AoE3 DatabaseAoE3: DE 100.19.18309 · read from the game files · unofficial

Worked out · AoE3: DE 100.19.18309

Japanese builds

For the Japanese in AoE3: Definitive Edition 100.19.18309, the Fortress Age army that answers the most enemy units for the same resources is Samurai, Naginata Rider and Flaming Arrow: between them they beat 92% of the 119 regular units of all civilizations out by then (average edge ×1.71). Colonial rush (Colonial Age): Samurai and Naginata Rider, 78%. Boom (Industrial Age): Samurai, Naginata Rider and Flaming Arrow, 93%. Treaty (Imperial Age): Ashigaru Musketeer, Samurai, Naginata Rider and Flaming Arrow, 93%.

This section as JSON: /raw/builds.json

Quick answers (4)
What is the best Japanese army in AoE3?
Colonial Age: Samurai and Naginata Rider (beats 78% of 77 units); Fortress Age: Samurai, Naginata Rider and Flaming Arrow (beats 92% of 119 units); Industrial Age: Samurai, Naginata Rider and Flaming Arrow (beats 93% of 123 units); Imperial Age: Ashigaru Musketeer, Samurai, Naginata Rider and Flaming Arrow (beats 93% of 123 units) — base stats, AoE3: Definitive Edition 100.19.18309.
What beats the Japanese Fortress Age army?
Jaguar Prowl Knight (its best answer, Naginata Rider, is at ×0.63), Veteran Halberdier (its best answer, Samurai, is at ×0.72), Levied Gunner (its best answer, Samurai, is at ×0.82), Maceman (its best answer, Samurai and is at ×0.87).
Which cards should the Japanese send first?
For the fast fortress: 3 Fishing Boats, 2 Villagers, 4 Villagers and 5 Naginata Riders.
Which Japanese age-ups hand over the most?
to the Colonial Age: Golden Pavilion (≈ 315 resources); to the Fortress Age: Great Buddha (≈ 600 resources).

Colonial rush · Colonial Age

Army

Beats 78% of the 77 regular units out by the Colonial Age (average edge ×1.48), training the right one of them against each.

Weak against

Age-ups

  1. IIGolden Pavilion≈ 315

Cards to send, in order

  1. 1.I3 Fishing BoatsEconomy · hands over ≈ 210 net
  2. 2.I2 VillagersEconomy · hands over ≈ 200 net
  3. 3.II5 Ashigaru MusketeersArmy · hands over ≈ 600 net
  4. 4.II3 SamuraiArmy · hands over ≈ 570 net
  5. 5.II5 Yumi ArchersArmy · hands over ≈ 525 net
  6. 6.IISamurai AttackUpgrade · helps Samurai
The full deck (25 cards)
I3 Fishing BoatsI2 VillagersII5 Ashigaru MusketeersII3 SamuraiII5 Yumi ArchersIISamurai AttackIVHire Japanese Mercenary ArmyIV14 Ashigaru MusketeersIV16 Yumi ArchersIV4 Flaming ArrowsIII5 Naginata RidersIIIHire Ninja AssassinsIIIHire RoninIII8 Ashigaru MusketeersIII5 SamuraiIII9 Yumi ArchersII3 MissionariesIITEAM 2 MissionariesII4 VillagersII5 Fishing BoatsIITEAM SushiICherry Blossom FestivalIExotic HardwoodsIFood SilosIReclaimed Land
Open this deck in the deck builder →

Fast Fortress · Fortress Age

Army

Beats 92% of the 119 regular units out by the Fortress Age (average edge ×1.71), training the right one of them against each.

Weak against

Age-ups

  1. IIGolden Pavilion≈ 315
  2. IIIGreat Buddha≈ 600

Cards to send, in order

  1. 1.I3 Fishing BoatsEconomy · hands over ≈ 210 net
  2. 2.I2 VillagersEconomy · hands over ≈ 200 net
  3. 3.II4 VillagersEconomy · hands over ≈ 400 net
  4. 4.III5 Naginata RidersArmy · hands over ≈ 1,000 net
  5. 5.IIIHire Ninja AssassinsArmy · hands over ≈ 1,000 net
  6. 6.IIIHire RoninArmy · hands over ≈ 1,000 net
  7. 7.IIIBloody HarvestUpgrade · helps Naginata Rider
  8. 8.IIIFlaming Arrow HitpointsUpgrade · helps Flaming Arrow
The full deck (25 cards)
I3 Fishing BoatsI2 VillagersII4 VillagersIII5 Naginata RidersIIIHire Ninja AssassinsIIIHire RoninIIIBloody HarvestIIIFlaming Arrow HitpointsIVHire Japanese Mercenary ArmyIV14 Ashigaru MusketeersIV16 Yumi ArchersIV4 Flaming ArrowsIV8 Naginata RidersIII8 Ashigaru MusketeersIII5 SamuraiIII9 Yumi ArchersII5 Ashigaru MusketeersII3 SamuraiII5 Yumi ArchersII3 MissionariesIITEAM 2 MissionariesIISamurai AttackICherry Blossom FestivalIExotic HardwoodsIFood Silos
Open this deck in the deck builder →

Boom · Industrial Age

Army

Beats 93% of the 123 regular units out by the Industrial Age (average edge ×1.75), training the right one of them against each.

