Worked out · AoE3: DE 100.19.18309
Civilizations ranked by their armies
No. 1: Chinese (tier · edge S · ×2.15), then Spanish (S · ×1.98) and Hausa (S · ×1.96). All 24 civilizations ranked by how well their best armies do for the same resources against every regular unit, across the Colonial, Fortress, Industrial and Imperial plans on /builds, with S to C tiers by rank.
| # | Name | Tier · edge | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chinese | S · ×2.15 | Colonial rush ×1.87, Fast Fortress ×2.23, Boom ×2.27, Treaty ×2.28 |
| 2 |  Spanish | S · ×1.98 | Colonial rush ×1.52, Fast Fortress ×2.12, Boom ×2.16, Treaty ×2.2 |
| 3 |  Hausa | S · ×1.96 | Colonial rush ×1.66, Fast Fortress ×2.03, Boom ×2.07, Treaty ×2.1 |
| 4 |  Italians | S · ×1.94 | Colonial rush ×1.5, Fast Fortress ×2.1, Boom ×2.13, Treaty ×2.14 |
| 5 |  French | A · ×1.94 | Colonial rush ×1.5, Fast Fortress ×2.1, Boom ×2.13, Treaty ×2.14 |
| 6 |  Danes | A · ×1.94 | Colonial rush ×1.5, Fast Fortress ×2.1, Boom ×2.13, Treaty ×2.14 |
| 7 |  Dutch | A · ×1.94 | Colonial rush ×1.48, Fast Fortress ×2.1, Boom ×2.13, Treaty ×2.14 |
| 8 |  Haudenosaunee | A · ×1.93 | Colonial rush ×1.65, Fast Fortress ×2.01, Boom ×2.05, Treaty ×2.05 |
| 9 |  Portuguese | A · ×1.92 | Colonial rush ×1.5, Fast Fortress ×2.04, Boom ×2.1, Treaty ×2.1 |
| 10 |  Ethiopians | A · ×1.9 | Colonial rush ×1.6, Fast Fortress ×1.98, Boom ×2.01, Treaty ×2.05 |
| 11 |  Mexicans | B · ×1.88 | Colonial rush ×1.65, Fast Fortress ×1.93, Boom ×1.97, Treaty ×1.99 |
| 12 |  United States | B · ×1.87 | Colonial rush ×1.69, Fast Fortress ×1.9, Boom ×1.94, Treaty ×1.95 |
| 13 |  Germans | B · ×1.87 | Colonial rush ×1.54, Fast Fortress ×1.96, Boom ×2, Treaty ×2.02 |
| 14 |  Russians | B · ×1.86 | Colonial rush ×1.6, Fast Fortress ×1.91, Boom ×1.95, Treaty ×1.99 |
| 15 |  Aztecs | B · ×1.86 | Colonial rush ×1.54, Fast Fortress ×1.97, Boom ×1.98, Treaty ×1.99 |
| 16 |  Lakota | B · ×1.85 | Colonial rush ×1.55, Fast Fortress ×1.94, Boom ×1.97, Treaty ×1.98 |
| 17 |  Swedes | B · ×1.83 | Colonial rush ×1.48, Fast Fortress ×1.91, Boom ×1.94, Treaty ×2.04 |
| 18 |  British | B · ×1.82 | Colonial rush ×1.5, Fast Fortress ×1.91, Boom ×1.94, Treaty ×2 |
| 19 |  Poles | C · ×1.81 | Colonial rush ×1.47, Fast Fortress ×1.9, Boom ×1.94, Treaty ×1.97 |
| 20 |  Maltese | C · ×1.74 | Colonial rush ×1.34, Fast Fortress ×1.88, Boom ×1.9, Treaty ×1.91 |
| 21 |  Indians | C · ×1.7 | Colonial rush ×1.5, Fast Fortress ×1.74, Boom ×1.78, Treaty ×1.8 |
| 22 |  Ottomans | C · ×1.7 | Colonial rush ×1.46, Fast Fortress ×1.72, Boom ×1.76, Treaty ×1.86 |
| 23 |  Japanese | C · ×1.68 | Colonial rush ×1.48, Fast Fortress ×1.71, Boom ×1.75, Treaty ×1.78 |
| 24 |  Inca | C · ×1.48 | Colonial rush ×1.17, Fast Fortress ×1.59, Boom ×1.61, Treaty ×1.61 |
How this is worked out
Each civilization's best army for each of the 4 plans on /builds (Colonial, Fortress, Industrial, Imperial): the average edge it has, for the same resources, over every regular unit of every civilization out by then. The score is the geometric mean of the four. Tiers by rank: the top sixth S, then A to the top 42%, B to 75%, C the rest.
Assumptions: Base stats: no upgrades, cards or civilization bonuses. Only armies count: economy, bonuses, cards, maps and player skill are not in it. Range, speed and area damage are not modelled. A ranking of the numbers, not of how the civilizations do in ranked play.