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Chinese build orders & counters

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

AoE4 build ordersAoE4 tier list C tierAoE4 countersAoE4 build order overlay

Style
Mostly macro1 of its 8 most-played builds are rushes or timing attacks.
Feudal Age
3:30Median age-up click of its popular builds.
Key units
HorsemenHorsemenSpearmenSpearmenMost trained in those builds.

Most-played Chinese build orders

Most-played Chinese build orders
BuildStrategyFeudalCastleMain units
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 — —
Standardby Don D Fast Castle ~10:20 — HorsemenHorsemenSpearmenSpearmen

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

How to counter Chinese

Their popular builds lean on horsemen and spearmen. Answer with:

  • HorsemenHorsemenSpearmenSpearmenKnightsKnights
  • SpearmenSpearmenArchersArchersMen-at-armsMen-at-armsHandcannoneersHandcannoneers

What Chinese units beat

Playing Chinese? Your main units are the answer to:

  • HorsemenHorsemenArchersArchersLongbowmenLongbowmenCrossbowmenCrossbowmen
  • SpearmenSpearmenHorsemenHorsemenKnightsKnightsLancersLancers

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. Every unit: AoE4 counter chart.

Best and worst maps for Chinese

Best map for Chinese: Archipelago, 51.6% (+6.4 pts vs. its 45.2% on all maps). Worst: Himeyama, 42.2% (−3.0 pts), 9.4 points below the best.

Pick it on

Best ranked 1v1 maps for Chinese
MapWin ratevs. its average
Archipelago51.6%+6.4 pts
Carmel49.4%+4.2 pts
Migration49.0%+3.8 pts

Ban it on

Worst ranked 1v1 maps for Chinese
MapWin ratevs. its average
Himeyama42.2%−3.0 pts
Relic River42.4%−2.8 pts
Hideout42.7%−2.5 pts

Play Chinese 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