Chinese Fast Feudal
Steps 14 · 6 → 20 pop · ~8 min
Recommended Civilizations
Exploit the Chinese extra starting villagers and house-free opening to reach Feudal Age fast and pick whichever aggression your scouting demands.
Step Timeline
Follow the villager rail and resource-split columns while you play.
Opening
6 steps · pop 6–16- 6
6 → sheep under the Town Center; skip houses thanks to the Chinese extra start ↳ Research Loom immediately
- 7 +1 → sheep under the Town Center
- 10
+3 → wood, drop a lumber camp - 11 +1 → lure and eat the first boar
- 12
+1 → build 2 houses, then a mill on berries ↳ Lure deer with your scout — food drains fast on this build
- 16 +4 → hunt under the Town Center; lure the second boar
Feudal
8 steps · pop 20 8:25- 20 +4 → berries, then research the age-up 8:25
↳ Feudal landing ~8:25 on 3 wood / 17 food
- 20 Move 2 from under the Town Center → 1st lumber camp (5 on wood)
- 20 Move 5 from under the Town Center → 2nd lumber camp (10 on wood total)
- 20
Keep the Town Center adding 2 more villagers; build a Barracks when wood allows - 20
Scout line: build a Stable, start Scout Cavalry, and prioritize eco upgrades - 20
Archer line: move 2-3 villagers to gold under a Mining Camp, then add an Archery Range - 20
Man-at-Arms line: make ~3 Militia, then research the Man-at-Arms upgrade and Double-Bit Axe - 20
Tower rush: send 4-5 villagers forward and build a Barracks near the enemy, then reinforce with spears and a Range for Skirmishers ↳ Skip the MAA tower rush — Chinese lack the early resources to afford both
Strategy Notes
- The Chinese start with three extra villagers and no houses to build, so this opener stacks bodies onto food earlier than any other civ and clicks up around 8:25 already two villagers ahead of a standard 20-pop landing.
- Because the eco lands so far in front, the build is deliberately open-ended: scout your opponent first, then commit to the line their setup punishes least.
- Scouts are the safe default into uncertainty — pair the Stable with eco upgrades so the lead snowballs while the Cavalry pokes for damage.
- Archers want a little gold setup first; drop a Mining Camp and pull 2-3 villagers before the Range so production never starves, then layer Fletching on top.
- Man-at-Arms pressure leans on three quick Militia plus the upgrade and Double-Bit Axe; skip the full MAA-into-tower-rush, since the early eco cannot fund both at once.
- A Tower Rush sends 4-5 villagers forward with a Barracks near the enemy so spears and a Range for Skirmishers can reinforce — devastating when they are unwalled, but only gamble on it once your scout confirms an opening.