Winning battles in Age of Empires IV feels amazing. Losing an entire army because you forgot your opponent had twenty mangonels hiding behind a tree line feels slightly less amazing.
The difference between average players and strong players is rarely about who clicks faster. Mechanical skill helps, but Age of Empires IV rewards players who understand timing, positioning, economy and decision-making. A smaller army with the right upgrades and control can destroy a much larger force that simply walks forward hoping for the best.
Here are the key ways to turn more fights in your favour.
Scout Before You Fight
The cheapest unit in the game often decides the most expensive battles.
Scouting tells you:
- What units your opponent is creating
- Where their army is positioned
- Whether they are attacking or booming
- If they have exposed villagers
- When they are moving to a new age
Too many players build an army, march across the map and discover the enemy has the perfect counter waiting.
Before attacking, ask:
“Do I actually know what I am about to fight?”
If the answer is no, your brave army may just be delivering free experience points.
Good scouting habits:
- Keep your scout alive after the opening minutes
- Place units near important crossings
- Use outposts for vision
- Check enemy production buildings
- Watch gold and stone locations
Information wins wars before swords are even drawn.
Learn The Counter System
Age of Empires IV battles are built around counters. Expensive units are not automatically better if they are fighting the wrong enemy.
Basic counters:
| Your Enemy Uses | Respond With |
|---|---|
| Knights | Spearmen, crossbowmen |
| Men-at-arms | Crossbowmen, handcannoneers |
| Spearmen | Archers |
| Archers | Horsemen |
| Siege weapons | Springalds, cavalry attacks |
| Mass infantry | Mangonels |
A group of knights looks terrifying until they charge directly into upgraded spearmen. At that point they become very expensive horse-shaped mistakes.
Keep Your Economy Working During Battles
A common mistake is focusing entirely on combat while your base quietly stops functioning.
Winning one fight means very little if:
- Your Town Centre stops producing villagers
- Resources pile up unused
- Upgrades are forgotten
- Production buildings sit idle
Strong players fight and build at the same time.
During every battle, keep checking:
- Are villagers still training?
- Am I spending resources?
- Do I need more production buildings?
- Are upgrades researching?
The player with the stronger economy can often lose a fight and still win the war.
Upgrade Before Major Attacks
Two similar armies can perform completely differently because of technology.
Important upgrades include:
- Blacksmith attack improvements
- Armour upgrades
- Unit-specific technologies
- Veteran and elite upgrades
- University technologies in late game
Charging into battle without upgrades is like turning up to a tournament with a wooden practice sword. Technically brave, definitely questionable.
Before a big push, spend thirty seconds checking your upgrades.
Stop Taking Bad Fights
Knowing when not to fight is one of the biggest skills in Age of Empires IV.
Avoid battles when:
- The enemy has defensive buildings supporting them
- Your units are badly countered
- Your army is split
- You are fighting uphill into siege
- Reinforcements are too far away
Retreating is not losing. Sometimes saving your army and returning stronger is the move that wins the game.
Protect Your Siege Weapons
Siege units decide many late-game battles.
Powerful siege options:
- Mangonels punish grouped units
- Trebuchets destroy defensive positions
- Bombards break buildings quickly
- Springalds remove enemy siege
The mistake is treating siege like normal units. They need protection.
Place:
- Spearmen near siege against cavalry attacks
- Infantry in front as a shield
- Ranged units behind your frontline
A single mangonel shot can change a battle. A mangonel abandoned in front of enemy cavalry becomes expensive firewood.
Use Formations And Positioning
Where your army fights matters.
Better positioning includes:
- Placing ranged units behind melee units
- Avoiding narrow areas against siege
- Surrounding enemy forces when possible
- Fighting near your reinforcements
- Protecting weaker units
Do not simply select everything and right-click forward. That strategy works until your army meets someone who discovered the magic of pressing more than one button.
Raid Your Enemy
You do not need to destroy an army to win.
Sometimes the best battle is the one happening inside your opponent’s economy.
Effective raids target:
- Villagers on gold
- Trade routes
- Farms
- New Town Centres
- Exposed landmarks
Fast units are ideal:
- Horsemen
- Knights
- Camel Riders
- Mounted unique units
Even killing a few villagers forces your opponent to react, giving you more control over the game.
Build More Production Buildings
A hidden reason players lose battles is slow reinforcement.
Having 2,000 resources saved sounds good until you realise those resources should already be fighting.
As the game progresses, add:
- More Barracks
- More Archery Ranges
- More Stables
- Extra Siege Workshops
A player replacing their army every minute will usually beat someone waiting five minutes to rebuild.
Understand Timing Attacks
Timing attacks happen when your civilisation reaches a temporary advantage.
Examples:
- Reaching Feudal Age first
- Unlocking a strong unique unit
- Completing important upgrades
- Advancing before your opponent
- Building siege earlier
Age of Empires IV is about windows of opportunity.
If you wait forever, your advantage disappears.
Control The Map
Map control gives you resources and options.
Focus on:
- Sacred Sites
- Neutral markets
- Gold deposits
- Relic locations
- Important crossings
Players trapped inside their base slowly run out of choices. The player controlling the map usually controls how the game ends.
Learn Your Civilisation Strengths
Every civilisation fights differently.
Examples:
- English excel with defensive play and Longbow pressure
- French can dominate early with Royal Knights
- Mongols thrive through mobility and aggression
- Abbasid forces gain strong technology and flexible options
- Chinese armies scale dangerously with economy and dynasty bonuses
Trying to play every civilisation the same way removes what makes them powerful.
Review Your Losses
Nobody enjoys watching themselves lose, but replays reveal everything.
Look for:
- When your opponent gained an advantage
- Whether your army composition was wrong
- Idle villagers
- Missed upgrades
- Poor engagements
Most games are not lost in one dramatic moment. They are usually lost through small mistakes stacking together.
Winning Battles Before They Begin
Age of Empires IV battles are decided by preparation as much as combat. A well-scouted opponent, a balanced army and a strong economy will beat random aggression more often than not.
The best players are not just controlling soldiers. They are controlling information, resources and timing.
Also, remember the ancient RTS rule: if your entire army disappears in three seconds, blame the mangonels first. Then watch the replay and discover it was probably your fault.
