What is A-Move And Why Do You Need It? (AOE4 Beginners Guide)

A-Move Command Video Guide (NEW INFO)

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What is A-Move And Why Do You Need It? (AOE4 Beginners Guide)

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[ShadowMasterT]

Low league here - I always a-moved to a specific target, thinking it worked like it does with “default”. Up until this patch I had no idea that a-moving a target is the same as right clicking.

It indeed cost me quite a few matches, where I had a correct unit composition to counter an enemy, but lost them to the incorrect units.

I hope one of the next patches allows a setting that makes rally points do a-moves by default, now that the devs showed willingness to change a-move in general.

[Auronthaw]

Hi Beasty, great vid. As a nub with not a huge number of hours in the game, there's something with the legacy mode you didn't mention that always confused me coming from many years of other RTS.

I would often use the all army hotkey (I know) and a-move a blob of enemy units. Because I did that over enemy units it would transpose to targeting that one unit (you mentioned this) The targeted unit would then die in the fight and all my military units would drop their a move command and stand idle in a conga line.... In my mind I had assumed they would continue attack pathing to where my cursor had been for the a-move.

Anyways, I only realised this is what was happening to me once they updated this behaviour.

Wonder if others found the same...

[Chris-kcqh]

Nice bro. I learn new things from you and it's very useful. Thank you

[kingsgambit]

Most players refer to A-move in rts games where units can't attack while moving. The overuse of the move command does cause a lot of lost games. However, that isn't the only benefit from A-moving. If you attack-move your army, they will attack at the most optimal range and split their damage amongst the enemy army. This gives you the best potential for your armies' combat efficiency, but you need to have "vision" for this to be fully optimized. I don't know how many games I've seen, including pros, that don't utilize this command at its best potential. Instead, you see players just A-moving blindly across the map to just avoid losing armies for free.
In rts games that have splash damage (AOE), the A-move command will naturally split your army based on the difference in attack ranges within the composition. Making it easier to react and drastically reduce the casualties. Even your opponents vision of your entire army will be out of range if you are fully optimizing the use of this command.
Two key concepts. Playing with a mixed composition and scouting. Both are required if you are going to get the best potential out of A-move.

[pointteaboy]

I always used patrol because of Amove misclick potentials. However I found A move useful when doing shift-queue attack. If I shift-right click onto enemy backline units (with springalds that's say) and I accidentally click the ground, it will make my army move forward and die. Legacy A-move can prevent that from happening but the new default a move lost the ability to target.

[MrNakler]

attack unit type would be a great option. Something like an Attack move affecting a specific group of units. e.g. archers would attack spearmen first. Do not click on units individually or use attack move, because then they attack the nearest targets.

[terence]

the new a-move is much easier. I got pretty good at not targeting farms by accident but it not being such a headache anymore is great.

[sokarash]

I remember when A-Moving was considered a "noob move", when it was first introduced in RTS-Games. Today, no one minds it.

[leekrh]

Love your stuff Beasty thankyou for helping is improve. I really hope they take your suggestion for French JD and implement that 😁👍

[gargantua]

Tip: On normal A move behaviour i never noticed this problem when i attack in fog of war or hard to click areas like farm or in base. Because I always use Shift + D patrol command to attack. It works like new behaviour. Also whenever all workers dies horseman starts attacking which building is closest.

[jenskiks]

now all we need is, archers not attacking buildings when a-move

[jarifriman]

Just use patrol / d hotkey and it is 99.9% time same as attack move. Only difference is that when there is no more enemies they start patrolling

Then you can use the legacy a move if needed

[amaurytoloza]

Probably this and not spending resources are the two mistakes we newbies make

[dr.ozanoztavli]

Only if there is an option to prevent ranged units from attacking random buildings on the way. I guess we need to wait couple more decades for that technology.

[DancingTaco]

my archer always go on buildings... is there a setting for that?

[vishaltripathy]

in dota2, there is something called quick move where you just press A and the current location of mouse selected automatically. so need to click

[mieszko]

lol I didnt know this, cant even begin to understand how many games I could have won lol

[connerSphotography]

I notice a lot when fighting spearman as French they always chase my knights giving my archers free rein to snipe them lol Use A move people

[hyunjoon.watterson]

can you change the thumbnail from "have" to "has" cause that burns my eyes UwU

[dagobrahh]

Doesn't default stop you being able to melee charge with knights, which you could do with legacy?