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Japanese build orders & counters

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

AoE4 build ordersAoE4 tier list A tierAoE4 countersAoE4 build order overlay

Style
Mostly macro1 of its 7 most-played builds are rushes or timing attacks.
Feudal Age
5:55Median age-up click of its popular builds.
Key units
Mounted samuraiMounted samuraiSpearmenSpearmenYumi ashigaruYumi ashigaruMost trained in those builds.

Most-played Japanese build orders

Most-played Japanese build orders
BuildStrategyFeudalCastleMain units
Fast Castle (2026)by Valdemar1902 Fast Castle 5:41 7:40 Mounted samuraiMounted samuraiYumi ashigaruYumi ashigaru
Beginner Friendly Vortix Spear + Fast Castleby taktaktab Fast Castle 5:55 8:10 SpearmenSpearmenMounted samuraiMounted samurai
Agro into mounted samuraiby Piepet Fast Castle 6:40 8:00 Mounted samuraiMounted samurai
ML JAP FCby Seijin Fast Castle 6:40 8:12 SpearmenSpearmenMounted samuraiMounted samurai
Early Pressure with Shinobi & Horsemen + Fast Casttle (By Vortix)by Bluw Fast Castle 5:00 9:00 ShinobiHorsemenHorsemen
Japan Shinobi Build into Aggro or FCby taktaktab Cheese 4:20 — —

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

How to counter Japanese

Their popular builds lean on mounted samurai, spearmen and yumi ashigaru. Answer with:

  • Mounted samuraiMounted samuraiSpearmenSpearmenCrossbowmenCrossbowmenCamel ridersCamel riders
  • SpearmenSpearmenArchersArchersMen-at-armsMen-at-armsHandcannoneersHandcannoneers
  • Yumi ashigaruYumi ashigaruHorsemenHorsemenMen-at-armsMen-at-armsMangonelsMangonels

What Japanese units beat

Playing Japanese? Your main units are the answer to:

  • Mounted samuraiMounted samuraiHorsemenHorsemenMen-at-armsMen-at-armsHandcannoneersHandcannoneers
  • SpearmenSpearmenHorsemenHorsemenKnightsKnightsLancersLancers
  • Yumi ashigaruYumi ashigaruSpearmenSpearmenCrossbowmenCrossbowmenHorse archersHorse archers

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 Japanese

Best map for Japanese: Craters, 54.1% (+2.8 pts vs. its 51.3% on all maps). Worst: Highwoods, 48.0% (−3.4 pts), 6.2 points below the best.

Pick it on

Best ranked 1v1 maps for Japanese
MapWin ratevs. its average
Craters54.1%+2.8 pts
Rocky River53.8%+2.4 pts
Ocean Gateway53.6%+2.2 pts

Ban it on

Worst ranked 1v1 maps for Japanese
MapWin ratevs. its average
Highwoods48.0%−3.4 pts
Carmel48.3%−3.0 pts
Archipelago49.0%−2.3 pts

Play Japanese 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