Scaling Chinese Economic Dominance Against Byzantines in AoE4

To effectively counter the Byzantine civilization in Age of Empires 4 Season 7, Chinese players must leverage their unique dynasty mechanics to overcome the pressure of mercenary-heavy compositions. While the Byzantine player utilizes the Hippodrome and Mercenary House to exert early aggression, the Chinese focus must remain on the transition to the Song Dynasty. This guide outlines how to manage the economic scaling required to survive the mid-game and ultimately overwhelm the Byzantine military machine.

Prioritizing the Song Dynasty Economic Engine

The most critical decision for a Chinese player facing a Byzantine opponent is the early commitment to the Song Dynasty. By choosing the Village Landmark during the transition to the Feudal Age, you gain access to the Village, which increases your population capacity and, more importantly, allows for the faster production of villagers. This economic acceleration is necessary to counter the Byzantine’s ability to generate early-game military presence through free mercenary contracts.

Focus on positioning your villages near your primary food sources to maximize gathering efficiency. Because Byzantines often attempt to deny map control, maintaining a tight, defensible base is essential. The Song Dynasty bonus allows you to replenish your worker pool rapidly if the Byzantine player successfully raids your villagers, ensuring you maintain a constant flow of resources into your production buildings.

Neutralizing Byzantine Mercenary Pressure

Byzantine players rely heavily on the Mercenary House and the Hippodrome to gain an edge in early combat. To survive this, Chinese players must prioritize the production of Zhuge Nu. These crossbowmen offer a high rate of fire that is particularly effective against the light infantry units often fielded by the Byzantines. Position your Zhuge Nu behind a frontline of spearmen to protect them from cavalry charges.

Avoid engaging the Byzantine forces directly under their influence, as the Hippodrome’s combat bonuses can tip the scales in their favor during prolonged fights. Instead, use your economic lead to force the Byzantine player into a defensive stance. Once you have stabilized your production lines, transition into a larger composition that includes siege units. By forcing the Byzantine player to react to your expansion, you mitigate the impact of their mercenary unit rotation.

Managing Resource Allocation for Late-Game

Late-game success against the Byzantines depends on your ability to transition from a single-base economy to a multi-base sprawl. As you move into the Castle and Imperial Ages, ensure you are investing heavily in stone mining to construct defensive towers and fortified outposts. These structures are vital for protecting your expanded economy from the highly mobile Byzantine raiding parties.

Monitor your gold income closely, as you will need significant reserves to sustain the production of high-value units like Palace Guards and Nest of Bees. If you find your gold supplies threatened, utilize your tax collection mechanism effectively. Assign Imperial Officials to your most productive gold-mining camps to ensure you are accumulating the necessary capital to maintain a military force capable of challenging the Byzantine endgame composition.

Tactical Positioning and Map Control

The Byzantines often seek to control critical map resources through the strategic placement of cisterns. As a Chinese player, your objective is to disrupt this network. Use your scouts to identify the location of their cisterns and plan raids to snipe these buildings. Reducing the efficiency of the Byzantine aqueduct network significantly lowers their unit production speeds and combat effectiveness.

When engaging in map-wide skirmishes, use the mobility of your Palace Guards to pick off isolated Byzantine units. Do not overextend into enemy territory without sufficient support. By controlling the center of the map with defensive fortifications and keeping your army concentrated, you prevent the Byzantine player from isolating and picking off your forces piece by piece. This methodical approach ensures that your superior economic scaling eventually forces a collapse in the Byzantine production capacity.