Commanding the Ages: How to Pick Up and Utilize Relics in Age of Empires 4

Embark on your journey to command the world in Age of Empires 4, where resources play a pivotal role. Among them are the golden items – Relics, silently bolstering your wealth and greatness. Securing and storing them in your empire could bring about a significant shift in your fortune. This quick guide presents a step-by-step process to navigate you through the highway of relic collection.

Step 1: Understanding the Value of Relics

Relics are spectacularly valuable in Age of Empires 4, providing a steady flow of 100 Gold per minute per relic. Moreover, once you upgrade your Monastery, it can yield additional Food, Wood, and Stone resources. Essentially, relics are your go-to for passive and consistent income, especially when you're recuperating from a hit to your villager population.

Step 2: Recruiting the Monks

Monks are essential in picking up and carrying the Relics to your Monastery. These religious units are exclusive carriers of the golden treasures. Most civilizations can recruit their Monks starting from the Third Age. However, the Holy Roman Empire and the Delhi Sultanate have slightly early access to Prelate (their equivalent to Monk) without building a Monastery, and Scholars by building a Mosque, respectively. But it's important to remember that the actual acquiring of relics only commences from the Third Age.

Step 3: Scouting for Relics

Relics are scattered around the map, waiting for their potential owners to unveil them to get rich. To find and secure these valuable items, send out your scouts or troops to different parts of the territory. Once your units pass by a Relic, its icon will shine brightly on your mini-map, making it easier for subsequent retrieval.

Step 4: Ensuring Protection for Your Monks

While Monks serve crucial roles in Relic collection, they are fragile units with no direct combative abilities. If you send them out to fetch the Relics without escort, they can fall prey to surrounding enemies. They can, in fact, frantically convert a lone adverse unit to allies, but still, ensuring protective company for your Monks should be your priority.

Step 5: Utilizing Relics for Strategic Advantages

The Holy Roman Empire can store Relics in most of its buildings, where each building offers unique buffs. If they have managed to secure a Relic, Monk units obtain a new ability called “Conversion” to convert enemies' troops within an AOE. When orchestrated tactfully, especially with Rus' Warrior Monks, you can turn the tide significantly in your favor.

Step 6: Maintaining the Passive Gold and Resource Flow

Once your Monks safely bring back the Relics to your Monastery, maintaining a regular check on them and ensuring their persistent flow of resources is equally crucial. Because the resource advantage they endow can proffer you substantial economic leverage in all scenarios.

After all, in the playground of Age of Empires 4, harnessing every minute advantage to your favor could lead you to cherish the glory of ruling the ages. So go ahead, march your Monks, secure those golden Relics, and let your empire thrive on their riches.