Rock

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Rock/Paper/Scissors

Experienced players will recognize a relationship between these three groups: Stable, Archery, and Academy units. Like the child's game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, AOE is a game of hoplites-cavalry-archers. Each group has a weak side exposed, which the others can exploit. Use this strategy to counter the enemy's racial choices and the units that they build.

Hoplites have many hit points and a high armor and attack value, and can go toe-to-toe with mounted units and win every time. Archers easily kill the slow Academy units because the archers can stay out of range while firing. The computer optimizes this advantage, the archers will fire, pivot and walk away, then turn and fire again, always staying out of reach. Cavalry kill archers easily because their speed will reduce how many hits they take before closing with the enemy, and Cavalry units get a bonus when attacking ground forces.

Catapults can also be worked into this equation. They can kill entire groups of archers with the range damage, are okay against slow academy units who get hammered before approaching, and yet they are vulnerable to Cavalry, who can kill siege weapons just as easily as they can kill archers. Barracks units are well balance against all kinds of units, so use these if you don't know what your opponent is doing. Assuming you have done some recon, counter the enemy's choices of units. If the enemy is training lots of archers, train a lot of cavalry. Most players tend to favor a certain kind of unit over others, and you need to identify which type of unit that is. The choice of Race can make it obvious which unit will be predominant in the enemy ranks. Otherwise it is imperative that you do reconnoiter the map to know where and what to build.

Try to remember these facts in battle. If possible have your cavalry attack the enemy archers. Even if your cavalry are being attacked by something else, have them target the archers. Archers should attack slower units whenever they can, and if attacked by cavalry, they must stand their ground and fight, there is no chance to run away. Because of the slow speed of Academy units, have them attack whatever is closest to them, but try to have them take out enemy cavalry if they are close, or they can somehow be penned in.

Merlin