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To excel in Age of Empires, understanding the intricacies of various troop types is crucial, and the Shang warriors stand out among them. Whether met with laughter or skepticism, these troops possess unique strengths and weaknesses that dictate their optimal deployment strategies.
* Advantages of Shang Troops
- Affordable labor: only 35 food
- Diverse troop selection: Axemen, Camel Riders, Ranged Cavalry, Archers, Double Bit Axe, War Elephants, Siege Towers...
- Low food cost for villager production facilitates rapid advancement for the Shang civilization.
- Access to initial health upgrades.
* Weaknesses of Shang Troops
- Lack of arson and blockhouse fire support.
- Absence of specialized military units that truly pack a punch.
- No War Elephants and elephant archers.
* Player Experience:
(As shared by chimsedinang)
Early Gameplay Strategies
- Assign 2 villagers to construct economic buildings; after completion, direct them to gather wood.
- The rest should be tasked with food gathering, herding elephants and deer. If no elephants or deer are found by the 5th or 6th villager, forage for berries.
- Increase woodcutting villagers to 3-4.
- Around the 14th-15th villager, construct a granary (or storage pit for forest resources if elephants are absent).
- Villagers 20-21 should build a second storage pit (a third storage pit can be constructed as needed) and prepare for the next age advancement.
- Erect 4-5 houses depending on military strength upon advancement.
* Standard Strategies for Shang Troops: Depending on your troop choices, we categorize tactics into Archery and Melee combat with Shang troops.
+ Archery (R, A):
Number of villagers required for advancement: Aim for 24 or 27 villagers depending on the circumstances (wealthier players may advance with fewer villagers and opt for fast Bronze Age rush).
- Bronze Age: Transitioning to the Bronze Age, focus on woodcutting upgrades (market, stone axe symbol).
- Iron Age:
+ Construct 4 or 5 barracks, depending on your wood reserves, balancing wood and food production.
+ Build a barracks, mine 120 gold > Upgrade initial health (if resources permit).
+ Upgrade armor: If facing archer opponents (arrow icon).
+ Upgrade woodcutting to level 2 for ranged attacks, gather more wood.
- Post-Iron Age: Explore a variety of troop options such as Heavy Cavalry, Double Bit Axe, and Siege Towers based on the situation.
+ Melee Combat (Clubman, Camel Rider)
Explore the diverse armies of the Empire:
* Recap:
With the Shang forces, players should aim to advance early and conquer opponents. Additionally, if resources permit and there is ample forest, players can transition to a development stance and advance to Age 4 quickly.
Shang offers versatility, with both ranged and melee units. Upon reaching Age 4, players can opt for cavalry or double axe. Do you engage in Empire battles with Shang forces? Share your experiences and strategies with us in the comments below to collectively enrich our beloved Empire discipline.
Various strategies with Shang civilization in Age of Empires
- Pure Ranged Archer Rush
- Cavalry Rush/Double Stable
- Shang Camel Rush
- Shang Team games 2v2, 3v3, 4v4
As the empire grows, some players resort to using cheat codes in Age of Empires matches, which is considered unfair and disrespectful to fellow gamers' passion. Hence, we advise sticking to cheat codes only in single-player mode against AI opponents.
