Is French good against Chinese?

French wins 53.6% of 16,363 ranked games against Chinese (French is favored).

How do I beat Chinese as French?

Pressure early from 4:00 to 7:00 with Knights, Men-at-Arms or Archers Kill the Officials and villagers near the Academy Barbican after the Academy means 2 TC, hit the second TC (6:30)

When does Chinese attack?

5:00 — Feudal pressure with supervised production (5:00 to 8:00) · 6:30 — Song second TC around 6:30 · 10:00 — Song late-game economy or Fast Castle with siege

French vs Chinese: how to win the matchup

Playing French against Chinese, you win 53.6% of ranked 1v1 games (16,363 games). Here is how to beat Chinese, what they do and when.

French is favoredFrench guide Chinese guide Chinese vs French

Win rate by rank

bronze
57.6%
2,297
silver
52.4%
2,639
gold
54.8%
6,407
platinum
49.7%
2,913
diamond
53.1%
1,075
conqueror
50.2%
639

How to beat Chinese

Pressure early from 4:00 to 7:00 with Knights, Men-at-Arms or Archers
Kill the Officials and villagers near the Academy
Barbican after the Academy means 2 TC, hit the second TC (6:30)
Clocktower or Imperial Palace means siege, kill it with cavalry or Springalds
Don't fight under the Barbican and the TC

Units that work against Chinese: Men-at-Arms · Knights · Crossbowmen · Cavalry · Springalds

When Chinese hits

5:00Feudal pressure with supervised production (5:00 to 8:00)
6:30Song second TC around 6:30
10:00Song late-game economy or Fast Castle with siege

French strengths to lean on

Royal Knights from Feudal slaughter villagers and Archers
TC works faster each Age, and economic techs are 35% cheaper
Keeps are cheaper and make nearby Stable and Range units 20% cheaper
Arbalétriers in Castle have strong armor against ranged
Strongest civ in team games right now

French weaknesses Chinese can punish

Knights fall to mass Spearmen and Camels
Knights alone get stuck against walls and towers
The rush costs a lot of gold; if it fails he falls behind in the boom
Average infantry and middling late game

Strongest Castle Age armies (simulator)

French: Man-at-Arms + Arbalétrier (0.8)
Chinese: Veteran Spearman + Veteran Zhuge Nu (0.91)

FAQ

Is French good against Chinese?: French wins 53.6% of 16,363 ranked games against Chinese (French is favored).
How do I beat Chinese as French?: Pressure early from 4:00 to 7:00 with Knights, Men-at-Arms or Archers Kill the Officials and villagers near the Academy Barbican after the Academy means 2 TC, hit the second TC (6:30)
When does Chinese attack?: 5:00 — Feudal pressure with supervised production (5:00 to 8:00) · 6:30 — Song second TC around 6:30 · 10:00 — Song late-game economy or Fast Castle with siege

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.