The Calvery Rush

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The Calvary Rush

In A Nutshell

Though several of the AOE Races can take advantage of this Strategy, the clear leaders in its application are the Yamato. With the cost reduction of all Stable units, this Strategy is centered around the early game, where a concentrated attack of Cavalry can devastate the opposition, slowing them down and draining their resources. If the enemy can not get to the later ages, the Yamato advantage can be exploited to Victory. Starting at Medium or High Resources is a big advantage in applying this Rush Strategy. Following the format of this Strategy, even a new player can find satisfaction in an intense game where Victory is always near enough to hear the horse's hoofbeats.

The Cavalry Rush Strategy In Detail

The focus of this Strategy begins with early fast paced growth, and assuming that the Yamato advantage is being used, putting Cavalry to work in enemy territory as early as possible. The early focus should be on creating more villagers to maximize their speed bonus and outpace the enemy.

Early scouting is crucial, the enemy must be located. Fixed positions will ensure that they are near the opposing edge of the map, so you know where to look. Going to Tool Age early, holding roughly a dozen or more villagers, build the Barracks to clear the way for Stables. A two man team should head for the enemy while Tool Age is counting down, and wood should now be stocked to build as many Stables as possible. Food piling up at this time should go only towards the Storage Pit Cavalry Armor Bonus and the Granary Walls and no other tech.

With Stables built early in the game, near to the enemy, your Villagers will mostly farm and hunt for your food, the rest will gather each type of resource, with Gold taking as many Villagers as wood and stone combined. You need to stock up on food quickly and upgrade to the Tool Age, and again quickly upgrading to Bronze Age. The gold will be needed soon after.

As soon as Bronze Age is achieved build your Cavalry as fast as possible. The Cavalry will pop up, near the enemy and inside your town, and need to be grouped in threes and fours.

Villagers as always are the most important targets. Your first few waves of Cavalry must locate and eliminate the enemy's wood supply. Target the first few villagers, then let them pick their own targets if they are close enough. You must keep harassing the enemy town as much as possible. Send the Cavalry from your town to help and build new defensive units to take their place.

The Cavalry Rush continues to pound on the enemy. With a couple of Siege Workshops, and the Wheel Technology from the Market, the Cavalry Rush turns into high gear with Stone Throwers to take out buildings and enemy towers that were mostly ignored up to this point. Take the Storage Pit Stable Armor Bonus to make your military units survive longer.

The only true defense to this Strategy is to build walls. A completely enclosed, stocked with resources enemy town can hold out against the waves of Cavalry, since they are vulnerable to enemy archers behind their walls. The enemy could enclose nearby forests and resources, which can supply a stubborn opponent with enough to go Bronze Age and come out fighting.

With the seige weapons Yamato can still win the race to the Iron Age. Exploiting every opportunity to make the enemy waste resources, and even denying them all resources anywhere outside their walls, Yamato to drop the hammer before the enemy can launch a counter-attack from within their castle.

The bottom line on the Cavalry Rush Strategy is how deadly and effective this can be when applied by a determined player who is willing to focus on the plan itself and forsake all other aspects of the game. New players will revel in the feel of a battle where the units you employ can race over to anywhere on the map and quickly deliver a solid punch, and veteran players can use the Shortcut Keys and race into the Cavalry Rush will all hooves flying.

Merlin