The French in Age of Empires 4 play similarly to the English. This is another excellent civilization for beginners since their tech tree, and play style is similar to that seen in past games. However, players will want to be aware of some key differences between the English and the French to maximize their effectiveness.
Check out our guides to playing as other Age of Empires 4 civilizations here:
How to win playing as the French in Age of Empires 4
Those who are already familiar with the English in Age of Empires 4 can think of the French as a similar but more aggressive civilization. They lack the defensive buffs of the English, but they play very similarly.
The French have excellent cavalry, quick Villager production, and cheap resource drop-offs. They can also build traders that can return any resources and their melee damage techs can be researched for free. These unique boons result in a civilization that can quickly accrue resources and leverage them into building an army.
The French really come into their own in Age 3. This is when Keeps can be built, which lends itself to another French buff. Any units produced from an Archery Range or Stable within the influence area of a Keep are 20% cheaper.
A good tactic to use with the French is to wall off the city and keep a token army to repel invaders and blitz toward Age 3. Once Keeps can be built, they’ll both protect French settlements and allow for cheaper unit production.
The French get the unique Royal Knight cavalry unit that can break enemy troops with their charge ability and the Arbaletrier. This ranged unit can deploy a shield for added defense. These two units work exceptionally well together. The Royal Knights can charge in and break enemy formations and quickly ride away while Arbaletrier move up, plant their shields, and mop up.
