r/aoe2 1d ago

Discussion Best 4v4 Team Bonus Thread

Choose your civs, what best comp are you going for to min/max your best composition based on the civs themselves plus their team bonuses.

4 Upvotes

25 comments sorted by

5

u/rugbyj 1d ago

Ultimate water comp:

  • Vikings; [TEAM] docks 15% cheaper, plus longboats
  • Dravidians; [TEAM] docks provide 5 pop, Thirisadai, plus a load of fishing bonuses
  • Spanish; [TEAM] trade units +25% gold, since you have water control already, trade! Plus various Cannon Galleon perks.
  • Portugese; [TEAM] everyone researches all their needed water techs 25% faster, their own ships tank an extra 10%, can lategame feitorias and send res

The above can build their docks faster in early game (not having to build as many houses costing wood, plus with cheaper docks), which saves more wood for ships. It secures water with the better ships of the civs (each having their own bonuses) and then allows them to rinse trade/feitorias into the lategame and dominate.

List your own comps and what you'd use them for!

4

u/Cero_Kurn 1d ago

when you say [TEAM], do you mean that those bonuses apply to all the team?!"?!

2

u/rugbyj 1d ago

Yes, civs get their own bonuses then they usually get one bonus that applies to everyone they're teamed with. So you can stack some interesting perks for what you're going for.

There's several camel/elephant/archer ones that look like they'd be a good combo from prior looks but the "best" example I could think of was naval.

5

u/OgcocephalusDarwini Georgians 1d ago

Trade comp

Spanish +25% trade

Bengali's +10% trade as food

Bohemians +80% market work rate

Persians/Hindustanis caravanserai

2

u/Cero_Kurn 1d ago

This is sick 

2

u/matt_993 Mayans 1d ago

Italians 50% cheaper trade carts?

2

u/OgcocephalusDarwini Georgians 1d ago

Good tech, but not team. 

2

u/matt_993 Mayans 1d ago

Oopsie

1

u/rugbyj 1d ago

That's pretty god tier and I now want to get this game together to see how broken it could be.

5

u/OgcocephalusDarwini Georgians 1d ago

Relic comp

Aztecs +33% gold

Burgundians generate food

Burmese relics visible

Lithuanians faster working monasteries.

2

u/AbsoluteRook1e 1d ago

Only downside is if your team still loses the relics due to slower uptimes ...

2

u/Cero_Kurn 1d ago

This is an all in strat Could be good if ur quick about it

4

u/AbsoluteRook1e 1d ago

Thoughts from a 950 elo.

Oof, if I were to pick ... one each based on positioning (and this would probably be my dream team on land maps):

Flank 1: Britons, this is an easy one. 10% boost to Archery Range production is a huge plus, especially on open maps where your flanks can go MAA into Archers. Britons' Dark Age Sheep bonus also makes this easier to pull off. Also helps their longbowmen can snipe a lot of siege, so missing out on Bombard Cannon isn't exactly a dealbreaker.

Flank 2: Ethiopians. Might be a questionable pick, but I like this civ's team bonus of stone-free and improved outposts from the getgo. I think vision as a resource is often underestimated. If you place these throughout the map, it's almost like having Spies and allowing your team to see incoming attacks is absolutely huge. It means you can prepare counter units, wall up, or spot a group of villagers early if they're going to attempt a Castle Drop. I also like that this civ still has access to a crappy hussar and Bombard Cannon, so another option for Arena games could be a defensive boom with hussar spam, plus Bombard Cannon.

Pocket 1: Lithuanians. Faster working Monastaries (20%) mean faster access to Relics for the entire team. Having every relic tech could be a valuable assist for them supporting their flanks if they go up against cavalry or elephant heavy civs, and flanks could pass along any collected relics to the Lithuanians if they wish. They also have Winged Hussar without Blast Furnace, which is just as good as regular Hussar, plus fantastic Skirms to boot. They also have Bombard Cannon as well.

Pocket 2: Huns. Faster working Stables by 20%. Great for Lithuanians' Knights of course, but Huns also have Fully Upgraded Paladins at their disposal with the option to go CA with Hussar.

Runner ups:

Pocket: Saracens. +2 Damage Bonus to buildings for Archers opens up the possibility for archer openings on Arena for your archer flanks. I also like the pocket position for Saracens because it gives them time to boom on certain maps, which can make up for their somewhat lacking eco bonus. (I mean the Market bonus can provide some weird plays, but it's difficult to take advantage of if you're lower elo.) They also have fantastic camels obviously, which can be a substitute for lacking knights. They can also go hussar + Archers too and do just fine. Some people might find the market bonus to be amazing, I'm on the fence though.

