[ AOE2 CIVILIZATION ]
Japanese
Infantry attack-speed civ anchored by fast-swinging Samurai, with a water-friendly fishing eco.
[ IDENTIDAD ]
Japanese are AoE2's archetypal fast-attack infantry civilization. Their defining military bonus is Infantry attacks +25% faster starting Feudal Age (+33% in Castle Age and +50% in Imperial Age per common community tooltip — [VERIFY current wording]): this is a DPS multiplier that stacks with Blast Furnace, Supplies, and Squires, and makes every infantry unit in the tree disproportionately powerful. The Samurai unique unit leans into this: while individual Samurai stats are only slightly above a Champion, the +25/33/50% attack-speed interaction on top makes Elite Samurai in Imperial trade efficiently against most other UUs and generic infantry lines. Their economic bonuses cluster around water: Fishing Ships are cheaper and work faster (carry more, some sources cite +5 food capacity [VERIFY exact numbers]), Mills/Lumber/Mining Camps cost -50% (a small but ambient wood save that compounds into more TCs or military). Their tech tree is nearly full — they reach Paladin [VERIFY], Heavy Camel [VERIFY], Hand Cannoneer, Bombard Cannon, and Elite Cannon Galleon. Historical missing techs cluster at Siege Onager (stop at Onager [VERIFY]), Heavy Scorpion [VERIFY], Halberdier [VERIFY — many community sources say Japanese HAVE Halberdier; confirm]. The civ feels like a blend of Goths (infantry focus, fast attack substitutes for cheap HP) and Vikings (water-friendly with infantry anchor), without the cost discounts of either — instead, the payoff is raw speed-of-attack that wins trades you should not be winning.
Datos clave
⚡ Civ bonuses
Galleys have +50% Line of Sight.
Fishing Ships work faster — carry more food per trip and gather faster.
Fishing Ships have higher work rate and larger carry capacity. Translates to ~15-25% food surplus from each fishing ship over a standard civ. Compounds heavily on maps with shore fish / deep-sea fish.
Mill, Lumber Camp, Mining Camp cost -50% wood.
Each drop-off building costs 50 wood instead of 100. Over a full game with 3-4 of each building, saves ~300-600 wood.
Infantry attacks faster: +25% in Feudal Age, +33% in Castle Age, +50% in Imperial Age.
Attack speed bonus compounds with infantry upgrades — Militia, M@A, Longswordsman, 2H Swordsman, Champion, Pikeman, Halberdier, and Samurai all gain the attack-rate bonus. A Japanese Champion deals ~50% more DPS than a generic Champion.
- · Siege Onager — [VERIFY — Japanese believed to lack Siege Onager, stopping at Onager. Limits push-clear options in Imperial vs turtled bases.]
- · Heavy Scorpion — [VERIFY — Japanese believed to lack Heavy Scorpion; scorpion plays stop at base Scorpion.]
- · Paladin — [VERIFY — most sources say Japanese stop at Cavalier; historical reinforces. Confirm current patch tech tree.]
- · Heavy Camel — [VERIFY — Japanese believed to lack camels entirely.]
- · Ring Archer Armor — [VERIFY — Japanese believed to have RAA; confirm.]
- · Plate Barding Armor — [VERIFY — if missing, cavalry weakness compounds.]
- · Herbal Medicine / Theocracy / some Monastery techs — [VERIFY — Japanese Monastery coverage is generally full; confirm.]
- · Arbalest — [VERIFY — Japanese have Arbalest; archer line is complete, supplement role vs infantry focus.]
Samurái
anti-unique-unit heavy infantry, fast-attack DPS specialist
- · Anti-UU specialist — brought out specifically vs opposing unique-unit infantry
- · Castle-age push vs infantry civs (Goths, Vikings, Celts, Aztecs, Teutons) where Samurai bonus damage to their UU is decisive
- · Imperial composition backbone alongside Champion + Pike/Halb
Yasama
Towers gain +2 attack.
When: Only when committing to tower-based play or when defending vs heavy aggression with existing towers. Skip in pure open-field compositions.
Kataparuto
Trebuchets fire faster and pack/unpack faster.
When: Imperial, when trebuchet push is the plan (breaking castles, walled bases, or forward sieges). Skip if game is decided by Castle Age or if Imperial composition is Samurai+Champion deathball on open ground.
