Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition Combat Guide: Master Every Mechanic

Q: What does the Anniversary Edition add over the base game?

It bundles the Ottomans and the Malians, taking the roster from eight civilisations to ten, along with the maps, masteries and balance work that arrived with the October 2022 update.

Q: Which civilisation is easiest to learn?

The English. Their bonuses are straightforward, the Council Hall gives a clear plan around massed Longbowmen, and defensive play forgives the build order mistakes every new player makes.

Q: How do you win a match?

Destroy every enemy Landmark and Town Center, hold enough Sacred Sites to run out the countdown, or build a Wonder and survive the timer. Most ranked games end by Landmark destruction.

Q: Why can't the Mongols build stone walls?

It is a deliberate design trade. Mongols get no house requirement, packable buildings that can relocate, and Ovoo bonuses, and the cost of that mobility is that they can never turtle behind stone.

Q: What is the population limit?

200 in standard matches, shared between villagers and military. Since villagers eat that cap, deciding when to stop making them and start making army is one of the central judgement calls in every game.

Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition combat guide covering every mechanic, advanced techniques, and the strategies that separate good players from great ones.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

The Anniversary Edition is Age of Empires IV one year on from its October 2021 launch, adding the Ottomans and the Malians to the original eight civilisations for a roster of ten. Every civilisation ages up by building Landmarks rather than clicking a generic button, so the choice between two Landmarks per age is a real strategic fork instead of a formality. Matches run to a 200 population cap across four ages, and you win by Landmark destruction, by holding Sacred Sites, or by finishing a Wonder and surviving the countdown.

Combat in Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition rewards knowledge over reflexes. Understanding how each mechanic works (and how they interact) is what turns a struggling player into a dominant one. New here? Start with our beginner's guide for the basics.

Core Combat Mechanics

1. Landmark ageing up

Advancing an age means choosing and constructing one of two Landmarks, each with a different bonus. The English Council Hall pumps out Longbowmen, the French School of Cavalry cuts Knight costs and training time, and the Abbasid Dynasty instead builds wings onto a single House of Wisdom.

Why it matters: This is the foundation of all combat. Everything else builds on this.

2. Relics and Sacred Sites

Religious units collect Relics from ruins and garrison them in a Monastery, Mosque or Prayer Tent for a steady gold trickle. Sacred Sites are fixed map objectives, and holding enough of them starts a countdown that ends the game if the enemy cannot break the hold.

Why it matters: The most underrated mechanic. Players who master this early have a massive advantage.

3. Counter unit triangle

Spearmen beat cavalry, cavalry beat archers and ranged units, archers beat infantry, and handcannoneers such as the Ottoman Janissary punch through armour. Sending the wrong unit type into a fight loses armies that were numerically larger.

Why it matters: Unlocks a new layer of gameplay depth once understood.

4. Siege engines and walls

Stone walls, towers and Keeps make direct assaults expensive, so battering rams, mangonels, bombards and the Ottoman Great Bombard exist to break them. Springalds counter siege engines in turn, which means an army without anti siege cover gets dismantled from range.

Why it matters: The tactical edge that separates average players from advanced ones.

5. Civilisation specific economies

Economies are genuinely asymmetric. The Malian Pit Mine pulls 35 gold per minute from a gold vein without depleting it, Rus players earn bounty gold from hunting, and Mongols cannot build stone walls at all but can pack up buildings and move them.

Why it matters: The endgame optimization mechanic. Small improvements here compound into massive gains.

How These Mechanics Combine

Understanding how mechanics interact is where real optimization happens:

Landmark ageing up + Relics and Sacred Sites

Advancing an age means choosing and constructing one of two Landmarks, each with a different bonus. When combined with Relics and Sacred Sites, religious units collect relics from ruins and garrison them in a monastery, mosque or prayer tent for a steady gold trickle. This combination is the core of every effective build.

Counter unit triangle + Siege engines and walls

Spearmen beat cavalry, cavalry beat archers and ranged units, archers beat infantry, and handcannoneers such as the Ottoman Janissary punch through armour. Paired with Siege engines and walls, stone walls, towers and keeps make direct assaults expensive, so battering rams, mangonels, bombards and the ottoman great bombard exist to break them. This is why the tier list favors builds that leverage both.

Civilisation specific economies as a Multiplier

Economies are genuinely asymmetric. The Malian Pit Mine pulls 35 gold per minute from a gold vein without depleting it, Rus players earn bounty gold from hunting, and Mongols cannot build stone walls at all but can pack up buildings and move them. This system amplifies everything else. The better your Civilisation specific economies optimization, the more your other mechanics pay off.

Combat by Build

Each build approaches combat differently:

English (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Longbowman Primary mechanic: Landmark ageing up

English offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

French (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Royal Knight Primary mechanic: Relics and Sacred Sites

French offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Mongols (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Mangudai Primary mechanic: Counter unit triangle

Mongols offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Ottomans (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Janissary Primary mechanic: Siege engines and walls

Ottomans offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Malians (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Musofadi Warrior Primary mechanic: Civilisation specific economies

Malians offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Advanced Combat Techniques

Damage Optimization

Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities
Exploit Landmark ageing up for maximum damage windows
Chain Relics and Sacred Sites and Counter unit triangle for combo damage
Use Siege engines and walls to create openings

Survivability

Learn enemy patterns before committing to attacks
Send your scout on a loop the moment the game starts and keep it moving. Sheep found in the first two minutes go straight under the Town Center and save your villagers from walking, which is worth more than any Dark Age upgrade.
Position using Landmark ageing up to control spacing
Save defensive options for guaranteed survival, not comfort

Boss Combat

Bosses test your understanding of every mechanic. See our boss guide for fight-specific strategies.

Phase awareness: Most bosses change behavior at health thresholds
Patience over aggression: One extra hit per opening beats dying to greed
Build preparation: Swap gear and equipment for specific fights when needed

Common Combat Mistakes

Button mashing: Committed attacks have recovery frames. Mashing locks you into animations.
Ignoring Relics and Sacred Sites: This mechanic exists for a reason. Players who use it take significantly less damage.
Wrong equipment for the situation: Check our weapons guide for situational picks.
Not learning from deaths: Every death teaches something. If you don't know why you died, you'll die the same way again.
Overcommitting: Trading hits works in Dry Arabia but will get you killed in Lipany.

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