Weak against

Age-ups

  1. IIGolden Pavilion≈ 315
  2. IIIGreat Buddha≈ 600
  3. IVTorii Gates≈ 1,140

Cards to send, in order

  1. 1.I3 Fishing BoatsEconomy · hands over ≈ 210 net
  2. 2.I2 VillagersEconomy · hands over ≈ 200 net
  3. 3.ICherry Blossom FestivalEconomy · gathering or trickle bonus
  4. 4.II4 VillagersEconomy · hands over ≈ 400 net
  5. 5.II5 Fishing BoatsEconomy · hands over ≈ 350 net
  6. 6.IITEAM SushiEconomy · hands over ≈ 210 net
  7. 7.III7 VillagersEconomy · hands over ≈ 700 net
  8. 8.IIIBloody HarvestUpgrade · helps Naginata Rider
  9. 9.IIIFlaming Arrow HitpointsUpgrade · helps Flaming Arrow
  10. 10.IVHire Japanese Mercenary ArmyArmy · hands over ≈ 2,000 net
  11. 11.IV14 Ashigaru MusketeersArmy · hands over ≈ 1,680 net
The full deck (25 cards)
I3 Fishing BoatsI2 VillagersICherry Blossom FestivalII4 VillagersII5 Fishing BoatsIITEAM SushiIII7 VillagersIIIBloody HarvestIIIFlaming Arrow HitpointsIVHire Japanese Mercenary ArmyIV14 Ashigaru MusketeersIII8 Fishing BoatsIICigar RollerIExotic HardwoodsIIFlooded ParcelIFood SilosIReclaimed LandIIIRefrigerationIIIRoyal MintIRum DistilleryIISilversmithIISustainable AgricultureIV16 Yumi ArchersIV4 Flaming ArrowsIV8 Naginata Riders
Open this deck in the deck builder →

Treaty · Imperial Age

Army

Beats 93% of the 123 regular units out by the Imperial Age (average edge ×1.78), training the right one of them against each.

Weak against

Age-ups

  1. IIGolden Pavilion≈ 315
  2. IIIGreat Buddha≈ 600
  3. IVTorii Gates≈ 1,140
  4. VThe Shogunate≈ 350

Cards to send, in order

  1. 1.ICherry Blossom FestivalEconomy · gathering or trickle bonus
  2. 2.IExotic HardwoodsEconomy · gathering or trickle bonus
  3. 3.IICigar RollerEconomy · gathering or trickle bonus
  4. 4.IIAshigaru Musketeer AttackUpgrade · helps Ashigaru Musketeer
  5. 5.IISamurai AttackUpgrade · helps Samurai
  6. 6.IIIBloody HarvestUpgrade · helps Naginata Rider
  7. 7.IIIClose CombatUpgrade · helps Ashigaru Musketeer
  8. 8.IIIFlaming Arrow HitpointsUpgrade · helps Flaming Arrow
  9. 9.IIISword SaintUpgrade · helps Samurai
  10. 10.IIIRefrigerationEconomy · gathering or trickle bonus
  11. 11.IIIRoyal MintEconomy · gathering or trickle bonus
The full deck (25 cards)
ICherry Blossom FestivalIExotic HardwoodsIICigar RollerIIAshigaru Musketeer AttackIISamurai AttackIIIBloody HarvestIIIClose CombatIIIFlaming Arrow HitpointsIIISword SaintIIIRefrigerationIIIRoyal MintIIITEAM Odzutsu MortarsIVVeteran BatteryIIFlooded ParcelIFood SilosIReclaimed LandIRum DistilleryIISilversmithIISustainable AgricultureIILand ReformsIVMorutaru RangeIVYamashiroIVImproved BuildingsIIIWarring StatesISawmills
Open this deck in the deck builder →

What to train against the most common units

The Japanese unit that does best for the same resources against each of the 12 units most civilizations have (any age).

Enemy unitTrainEdge
UhlanAshigaru Musketeer×1.32
CulverinNaginata Rider×4
FalconetNaginata Rider×2.65
Gatling GunNaginata Rider×4
Horse ArtilleryNaginata Rider×2.84
HussarAshigaru Musketeer×1.47
DragoonSamurai×2.14
PikemanSamurai×1.24
GrenadierNaginata Rider×2.38
MusketeerFlaming Arrow×1.19
Carbine CavalrySamurai×1.97
CrossbowmanNaginata Rider×1.96
How this is worked out

Army: every mix of 2 (Colonial), 3 (Fortress, Industrial) or 4 (Treaty, Imperial) of the civ's own regular units out by that age is tried against every regular unit of every civilization out by then. Against each enemy the best unit of the mix counts, by its edge for the same resources (Lanchester's square law: strength = (resources ÷ cost)² × damage per second × hit points; edge = √ of the strength ratio, held between ×¼ and ×4). The mix with the highest geometric mean of those edges wins; "beats" = the share of enemy units where that edge is above ×1.

Age-ups: on the way, the choice that hands over the most (shipped units at their train cost, livestock and crates at what they hold, resources). Cards: economy first (villagers, crates, livestock, gathering and trickle bonuses), then the shipments of fighting units worth the most net of their price, then cards that raise hit points, damage, resists, range or speed of the army's units or cut their cost or train time. The Treaty plan keeps only cards that last (upgrades, gathering and trickle bonuses, building improvements), no one-off shipments. The deck adds more of the same by value, spread over the ages by the plan (an early plan keeps more early cards), at most 10 per age, 25 cards.

Not modelled: upgrades, civilization bonuses, range and speed (kiting), area damage beyond one target, abilities, maps, timing and the economy behind it. These plans are what the game's numbers favour, not build orders from top players.

Japanese: bonuses, units and every cardJapanese deck builder← All civilizations' builds