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Byzantines vs English: how to win the matchup

Playing Byzantines against English, you win 49.6% of ranked 1v1 games (12,889 games). Here is how to beat English, what they do and when.

Win rate by rank

  • bronze

    49.9%

    1,420

  • silver

    50.6%

    2,008

  • gold

    50%

    4,795

  • platinum

    47.4%

    2,434

  • diamond

    50%

    1,269

  • conqueror

    49%

    640

How to beat English

  1. Scout the Landmark: Council Hall means a Longbow rush, prepare Spearmen, Men-at-Arms or cavalry
  2. Hit with Men-at-Arms and Rams before the White Tower or the second TC
  3. Raid far farms and gold, and stay away from towers and the TC
  4. Hit him while he builds the second TC around minute 5
  5. Go Fast Castle for relics and Sacred Sites and outscale him

Units that work against English: Men-at-Arms · Knights · Rams · Crossbowmen · Horse Archers · Mangonels

When English hits

  1. 4:00Feudal Longbow rush with the Council Hall (4:00 to 7:00)
  2. 5:00Second TC around minute 5
  3. 9:30Castle with the White Tower or King's Palace (9:00 to 10:00)

Byzantines strengths to lean on

  • Cisterns speed up gathering, production and upgrades
  • Varied mercenaries: Longbows, Javelins, Keshik and Ghulams
  • Golden Horn Tower produces free mercenaries
  • Strong Cataphracts in Castle and cheap Varangian Men-at-Arms
  • Strong defense: Mangonels on Outposts, Keeps and walls

Byzantines weaknesses English can punish

  • Stone-heavy opening that is weak against early rushes
  • Oil and Cataphracts were nerfed in June 2026
  • Lowest win rate at Conqueror
  • Hard to sustain mercenary production

Strongest Castle Age armies (simulator)

  • Byzantines: Veteran Musofadi Warrior (0.67)
  • English: Man-at-Arms (0.72)

FAQ

Is Byzantines good against English?
Byzantines wins 49.6% of 12,889 ranked games against English (Even matchup).
How do I beat English as Byzantines?
Scout the Landmark: Council Hall means a Longbow rush, prepare Spearmen, Men-at-Arms or cavalry Hit with Men-at-Arms and Rams before the White Tower or the second TC Raid far farms and gold, and stay away from towers and the TC
When does English attack?
4:00 — Feudal Longbow rush with the Council Hall (4:00 to 7:00) · 5:00 — Second TC around minute 5 · 9:30 — Castle with the White Tower or King's Palace (9:00 to 10:00)

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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