, Archers, and Horsemen.
Nevertheless, the slow nature of Heavy Cavalry makes them easy targets for Crossbowmen. Naturally, they're also extremely vulnerable to enemy Spearmen. Don't throw these valuable troops away by pitting them against a wall of pointy spears.
Civs That Excel With Heavy Cavalry - French
When it comes to Heavy Cavalry, few factions can match the French blow-for-blow. One of France's unique units, the Royal Knight, is a beefier and more dangerous version of its generic cousin. Many of their one-of-a-kind technologies, such as Royal Bloodlines, Chivalry, Cantled Saddles, etc. makes their heavy horsemen positively lethal.
Gunpowder Infantry
Gunpowder Infantry is immensely powerful on the battlefield. Restricted to the Imperial Age, Gunpowder Infantry can make mincemeat out of nearly any other type of unit. Armor, obviously, doesn't mean much against bullets. They can deal high levels of damage against both unarmored and armored opponents alike.
The main drawbacks to Gunpowder Infantry are their high cost, slow production time, and aforementioned restriction to the late game. They can be countered with other units that utilize gunpowder or swift-moving cavalry capable of rushing them. Alternatively, infantry that manages to survive within melee range can hack them apart.
Civs That Excel With Gunpowder Infantry - Rus & Chinese
Regarding the premier Gunpowder Infantry units of Age of Empires 4, it's hard to overlook the Russian civilization's Streltsy. These units possess an edge over generic Hand Cannoneers. The firepower of the Streltsy's weapons is enhanced whenever they remain stationary. The Chinese can make use of their unique Pyrotechnics upgrade, which increases the range of their gunpowder units.
Siege Artillery
Siege Artillery are the heavy-hitters of the game. Depending on their role, Siege Artillery can be used against buildings, fortifications, or enemy units. Springalds, for instance, are ideal for eliminating enemy siege equipment. Mangonels serve as highly effective anti-personnel devices.
Trebuchets possess an enormous range, capable of demolishing structures in no time. Battering Rams, though not artillery, can be built in the field to perform a similar function. Lastly, Bombards are gunpowder siege engines that can rip through stone walls and buildings with startling efficiency.
Civs That Excel With Siege Artillery - French, Chinese, Rus & Mongols
Several civilizations are proficient with siege equipment, whether gunpowder or otherwise. Speaking of gunpowder, the French and Chinese can employ a variety of unique weapons and technologies that utilize it. The Rus benefit from several upgrades that increase the effectiveness of their siege equipment. Lastly, the Mongols can call upon the Traction Trebuchet and gain bonuses from destroying enemy buildings and fortifications.
Religious Units
Every civilization in Age of Empires 4 can recruit religious units, informally known as Monks. They're not frontline soldiers, being incredibly fragile and slow. Monks can, however, act as mobile medics through their ability to heal other units.
Monks can also collect relics. When stored inside a religious building, relics generate extra Gold for the player. Enemy troops can be converted by a Monk holding a relic. Finally, Sacred Sites are captured by Monks, crucial when trying to secure a Sacred Victory.
Civs That Excel With Religious Units - HRE & Rus
For players who intend on doubling down on religious units and relic collecting, the Holy Roman Empire is the obvious choice. Their Prelates fulfill a variety of functions that buff the civilization's economy, defenses, and military forces. The Rus have the Warrior Monk, a unit that can bestow positive benefits on other units fighting on the battlefield.
Naval Units
Naval warfare doesn't represent a huge portion of the gameplay. Depending on the layout of the map, players will either invest a lot in their navies or very little. Broadly speaking, every civilization has access to many of the same naval vessels.
Non-combat vessels include Fishing Ships, meant for collecting Food, and Transport Ships. The latter is used for ferrying units across the water whenever amphibious landings are necessary. Combat ships that fire arrows, ballistae, and eventually cannons are also available at the Docks. Lastly, Demolition Ships excel at blowing enemy vessels to smithereens.
Civs That Excel With Naval Units - Abbasid Dynasty & English
The Abbasid Dynasty has the potential to build a powerful navy in a relatively fast amount of time. Docks can be built -50% cheaper compared to other factions, so players can build several of them at a fraction of the cost. Upgrades also make their Dhows more resilient. The English can construct their ships at a cheaper cost with the Shipwrights upgrade, while the combat range of their vessels is greater than most.
Age of Empires 4 is currently available on PC.