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Rushing Effectively by Hydralisk This is a Imperial Age Deathmatch strategy. The last game that I was playing on the zone (MSN Gaming Zone; check the links section) was a simple 1v1 Black Forest Deathmatch. We both picked random civs, and I ended up with Saracens. My enemy got Huns. He, as most Huns do, rushed me. The rush was a few minutes into the game and consisted of about twenty paladins and no villagers. I fought it off easily with a combination of Heavy Camels and Pikemen. Guessing that he had little troops left, I heavy-rushed (a heavy-rush is a term for a late breaking rush with large numbers of troops) him with my Heavy Camels and Pikemen, and Castled outside his base. I easily won the game. This is a textbook example of a bad rush by the Hun player (not me). He failed do any damage on his rush, lost all his units, and essentially lost the game. If you are playing an expert and you rush, you had better accomplish something. Otherwise, he will have no trouble killing you. That game inspired me to write this article, explaining how to execute a good rush. This is one of the most powerful rushes, usually called a “castle rush.” First, you need to build a house with one villager and stables/barracks with the other two villagers. This needs to be done quickly. The next villager that comes out of your TC (town center) should build a tower. The next five that come out should be held in reserve for the rush. Build champions or paladins with your barracks/stables. Note that Paladins will work much better than champions. When you have at least twenty paladins, which should be only a few minutes in to the game, move your paladins and those five villagers to the enemy base. Staying out of his line of site, build an outpost, then a castle. If the enemy does not notice you, send more units and villagers over. While you're doing that, have the villagers already there build another castle. If the enemy still does not notice you, which means you did it well, then you can build a town center, and several stables/barracks. If the enemy hasn't noticed you now, he's dead. Have the castles build trebuchets and start attacking. You are now attacking with a heavily fortified position behind you. You will win almost every time. (By the way, if the enemy does notice you before your ready, lure him toward you castle(s). This gives you a better chance of defeating his army. Rushing earlier in Deathmatch is not as deadly, but it can still do serious damage. This rush is not as good as the previous one, but it is much easier. It is best done with Huns or Goths. Right when the game starts, build a house with one villager (not if you are Huns), and seven stables or barracks with the other two. When your first Stables/Barracks is done, set the gather point in the enemy base and start producing units. Do the same with the other military buildings. If the enemy is prepared, this will do little more than harass him. Hyper-castle-rushing, as I like to call it, is an incredibly risky rush. If done well (and with luck), you will easily win the game. This rush can only be done with Huns. Right when the game starts, build fifteen villagers with your town center. Take your scout and three villagers, and move them to the enemy base, but outside his line of sight. Have the villagers build a castle. By this time, a villager should have popped out of your town center. Have him build towers around the TC. The next five or so villagers to come out should be sent to your forward base. When the castle at your forward base (abbreviated FC) is completed, have some of two or three villagers build another one, and have the others (which you sent over, remember?) build six stables. Have the stables, produce paladins. If the enemy has not seen you yet, you have one. Build trebuchets with your castle and bait your enemy's units to attack you by your castle. When they are dead, attack with the trebuchets. Hyper-castle-rushing will only work if your enemy does not rush you. Remember, the next time you rush, don't send just a few guys, do it effectively.