AoE4 build orders for every civ (October 2026)

The 115 most-played Age of Empires IV build orders on aoe4guides.com, up to 5 for each of the 23 civs. The civs most picked in ranked 1v1 come first. Data of October 16, 2026.

AoE4 build order overlay AoE4 tier list AoE4 counters

Most-played English build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
2TC White Tower (2026)by Valdemar1902	Boom	4:22
Longbow Rush Into Age 3 Timing (2026)by Valdemar1902	Rush	4:00
English \| 2TC \| Team Gamesby Jockxtar	Boom	4:40
Vortix's 1TC Eco/Aggro English - Copy for me to understand seriesby murtuk	Aggressive	4:15
English 2 TC defensiveby JampiX	Boom	~4:40

Most-played French build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
WB Pro Scouts (2026)by Valdemar1902	—	4:30
Beasty's Wheelbarrow openerby Kwts	Rush	4:25
Braindead Macro French Fast Feudal	Rush	—
Aggresive frenchby era	Aggressive	—
French feudal aggressionby JampiX	Rush	3:40

Knights Templar

Most-played Knights Templar build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Beasty New 2TC KTby lxwrncx	—	4:15
(2026) 1TC Fast 2x Pilgrim Into Aggroby Valdemar1902	Aggressive	3:20
2TC after TC cost update (2026)by RonnieFlex	—	4:30
(2026) Templar 2TCby Valdemar1902	Timing Attack	4:30
2 TC Templarby Fenil	Boom	4:05

Knights Templar: counters, maps and key units

Order of the Dragon

Most-played Order of the Dragon build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Vortix's Fast Burgrave - Copy for me to understand seriesby murtuk	Fast Castle	4:15
ODD Fast Castleby Dreallix	Fast Castle	4:40
OOTD Fast castle - Vortix's Burg Buildby taktaktab	Fast Castle	4:22
OOTD FC INTO IMPERIAL GOD BOOMby yakov	Boom	4:50
OOTD fast castle relicsby JampiX	Fast Castle	~4:15

Order of the Dragon: counters, maps and key units

Most-played Japanese build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Fast Castle (2026)by Valdemar1902	Fast Castle	5:41
Beginner Friendly Vortix Spear + Fast Castleby taktaktab	Fast Castle	5:55
Agro into mounted samuraiby Piepet	Fast Castle	6:40
ML JAP FCby Seijin	Fast Castle	6:40
Early Pressure with Shinobi & Horsemen + Fast Casttle (By Vortix)by Bluw	Fast Castle	5:00

Most-played Ottomans build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Ottomans (2026)by Valdemar1902	—	4:30
Ottoman 1-3-1-1by Robinouse	Timing Attack	5:30
[New Patch] Akinji Rush - Beastyby Niki45nk	Rush	4:40
Ottoman 1-3-1-1 (Beasty) Comandra Schemeby Comandra	—	—
Ottoman 1-3-1-1 2026by Ainswurf	—	—

Holy Roman Empire

Most-played Holy Roman Empire build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
HRE Feudal Aggro Into Castle (2026)by Valdemar1902	Aggressive	4:05
New Player Guide to HREby Shaada	—	—
HRE Burgrave Aggression - via RTS_Papercut Videoby Blondeyboy	Fast Castle	—
HRE Burgrave – Deer pack openingby SeekNDstroy	—	—
HRE Burgrave – Sheep opening (geen deer)by SeekNDstroy	—	—

Holy Roman Empire: counters, maps and key units

Macedonian Dynasty

Most-played Macedonian Dynasty build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Beasty macedonianby azerty	—	—
Best Macedonian Dynasty BO [Beasty]by Masturbeast	—	—
Simple Macedonian Dynasty - Beastyby Niki45nk	Timing Attack	4:15
Hippodrome Aggro Into Age 3 Timing (2026)by Valdemar1902	Aggressive	4:20
Feudal Aggression Macedonians (DLC RELEASE VERSION)by Valdemar1902	Aggressive	4:10

Macedonian Dynasty: counters, maps and key units

Most-played Rus build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Rus Pro Scouts (2026)by Valdemar1902	—	4:07
1TC FC Kremlinby Ehounds	Fast Castle	4:05
Standard Rus 2TCby Munchy	Boom	4:45
Rus 2TC FCby Munchy	Boom	~4:06
Vortix's Kremlin 2TC RUS - Copy for me to understand seriesby murtuk	—	4:25

