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Longbows vs Zhuge Nus | Age of Empires IV 1v1 (Ranked English vs Zhu Xi’s Legacy)
Some matchups in Age of Empires IV come down to economy. Some come down to timing pushes. And some, like this one, basically come down to one question:
Whose arrows are landing more often?
This was an English vs Zhu Xi’s Legacy 1v1 ranked match, and it turned into a straight-up ranged infantry fight — my Longbowmen against their Zhuge Nu — for most of the game.
I’m still an average player working on my macro, my scouting, and my decision-making under pressure. And this match put all three of those things on trial at the same time, because once the Longbows and Zhuge Nu started trading, every mistake showed up immediately on the scoreboard.
But it also taught me a lot about why this particular matchup feels so different from anything else in the game.
Why English Feels So Strong in Ranked
The English civilization is built around defense, economy, and slowly out-scaling the opponent.
They benefit from:
- Town Centers that can be upgraded into defensive strongpoints
- A Network of Citadels bonus that boosts nearby buildings
- Farm-focused economy bonuses that snowball over time
- Longbowmen with some of the best range in the game
The civ rewards patience. If you can protect your economy and keep upgrading your archers, English is supposed to get stronger and stronger as the game goes on.
The problem is, patience isn’t really my strong suit yet.
Why Zhu Xi’s Legacy Is So Tricky to Play Against
The Zhu Xi’s Legacy civilization is one of the newer additions to the game, and it comes loaded with mechanics I’m still learning.
They have:
- Zhuge Nu as their default ranged infantry instead of Archers
- A Dynasty system that unlocks different bonuses depending on which Landmarks you build
- Imperial Officials that can supervise buildings for economic and production bonuses
- Access to unique units like the Shaolin Monk without fully committing to a Dynasty
As an average player, half the challenge of this matchup was just remembering what their buildings actually did mid-fight.
The Longbow vs Zhuge Nu Problem
Here’s the part of this matchup that makes it so different from a normal archer fight.
Zhuge Nu fire three bolts per volley instead of one arrow like a standard Archer. That means they hit harder per shot, and they punish you a lot more if you’re behind on Blacksmith upgrades.
Longbowmen, on the other hand, win on range. If I can keep my Longbows at max distance and force the Zhuge Nu to walk into me, I have the advantage. If I let that fight happen at close range instead, the extra bolts start adding up fast.
So realistically, this matchup came down to one repeating decision:
Am I fighting at my range, or theirs?
Some fights I got that right. A lot of fights, I didn’t.
Early Game (0–8 Minutes) – Comfortable, Then Not
The early game actually felt pretty stable at first.
I was on track with my economy, I got my Town Center upgrades going, and I felt like I understood my own game plan.
My Biggest Mistakes
- Scouting the Zhu Xi’s Legacy base too late to see which Dynasty they were building toward
- Floating resources instead of committing to upgrades
- Engaging Zhuge Nu at close range instead of pulling back and using my range advantage
- Losing track of my own Blacksmith upgrades while focused on the fight
Instead of controlling the range of the fight, I kept letting the fights happen wherever they started. And with Zhuge Nu, that’s exactly the mistake you can’t afford to make.
Why Range Control Matters So Much With Longbows
The more I review this game, the more I realize English Longbowmen aren’t just “better archers.” They’re a completely different tool if you actually use the range correctly.
A lot of players online talk about how Longbows are meant to fight from maximum distance and retreat the moment the enemy closes the gap, instead of trading blow for blow.
That sounds simple. It is not simple to actually do in the middle of a real fight when units are dying and you’re trying to keep your economy running at the same time.
Mid Game (8–16 Minutes) – The Fight I Should Have Walked Away From
This is where the match really turned.
There was a mid-game engagement where I had a decent Longbow group, saw the Zhuge Nu coming, and instead of kiting back to force them to close the distance under fire, I held my ground.
That’s when I realized:
The extra bolts from Zhuge Nu aren’t a small difference. At close range, they add up into a completely different fight.
That one engagement cost me a chunk of my army, and I spent the next few minutes trying to rebuild instead of pressuring.
The Biggest Mistake I Still Make
Even when I understood what I was supposed to be doing, I kept repeating the same pattern:
I would win the opening exchange of a fight, feel confident, and then hold position instead of resetting my range.
Instead of:
- Pulling back after the first volley
- Letting them walk into me again
- Staying patient and stacking the range advantage
…I’d stand and trade because it felt like I was already winning.
