_NeT_AnGeLs_
Expert Tricks

Introduction:

Well recently after I feel my skill level has dropped from an 1850+ rated player to a 1650- player, I decided that I needed to something about it so I have recently been playing and cooping with some "expert" players and the following things are what I noticed. Now the following tips are Advanced tips and I presume you know and already do the "basics" like Villager Flow, keeping all your villagers hard at work, etc. Also because Arabia is considered the "Expert" map the following apply to that map mainly BUT can usually be applied to other maps as well.

Gold/Stone pile watching:
This is a VERY useful tip to find out
A) What there Strategy is going to be i.e Heavy stone mining means A tower rush
B) Where to do hit & Run tactics

Step 1:
Once you have explored the area around the enemy's base (around the 7-8min mark), and found his gold/stone piles then select a villager and place some UNBUILT Palisade walls around them as shown in the picture below.
NOTE: Remember to put the villager BACK onto the task he was doing or he will carry on walking all the way to your enemy's base

Step2:
Now occasionally look at his Gold/Stone piles and you will see if he starts to mine these, if you look closly at the picture below you can see the villagers at work on the Gold (this is easy to see in game cause they are moving) this is because you can see anything moving on top of your UNBUILT Palisades also you will notice that 1 of the palisades has dissapeared, this is because it has been built on (the mining camp).

This is what it looks like with map REVEALED, So as you can see you got to see the same as all reveal for 14 wood BARGIN!.

 

Elevation:

I have completed a test on elevation effects and can report the following:
The amount of elevation advantage has no effect on attack bonuses. An archer will inflict just as much damage shooting at a target just 1 elevation lower as against a target 5 elevations lower.

Damage Effect:
Someone on Higher ground does Normal Attack * 1.25
Someone on Lower ground does Normal Attack * 0.75


An example:
Fully upgraded pikeman with an elevation advantage against a fully upgraded paladin:
Pikeman Normal Damage: (4 basic, +4 (upgrades), -5 (target armor), +22 (bonus damage)) = 25 Higher elevation effect: 25*1.25 = 31.25
Paladin Normal Damage: (14 basic +4 (upgrades) -3 (target armor)) = 15 Lower elevation effect: 15*0.75 = 11.25

 


Because fighting in different elevations often results in "partial damage" one can observe a unit doing alternate damage for each shot. Take for example a Hand Cannoneer with elevation advantage shooting at infantry with an armor of 3, it will do: (17+8 (yes, Hand Cannoneers have +8 vs infantry, just like Elite Jannies) -3 )*1.25 = 27.5 damage pr shot. Check out this yourself and you will see the HC dealing 28 damage, then 27, then 28, then 27 etc... The computer will even interpret (not always, but often) 0.25's and 0.75's this way, "remembering" the damage for previous shots.

The formulas apply to all damage, whether inflicted by melee, by archers or by siege.

Elevation was found to have no effect on range or LOS.

In the pictures below you can see 8 Skirmishers take on 10 (NO upgrades to any off them) and win with 2 left

 

 

 

 

House/Palisade Scouting:
You can search explored areas of the map to see if there are any units or buildings present in that area,

**pictures**

this is a great way to find out if they are forward building, and to find where units have just run off to