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Rus guide: strengths, counters and build orders

Map control with hunting and the Kremlin; Early Knights, then Horse Archers and Monks

Tier C · 48.1% win rateLodya Attack ShipLodya Demolition ShipLodya Fishing BoatLodya GalleyLodya Trade ShipLodya Transport ShipMilitia HalberdierHorse ArcherWarrior MonkStreltsy

Strengths

  • Lots of early food from Hunting Cabins, deer and bounty
  • Safe expansion with the Wooden Fortress and Fortified Palisade
  • Early Knights in Feudal for raiding
  • Strong Castle: Warrior Monks, Horse Archers and relics
  • The Kremlin produces Levy Militia almost for free

Weaknesses

  • Average Feudal infantry; if he loses the hunt or the Knights, he falls behind
  • Horse Archers and Monks need micro and lots of gold
  • Imperial relies on Streltsy and siege

How to counter Rus

  1. Scout the Landmark at 2:20 to 2:45: Kremlin on deer means a second TC or FC
  2. Contest deer early and kill villagers at the Cabin
  3. Spearmen and Archers against Early Knights, Crossbows and Spearmen in Castle
  4. Hit the second TC (5:40 to 6:25) before the Palisade
  5. Contest relics and kill the Monks

Units that work well: Spearmen · Archers · Crossbowmen · Fast cavalry

Layla's in-game tip: Take his deer, and Spearmen and Archers against Knights

Power spikes and timings

  1. 5:00Early Knights raid after the Kremlin
  2. 9:00Castle and relics with Monks (9:00 to 11:00)
  3. 15:50Levy Militia attack from the Kremlin

Strongest armies per age (simulator)

Open-field fights in Layla's battle simulator against standard armies of the same cost. Score = resources needed per enemy resource (lower is better; 1.0 is an even trade).

Feudal Age

  • Militia0.3
  • Militia + Hardened Spearman0.69
  • Militia + Archer0.77

Castle Age

  • Militia0.21
  • Militia + Veteran Spearman0.52
  • Militia + Man-at-Arms0.57

Imperial Age

  • Militia0.18
  • Militia + Elite Spearman0.47
  • Militia + Elite Man-at-Arms0.53

Civilization bonuses

  • Construct Fortified Palisade Walls with +100% health.
  • Construct Wooden Fortresses — improved Outposts with +100% health and +3 garrison slots.
  • Construct Hunting Cabins — improved Mills that produce Scouts and generate Gold from nearby forests.
  • Gathering from animals earns a bounty of Gold — increased bounty provides economic bonuses to Villagers and Hunting Cabins.
  • Early Knight available in the Feudal Age (II).
  • Lodya ship can convert into any type of ship for a cost.
  • Fishing Ships don't have to return to a dock to drop off Food.

Landmarks

  • Fortified Palisade Gate (built in Age 1; 25W · 10s) Relatively sturdy defensive gate. Must be built on a Fortified Palisade Wall segment.
  • Fortified Palisade Wall (built in Age 1; 7W · 8s) Well-built defensive wall for quickly fortifying an area.
  • Hunting Cabin (built in Age 1; 75W · 35s) Villagers can drop off Food at this building. It houses technologies to improve Food gathering and produces Scouts. Generates Gold based on the number of…
  • Kremlin (built in Age 1; 400F 200G · 190s) Acts as a Wooden Fortress that comes with Arrowslits, Castle Turret, and Castle Watch technologies. Can Levy Militia every 80 seconds to the Capital Town…
  • The Golden Gate (built in Age 1; 400F 200G · 190s) Allows the exchange of resources at a favorable rate. Generates an additional exchange every 50 seconds.
  • Wooden Fortress (built in Age 1; 150W · 60s) Sturdy wooden stronghold with extensive line of sight that detects units stealth or disguises. Can be upgraded with weaponry. Attacks while garrisoned.
  • Abbey of the Trinity (built in Age 2; 1200F 600G · 220s) Acts as a Monastery. Reduces the cost of Warrior Monks by -50% and contains unique religious technologies.
  • High Trade House (built in Age 2; 1200F 600G · 220s) Generates Gold like a Hunting Cabin with the value increased by +400%, without claiming any trees. Spawns a Huntable Deer every 60 seconds. Villagers can drop…
  • High Armory (built in Age 3; 2400F 1200G · 250s) Decrease the cost of siege engines in nearby Siege Workshops by -20%. Contains unique siege engine technologies.
  • Spasskaya Tower (built in Age 3; 2400F 1200G · 250s) Acts as a Keep with all weapon emplacements and increased health. Unlocks the building of Stone Walls, Stone Gates, and Stone Wall Towers.
  • Cathedral of the Tsar (built in Age 4; 5000F 5000W 5000G 5000S · 600s) Build and defend a Wonder to secure victory. Rival civilizations will be aware of its construction and seek to destroy it.

Rus build orders

  • 2 TC with KremlinboomFeudal 4:45Castle 10:20
  • Fast Castle Kremlinfast_castleFeudal 4:05Castle 8:50
How Layla reads build orders out live

Rus matchups

Best matchups

Hardest matchups

All matchups

FAQ

What counters Rus in AoE4?
Spearmen, Archers, Crossbowmen, Fast cavalry. Scout the Landmark at 2:20 to 2:45: Kremlin on deer means a second TC or FC
Is Rus a good civ in AoE4 right now?
Rus wins 48.1% of ranked 1v1 games across all ranks (about 64,020 games), which puts it in tier C on our tier list.
What are the unique units of Rus?
Lodya Attack Ship, Lodya Demolition Ship, Lodya Fishing Boat, Lodya Galley, Lodya Trade Ship, Lodya Transport Ship, Militia Halberdier, Horse Archer, Warrior Monk, Streltsy. Warrior Monk: Religious light cavalry unit that inspires nearby units when in combat, providing +1 armor and +2 damage. Horse Archer: Light ranged cavalry with high mobility and damage. Streltsy: Handcannoneer which gets stronger when stationary and has a high damage melee attack. Lodya ships: Can be converted into any type of ship.
When is Rus strongest?
5:00 — Early Knights raid after the Kremlin · 9:00 — Castle and relics with Monks (9:00 to 11:00) · 15:50 — Levy Militia attack from the Kremlin

Data from the open game data (aoe4world/data), patch 16.2.10884, public ranked statistics, and Layla Coach's battle simulator. Layla Coach is an independent tool, not affiliated with Microsoft, Relic Entertainment or World's Edge.

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