Learn how to build and upgrade to the Guard Tower in Age of Empires IV. Discover its costs, stats, and strategic advantages for your defense.
Alright, let's talk about the Guard Tower in Age of Empires IV. This is a solid defensive upgrade that really beefs up your town's security.
Prerequisites & Costs:
- Age: Iron
- Required Buildings: Town Center, Granary
- Researched Upgrades: Watch Tower, Sentry Tower, Guard Tower
- Upgrade Cost (from Sentry Tower): 300 Food, 100 Stone
- Build Cost (if building directly): 150 Stone
Stats & Capabilities:
- Hit Points: 200
- Attack: 6
- Armor: - (Note: This usually means no specific armor value, but it can still be affected by general unit armor research)
- Range: 7
- Fire Rate: Once every 1.5 seconds
- Upgrade Of: Sentry Tower
- Upgrade At: Granary
- Next Upgrade: Ballista Tower
Why it's a good upgrade: Compared to the Sentry Tower, the Guard Tower packs a bigger punch with more hit points, a stronger attack, and a longer range. This means it can take more punishment and hit enemies from further away, giving your villagers and military more time to react or escape.
Strategic Notes:
- Towers are your go-to for passive defense, automatically firing at enemy villagers and military units that wander into their range.
- Keep in mind that researching 'Architecture' can actually *increase* the construction time for towers, so weigh that trade-off.
- 'Alchemy' boosts the tower's attack strength, and 'Ballistics' makes its shots more accurate.
- Upgrades like 'Woodworking', 'Artisanship', and 'Craftsmanship' can extend the tower's range even further, making them even more effective at controlling territory.
Historically, towers like the one at Jericho were crucial for early warning against raiders and provided excellent firing positions for archers. They offered a defensive advantage due to elevation and could even serve as a last stand if walls were breached. Your Guard Towers in Age of Empires IV serve a similar purpose – providing a strong, elevated defensive position to fend off attackers.
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