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intermediate castle target ~18 min

18 Pop Scouts into Cavalry Archers

Source: Hera

Difficulty
intermediate
Target
castle
Duration
~18 min

Recommended civilizations

huns huns Tier B mongols mongols Tier B magyars magyars Tier B japanese japanese Tier A tatars tatars Tier C

Step Timeline

Follow the population rail and phase breaks while you play.

Opening

7 steps · pop 6-18

  1. pop 6
    #1
    food Food Town Center

    6 → sheep under TC

  2. pop 8
    #2
    wood Wood Lumber Camp

    +2 → wood, build lumber camp

  3. pop 9
    #3
    food Food

    +1 → lure nearest boar

  4. pop 10
    #4
    House Mill

    +1 → build house then mill

  5. pop 14
    #5
    food Food

    +4 → hunt (boar + sheep)

  6. pop 16
    #6
    wood Wood

    +2 → wood (4 total lumberjacks)

  7. pop 18
    #7
    food Food loom Loom

    +2 → hunt

    Research Loom; click Feudal at ~8:50

Feudal Age

4 steps · pop 18-23

  1. pop 18
    #8
    Lumber Camp wood Wood

    Feudal arrives — 5 vils → wood (9 total), build 2nd lumber camp

  2. pop 18
    #9
    food Food Barracks Stable

    5 vils → berries; 1 builds Barracks, 2 build Stable

  3. pop 18
    #10
    light-cavalry Light Cavalry double-bit-axe Double Bit Axe

    Produce Scout Cavalry; research Double-Bit Axe; begin walling base

  4. pop 23
    #11
    gold Gold Mining Camp Blacksmith

    +5 new vils; 5 → gold, build Mining Camp; build Blacksmith

Castle Age

1 steps · pop 30-30

  1. pop 30
    #12
    Archery Range cavalry-archer Cavalry Archer

    Click Castle Age (~18:00 target); build 2 Archery Ranges, begin CA production

Strategy Notes

  • This build demands patience — the payoff is Cavalry Archers, one of the strongest mobile ranged units in the game.
  • Weak against: Heavy Skirmisher responses in Feudal; if you cannot fully wall, Scouts cannot sustain pressure.
  • Strong against: Static defensive openings; opponents who cannot kite or respond to mobile ranged units.

Options:

  1. Double Archery Range Full Production: 2 Ranges pumping Cavalry Archers continuously is the core threat; add Hussars for melee support.
  2. Add Extra Town Center: If safe, place a 2nd TC in Castle Age to grow economy while CA pressure builds.
  3. Ballistics + Siege: For extra punch, research Ballistics and add a Siege Workshop; Mangonels behind CA cover is extremely strong.

Defense Tip: If you could not fully wall, abandon the CA plan and produce more Scouts with Bloodlines. Use Towers for base defense and Town Watch early to read incoming pressure. Best late-game compositions are Cavalry Archers + Hussars or Cavalry Archers + Halberdiers with appropriate Siege.