Fast Castle into Boom
Steps 11 · 6 → 25 pop · ~14 min
Recommended Civilizations
Goal: Reach Castle Age as fast as possible with enough resources to boom on extra Town Centers and economy upgrades. Only run this when you are safe from early pressure (Arena, Hideout, walls). Recommended civs: Burgundians, Poles, Bohemians, Portuguese, Bengalis
Step Timeline
Follow the villager rail and resource-split columns while you play.
Opening
8 steps · pop 6–23- 6
6 → sheep under TC - 9
+3 → wood (1st builds lumber camp, then all to wood) - 10 +1 → lure the 1st boar
- 11
+1 → build a house, then a Mill on the berries ↳ Lure 3 deer into the TC with your scout
- 13 +2 → hunt under the TC; pull one to lure the 2nd boar
- 17
+4 → berries; seed 4 farms with sheep vils as the boars run out - 21 +4 → wood (keep a single lumber camp)
- 23
+2 → gold (build the gold mining camp), then click Feudal Age 10:30 ↳ Feudal lands ~10:30 at 23 pop
Feudal
2 steps · pop 23–25- 23
Feudal — 1 vil builds a Blacksmith, 2 vils build a Market (no military) ↳ Research Double-Bit Axe and Horse Collar
- 25 +2 → wood, then click Castle Age 14:00
↳ Castle lands ~14:00 at 25 pop
Castle
1 steps · pop 25- 25
Build a 2nd TC on a woodline, then a 3rd on gold/stone; research Bow Saw ↳ Buy food or wood at the Market whenever you can afford it
Strategy Notes
- 6 villagers on sheep under the TC
- 3 villagers on wood — the first builds the lumber camp, then all gather wood
- 1 villager lures the first boar
- 1 villager builds a house, then a Mill on the berries
- Lure 3 deer into the TC with your scout (highly recommended)
- 2 villagers hunt under the TC; re-task one to lure the second boar
- 4 villagers on berries
- Seed 4 farms with the sheep villagers as the boars run out
- 4 more villagers on wood — keep a single lumber camp
- 2 villagers on gold — build the gold mining camp
- Click Feudal Age at 23 pop (perfect landing ~10:30)
- When food under the TC runs out, send spare vils to straggler trees
- 1 villager builds the Blacksmith, 2 villagers build the Market (no military)
- 2 more villagers on wood, then click Castle Age at 25 pop (perfect landing ~14:00)
- Research Double-Bit Axe and Horse Collar
- Build a 2nd TC on a woodline away from the lumber camp
- Research Bow Saw
- Build a 3rd TC on the secondary gold or main stone if possible
- Use the Market to buy food or wood whenever you can afford it
- Keep booming a few minutes — get Wheelbarrow around 18 farms, then Handcart
- Mine stone and add a 4th TC whenever you want, then head to Imperial Age