Guide to All Civilizations in Age of Empires IV (AoE 4)
Image Credit: Xbox Game Studios, Age of Empires IV (AoE 4)
If you've ever wanted to conquer history with style, this Age of Empires IV civilizations guide is for you. Some civs are economic powerhouses. Some are just chaos in a neat outfit. And some? Well, some just want to throw elephants at the problem.
Here is a list of all civs in AoE 4 and what makes them unique.
Read More: The Best Units in AoE 4
Original Civilizations (Launch Civs)
English
Playstyle: Turtling. Farm-based eco. Solid all-around.
Signature Unit: Longbowman.
Best For: Players who like winning slowly, with lots of arrows.
French
Playstyle: Fast eco. Heavy cav focus.
Signature Unit: Royal Knight.
Best For: Folks who like horse charges and shiny gold income.
Holy Roman Empire
Playstyle: Religious buffs and strong infantry.
Signature Unit: Landsknecht.
Best For: People who love relics, armor, and saying “Zeal.”
Rus
Playstyle: Early game pressure. Unique economy.
Signature Unit: Warrior Monk, Streltsy.
Best For: Hunters and raiders. Bonus points if you like trees.
Mongols
Playstyle: Mobility and map control.
Signature Unit: Mangudai, Khan.
Best For: Nomads at heart. Buildings on wheels? Yes please.
Chinese
Playstyle: Dynasties, tax farming, gunpowder tech.
Signature Unit: Nest of Bees, Zhuge Nu.
Best For: Players who like clicking lots of buttons for big payoffs.
Abbasid Dynasty
Playstyle: Flexible tech with House of Wisdom.
Signature Unit: Camel Archer, Ghulam.
Best For: Those who like slow, strategic builds and anti-cav strength.
Delhi Sultanate
Playstyle: Free research, religious dominance.
Signature Unit: War Elephant.
Best For: Scholars, tech hoarders, and people who love slow stompy units.
Anniversary DLC Civs
Ottomans
Playstyle: Free military production and big guns.
Signature Unit: Mehter, Great Bombard.
Best For: Players who want firepower and fun music buffs.
Malians
Playstyle: Gold economy, stealth, and cattle.
Signature Unit: Musofadi Warrior, Sofa.
Best For: Traders, stealth abusers, and economic nerds.
The Sultans Ascend DLC Civs
Byzantines
Playstyle: Olive oil, mercenaries, and fire everywhere.
Signature Unit: Cheirosiphon, Cataphract.
Best For: Players who want layered strategy with flames and pipes.
Japanese
Playstyle: Samurai, banner buffs, and Daimyo buildings.
Signature Unit: Onna-Musha, Ozutsu.
Best For: People who like order, honor, and giant rocket castles.
Ayyubids (Abbasid Variant)
Playstyle: Bonus-rich House of Wisdom upgrades.
Signature Unit: Camel Lancer, Atabeg.
Best For: Tech enjoyers who also like spooking horses.
Order of the Dragon (HRE Variant)
Playstyle: Buffed units, fast gathering.
Signature Unit: Gilded everything.
Best For: Gold lovers. High-effort, high-reward.
Jeanne d'Arc (French Variant)
Playstyle: Hero progression and inspired economy.
Signature Unit: Jeanne’s Rider.
Best For: People who want one superunit leading the charge.
Zhu Xi’s Legacy (Chinese Variant)
Playstyle: Discount dynasties, taxes, early gunpowder.
Signature Unit: Imperial Guard, Yuan Raider.
Best For: Fast builders who still want to boom.
Knights of the Cross & Rose DLC Civs
Knights Templar (French Variant)
Playstyle: Sacred site economy, fortress builds.
Signature Unit: Pilgrims (yes, really).
Best For: Holy conquerors who don’t want traders or gunpowder.
House of Lancaster (English Variant)
Playstyle: Sheep-based economy, cavalry buffs.
Signature Unit: Earl's Guard.
Best For: English fans who want to go fast and hit hard.
Final Blurb
There’s no “bad” civilization in Age of Empires IV—just ones that are hard to use without throwing your mouse. Whether you want to play slow and steady or rush someone with stealth cows, this game has a civ for that.
Pick your playstyle, learn the gimmicks, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be the one spamming “GG” before your opponent can alt-tab.
Recommended | View all Age of Empires IV
