VOL.02 — TUE 12.MAY.2026 FIELD MANUAL // ATTACK PATTERNS // 0 A.D. NO.002

ATTACK/STRATEGIES

SEVEN PATTERNS FROM TURTLE TO STRIKER EVERY HIT HAS A PURPOSE NEVER MARCH BLIND

// Doctrine — Read This First

LAW 01 — ATTACKING IS DEFENDING
If their army is at home defending, it can't be at your base attacking. The best defense is making them defend.
LAW 02 — STRIKE WHEN THEY ARE WEAK
Don't attack when YOU feel ready. Attack when THEY are vulnerable. Two different questions.
LAW 03 — EVERY ATTACK HAS A SCRIPT
Target. Success condition. Failure condition. No blind marches. If you can't answer these three before clicking, don't go.

// Before You Press Attack

Answer all three. Out loud. Every single time.

01
Target
What am I trying to kill? A building? Workers? Their army? Be specific.
02
Success
When do I declare victory and retreat? "Their lumber camp falls" not "they die."
03
Failure
When do I cut losses? "Their army shows up with 20+ units" or "I lose 5 cav."
PATTERN 01 Timing Attack ★ EASY · MOST POWERFUL
PHASE I PHASE II PHASE III WAVE FAILS STRIKE STRIKE STRIKE ENEMY ARMY SIZE OVER TIME VALLEYS = OPENINGS

// The Move

Pick the moment they are weakest, not when you feel strong. The window matters more than the army.

// Best Windows

Just phased upTheir bank is empty. No new units mid-animation.
Their push failedTheir army is depleted. Counter immediately.
Army is mid-mapTheir base is empty. Sneak in.
You teched up firstYour units stronger 1-for-1.
Drill: Set a mental alarm — when scout sees their CC's Phase II finish, you push. Don't wait.
PATTERN 02 The Pincer ★★ MEDIUM · HIGH REWARD
ENEMY BASE LIGHT (BAIT) HEAVY (KILL) STEP 1: BAIT FROM TOP → STEP 2: HIT FROM SIDE

// The Move

Two armies, two angles, simultaneous. Their army can only face ONE direction. Make them choose: defend the front or defend the flank — they lose either way.

// Setup

  1. Light army attacks from one direction (the distraction)
  2. Wait until their army commits to defend it
  3. Heavy army smashes in from the opposite side
  4. Their army can't get back in time
You already did this once. Accidentally. Now do it on purpose. Every game.
PATTERN 03 Tower Drop // Forward Base ★★ MEDIUM · ANTI-AI GOLD
YOU ENEMY FORT 10s march attack zone DON'T BRING AN ARMY — BRING A BASE REINFORCE: 10s INSTEAD OF 60s

// The Move

Send 2-3 villagers + 5 soldiers halfway to their base. Build a tower → barracks → another tower. Now you have local reinforcements — every new unit walks 10 seconds, not 60.

// Why it wrecks Medium AI

  • AI throws units at it piecemeal
  • You out-trade because reinforcements come fast
  • It's a foothold for the real push later
Cost: 2 minutes of 1 villager's time. Value: half the map permanently yours.
PATTERN 04 The Eco Starve ★★ MEDIUM · LONG GAME
BASE WOOD STONE METAL FARM DON'T KILL THE ARMY — KILL THE INCOME 4 RAID LOOPS — EVERY 90s

// The Move

Don't fight their army. Strangle their economy. After 5 minutes of this, their army stops growing — they can't afford it.

// The 4 Raid Loops

  • Loop 1: 3 cav on their woodcutters, every 90s
  • Loop 2: Tower drop on their mining outpost
  • Loop 3: Outposts on neutral resources (deny them)
  • Loop 4: 5 cav circling farms, killing gathering women
Then: when their army shrinks, push with your full force.
PATTERN 05 The All-In ★★★ HIGH · WIN OR LOSE
EMPTY SIEGE EVERYTHING. ONE DIRECTION. WIN HERE OR LOSE HERE.

// The Move

Empty your base. Empty your barracks rally. Send EVERYTHING. Plus 5 villagers to build a tower at the edge of their base mid-fight.

// When to All-In

  • You have an eco lead AND a comp advantage
  • They just lost a fight and can't reinforce in time
  • You have siege ready and they have no walls
The rule: Win or lose, decide it here. Don't dribble back home. The all-in is a commitment.

// Warning

Lose this and the game's over — your base is empty. Only call it when the math is in your favor.

PATTERN 06 The Feint ★★ MEDIUM · MIND GAMES
ENEMY FEINT 1 — RETREAT FEINT 2 — RETREAT REAL ATTACK EXHAUST THEIR ATTENTION FIRST FAKE, FAKE, FAKE — THEN HIT

// The Move

Push toward their base with half your army. They panic, pull workers, mobilize army to defend. Just before contact — RETREAT.

Repeat 2-3 times. Now they're paranoid AND exhausted from running back and forth.

// What you gain

  • They wasted villager work-time defending nothing
  • Their army is now out of position
  • You lost zero units
  • The 4th attack — real, with siege — catches them flat
Costs you: nothing. Costs them: attention, mobility, and 4-5 minutes of eco.
PATTERN 07 Three-Pronged Attack ★★★★ HARD · END-GAME
MAIN BASE-2 BASE-3 THEY CAN DEFEND TWO. NEVER THREE. FORCE-1 FORCE-2 FORCE-3

// The Move

Three small armies, three angles, three targets. They can defend two of them at best. The third one falls.

// Setup

  • Each force = 12-15 units (combined arms, lightweight)
  • One force per target. Don't merge mid-attack.
  • Pre-position them BEFORE attacking. They walk for 30s, you can't react after.

// The trap

You will lose track of one force. Accept this. Designate the most-disposable one as the "diversion" — even if it dies, it bought time for the other two.

Master move: Use this after a feint pattern. They expect another fake — they ignore one of your forces. That's the one that breaks through.
ENDPLATE Which One // When DECISION TABLE
If... Use Pattern
They just phased up01 Timing
You have 2 separate armies forming02 Pincer
You want a foothold near them03 Forward Base
Their army is bigger than yours04 Eco Starve
You're ahead and want to end it05 All-In
You need to position before striking06 Feint
Late game, they have multiple bases07 Three-Pronged