Most-played Chinese build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Fast Aggro Tax Build (2026)by Valdemar1902	Aggressive	3:12
Fast Pro Scouts (2026)by Valdemar1902	—	3:12
China Numba #1by UnkemptKing	—	3:30
Chinese Beastyqtby Cozy	—	—
china 2TCby siberian_wolf	—	~2:00

Most-played Mongols build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
New Player Guide to Mongolsby Shaada	—	—
Dark age horseman into IMP Mangudai, Teamgame Buildby Gissa777	—	~8:45
Mongol 2TC Cheeseby Skimsh	Cheese	~4:27
Mongols Keshik + Pressão Feudalby Richarddurodo	—	4:55
Mongol Notes - Tower Rushby KingJWEn	Aggressive	—

Golden Horde

Most-played Golden Horde build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Golden Horde Team Match Fast Imperialby 特列-苏菲	Fast Imperial	5:00
(2026) Fast Keshik + Torguuds Into Aggro/FCby Valdemar1902	Aggressive	4:37
Simple Golden Horde - Beastyby Niki45nk	Rush	4:50
What to do with golden Hordeby Asmitha	Timing Attack	4:40
Golden Horde Feudal Rush 2026 After Patchby Ultrabars	Aggressive	4:50

Golden Horde: counters, maps and key units

Most-played Byzantines build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Grand Winery Timing Attack (2026)by Valdemar1902	—	4:14
Grand Winery 3 Stone Openerby Valdemar1902	Timing Attack	4:38
Hippodrome Mill Opener Into 12 Min Castleby Valdemar1902	Timing Attack	4:00
SwaggyProfessor - Fast 5 Cistern Build (Dum Dum's Copy)by Private Dum Dum	Fast Castle	4:32
Byzantine 2 TC Boom Dum Dum's Copyby Private Dum Dum	Boom	5:00

Zhu Xi’s Legacy

Most-played Zhu Xi’s Legacy build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Superfast Castle (2026)by Valdemar1902	Fast Castle	5:15
Zhuge Nu-Timing-Attackby Yufka1954	Timing Attack	4:10
Zhu XI Feudal Agro - Beastyqtby Krayt	Rush	4:10
Song 2TC (2026)by Valdemar1902	Boom	4:25
Zhu Xi feudal aggressionby JampiX	Rush	—

Zhu Xi’s Legacy: counters, maps and key units

Most-played Malians build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Fast Pit Mine Into Cows (2026)by Valdemar1902	—	4:11
Vortix's Feudal Aggro with Sofas into Cow Boomby Eldritch	Aggressive	4:15
Classic malians openerby Astralfr	—	4:11
2 Stable Sofa Archer Openingby Valdemar1902	Rush	4:24
Malian \| 2 TCby Jockxtar	Boom	4:35

House of Lancaster

Most-played House of Lancaster build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Abbey + 3 Manors - Season 12by Ubercorndog	Rush	—
Abbey of Kings Fast Castle → White Tower Timing by Swaggy Professorby Swaggy Professor	Abbey of Kings Fast Castle → White Tower Knight Pressure	—
1 Manor Lords Timing (2026)by Valdemar1902	Rush	3:55
The Most OP LANCASTER Build Right Now (10-Min Wins, Full Guide)by Azmort	Fast Castle	—
Lancaster 2 TC 1 Manorby Ainswurf	—	—

House of Lancaster: counters, maps and key units

Abbasid Dynasty

Most-played Abbasid Dynasty build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Eco Wing 2TC (2026)by Valdemar1902	Boom	4:00
Miliwing Stable 2TC (2026)by Valdemar1902	—	4:00
2TC ECOby Staneman	—	3:58
Abba 4TC into Camel ridersby Gissa777	Boom	—
Abbasi 4TC Ecoby Mad Max	Boom	5:00

