Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition 'Fast Castle' strategy guide

Fast Castle strategy in action Source: Windows Central

Age of Empires Two, the archetype existent-time strategy (RTS) game, has been remade and released in a Definitive Edition for its 20th anniversary. New artwork, new animations, and new civilizations are included, but some strategies are still paramount in winning matches. Let's accept a look at the "Fast Castle" strategy, including how it works, why information technology'south constructive, and what to do once you pull it off.

See our Age of Empires Two: Definitive Edition Ultimate Beginner'south Guide

An RTS for the ages

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Historic period of Empires II: Definitive Edition

A lot of game for the asking price

Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition manages to make the classic RTS feel new while not straying away from what made the game smashing in the first identify.

Why Fast Castle?

Knights attacking an opponent who is still in Feudal Age Source: Windows Central

The Fast Castle strategy aims to get your civilisation to the Castle Historic period in less than 17 minutes. Along with the powerful upgrades and buildings yous receive in this age, you should have plenty of resources at your disposal to begin creating war machine units or to continue booming your economy.

The Fast Castle strategy is certainly not foolproof, and information technology'due south not going to work in every game. If you lot're rushed past the enemy, for example, y'all'll probable have to modify your program to defend your base of operations. Notwithstanding, if the strategy can be pulled off, it sets y'all up for a stiff mid and belatedly game confronting whatever opponent.

Once you reach the Castle Age, you essentially have 2 reliable options. You tin can continue to boom your economy if you're not being threatened, or you tin can begin producing knights to harass the enemy.

What you need to do to Fast Castle

There are multiple versions of the Fast Castle strategy out in that location, and you can certainly take these steps and mold them to your liking, specially if you're playing a civilization that comes with certain economical benefits. However, these are the basics to help you become to Castle Age in less than 17 minutes. Most civilizations start with three villagers and a scout, which is what nosotros'll focus on here.

Immediately queue up equally many villagers every bit possible in your Town Center (TC). You never want to permit your TC idle.
Your sentinel should exist on the movement, searching out domesticated animals (like sheep) and wild animals (like boars) near your TC. Immediately send any constitute sheep to your TC.
Ship two villagers (one, two) to build i business firm. Call back to save room for farms effectually your TC.
Ship the other villager (3) to build a carve up house.
The new villager (4) created should brainstorm harvesting sheep under the TC.
Send villagers (ane, 2, 3) to harvest sheep once houses are built. Endeavor to e'er harvest one animal at a time to avert wasting food due to carcass decay

Houses are built and first villagers are harvesting cows and sheep. Source: Windows Central

Send new villagers (v, half dozen) created past the TC to harvest sheep. Go along queuing new villagers at the TC to avert any downtime.
Ship new villager (7) to build a lumber army camp on a large dodder of trees found by your scout. This will serve equally your chief woodline, and so try to find a spot that'due south not easy to attack.
Send new villagers (8, ix) to chop wood.
Ship new villager (10) to build a house virtually the boar you've found with your sentinel. Pro players will often position houses betwixt chokepoints to wall out enemies without actually using walls.
Send new villager (11) to chop wood at the woodline.
Attack boar with villager (10) who congenital your third business firm. Allow the villager to land two arrow shots before running back to the TC. This ensures the boar doesn't give up and return to its original spot. The villager (x) will take some impairment, but try to get the boar as close as possible to your TC. When in range, order the villagers harvesting sheep to attack the boar to bring it downward as quickly as possible.

Villager luring a boar back to the Town Center Source: Windows Central

Send new villager (12) to chop wood. Consider harvesting the straggler trees effectually your TC to make room for future farms.
Send new villager (13) to build a manufacturing plant next to the berries your scout has discovered.
Send new villagers (14, xv) to harvest berries.
Pay attention to the food remaining in the boar at your TC. This is at present fabricated easier thanks to resource health bars in the Definitive Edition. Once the boar has nigh 100 food remaining, pull one of the harvesting villagers abroad to lure the other boar you've scouted well-nigh your TC.
Send new villager (16) to harvest berries.
Send new villager (17) to build a business firm. Move to harvest berries after completion.
Ship new villagers (18, 19) to harvest berries.
Send new villager (20) to build a house near an untouched treeline. This villager will help build a new lumber camp on a secondary treeline in one case complete.
Send new villager (21) to help build new lumber army camp at new treeline. Splitting upwards your lumberjacks help confronting raids where one treeline is threatened.
Send new villagers (22, 23, 24) to chop forest at the new lumber camp.

