Unlock the full potential of your Age of Empires IV civilization! Learn about crucial Storage Pit upgrades like Toolworking, Metalworking, and armor enhancements to dominate your enemies.
Alright, let's talk about some of the key upgrades you can get once you've got your Town Center and Storage Pit up and running in Age of Empires IV. These aren't flashy new units, but they're super important for making your existing ones tougher and more effective. Think of them as the backbone of your military and economy!
First up, we have Toolworking. This is your entry-level upgrade, available in the Tool Age. All it costs is 100 Food. Once you research this, your hand-to-hand units get a nice +2 attack boost. It might not sound like much, but remember, these early metals like gold, silver, and copper were revolutionary. Being able to shape them into tools and weapons was a massive leap, paving the way for bronze and then iron. Better tools meant better everything!
Next, we move into the Bronze Age with Metalworking. This one requires a bit more investment: 200 Food and 120 Gold. You'll also need to have researched Toolworking first. The benefit? Another +2 attack for your hand-to-hand units. This upgrade really highlights the importance of iron. While bronze was a big deal, iron was more abundant and cheaper, making it accessible to more people and leading to a huge shift in warfare and civilization.
Keeping with the Iron Age theme, the Metallurgy upgrade is crucial. It costs 300 Food and 180 Gold, and you'll need Toolworking and Metalworking already researched. This gives your hand-to-hand units a solid +3 attack boost. Fun fact: researching Metallurgy is actually a prerequisite for upgrading to the Cataphract unit, so don't skip it if you're planning on fielding those bad boys!
Now, let's talk defense. For your missile units, you've got shield upgrades. First is the Bronze Shield, available in the Bronze Age for 150 Food and 180 Gold. This gives your units +1 armor against ballistas, helepolises, and other missile attacks. Shields have been around forever, and bronze ones were a big step up from wood and hide, especially against those pesky arrows.
Following that, in the Iron Age, you can research Iron Shield for 200 Food and 320 Gold. This also provides +1 armor against the same missile threats. Iron shields were more effective and could stop both hand-to-hand and missile attacks better than their bronze predecessors, staying relevant until firearms made them obsolete.
Finally, we have armor for your ranged units. In the Tool Age, you can get Leather Armor for Archers for 100 Food. This gives your Archery Range units +2 armor. Leather was a go-to for armor for ages because it was flexible, affordable, and effective against blunt and edged weapons, especially before metal armor became common.
Then, in the Bronze Age, you can upgrade to Scale Armor for Archers. This costs 125 Food and 50 Gold, and it adds another +2 armor to your Archery Range units. This upgrade represents the shift to using metal for armor, with bronze breastplates and greaves offering better protection, even if they only covered the front.
These upgrades might seem like small steps, but they add up big time. Investing in them makes your units much more survivable and deadly, giving you a real edge in Age of Empires IV!
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