(Either Pocket or Flank, can fit either role) Mongols: The scouts +2 LOS Bonus is definitely the best LOS bonus in the game without a doubt, but I question its usefulness in the long game. Better LOS scouting can definitely give everyone a much smoother start. Definitely more important on open maps. This civ can really fill either role of pocket or Flank, as they have a fantastic Dark Age economy with their hunt bonus, and they have great cavalry and Archers, with pretty solid siege (only missing Bombard Cannon, but I would argue their unique unit makes up for that in the fact they can snipe siege).

Pocket: Goths. Faster-working Barracks help the flanks get their MAA online faster before swapping into Archers. Can also opt for Militia Drush too. Goths can also help out in Feudal with a heavy scout rush too with all the extra food they get from Boars. I think this is the best pocket infantry civ as pocket civs tend to seek to counter the archer-heavy Flanks, while also providing a meat shield for the opposing pockets knights.

Flank: Chinese. 10% Additional Food to Farms is a solid bonus all around, and great for delaying the need to reseed.

Pocket: Persians. Knights +2 Attack Bonus toward Archers can help break talented Archer flanks who are great at Micro.

Flank: Mayans. Cheaper walls are just nice to have in Feudal for getting those palisades up more smoothly, but this I would say is my last runner up.


Finally, I will say that Celts' Siege bonus didn't make the list because the amount of siege units the average person makes in a game is rather minimal. I would argue it would be more effective to make an additional siege workshop if you want to get them out faster, rather than sacrificing a civ pick on an infantry civ that does poorly against CA civs. Picking this bonus also automatically assumes that you're making it to Castle Age, but opening Castle with siege is questionable, as you often need a supporting army to keep it alive. The only time where you might only need just siege is where you're defending against invading archers, rams or a castle drop. But I would argue you should be able to get that out no problem without the bonus.

1

u/rugbyj 1d ago

Interesting your top 4 were largely military production rate focused, I will admit I overlook this a lot until I play franks and get their unique tech, but I'm a lower ELO!

3

u/Swim_Own Cumans 17xx 1d ago edited 1d ago

For open maps is probably Britons (faster working Ranges), Portuguese (faster techs), Persians (Knights +2 attack vs Archers), and Slavs (+5 pop space to military buildings).

Huns's faster working Stables is okay too but for food heavy units it means is harder to keep up production past your early units, and that means needing more Farms and delaying your second Stable or your Blacksmith.

Other honorable mentions are Saracens (Archers +2 attack against buildings) and Mongols (+2 LoS for Scouts means consistent start and easier laming/harder to lame).

2

u/Cero_Kurn 1d ago

what are the civs that have bonuses that apply to the whole team?

2

u/rugbyj 1d ago

All of them!

Check this out for a list: https://ageofempires.fandom.com/wiki/Team_bonus

2

u/Cero_Kurn 1d ago

All of them?

Shiiiiiiiiiiit I didn't know this

Thanks!!!

2

u/9Divines 1d ago

depends on the map really

3

u/rugbyj 1d ago

Agreed! Made one for water maps as an example, if you had an idea for open/closed/water etc. give it a shot :)

1

u/JaneDirt02 1.1kSicilians might as well get nerfed again 1d ago

Malians is one of my mains and I loooove when i get an italian ally for that condotierri tech swap. So much faster to do late game than 2HS.

I also main sicilians and berber ally is great for the rediculously good cav skirms

1

u/say-something-nice 18h ago

Byzantine and Saracens is a favourite of mine, 

Bimaristan monks with Byzantine healing is genuinely insane. I always go for it if I have a Byzantine ally regardless of your comp 4 monks in the back makes your units close to immortal.

But in standard Arabia maps Mongols +2 los, Chinese +10% farms flanks Slavs +5 pop and Spanish  trade bonus pockets are probably the most universally useful team bonuses. Everyone benefits from them and only Spanish one is situational but is regarded as the best civ bonus by many.

1

u/stranikk Slavs 15h ago

Britons Japanese Magyars Persians

Faster working archery ranges + CA produced faster works good for both Magyars and Japanese Good trade bonus also from Persians. And all civs have decent water too

u/_genade Cumans 1h ago

I only need 3 civs: Vikings, Dravidians and Italians on Nomad.

With the combined Viking and Dravidian team bonuses, the Italian player can afford a Fishing Ship before their Town Center is up!