Two lumber camps and a mill with villagers at work Source: Windows Central

Brainstorm building farms with the food harvesters most your TC every bit wood stocks permit.
Transport new villager (25) to build a mining military camp on the safest gold near your TC.
Send new villagers (26, 27) to mine gold.
Research Feudal Age at your TC. You should have 14 villagers collecting food, 10 villagers collecting wood, and three villagers collecting gold.
Pull ane lumberjack villager away from wood and build a barracks while Feudal Age is researched. Effort to place information technology nearly the forepart of your base in order to quickly mobilize units. Move the villager back to wood once finished building.
Once Feudal Historic period research is consummate, immediately queue up to more villagers at your TC.

Blacksmith built in anticipation for Castle Age Source: Windows Cardinal

Upon completion of Feudal Age enquiry, you lot have a couple of logical options to thrive in the Castle Age. If you're interested in producing knights, yous'll want to build a stable and blacksmith. If you'd rather boom your economic system because you lot're not feeling threatened past the enemy, a blacksmith and market is a better choice.

Pull three berry harvesters away and build a blacksmith and your pick of second Feudal Age building.
Send new villagers (28, 29) to mine gold for knights or to chop woods for booming.
Research Castle Age at your TC.
Research Double-bit Axe at your lumber camp.
Research Horse Collar at your mill.

Quick-glance summary of Fast Castle steps

Don't forget to research crucial resource upgrades Source: Windows Cardinal

To easier follow while in-game, here are the basic steps in an easy-to-read format.

Villagers (1, 2, 3) build houses then harvest sheep.
Villagers (4, 5, six) harvest sheep.
Villager (7) builds lumber camp.
Villagers (8, 9) chop wood.
Villager (ten) builds house so lures boar.
Villagers (xi, 12) chop wood.
Villager (13) builds manufactory on berries.
Villagers (14, xv, 16) harvest berries.
One boar harvester lures in second boar to TC.
Villager (17) builds house then harvests berries.
Villagers (18, 19) harvest berries.
Villager (20) builds house then builds lumber campsite on new treeline.
Villager (21, 22, 23, 24) chop wood at new treeline.
Villager (25) builds mining campsite.
Villagers (26, 27) mine aureate.
Research Feudal Historic period.
One lumberjack builds barracks.
Villager (28, 29) mine gold or chop forest based on strategy.
Three berry harvesters build blacksmith and stable or marketplace based on strategy.
Inquiry Castle Age.
Research Double-flake Axe at your lumber campsite.
Inquiry Horse Neckband at your mill.

What to do when y'all reach Castle Age

Knights queued up at the stable Source: Windows Central

Once yous've hit Castle Age, you should already know whether or not you're going to proceed booming your economy or if you lot're going to begin producing knights to assault the enemy. In any case, you want to continue creating villagers -- likewise research Loom if you oasis't already at some point -- and be sure to build plenty houses to support your growing population.

If you're going all-in on knights, build at least some other stable for faster production. Blacksmith upgrades for cavalry are available, but be sure you don't sap your economy past researching them too before long. Continue building farms equally wood allows, send villagers to mine gilded, and consider mining rock if yous plan on building multiple actress TCs or a castle. Yous desire to keep your economy counterbalanced, so if yous notice a considerable surplus of one resource coming in, you can movement villagers elsewhere.

If yous're booming your economic system, build actress TCs in strategic locations, and go on producing villagers from all TCs. Research economy upgrades, and don't forget to trade with centrolineal players at their markets. Yous're going to be attacked at some signal, walls or not, then plan on building up a war machine sooner rather than later.

When does the Fast Castle strategy piece of work best?

The Fast Castle strategy works best on country maps where you lot don't have to worry about a naval military, and it works best if yous're left to your own devices. Keep in listen you won't be able to Fast Castle in every game, and you'll likely be interrupted at some signal by aggression from the enemy.

A Fast Castle is particularly potent in team games where you lot're positioned as the "pocket" player. This ways you're in between a couple of allies, tucked away from the trigger-happy frontlines. This gives you more time to boom and produce units without dealing with pressure level, and your allies will benefit from any resources you can sling their mode as they defend the homeland.

And if yous're tower rushed past Koreans in the Feudal Historic period while you're decorated getting set for a quick trip to Castle Historic period, forget everything mentioned here. Send villagers to mine rock, build defensive towers, and start praying.

An RTS for the ages

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

A lot of game for the request price

Historic period of Empires II: Definitive Edition manages to make the classic RTS feel new while not straying away from what made the game great in the first place.

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An internet connection will soon be required when setting up Windows 11 Pro

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An internet connection will soon exist required when setting up Windows 11 Pro

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