#spearmansays

[aoespearman]

Never forget about animals and fish! Foraging and farming may be the most popular methods of food gathering, but an observant player will capitalize on the deer, boar, and fish (if applicable) that they start off near. Hunting can bring in lots of food at once, and fishing ships can build fish traps!

[aoespearman]

Helpful Tip: When preparing a multiplayer game, try to coordinate with your friends as to which civilizations you will play as. Take team and civilization bonuses into account, because some combinations can be extremely effective (and deadly)!

[aoespearman]

If you're in a bind and find yourself with little gold, you can still defend yourself with Hussars, Elite Skirmishers, and Halberdiers. Hussars cost only food, and Elite Skirmishers and Halberdiers cost food and wood.

[aoespearman]

The most important unit of AoE II is the villager. The key to success is having enough of them to stabilize your economy, but not so many that they take up population space that could be used for troops. In an average 200 pop cap match in Conquerors, the ideal villager count is 55-70.