The Chinese are known for their efficiency and are a great building civilization. In this Age of Empires 4 guide, we are going to go over how you should play as the Chinese civilization.
Chinese Civilization In Age Of Empires 4
The following is everything that you need to know about the Chinese civilization in Age of Empires 4:
Bonuses And Unique Units
The villagers of the civ construct defenses 50% faster compared to other civs in the game. All other buildings are constructed 100% faster. This is going to come in handy from the start and is great early on. The Chinese have the Dynasty system which allows them to build both landmarks from an age. Unlike other civs that can only choose one when progressing. Chemistry technology is free when you advance to age 4. Docks work 20% faster and at the start of the game, Chinese get more villagers.
The Chinese civ has the Zhuge Nu unique unit that is effective against light units. It also has the Fire Lancer unit which is effective against buildings. Grenadiers can do AoE damage and deal with mobs. Nest of Bees do AoE damage as well.
Progressing Through The Ages
You have more villagers at the start of the game so be sure to take advantage of that. Meanwhile, create more villagers and have them gather resources so that you can advance to the next age as soon as possible. Keep in mind that you need to layout buildings in order to maximize tax collection. Have your scout find sheep and bring them back to the town center in order to gather food. During the Tang Dynasty, you will have better sight, making it easier for your scouts to explore the land around you.
When proceeding to the next age, you can pick between the Imperial Academy and the Barbican of the Sun. The Imperial Acadamy is going to increase the tax from buildings in the specified area. This is what you need if you need gold. The Barbican Sun is like a Keep and deals extra damage when there are units garrisoned inside. We recommend building the Barbican of the Sun.
Age 2
During this age, you need to start building your defenses. That is why we recommend going with the Barbican of the Sun first and then the Imperial Acadamy to generate more gold over time. If you build both of the landmarks you will start the Song Dynasty. This is going to upgrade the houses in villages which is going to increase the population cap by 40. You also gain access to the repeater crossbow units. The speed of production in your village is going to increase as well.
When advancing to the next age, you can choose between Astronomical Clocktower or the Imperial Palace. The Astronomical Clocktower siege workshop but adds 50 more HP to your siege units. The Imperial Palace is like a hack on the map. It has a large field of view and lets you see where enemies are. We recommend building The Imperial Palace first.
Age 3
Once you have built both of the landmarks, you will trigger the Yuan Dynasty. In this dynasty, you can make Granary building to increase food production. You will also gain access to the Fire Lancer unit. During this age, you need to plan your attack and build your army. That is why we recommend going with the Imperial Palace first, in order to get an idea of where the enemies are.
When progressing to the next age, you can pick between the Great Wall Gatehouse or the Spirit Way. We The Great Wall Gatehouse increases the strength of your stone walls and the Spirit Way allows you to make units from previous ages at a cheaper cost. Both of these landmarks are important and you can pick which one you want to build first depending on the situation.
Age 4
Once you have built both of the landmarks you will trigger the Ming Dynasty. This will give you access to the Pagoda building. Putting a relic inside the Pagoda will give you 50 of each resource every 30 seconds. You will also unlock the Grenadier unit.
During this age, you need to dominate the enemy. You can go for a wonder victory with your strong walls or attack the enemy and destroy enemy landmarks.
This is what you need to know about the Chinese civilization in Age of Empires 4. If you are interested in learning more then you can check out our guide on how you should play the Holy Roman Empire.