Weekly Builds

Surprise Siege Tower in Arena

Video by TheViperAOC - Age of Empires 2 Watch on YouTube Visit Channel

We recently saw TheViper trying out this fun sneaky strategy in Arena, a map where you’re supposed to feel very safe in the early game. The idea is to maximize the usage of the Slavs' free Supplies (cheaper Militia-line) to amass a large enough army in early Castle Age and deliver it to your opponent’s base via Siege Tower.

The build order is a bit tight as it involves abusing the market to get all your buildings and upgrades as early as possible, while your opponent’s defenses are down. That being said, if you’re playing against a mid-ELO player you can always take it easy and delay your attack by a few minutes. The result should still be very fun and quite powerful.

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Note: the number on the left indicates your current number of villagers. Don't know where this is?
3
Queue up Villagers

Queue up as many Villagers as you can in your Town Center

2 Houses

Two Villagers build one, one Villager builds the other

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    When finished, send them to Sheep

4-6
Sheep

Send your new Villagers to Sheep

7
Lumber Camp

Send your new Villager to build a Lumber Camp

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    When finished, send them to Wood

8-10
Wood

Send your new Villagers to collect Wood

11
Lure Boar

Send your new Villager to lure the nearest Boar

12
House

Send your new Villager to build a House near your Berries

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    When finished, send them to Berries

13
Mill

Send your new Villager to build a Mill next to your Berries

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    When finished, send them to Berries

Push deer

Start pushing deer with your Scout

14
Berries

Send your new Villager to Berries

Lure 2nd Boar

Send one of your Villagers collecting from Boar to lure your 2nd Boar

15
Berries

Send your new Villager to Berries

16-22
Sheep/Boar

Send your new Villagers to Sheep or Boar

  • Take a Villager from Food to...

House

Build a House

  • Take 2 Villagers from Sheep / Boar to...

Farms

Build Farms

  • Take 3 Villagers from Sheep / Boar to...

Wood

Send your Villagers to join your lumberjacks

23
(Gold) Mining Camp

Send your new Villager to build a Mining Camp next to your Gold

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    When finished, send them to Gold

24
Gold

Send your new Villager to mine Gold

Queue Feudal Age

Queue Feudal Age in your Town Center

  • Take Villagers from Sheep as they get depleted to...

Farms and Straggler Trees

Build Farms and take straggler trees

  • Take a Villager from food to...

House

Build a House

6
4
5
7
2

Feudal Age

24
  • Take 2 Villagers from straggler trees to...

Market

Build a Market

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    When finished, send them to Gold

  • Take 1 Villager from straggler trees to...

Blacksmith

Build a Blacksmith

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    When finished, send them back to Wood

25-26
Gold

Send your new Villagers to mine Gold

Horse Collar

Research Horse Collar on your Mill

Queue Castle Age

Queue Castle Age in your Town Center

Double-Bit Axe

Research Double-Bit Axe in a Lumber Camp

  • 40% to Castle Age: take 1 Villager from Berries to...

House and 2x Barracks

Build a House, then 2 Barracks. Make sure the Barracks are out of reach for the opponent’s Scout

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    Start queuing Militia as soon as the Barracks are finished

Forging

Research Forging on your Blacksmith

3
8
8
6

Castle Age

27-28
Wood

Send your new Villagers to collect Wood

Houses

Build 2-3 more Houses

29-34
Farms

Send your new Villagers to build Farms next to your Town Center or Mills

Buy Food when needed

If needed, buy Food in the Market to keep the flow of Vills and Militia

Man-At-Arms

Research Man-at-Arms in your Barracks

Barracks

Build a 3rd Barracks

35
Wood

Send your new Villager to collect Wood

Stop producing villagers

Distribute them so you have 12 on Wood, 15 on Farms, 8 on Gold

  • Take 2 Villagers from Wood to...

Siege Workshop

Build a Siege Workshop. Make sure it's out of reach for the opponent’s Scout

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    When finished, train a Siege Tower

Start upgrading your army

Research Scale Mail Armor, Long Swordsman, Chain Mail Armor, Arson, Squires. Use the Market if needed!

  • Once you have 25-30 soldiers...

Attack!

Send your Siege Tower and all your infantry to the opponent’s base. Keep training infantry as resources become available.

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    Set your Barracks' rally point on your Siege Tower so they will automatically jump to the enemy base