What is the best Poles army in AoE3?

Colonial Age: Pikeman and Retainer (beats 65% of 77 units); Fortress Age: Pikeman, Retainer and Falconet (beats 87% of 119 units); Industrial Age: Pikeman, Retainer and Falconet (beats 87% of 123 units); Imperial Age: Crossbowman, Pikeman, Retainer and Falconet (beats 90% of 123 units) — base stats, AoE3: Definitive Edition 100.19.18309.

What beats the Poles Fortress Age army?

Veteran Halberdier (its best answer, Pikeman, is at ×0.59), Jaguar Prowl Knight (its best answer, Falconet, is at ×0.61), Poruchik (its best answer, Pikeman, is at ×0.73), Tomahawk (its best answer, Pikeman and is at ×0.76).

Which cards should the Poles send first?

For the fast fortress: 3 Settlers, Agrarian Reforms, Cigar Roller and Cavalry Combat.

Which Poles age-ups hand over the most?

to the Colonial Age: The Naturalist (≈ 700 resources); to the Fortress Age: The Scout (≈ 840 resources).

Worked out · AoE3: DE 100.19.18309

Poles builds

For the Poles in AoE3: Definitive Edition 100.19.18309, the Fortress Age army that answers the most enemy units for the same resources is Pikeman, Retainer and Falconet: between them they beat 87% of the 119 regular units of all civilizations out by then (average edge ×1.9). Colonial rush (Colonial Age): Pikeman and Retainer, 65%. Boom (Industrial Age): Pikeman, Retainer and Falconet, 87%. Treaty (Imperial Age): Crossbowman, Pikeman, Retainer and Falconet, 90%.

This section as JSON: /raw/builds.json

Quick answers (4)

What is the best Poles army in AoE3?: Colonial Age: Pikeman and Retainer (beats 65% of 77 units); Fortress Age: Pikeman, Retainer and Falconet (beats 87% of 119 units); Industrial Age: Pikeman, Retainer and Falconet (beats 87% of 123 units); Imperial Age: Crossbowman, Pikeman, Retainer and Falconet (beats 90% of 123 units) — base stats, AoE3: Definitive Edition 100.19.18309.
What beats the Poles Fortress Age army?: Veteran Halberdier (its best answer, Pikeman, is at ×0.59), Jaguar Prowl Knight (its best answer, Falconet, is at ×0.61), Poruchik (its best answer, Pikeman, is at ×0.73), Tomahawk (its best answer, Pikeman and is at ×0.76).
Which cards should the Poles send first?: For the fast fortress: 3 Settlers, Agrarian Reforms, Cigar Roller and Cavalry Combat.
Which Poles age-ups hand over the most?: to the Colonial Age: The Naturalist (≈ 700 resources); to the Fortress Age: The Scout (≈ 840 resources).

Colonial rush · Colonial Age

Army

Beats 65% of the 77 regular units out by the Colonial Age (average edge ×1.47), training the right one of them against each.

Weak against

Desperado×0.66
Pistolero×0.66
Carolean×0.67
Sentinel×0.69
Soldado×0.69
Poruchik×0.73

Age-ups

IIThe Naturalist≈ 700

Cards to send, in order

The full deck (25 cards)

Open this deck in the deck builder →

Fast Fortress · Fortress Age

Army

Beats 87% of the 119 regular units out by the Fortress Age (average edge ×1.9), training the right one of them against each.

Weak against

Age-ups

IIThe Naturalist≈ 700
IIIThe Scout≈ 840

Cards to send, in order

The full deck (25 cards)

Open this deck in the deck builder →

Boom · Industrial Age

Army

Beats 87% of the 123 regular units out by the Industrial Age (average edge ×1.94), training the right one of them against each.

Weak against

Age-ups

IIThe Naturalist≈ 700
IIIThe Scout≈ 840
IVThe Cavalry Marshal≈ 1,400

Cards to send, in order

The full deck (25 cards)

Open this deck in the deck builder →

Treaty · Imperial Age

Army

Beats 90% of the 123 regular units out by the Imperial Age (average edge ×1.97), training the right one of them against each.

Weak against

Age-ups

IIThe Naturalist≈ 700
IIIThe Scout≈ 840
IVThe Cavalry Marshal≈ 1,400
VThe Royalist≈ 2,100

Cards to send, in order

The full deck (25 cards)

Open this deck in the deck builder →

What to train against the most common units

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

Enemy unit	Train	Edge
Uhlan	Pikeman	×1.68
Culverin	Retainer	×4
Falconet	Retainer	×3.96
Gatling Gun	Cavalry Archer	×4
Horse Artillery	Retainer	×4
Hussar	Pikeman	×1.86
Dragoon	Pikeman	×3.32
Pikeman	Crossbowman	×1.02
Grenadier	Winged Hussar	×2.36
Musketeer	Falconet	×1.44
Carbine Cavalry	Pikeman	×3.06
Crossbowman	Retainer	×1.77

Enemy unit

Train

Edge

×1.68

×4

×3.96

×4

×4

×1.86

×3.32

×1.02

×2.36

×1.44

×3.06

×1.77

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.

Poles: bonuses, units and every card Poles deck builder ← All civilizations' builds