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Ottomans vs Japanese: how to win the matchup

Playing Ottomans against Japanese, you win 44.1% of ranked 1v1 games (8,964 games). Here is how to beat Japanese, what they do and when.

Win rate by rank

  • bronze

    44%

    972

  • silver

    43.3%

    1,466

  • gold

    44.6%

    3,834

  • platinum

    44.6%

    1,532

  • diamond

    42.7%

    583

  • conqueror

    45.3%

    371

How to beat Japanese

  1. Pressure in the Fast Castle window from 5:40 to 8:00 with Men-at-Arms, Archers or Horsemen
  2. Build a tower on his gold to delay the Mounted Samurai
  3. Against Mounted Samurai: upgraded Spearmen, Crossbows and Camels, and kill the Uma Bannerman
  4. Keep fights long so Deflective Armor runs out
  5. Scout: Barracks at 0:00, Kura or Koka, Stable at 8:00

Units that work against Japanese: Spearmen · Crossbowmen · Men-at-Arms · Camels

When Japanese hits

  1. 5:41Feudal with few units, the best time to pressure
  2. 7:40Castle: Stable and non-stop Mounted Samurai

Ottomans strengths to lean on

  • Free units from Military Schools all game long
  • Vizier points unlock strong bonuses like Akinji and Janissary Company
  • The Mehter gives the army attack speed or armor
  • Janissaries have high DPS and shred cavalry
  • Great Bombard has long range and wrecks armies and buildings

Ottomans weaknesses Japanese can punish

  • No boar
  • Free units take time, so he's weak against early pressure
  • Sipahi got nerfed several times in 2026
  • Weak win rate at Diamond and Conqueror

Strongest Castle Age armies (simulator)

  • Ottomans: Man-at-Arms + Veteran Spearman (0.87)
  • Japanese: Veteran Samurai + Veteran Spearman (0.8)

FAQ

Is Ottomans good against Japanese?
Ottomans wins 44.1% of 8,964 ranked games against Japanese (Japanese is favored).
How do I beat Japanese as Ottomans?
Pressure in the Fast Castle window from 5:40 to 8:00 with Men-at-Arms, Archers or Horsemen Build a tower on his gold to delay the Mounted Samurai Against Mounted Samurai: upgraded Spearmen, Crossbows and Camels, and kill the Uma Bannerman
When does Japanese attack?
5:41 — Feudal with few units, the best time to pressure · 7:40 — Castle: Stable and non-stop Mounted Samurai

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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