Cheese in Age of Empires: Definition and Examples in Gaming

In Age of Empires, "cheese" refers to unconventional or exploitative strategies that give players a quick advantage. One common example is the "Tower Rush," where players build forward towers near the enemy base to harass villagers and disrupt resource collection early in the game. This strategy heavily relies on early game aggression and can force opponents into defensive play, altering the flow of the match significantly. Another classic instance of cheese involves the "Scout Rush," where players rapidly produce cavalry units to attack enemy villagers before they can establish a strong economy. This tactic takes advantage of the vulnerability in early game scouting and resource gathering. Both examples demonstrate how strategic use of in-game mechanics can create pressure and lead to swift victories in competitive play.

Table of Comparison

What Is Cheese in Age of Empires?

Cheese in Age of Empires refers to unconventional, exploitative strategies that rely on surprising or overwhelming tactics rather than balanced gameplay. Examples include rushing with cheap units early or exploiting game mechanics to gain an unfair advantage. These strategies often disrupt opponents' plans by leveraging unexpected timing or unit compositions.

Classic Cheese Tactics Used by Pros

Classic cheese tactics in Age of Empires, such as the Fast Rush or Tower Rush, exploit early-game vulnerabilities to gain a swift advantage. Pros often deploy these strategies to disrupt opponents' economies by launching surprise attacks with minimal units, leveraging timing and map control. Mastering these tactics requires precise micro-management and in-depth knowledge of game mechanics to maximize efficiency and pressure.

Fast Castle: A Cheese Favorite

Fast Castle is a popular cheese strategy in Age of Empires where players quickly advance to the Castle Age, bypassing prolonged Feudal Age battles. This tactic allows for early access to powerful units like Knights and unique technologies, creating sudden military pressure on opponents. Players employing Fast Castle often rely on optimized villager allocation and build order to maximize their economy and capitalize on this strategic advantage.

Tower Rush (Trush): Cheese Strategy Explained

Tower Rush (Trush) in Age of Empires is a cheese strategy where players aggressively build multiple towers near their opponent's base to disrupt early economy and expansion. This tactic exploits the defensive strength of towers to pressure opponents and force them into costly countermeasures. Effective Tower Rush requires quick resource gathering, precise timing, and map control to maximize its early-game impact and gain a strategic advantage.

Scout Rush: Surprising Your Opponent

Scout Rush in Age of Empires exemplifies a classic cheese strategy by overwhelming opponents early with fast-moving cavalry scouts, disrupting their economy before they can establish defenses. Utilizing the speed and mobility of scouts allows for quick harassment of villagers, forcing the enemy into a defensive stance and limiting their resource gathering. This aggressive tactic exploits early game vulnerabilities and can secure a decisive advantage by crippling the opponent's economy and momentum.

The Villager Rush Cheese (Dark Age Rush)

The Villager Rush Cheese, also known as the Dark Age Rush, is a popular early-game strategy in Age of Empires where players rapidly produce multiple villagers and send them to harass the opponent's economy. This tactic aims to disrupt resource gathering and delay the enemy's advancement to the Feudal Age by applying early pressure. Mastery of the Villager Rush can provide a significant strategic advantage by forcing opponents into defensive play and limiting their economic growth.

Wall Cheese: Trapping and Frustrating Enemies

Wall cheese in Age of Empires involves strategically building walls to trap enemy units, limiting their movement and forcing them into vulnerable positions. This tactic can frustrate opponents by cutting off escape routes and creating choke points for easier defense and counterattacks. Effective wall cheese leverages map terrain and precise wall placement to maximize enemy confinement and disruption.

Unique Civilization Cheese Examples

Unique civilization cheese in Age of Empires often revolves around exploiting specific strengths, such as the Aztecs' early-game infantry rush using cheaper militia units or the Huns' ability to bypass walls with their cavalry archers for surprise attacks. The British civilization's long-range archers combined with strong economies facilitate quick aggression and map control, while the Mongols leverage faster cavalry units and swift hit-and-run tactics to overwhelm opponents. These strategies maximize each civilization's distinctive bonuses, enabling players to execute unconventional, high-pressure plays that can derail standard game progression.

How to Counter Popular Cheese Strategies

Popular cheese strategies in Age of Empires, such as the Fast Castle rush and early rush with Scouts or Archers, can be countered effectively by scouting early and preparing appropriate defenses like walls and archers. Building additional Town Centers quickly helps increase resource gathering and create a stronger economy to withstand early aggression. Utilizing counter units such as Spearmen against Scouts or Skirmishers against Archers also disrupts cheese tactics and stabilizes your game.

The Risk and Reward of Using Cheese in AoE

Using cheese strategies in Age of Empires, such as the infamous Rush Tactics or Tower Rushes, can provide early game advantages by overwhelming opponents before they establish defenses. These high-risk, high-reward tactics exploit timing and map control, often leading to quick victories or devastating losses if countered effectively. Players must balance aggressive early pressure with resource management to avoid falling behind in the mid to late game stages.