This mini-guide will contain a few build orders and some tips. I figured I might as well make this because GoodSpeed doesn't list Sioux in his [a href="https://eso-community.forums.net/thread/140/tad-guide-3?page=4"]guide
[/a]Note: The underlined matchups indicate that you can use both strategies in this matchup, depending on the amount of pressure that the other player offers.
[font size="5"]Bow rider age 2:[/font]
Use this vs British, Russia, Iroquois, Sioux, Ottomans, and Aztecs
3 vills on food crates, the other 2 on hunts. Don't collect wood/coin crates. Send 3 vills and ageup with 15 vills
Age with 400w. Gather the coin/wood crates that you had left before and 1) In a Sioux mirror build a TP or 2) in any other MU than a Sioux mirror build a market and research hunting dogs and placer mines. Build 2 stables from your ageup wood.
Send 700g, 600g, Cav HP, train bow riders and in a Sioux mirror, go out of your base if you got out 10 bow riders on your first batch.. Note that it takes 150g to train 2 bow riders (1 from each stable), so only gather 150g to queue 1 bow rider. Gather up your 700g with ~5 vills and queue up 10 bow riders from each stable. This will require good macro (not overcollecting gold) and practice. Once you have done that, put 5 vills on gold to gather 50g.
Raid with these 10 bow riders. Note that it takes 8 shots from a bow rider to kill a villager without the Great Coats upgrade. With the Great Coats upgrade, it takes 10 shots (10.1 to be exact). Raid using this information' attack one villager with 8 bow riders and attack another villager with the remaining 2 bow riders. This might seem like a small detail, but it will eventually win you the game.
The 8 bow riders you trained with the 700g cost 600g, so you will have 150g if you collect the 100g from crates and collect 50g by gathering. Queue up 1 bow rider from each stable again and send 600g. You will be able to get out 10 bow riders again with good macro. Now distribute your villagers between food and gold, slightly more vills on food than on gold (ex: 13 on food, 9 on gold) Retask your vills if you're overgathering a resource.
Now raid with two control groups. Constantly. Remember the 8/10 (depending on Great Coats) bow rider shots rule' if you have 15 bow riders it's best to split them. If he splits his army you continue to add bow riders and raid in different places. If you are comfortable with using more than two control groups (not recommended for newer players), you can even use 3 control groups.
Pay a lot of attention to your bow riders. Running them into your enemy's mass while you're retasking vills is never a good idea (I'm speaking from experience).
[font size="4"]Dog Soldier Big Button
[/font][font size="3"]In a Sioux mirror, never use the Big Button unless your opponent somehow managed to age and has wakinas and isn't dead yet. The Big Button costs 1500f, this equals to 15 more bow riders, so this is never a good idea in a mirror. In any other matchup, the Big Button is very good at around 12-15 minutes. See the table below for a complete list of timings. Use this information to your advantage' for example gathering 1500f because you know when French's pioneers timing hits you.[/font]
(Note: If you are being rushed by any civ, build a warhut and a stable from your ageup wood. Gather 50 more wood for this)
[font size="5"]Bow rider semi-ff:[/font]
Use this vs British, India, Spain, Portuguese, Dutch, Germans, Ottomans, Chinese.
3 vills on food crates, don't collect wood/coin crates. Send 3 vills and ageup with 15 vills
Age with 400w. Gather the coin/wood crates that you had left before and build a market and research hunting dogs and placer mines.. Build a TP. Build another tp and a stable from your ageup wood. Send 4 vills. Train 5 bow riders and raid with them. Send 700g and age up. Train 5 more bow riders during ageup. Send 700w for a warhut and the elite bow rider upgrade. Train 5 wakina from your warhut. Save the extra wood for a) another warhut to secure resources later or b) the elite axe rider upgrade if your opponent is mixing a lot of light infantry (longbow, skirmisher). Ship 9 wakina and 3 dog soldiers when you hit the fortress age. You should be able to push after your 9 wakina arrive with 14 wakina and 5-10 elite bow riders, depending on how many you lost
[font size="5"]Axe rider semi[/font]
Use this vs French, Japan
3 vills on food crates, don't collect wood/coin crates. Send 3 vills and ageup with 15 vills
Age with 400w. Gather the coin/wood crates that you had left before and build a market and research hunting dogs and placer mines.. Build a TP. Build another tp and a stable from your ageup wood. Send 4 vills. Train 4 axe riders and raid with them. Against Japan, use your axe riders to kill Japan's explorers. Note that you will need a lot less gold for 4 axe riders, 160 gold in total, than for 5 bow riders. 3-4 vills on gold should be enough to maintain production, depending on the amount of coin treasures you have gotten. Send 700g and age up. Train 5 more axe riders during ageup. Send 700w for a warhut and the elite axe rider upgrade. Train 5 wakina from your warhut. Save the extra wood for a) another warhut to secure resources later or b) the elite bow rider upgrade if your opponent is mixing a lot of cavalry. Ship 9 wakina and 3 dog soldiers when you hit the fortress age. You should be able to push after your 9 wakina arrive with 14 wakina and 4-9 elite axe riders, depending on how many you lost
Decks:
[font size="1"](The only difference is the 3 TP card)
[/font]
[font size="5"]Dog Soldiers:[/font]
The Dog Soldier is one of the strongest age 2 hand cav units in the game. You can either ship 2 dog soldiers in colonial, 2/3 dog soldiers in fortress, or 4 dog soldiers in industrial. You can also use your Big Button from your Town Center for 1500f, which spawns you a few dog soldiers. It's not recommended to do this until you get at least 5 dog soldiers, however. See the table below for the full info.
