Age of Empires IV
Players shorten gathering downtime by forcing faster deposit patterns or micro around collection points, extracting more economy than a simple queue would suggest.
Unit body-blocking and surround paths can trap villagers or armies more effectively than formation logic implies, especially near buildings and forests.
Some openings aim to exploit early sacred-site control before the opponent has normal map tools online, forcing a strategic crisis unusually quickly.
Partial walls and gates can provide information or path control out of proportion to their cost, especially when used to manipulate fog and scouting routes.
Rapid pack-unpack or movement timing on siege can preserve pressure while dodging punishment in ways that feel more exploitative than intuitive.