Building a solid economy for your Age of Empires civilization is the foundation of having a great Kingdom and a dangerous army. There are ample resources on the map which can be used by the players to build different buildings, train armies, research technologies and more. Therefore, knowing how to efficiently utilize the resources on a certain map is very important.

There are primarily four resources in Age of Empires 4 which are Wood, Food, Stone and Gold. Each of the civilizations approach the resources differently to suit their playstyle and opponents. We will be discussing the various ways and everything that the beginner players need to know about their resources to enhance their in-game economy. One important thing to note about the drop-off buildings is that players shouldn’t place them directly on the resources as they will cancel the resources permanently.

Here is a look at all the resources and the best strategy to get them quickly in Age of Empires 4:

Food

The first resource that we will be talking about is the Food resource which is usually present in abundance on almost every map. Players can start their matches by harvesting and scouting sheep which should be the first source of food for every civilization. After that, players can look for berry bushes and animals like deer, boar, wolf to hunt and further push their food economy. Players can construct a Mill near these resources to drop them off at these locations.

If the players find themselves in water-dominated maps like Archipelago then they should rely on fishing boats made through the Docks. They can go for surface sea fishes as they extinguish completely after taking them. Players in the late game could also opt for farms as they can be placed near the Mills and provide a constant supply of food.

Wood

Wood is a critical resource as it's needed to create buildings in the game. Wood is mostly obtained from trees spread all across the map. Players can build a Lumberjack which is the drop-off center for wood in the game. Players can also create additional Lumberjacks if they feel that the villagerss drop-off speed has been drastically decreased. One more thing to keep in mind while harvesting wood is to start at the right place to make natural space for your empires and have sufficient natural cover from the trees. It decreases the need to create early walls and provides natural cover for the base.

Stone 

Stone is mostly spread throughout the map but it's not that needed in the early game. This resource is mostly used to create stone walls and fortresses in the mid to late game. Players can create a Stone mine near the resource and assign villagers to mine the resource. Typically, players should scout in the early game to spot these stone deposits and navigate villagers accordingly.

Gold

Similar to stone, Gold is also a precious material that is spread all across the map. However, this resource is used in research, special unit training, and many more and therefore the demand for this resource rises substantially. Players even build Towers and Fortresses near Gold Deposits to discourage the enemies from taking over the nearby gold mines. Players can also fish gold on selective matches by fishing near Whales.

Special Mention: Markets

Players can set up Markets and trade with neutral markets or ally’s markets to get access to gold. The more the distance of the trade, the better is the return from these trips. These gold can be traded for other resources in the game as well. The French have a distinct advantage to trade a certain resource and the traders will bring that resource to boost their economy.