[font size="5"]Civ notes:[/font]
Spanish
Go for a 5 bow rider semi-ff if you scout a FF. If you scout a rush, make a warhut and ship 700w first for cetan bows. If you didn't lose your TP, ship 4v and 700g and age up after you have held the rush. Train Rifle Riders and a few elite axe riders to deal with Spain's army composition.
British
Go for a 5 bow rider semi-ff if you scout a defensive build. If you scout a rush, make a warhut and a stable and go for the bow rider mass build order. Train axe riders if he mixes longbows. Either age up after you have held his rush or continue going colonial and raid on low hunt maps.
French
Go for a 4 axe rider semi-ff. Scout whether he's going for musk mass or a 10 musk semi-ff. If he's going musk mass he will most likely start 2 rax, if he's going 10 musk semi-ff he will most likely start 1 rax 2 houses. If he is going for musk mass, don't build any axe riders after the first 4. Mass wakina and a few elite bow riders in case he mixes cav. If he is going for a 10 musk semi-ff, build 5 more axe riders and mass axe rider/wakina. Push after your 9 wakina arrive, kill army/vills, and take him out with your big button once he pushes out too far.
Portuguese
Go for a 5 bow rider semi-ff. Scout whether he's going for some kind of gypsy aizamk rush or a FF. Build a warhut and a stable if he rushes, otherwise follow the regular bow rider semi-ff build. Mass elite axe riders/wakina early on, then mass elite bow riders in late fortress for his mamelukes.
Dutch
Go for a 5 bow rider semi-ff. If you scout a rush, make a warhut and a stable, otherwise follow the regular bow rider semi-ff build. Mass elite axe rider/wakina and mix a few (elite) bow riders in case he makes huss. Only get the elite upgrade if you have seen hussars.
Russians
Go for bow rider mass. Make a stable and a TP instead of 2 stables. If he is rushing ship 4 axe riders and 2 dog soldiers. Once the 2 dog soldiers have arrived you will have a steady mass of bow riders and enough melee cav. Push out and take out his army. Kill and idle his vills until your eco is ahead and you're winning the game.
Germans
Go for a 5 bow rider semi-ff. Be careful not to get trapped by 9 uhlan (providing Germany goes semi-ff) with your 5 bow riders. Build a 2nd stable instead of a warhut. Once you're in fortress mass elite axe riders and bow riders. If he mixes a lot of war wagons you should chop wood for a warhut and train wakina (+ ship 9 wakina). Defend and win the game when he pushes out using your big button.
Ottomans
Just don't.
Iroquois
Just don't
Indians
Just don't
Sioux
Refer to the bow rider mass "Sioux mirror".
Aztecs
This is a very hard matchup, but not impossible. Go for a bow rider semi-ff. If you scout a rush, make a warhut and a stable. Ship 700w 1st and train cetan bows to take out his puma. Train axe riders to take out his mace. Don't push out until you've got at least 15-20 axe riders and enough cetan bows (chop more wood after 700w has been sent) for his puma. Mix a few bow riders to take out his coyote runners.
Chinese
Go for a 5 bow rider semi-ff. Train elite bow riders/wakina and use your 3/2 dog soldiers cards to take out his skirmishers. Push out once your 9 wakina arrive, but retreat before his major shipments arrive. Never fight next to a village, unless a shipment has just been sent.
Japanese
Go for a 4 axe rider semi-ff. Train elite axe riders/wakina. Constantly push, snipe vills and military. Ship military and pressure Japan until he dies. Destroy shrines with your axe riders.
well done bram