Abbasid Dynasty: counters, maps and key units

Most-played Ayyubids build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Fast Castle Industry Tempo (2026)by Valdemar1902	Fast Castle	4:15
Ayyubids desert raider opening into FCby Venlow	Fast Castle	—
Ayyubids MOST BROKEN Meta Conqueror VortiXby Axl	Fast Castle	~3:24
The fastest 3:35 2TC Build in AOE4! - Beastyby SideboardP	Boom	—
Beastyqt Season 12 Ayyubid FCby inberkewetrust	Fast Castle	—

Delhi Sultanate

Most-played Delhi Sultanate build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Delhi Fast Ghazi into Age 3 (2026)by Valdemar1902	—	4:15
Delhi Fast Ghazi into Age 3 (2026) - copyby itadvi	—	4:15
Delhi Fast Ghazi into Age 3 (2026)by The Prophet	—	—
Delhi Fast Start (TMP)by Ambrosius	Fast Castle	5:10
Delhi \| Feudal tempo (ToV)by Jockxtar	—	5:10

Delhi Sultanate: counters, maps and key units

Jin Dynasty

Most-played Jin Dynasty build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
Swaggy's Jin Starter- Copy for me to understand seriesby murtuk	—	3:55
The ONLY Jin Dynasty Build You Need - Swaggy Professorby Niki45nk	Rush	3:55
2TC->Castleby ElPavelo	—	4:30
[Jin Dynasty] Knight Opener - Valdemarby Niki45nk	Timing Attack	4:20
Hybrid map opener - Beastyby daltor	—	7:15

Jin Dynasty: counters, maps and key units

Jeanne d’Arc

Most-played Jeanne d’Arc build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
(2026) JD Aggressionby Valdemar1902	Rush	4:37
marinelord knights onlyby azdipoj	—	—
JD Aggressionby Asmitha	Aggressive	4:18
Juanita vuelve en 2026by ImpulseGold	—	4:30
--Jeanne d'Arc-- BOby nini	Rush	4:05

Jeanne d’Arc: counters, maps and key units

Tughlaq Dynasty

Most-played Tughlaq Dynasty build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
2 tc fort build feudal into raider elephants etc season 12by PeNDraGoN	Boom	~6:45
Feudal Aggro with Raider and Healer Elephantsby Eldritch	Rush	3:55
Tughlaq Dynasty - Rush Fort - Beastyqtby Krayt	Boom	4:10
Corvinus' Tower of victory+2TC+Fort BOOMby murtuk	Boom	4:25
Simple Tughlaq Dynasty - Beastyby Niki45nk	Rush	4:05

Tughlaq Dynasty: counters, maps and key units

Sengoku Daimyo

Most-played Sengoku Daimyo build orders: strategy and Feudal time
Build	Strategy	Feudal
The Racecar Build (DLC RELEASE VERSION)by Valdemar1902	—	4:14
Sengoku Opener (Beasty opener)by Drumz	—	5:15
Sengoku Fast Daimyo (2026)by Valdemar1902	—	5:20
Feudal Rush (from Beasty) - Copy for me to understand seriesby murtuk	Rush	5:00
Sengoku \| Team games guideby Jockxtar	Fast Castle	5:10

Sengoku Daimyo: counters, maps and key units

Build names, strategies and authors from aoe4guides.com (snapshot of October 16, 2026): each name opens the full build there. Feudal is the age-up click in the build (~ means estimated). MetaAOE is not affiliated with aoe4guides.com.

Follow these builds over the game

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Questions

What is the best AoE4 build order?

There is no single best one: it depends on your civ, the map and your opponent. Start with the first build of your civ above, the most played on aoe4guides.com. Strongest civ right now: Macedonian Dynasty, see the AoE4 tier list.

How do I follow a build order while playing?

With an overlay over the game: the AoE4 build order overlay shows each step on the match clock, so you never alt-tab. Free, on Overwolf.

Where do these builds come from?

From aoe4guides.com, written by the players named under each build. This page uses the data of October 16, 2026 and each build name opens the full build there. MetaAOE is independent: not affiliated with aoe4guides.com, Microsoft or World's Edge.

Which build order should a beginner learn?

One build learned well beats ten half-known ones. AoE4 for beginners picks simple builds from the most-played civs.

Are there AoE II build orders too?

Yes, in the AoE II overlay, each with its source: AoE2 build order overlay.

More from MetaAOE: AoE4 build order overlay · AoE4 for beginners · AoE4 tier list · AoE4 counters · AoE IV civs