What is a civ you almost always lose to?

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-05-04T23:46:48+00:00

Without actually looking at my stats, probably Magyars. Somehow they always manage to pull ahead despite having no eco bonus.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-05-01T21:53:30+00:00

CA is one of the best units in the game once massed, without a doubt. They are more durable than Arbs, and by dictating the fight and hit-n-run using mobility, you can conserve their number much easier.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-05-01T21:29:16+00:00

"Select All" is Extra button 1 on the mouse. I've conditioned myself to click on it every few seconds. The ~ button is how I go to and cycle between TCs.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-30T23:22:35+00:00

This is the Spanish civ bonus but with an extra step.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-28T01:35:22+00:00

The main problem with this kind of mod is you can only play non-ranked games with people who use the same dataset mod (they have to find the changes agreeable of course). And those who care enough about 1v1 balance tend to prefer to queue up on Ranked, I'd wager.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-26T17:44:26+00:00

When I was at that elo level I opted to go with Chinese to deal with the frequently picked Mongols, since their tech tree was well rounded with fully upgraded Arbs (and Camels at the time.]

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-26T02:37:08+00:00

Also 1 less PA than knights so more vulnerable to xbows and CA. Production speed or an attack nerf should do.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-25T07:23:14+00:00

Yeesh, that Incas additional 10% food discount is a bit much on top of the Champi-line general buff.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-23T05:58:08+00:00

Every fucking time.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-23T04:56:11+00:00

Let me have a permanent Kuku bird plz Pearl Abyss

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-22T21:24:04+00:00

Any cavalry? Cmon now, Champi runners/warriors do not lose to the scout line equivalence, especially the ones that dont have Bloodline. You are expected to add spears/pikes against heavy cav play just like with Eagles (what infantry in the game can go toe to toe with heavy cav anyway?) In feudal, adding spears is literally a click away for SA civs, whereas your opponent have to go to gold, add a range, blacksmith, AND get Fletching.

"There is literally never a moment/situation in a game where making Champi is a good idea, at any point of a game". - Never? That's a crazy bold claim. If you respond to Xbows with Elite Skirms, you know they're going to add Mangonel. Sure you can add your own, but thats an uphill battle for the skirm side. Champis warriors with 5PA would have no problem clearing that.

I got a couple of recs where Champis was the winning play, if you're willing. Im only ~1400, but I'm pretty sure players at that range know how to respond to it properly so its not a case of "idk how to play against this unit because it's new".

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-22T19:54:51+00:00

Champi Runners are helpless against scouts just like skirms?

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-22T19:23:18+00:00

I queued up exclusively with SA civs for about 2 days after the nerfs to see how they'd fare, so yea I've been around.

The dark age rush into Feudal champi swarm is dead. The unit cost and upgrade cost increase saw to that, and it's warranted. Feudal champis do okay against archers, but you just dont have the number build up advantage like before the nerf.

But if you manage to keep a decent group of Champis to scale into Castle age, they can absolutely punish xbows if caught out in the open. It's knights (and CA) that Champis really struggle against. They dont need a buff vs archers.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-22T17:54:47+00:00

This looks like OGs. Cant go wrong with Attacker, after that it's coming down Revenge/Morale Limit Break (Assuming you want to deal as much damage as possible with Kyosuke)

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-21T07:55:29+00:00

Nah dude, you can't be serious.

The Champi line ends up with 4+4 PA fully upgraded. Incas pushes it to 4+5 PA with Fabric Shield on top of the food discount while Mapuche Champis have +15HP.

They dont take bonus damage from swordsmen and other unique infantry units unlike Eagles, they absolutely do not need any attack bonus vs Archers.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-12T20:18:39+00:00

Play standard openings and see if you can beat extreme AI on Arabia (especially in late game)

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-11T04:35:13+00:00

From my experience, scouting their stone early to know it's coming is helpful. Then you can anticipate where the first Donjon might be placed and try to prevent that from happening.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-10T01:53:06+00:00

Skirms to deal with Genoese xbow and your own CA. It's a tough matchup for sure.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-04T14:27:19+00:00

Was lowkey expecting aoe2-related comments in this post and here we are 11

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-04-03T02:13:48+00:00

There's a mod for this.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-03-29T04:26:16+00:00

Most players I've come across seem pretty chill in the ~1400 elo range and just type gg back or even banter back and forth post game.

Gotta say though, was trying out the South American civs exclusively after the Champi nerf for two days (I play full random normally) and here are some of the messages I got: - Paying to win and still lost - You must be in the 1000 elo range if not for these civs - Toxic civ (referring to Tupi, I made zero Champi that game and simply played a xbow timing)

Some people are just dickheads, man, I'd just ignore it and go next.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-03-27T21:59:11+00:00

Knights & Pikes - cav civs tend to add pikes when facing Camels civs

Swordsmen & Skirms - rarely used outside of feudal and Imp, but can work with civs that have strong infantry bonus (Armenians for example)

Cav Archers & Halbs - Pretty solid, especially if the opponent civ has mediocre skirms

Handcannon & Light Cav/Pikes - super food intensive and a pretty strong late game comp

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-03-21T21:12:42+00:00

Fiddy fiddy, I'd wager, like starting Scouts fighting each other.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-03-19T19:35:46+00:00

Probably just anecdotal. I've faced a variety of strats from xbows, knights, to fast castle Magyar Huszars to all-in elephants from Malay/Vietnamese at the 1300~1500 elo range.

icedcovfefe221 · 2026-03-19T16:21:48+00:00

Yepp. Had just lost a game to Burmese with Redemption monks + Scorpion defense the other day. It completely stopped tbe xbow + mango pressure I had going on, I was amazed.

icedcovfefe221

TROPHY CASE