Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition Equipment Guide: Best Equipment Ranked

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.

Complete Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition equipment guide. Every equipment option ranked with stats, best builds, and how to get them.

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.

Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.

Equipment Rankings

Equipment	Tier	Best For	Notes
Longbowman	S	Defensive English play where massed archers sit behind a spear screen near a Keep.	The English unique archer, with longer range than a standard archer and the ability to plant palings that stop cavalry charges dead.
Royal Knight	A	Early raids on villagers and punishing an opponent who over invests in archers.	The French unique heavy cavalry, which gains a damage bonus from its charge.
Mangudai	A	Hit and run raiding and pulling enemy armies out of position across large maps.	The Mongol horse archer, which fires while moving.
Janissary	B	Late game Ottoman pushes escorting Great Bombards toward enemy Landmarks.	The Ottoman handcannoneer, which does extra damage to cavalry and can repair siege engines in the field.
Musofadi Warrior	B	Malian raiding, cutting off trade routes and picking off isolated villagers.	The Malian stealth infantry, lower on health and armour but fast and dangerous in ambush.

S-Tier: Longbowman

The English unique archer, with longer range than a standard archer and the ability to plant palings that stop cavalry charges dead.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	S
Best For	Defensive English play where massed archers sit behind a spear screen near a Keep.
Key Mechanic	Landmark ageing up
Recommended Build	English

How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.

Best builds using Longbowman: Pairs naturally with English thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

A-Tier: Royal Knight

The French unique heavy cavalry, which gains a damage bonus from its charge. Cheap and fast to produce out of the School of Cavalry Landmark.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	Early raids on villagers and punishing an opponent who over invests in archers.
Key Mechanic	Relics and Sacred Sites
Recommended Build	French

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using Royal Knight: Pairs naturally with French thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

A-Tier: Mangudai

The Mongol horse archer, which fires while moving. It cannot fight heavy cavalry head on, but it makes any static defence impossible to maintain.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	Hit and run raiding and pulling enemy armies out of position across large maps.
Key Mechanic	Counter unit triangle
Recommended Build	Mongols

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using Mangudai: Pairs naturally with Mongols thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: Janissary

The Ottoman handcannoneer, which does extra damage to cavalry and can repair siege engines in the field. It arrives with gunpowder and hits armour that arrows bounce off.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	Late game Ottoman pushes escorting Great Bombards toward enemy Landmarks.
Key Mechanic	Siege engines and walls
Recommended Build	Ottomans

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using Janissary: Pairs naturally with Ottomans thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: Musofadi Warrior

The Malian stealth infantry, lower on health and armour but fast and dangerous in ambush. It can hide in terrain and open fights on its own terms.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	Malian raiding, cutting off trade routes and picking off isolated villagers.
Key Mechanic	Civilisation specific economies
Recommended Build	Malians

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using Musofadi Warrior: Pairs naturally with Malians thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

Equipment Progression Path

The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:

Starting gear → Enough to clear Dry Arabia
Royal Knight → Your first real upgrade, available early
Mangudai → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
Longbowman → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous

Equipment Tips

Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
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.
Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.

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