Empire Build Order Guide - Empire of the Rising Sun

These Empire build orders should only be used against Allies and Soviets, and never in Empire mirrors. Empire mirrors need special builds and tactics, so if you want to learn how to play them read our Empire Mirror Strategy Guide.

Standard Empire Build Order

Effectiveness Vs. Experienced Players: Moderate - High
Effectiveness Vs. Newer Players: High

The reason this build order is called standard is because it will work decently against most strategies and you can easily adept to many situations. It gives you a great economy, scouting abilities and protection from early game harassment, in other words it gives you a nice balanced mix of all 3 key elements of the game.

Build Order

1. Generator Core:
   • First build a Generator Core and deploy it as close to your Construction Yard as possible, so it finishes deploying as soon as possible, since you can't build Refinery Cores without it.
2. Dojo Core #1:
   • Send it to the closer Oil Derrick and deploy it there.
   • Train a Burst Drone to scout your opponent, then train 2-3 Imperial Warriors and then one Engineer to capture the Oil.
3. Dojo Core #2:
   • Send it to the same Oil Derrick where you sent the first Dojo Core, but don't deploy it. You have to use it to run over Dogs/Bears that are coming to scout and to prevent you from capturing the Oil. The Dojo Core with a combination of Imperial Warriors can stand against all early game harassment Allies and Soviets can through at you.
4. Generator Core:
   • Deploy this Generator Core to one of the corners of the map, so the opponent doesn't see it. The Generator Core should finish deployment just before the Mecha Bay finishes deploying, so you shouldn't be in a low power mode. This could be useful in close ending games where both opponents start destroying each others structures, so whoever destroys them all faster, wins. If your Instant Generator is not in your base, it will be much hard to destroy it.
5. Refinery Core #1:
   • Before the Refinery Core comes out of the Construction Yard place a rally point (left-click your Construction Yard and then right-click at the Refinery spot) there, so that your Refinery does not stop for a moment after coming out of the MCV.
     
     Rally Points for Nano Cores

     You should be placing rally points for every Nano Core. This will save you some valuable time you need early game.
   • Don't forget to wall your Refineries. You could start with the walling before you even start constructing them, since the Construction Yard gives you a build radius. Don't forget that the core needs to get to the Ore Node on foot, so don't wall the side closer to the Construction Yard.
6. Refinery Core #2:
   • Second Refinery is for a strong early economy.
   • And again, don't forget to wall Refineries.
7. Mecha Bay:
   • When you build both Refinery Cores, undeploy your Construction Yard and move the MCV near the Refinery that is closer to your opponent and deploy it. You should deploy your MCV before the first Refinery finishes constructing. Than build a Mecha Bay near one side of your Refinery, so this way it's closer to your opponent and your Ore Collector can be repaired by the drones on the Mecha Bay.

After this, you have two options, you could build a few Tengus and start harassing your opponent, or start upgrading your Mecha Bay and go directly to Tier 2 for Striker VXs and Tsunami Tanks. Everything after that is situational and you have to adept to your opponent. After you upgrade your Mecha Bay to Tier 2 you should expand to one more Ore Node.