That’s becoming a pattern I need to fix in my ranged fights specifically.
Why Matchup Knowledge Matters So Much
This game reminded me, again, how much of ranked comes down to actually understanding the matchup in front of you.
When you understand:
- How the enemy’s unique unit fights differently than the generic version
- What their power spikes look like
- When your own unit is supposed to have the advantage
…you make faster, calmer decisions.
But when you don’t fully understand it:
- Every fight feels like a coin flip
- You second-guess whether to engage or retreat
- You end up trading evenly in fights you should be winning clearly
As an average player, that gap in understanding cost me more than any mechanical mistake did in this game.
What I’m Trying to Improve After This Match
If you’re also an improving ranked player, here’s what I’m personally focusing on after this game:
1. Scout the Enemy Dynasty Earlier
Knowing what they’re building toward changes how I should be playing.
2. Actually Use My Range Advantage
Winning the first volley doesn’t mean I should stand still for the second one.
3. Keep Blacksmith Upgrades on Schedule
Every ranged attack and armor upgrade matters more in a bolt-for-arrow fight than it does anywhere else.
4. Reset the Fight Instead of Holding It
If I’m winning an engagement, that’s exactly when I should be pulling back to keep winning it.
The Honest Truth About This Match
This wasn’t a clean, textbook Longbow kite.
This was:
- Good positioning
- Then bad positioning
- Some solid volleys
- A few fights I should have just walked away from
- And a lot of learning in real time
Which honestly describes most ranked games for average players trying to improve.
Final Thoughts: Longbows Win the Range, Not the Standoff
This match taught me something I probably should have already known:
Longbowmen aren’t strong because they beat Zhuge Nu head-on. They’re strong because they don’t have to fight head-on at all.
The moment I forgot that and started standing my ground, the matchup stopped favoring me.
I didn’t play this one perfectly. Not even close. But I walked away from it actually understanding why this matchup works the way it does, instead of just knowing that Longbows are “supposed to be good.”
And honestly, that’s usually the real win in these ranked reviews.
Quick FAQ: English vs Zhu Xi’s Legacy in AoE4
Do Longbowmen beat Zhuge Nu in Age of Empires IV? Longbowmen have the range advantage, so they generally win if you kite and force the Zhuge Nu to approach under fire. At close range, the Zhuge Nu’s three-bolt volley can out-damage a standard archer trade, so holding position instead of kiting can flip the fight.
What makes Zhu Xi’s Legacy different from regular Chinese in AoE4? Zhu Xi’s Legacy gets the Zhuge Nu and Grenadier by default without needing to reach the Song Dynasty, and it runs on a separate Dynasty system with its own Landmark bonuses, Imperial Officials, and unique units like the Shaolin Monk.
Is English a good civilization for beginners in Age of Empires IV? English rewards a patient, defensive, economy-first playstyle with strong Town Center upgrades and Longbowmen. It can be a good fit if you’re comfortable playing a longer game and punishing overextensions rather than forcing early aggression.
Overview
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Total Score
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⚙️ What I Play On
If you’re grinding ranked and your setup is working against you, here’s the gear I personally use. No fluff — just what’s actually on my desk.
- 🖱️ Mouse: TUF M4 Gaming Mouse — ASUS did a great job with this one. Precise, comfortable, and it’s held up well through a lot of AoE4 sessions.
- ⌨️ Keyboard: RK-M75 Mechanical Keyboard — My first mechanical keyboard. It took some getting used to but I wouldn’t go back now.
- 🖱️ Mouse Mat: Gaming Mouse Mat — Turns your whole desk into a gaming surface. Once you go full desk mat you won’t go back.
- 🎧 Headset: Redragon Headset — Switched to this for my PC setup and the quality surprised me for the price.
Tags: Age of Empires 4 English vs Zhu xi’s Legacy, Longbow vs Zhuge Nu, Aoe4 Ranked 1v1, Aoe4 English Strategy, Aoe4 Zhu Xi’s Legacy Guide, MyGamingJourney, Roccos Gaming Journey
Age of Empires IV is a real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment in partnership with World’s Edge and published by Xbox Game Studios.
It is the fourth installment of the Age of Empires series, and the first installment not developed by Ensemble Studios. The game was released on October 28, 2021 for Windows, and on August 22, 2023 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
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