Team Games

A team game is basically a group of players playing against an another group of players. Eg. 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 games. Team games are very different compared to 1v1 battles.

With team coordination any game can be won. Even the best players may lose out if they dont play in coordination. In this posts, I'll emphasize on the various factors to be considered while playing a team game.

Some tips which may help you play better in a team :-

- Know when to boom or attack. Based on the situation in the game just make a decision whether you are gonna boom or attack. I know it keeps on changing but be sure what you are gonna do.

- Never let your ally get doubled or tripled.
- Always see to it that your armies are at the proper places at the proper time. For example, you double your opponent to get the edge.
- Always let your allies know about your plan in the game or play according to them. Like if you are booming or attacking early. Let them know about it.
- Sometimes defending also wins you the game. Like in a 3v3 or 4v4, the other side is winning. So your role is to defend 1v1 or 1v2. Just defend and boom. You'll eventually win the game.
- Whenever you have raiding nations like aztecs or mongols see to it that you raid the whole map. Try to raid all your opponents. Even raiding merchants matters a lot.
- Protect good rares like relics, silver and papyrus in your area. Because you can manage to use them fast but your ally might not or miss them.
- Always shift your capital to the most safest city.
- Try to predict your opponent's. If you are in pocket(centre), just be better then the other player(opponent) who is also in pocket. Eventually you outboom and win.
- If you are in a position to kill the opponent in front of you, dont waste time. Just kill your opponent. Tell your ally to send armies there, if you feel you might get doubled.

Well. These were basic tips which may help you play better in team games. Here are few games which were won only because of team work.

Recorded Games:-

Team Games (Click to download)

Game Information:-

There are 4 games.

Game 1:-

|VoG|_Coulty (Iroquois)                   vs       Takuman (Turks)

|VoG|_King_AMEYA (Lakota)                    kanishka (Greeks)

An interesting game. Both sides were balanced. While takuman(halen) was the strongest player in the game. Coulty kept raiding well. While takuman goes militia rush on coulty's capital. And I keep raiding kanishka while preparing for an attack. Things to look for is how we coordinate to execute an attack.

Game 2:-

_FSF_Mefisto (French)                         Ashley (Greeks)

King_Ameya_[IND] (Dutch)      vs         Redbul (Bantu)

{-t2sa-}_Dave (Egyptians)                     Raider (Germans)

It was a long game with great team coordination which wins the game. I was in pocket(centre). Dave gets a bad start (he was experimenting hehehe) and redbul(in front of him) had the edge over him. We double redbul to give him the edge. While Ashley was having the edge on the other side but didnt attack thinking she might be doubled. Things to look for is how the whole team coordinates to double whenever needed and win it.

Game 3:-

Redbul (Japanese)                     vs        RTS_Moo (Germans)

King_AMEYA_[IND] (Romans)                DiS (French)

Both sides were balanced. Things to look for is how we both coordinate in the whole game to help each other and win it.

Game 4:-

This is a game for those who play games against AI. Its a 3v3 toughest AI game. Me, Paw and Massa vs 3 toughest AI. Both of them are inters. Sometimes even defending wins you the game. This game is a perfect example. Whole game I'm just defending 1v2 or 1v3 AI. While my allies finish that side against a turk AI(toughest). They keep winning that side while I defend hard to win it for them.

So now next time you play a team game, play in coordination and win against the strongest players.

Mongols Fast Raid (Age2)

This is the fastest way to raid with Mongols. Its quite simple. It involves skipping civic1 and aging up for a faster raid. The following are the nation powers:-

Mongols - Power of the Horde

- Receive free Ranged Cavalry whenever you build a new Stable of Auto Plant (1 at start, 2 with two Military research, 3 with three Military research)

- Mounted units created 10% cheaper and 20% faster.

- Receive +1 Food for each 1% of world landmass controlled (times half the number of nations).

- Attrition to your units reduced by 50%. Receive Forage/Supply/Logistics research free.

How is it done?

- Research science1 followed by commerce1.

- Boom normal. Build market. Get economy to 100+ food and 100+ wood(Optional - Even 80+ food 80+ wood would be fine. So that you save time and raid asap).

- Research military1.

- Advance to Age2.

- Now research military2 and build 1-2 stables (You will recieve 2 horse archers(HA) per stable built).

- Just keep raiding hard.

- Note that you try to keep wood and wealth levels high before aging. Else you will go age 2 and you wont have enough wealth and wood to make raiding units.

- Build mine so that you can create heavy cavalries(HC) to attack archers(LI) defending your raids.

- Once you have slowed your opponent go civic1 and build second city.

- Your aim is to slow your opponent by raids and eventually killing him later.

Ideal time for this raid :- Between 3 to 5 mins.

