- Difficulty
- beginner
- Target
- castle
- Duration
- ~17 min
Recommended civilizations
Step Timeline
Follow the population rail and phase breaks while you play.
Opening
8 steps · pop 6-26
- pop 6#1
Food 6 → sheep
- pop 10#2
Wood Lumber Camp +4 → wood, build lumber camp
- pop 11#3 Food
+1 → lure boar
- pop 15#4House Mill Food
+4 → house near berries + mill, then berries
- pop 16#5 Food
+1 → lure 2nd boar
- pop 20#6Farm
+4 → seed farms around TC
- pop 23#7Lumber Camp Wood
+3 → 2nd lumber camp + wood
- pop 26#8
Gold Mining Camp +3 → gold mining camp + gold
Click Feudal at 26 pop — target ~10:30
Feudal Age
1 steps · pop 26-26
- pop 26#9Blacksmith Market
Feudal arrives — 4 vils → build Blacksmith + Market
Castle Age
3 steps · pop 28-40
- pop 28#10Market
+2 vils; click Castle Age (~13:00); sell stone at Market if needed
- pop 30#11Town Center
Castle Age — 4 vils → build 2–3 additional TCs near resources
- pop 40#12Barracks Stable Archery Range
Economy boomed; begin military production from multiple buildings
Strategy Notes
- Fast Castle Boom is the canonical defensive/economic strategy. The entire early game is dedicated to reaching Castle Age as quickly as possible, then exploding the economy.
- Weak against: Feudal all-in rushes that breach walls before Castle Age; Scout Rush that forces premature military spending.
- Strong against: Slow boom strategies; opponents also going for Castle Age without military pressure.
Options:
- Full Boom to Imperial: 3+ TCs producing continuously into Imperial Age; strongest on closed maps (Arena, Black Forest).
- Crossbow + Siege Transition: Once 40+ villagers are established, invest in 2–3 Archery Ranges and a Siege Workshop for immediate combat power.
- Knight Flood: Add 2 Stables to established economy for Knight production; very strong if opponent has not built Pikemen.
Defense Tip: Strongest on closed maps (Arena, Black Forest). On Arabia, requires careful walling and possibly a small defensive force in Feudal Age. Chinese, Teutons, and Vikings scale best with this strategy due to their economic bonuses. Once Castle Age hits, place additional TCs before doing anything else.