🎯 Recommended build order
M@A → Flex Castle (Samurai or Champion+Siege)
Bracket 1300-1600Decide at ~15-16min between Samurai Castle drop (anti-UU) or Champion mass (generic infantry).
Alternativa
Water Opener → Land Transition — Team Islands, Islands, Migration, or mixed water/land maps
❌ Common mistakes playing Japanese
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▸
Opening scouts instead of committing to M@A / infantry
Japanese bonus is infantry attack-speed; scouts waste the civ identity. Opponent gets free Castle time while you raid weakly with scouts.
fix:Barracks first in Feudal. M@A (3-4) + Forging. Treat Japanese like Goths/Vikings: infantry always.
▸Ignoring fishing bonus on water-adjacent maps
Japanese fishing ships are one of the best eco bonuses in the game. Not using them on Arabia-with-water or mixed maps = 150+ food/min wasted.
fix:If map has water within 10 tiles of TC, build Dock + 2 Fishing Ships by minute 10. Even on Arabia, shore fish access accelerates feudal.
Want to know which ones YOU made in your last match?
📲 Send your replay, I'll tell you💬 This is how wolo.gg coaches you
Tu Japanese en Team Islands / Islands / Migration (water maps) and infantry-friendly closed maps · Feudal M@A pressure → Castle transition with Samurai for anti-UU matchups or Champion-only...
✅ Buen scout en min 3 — vista temprana del rival
⚠️ Skipping Forging + Iron Casting + Blast Furnace
→ Forging first blacksmith click in Feudal; Iron Casting first click in Castle; Blast Furnace first Imperial click (after Elite Samurai).
❌ Producing Samurai without Castle drop positioning
Next match: Feudal M@A pressure → Castle transition with Samurai for anti-UU matchups or Champion-only mass for generic infantry. Siege Workshop mid-Castle for Mangonel screen vs archer civs. Imperial Samurai + Champion + Halb + Onager (or BBC push).
This lands on your WhatsApp after every match
📲 Mandar mi rec ahora⚡ Pregame brief — antes que termine el countdown
As soon as we detect you started a ranked match, a strategic brief lands on you in ~10 segundos. We tell you who your rival is, what they usually do on that map,and what to adapt in your Japanese build order.
Free. Doesn't cost credits. You get it as long as you have the app running.
Activar pregame briefs →Your rival picked Burmese.
Wall gold flank; Pikeman ready before min 17; Samurai Castle drop is a real answer
⚔️ Which civ will you face?
Japanese vs Burmese
favoredWant a specific plan for THAT match?
📲 Pedile un plan a wolo.gg vs Burmese🛡️ Cuidado con estas unidades
Kite Japanese infantry; +pierce armor via Parthian Tactics; out-range Pike
Kite infantry, out-range Skirmisher without Bracer
Out-range Japanese archers; out-trade Samurai approach
Overruns Pike screen; Halberdier mandatory
AoE damage deletes clumped Samurai/Champion; Japanese lacks SO mirror
Samurai + Champion are gold-heavy; monks convert key units for eco swing
🗺️ Performance por mapa
Open map punishes infantry civs that must close distance vs archers. Japanese ca…
Closed map favors the boom civs (Britons, Chinese, Persians). Japanese infantry …
No strong nomad-start eco bonus. Fishing bonus helps if TC lands near water. Sta…
Trees + infantry + siege is on-archetype, but the lack of Siege Onager caps late…
Walled start favors Japanese M@A + Samurai push through Castle drops. Yasama tow…
Walled + boom-friendly. Japanese lack the boom bonuses of premier Hideout civs (…
Mixed water/land. Fishing bonus active but not enough to push tier."
Fishing Ship bonus + water-friendly tech tree (Fast Fire Ship [VERIFY], Elite Ca…
Same reasoning as Team Islands — fishing eco + competent navy puts Japanese in A…
Transition phase + fishing bonus lets Japanese boom on the island, then send rei…
Mixed water/land with trade. Japanese navy is competitive; land game less domina…
Open steppe map. Cavalry-friendly. Japanese infantry fights uphill against mobil…
Arabia-like with relic scatter. Similar B-tier standing to Arabia.
Variance both helps (water rolls) and hurts (open steppe rolls). Median B-tier.
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