I'm sure most of you must be wondering why not to build second city because Mongols get food over territory. This start doesnt affect your food levels much. Because by making 5 farms you have +76 food. So by getting a food rare you can easily hit +100 food. 

Recorded Game:-

Mongols Fast Raid (Age2)

Game Information:-

Its a 2v2 game. DangerousDave and |VoG|_Coulty vs Ashley and Leeber. In this game DangerousDave is mongols and performs this type of raid. He attacks Ashley in front of him who is Koreans. With a good micromanagement he raided Koreans well and managed to slow her down. Then eventually he wins over. The game went out of sync in the end. But a perfect game showing mongols fast raid and the winners of the game were quite clear.

Credits: DangerousDave for sharing his game.

Americans - Ancient Raid Start

Ah! Americans one of the best nations in the game. Even one of my favourites. The best power of the nation is that you get resources over your armies. Like you get +2 food, timber,metal and wealth for every barracks unit. So, Americans with salt rare make a deadly combination in the game.

Americans - Power of Innovation

- First Wonder is built instantly (except Space Program or Supercollider) if no other nation is also building it.
- Aircraft and Carriers 20% cheaper. Receive 1 free Bombers at each Airbase from Modern Age.
- 25% cheaper military ground units upgrades. Recieve +2 Food, Timber, Metal, and Wealth for every non-Scout Barracks unit (except when garrisoned).

Ancient Raid - How is it done?

- Research science1 followed by military1.
- Build a barracks and keep scouting.
- Note that you dont start this way if you have a woodcutter of 3 at start.
- Make 3-4 different units. Preferably a heavy infantry(HI),  an archer(LI) and one more unit based on your resources.
- Rally point them to your opponents direction. Pick up ruins on the way.
- Try to intercept his 2nd city if he's making it. Same like the aztecs ancient start.
- Attack city with HI and villagers with LI. If your HI is behind no the way then attack half build city by LI and wait for HI to come. You slow him down by not letting him make his 2nd city.
- Now if your opponent has got his second city before you attack it. Then keep raiding him. Attack villagers/merchants/caravans or any unbuilt building. Just slow him down.
- Now your opponent might try to make a barracks in order to defend your raid. Just split your troops and raid. See to it he doesnt get a barracks. This way you slow him down.
- Note that you dont let your units die. "Always save armies". Save every unit made.
- Simultaneously research civic1 and build second city. Continue the way you boom at start.

Recorded Game:-
American Raid Start (Click for DOWNLOAD)

Game Information:-
It is a 1v1 game between me and |VoG|_Coulty. I was Americans and he was Persians. I skipped science1 and went military1. It was a gamble because if I dont get my wealth to 50 and wood to 120 then I might have to skip science research. But by scouting I got enough resources to go science1. Wanted to intercept second city asap but couldnt. But kept raiding. Went 2 archers(LI) and 1 HI. Note that I spitted them to slow him and down and didnt lose a single unit. An exciting game to watch. Overall it was like I slow him a bit by ancient raid then raid a little till medieval. Built terracota(wonder). Then defend and attack as soon as I have the edge.

Romans Castle Start

An amazing start with Romans. When I first came across this start, I really liked it. Its works best in 1v1 battles. It involves getting a castle in age 1 with ruin manipulations.

Romans : The Power Of Caesar

- Forts 25% cheaper and 50% faster to build, exert +3 National Borders, and get free upgrades.
- Heavy Infantry created 10% cheaper and 10% faster. Start with one Military research at the Library.
- Receive free Heavy Infantry whenever you build a new Barracks ( one with Classical Age, two with Gunpowder Age plus 3 Military research, and three with Industrial Age plus 5 Military research).
- Cities gather an extra +10 Wealth.

How to do it?

- Start normally. I mean science 1 followed by civic1.
- Build second city.
- Now, your aim is to keep wood occupied and manipulate ruins to get wood ruins.
- For that select villager, build outpost. But dont make it. I mean just keep it at 0% complete.
- This way keep wood occupied and wood amount less then food and wealth.
- The moment you get a wood ruin make an incomplete outpost. Make 2-3 incomplete outposts.
- Now cancel the incomplete outposts. You'll get the invested wood back.
- Build fort (281Wood 75 Wealth) in age 1 and grab territory.
- Note that you can go commerce1 and then make castle later. But you might lose wood in making market and eventually slow down in making the castle.

Recorded Game:-
http://www.mediafire.com/?9u8npsp1b1bwgip

Game Information:-
It is a 1v1 between seifer008 and The_X (El_azteca). seifer008 was romans while the_x was japanese. Note that seifer008 got 3 outposts but didnt build them. While he kept getting wood ruins and then later he cancelled them to make a castle in age 1.

Credits:- seifer008 for sharing his game.