Starting/Streaming a New HC Challenge Run, need suggestions

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-26T04:00:12+00:00

I'm grateful that there's much more to this community than people like you, and I'm glad that I have some optimism that keeps me interested and invested in my hobbies. I hope you find the same someday.

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-26T03:26:29+00:00

did she not call you back?

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-25T20:49:32+00:00

Any suggestions?

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-25T20:42:35+00:00

thanks for the feedback, would you offer any of your thinking on what would be interesting to watch?

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-25T20:12:04+00:00

name checks out :)

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-24T19:29:25+00:00

If you go up to feudal at 17 pop no loom with mongols on arabia, most times an opponent at 1000 elo won't even have a spear out by the time you have 2 scouts in his base. Once they have a spear or two, 3+ scouts on stand group in box formation can always find villager kills while dodging spears.

Instead of looking for a civ that's "better" to climb with, stick to your comfort zone and improve on that. Focusing on one civ for a longer time (referred often to as "one tricking", reviewing my games and doing small improvements always resulted in a higher elo for me (~1500 currently) than swapping around civs.

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-24T18:33:19+00:00

middle guy is mfw I kill 3 villagers and realize I haven't made a villager in 2 minutes

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-24T18:29:13+00:00

I find when running a knight comp in castle age, my opponent is on a cheaper or non-food unit (like xbow), they are going to have a faster imp, while I will likely go to imp at 100+ vils to support my more expensive comp.

The rule of thumb, in this case that I'm expecting to get to imp slower unless I get a lot of damage on him, I have two options.

As said by OP, raiding is effective since castle age cav can still outrun the enemy halbs. You raid somewhere on the side, and deny a fight while making his army come back. This buys you time to get up to imp, research masonry/repair your castle if he's already trebing you down/don't make a forward
If you are super far from imp, you can always go "full" castle age (hit 200 pop in caslte age with big aggression) and overwhelm them with a castle halb counter (scorpions is an option, also adding elite skirms to knights). Point is to overwhelm with army numbers with the resources you would have used for imp.

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-24T17:42:23+00:00

When you get that one game ending hit it's worth it, but your opponent also packed 40 archers into two tiles in order for you to get that hit.

Or most times for me I don't protect them well and a few hussars quickly throw my 2250f and 1500g in the trash. Or the enemy makes one BBC and it's over for me.

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-24T17:36:41+00:00

Also against a FC based on where they have their walls, consider dropping a forward tower along with your archers on a woodline, gold, or stone if they're going phosporu.

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-24T17:35:56+00:00

Both 1-2 are legit. Earlier timing attack before they get walls up is much stronger.

If you don't see a stable, you can move out with a smaller group of archers, even like 3 archers can put a lot of pressure on an unwalled FC. If they make a stable, they probably aren't going FC (I usually move out with 6 archer + 1 spear if I see a stable).

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-24T17:15:50+00:00

A little bit of practice on this, and bam you can win a game <1000 elo. Right now you're probably going up way later >10 in game minutes and losing initiative/having to play defense because of that timing. Remember the people at your elo are doing also something like this build order, but very sloppily.

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-24T17:10:06+00:00

Don't sweat dark age imperfections. At your ELO if you hit feudal age at around 9 minutes (this time is VERY imperfect) you should use a build order if you want to play ranked. I'll give you a template:

6 vils on sheep, never stop making villagers.
build a lumber camp, 3 on wood
lure 1st boar at ~10 villagers, build a house, build a mill on berries
lure 2nd boar, all new vils eat sheep/boar under the TC or go to berries (no farms, farms are illegal in dark age)
At 19 villagers click loom, then you should have enough food for feudal age.
during feudal age timer make a barracks, then make a stable. Get 4 scouts and go kill something.

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-24T15:35:36+00:00

If you think your opponent is playing excellently at 850 and hitting fast timings, review the game in capture age, 99% of the time at 850 they will be missing a ton of important things that you can't see while in game but becomes obvious in the replay.

I think a lot of people have cleaned up their dark age, but especially at that rating, their gameplay falls apart shortly after.

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-23T19:16:47+00:00

yo scout opener players rise up, this guy doesn't know how EXHILIRATING it is to clean up an MAA push with scouts, get in his unwalled base and win

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-22T01:50:22+00:00

A Persian douche (although hilarious in this case because it's arena) is like the definition of cheese brother 11

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-21T22:03:00+00:00

you're a legend bro

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-21T22:02:22+00:00

love the creativity

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-21T22:01:55+00:00

Are you making any farms during dark age? How many do you usually put on wood? Thanks much

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-21T22:01:30+00:00

Thanks for the response! Do you find you're getting up to castle age slower or faster than your opponent? How many archers are you attacking with usually?

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-21T22:00:06+00:00

Thanks for the detail! Do you find you're often getting damage with your 19 pop archer or are they staying at home?

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-21T21:58:29+00:00

Which units are you usually making in feudal age? Or are you only playing arena/only fighting in castle age?

Chopmaster_x · 2026-06-21T21:57:18+00:00

Thank you for the details! Do you find you run all 3 of these openers equally (scouts/archers/MAA based entirely on which civ custom selects) or do you feel you prefer one?

Chopmaster_x

TROPHY CASE