MetaAOE

Japanese build orders & counters

What the most-played Japanese builds in Age of Empires IV do, the units they rely on, and how to answer them.

Style
Mostly macro1 of its 7 most-played builds are rushes or timing attacks.
Feudal Age
5:55Median age-up click of its popular builds.
Key units
Mounted samurai, Spearmen, Yumi ashigaruMost trained in those builds.

Most-played Japanese build orders

Most-played Japanese build orders
BuildStrategyFeudalCastleMain units
Fast Castle (2026)by Valdemar1902 Fast Castle 5:41 7:40 Mounted samurai, Yumi ashigaru
Beginner Friendly Vortix Spear + Fast Castleby taktaktab Fast Castle 5:55 8:10 Spearmen, Mounted samurai
Agro into mounted samuraiby Piepet Fast Castle 6:40 8:00 Mounted samurai
ML JAP FCby Seijin Fast Castle 6:40 8:12 Spearmen, Mounted samurai
Early Pressure with Shinobi & Horsemen + Fast Casttle (By Vortix)by Bluw Fast Castle 5:00 9:00 Shinobi, Horsemen
Japan Shinobi Build into Aggro or FCby taktaktab Cheese 4:20 — —

Times are the age-up clicks in the build (~ means estimated).

How to counter Japanese

Their popular builds lean on mounted samurai, spearmen and yumi ashigaru. Answer with:

  • Mounted samuraiSpearmen · Crossbowmen · Camel riders
  • SpearmenArchers · Men-at-arms · Handcannoneers
  • Yumi ashigaruHorsemen · Men-at-arms · Mangonels

What Japanese units beat

Playing Japanese? Your main units are the answer to:

  • Mounted samuraiHorsemen · Men-at-arms · Handcannoneers · Gunpowder infantry (Streltsy, Janissaries)
  • SpearmenHorsemen · Knights · Lancers · Camel riders
  • Yumi ashigaruSpearmen · Crossbowmen · Horse archers · Mangudai

Counters follow the unit-class rules of MetaAOE's counter sheet (Alt+C in game), not patch numbers. Upgrades and numbers still decide the fight.

Play Japanese builds in time with the clock

MetaAOE shows your build over the game, step by step with the match clock, reads your opponent's civ and puts the counters one key away. Free, on Overwolf.

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Other AoE4 civs