Springboard (or slinging) refers to the strategy used in team games, typically in Age of Empires II, involving two roles, a spring and a springboard. The player who acts as the springboard essentially launches the spring from the Feudal Age onwards through the Market exchanges and use of tributes. It allows the spring to reach the Imperial Age quickly and deploy vastly superior units against the other team. Variations of the springboard are the rushing springboard, in which the springboard simultaneously coordinates a rush, the three person springboard, which has the third player rush the opposing springboard, and the dual spring, which has two springs and two springboards.
If playing against opponents who are suspected of springboarding, the player must look for the springboard and attempt to wipe that player off the face of the map. If there are two boards, the player must coordinate with their teammates to defeat both, eventually starving the spring.
For a similar, but still different in practice, strategy in Age of Empires III, see Support.
The spring
The spring should be a strong Imperial Age civilization, possessing both cavalry and gunpowder. Elite Eagle Warriors (or Plumed Archers) are also commonly used.
Civilizations that can be good as springs include:
- Aztecs
- Byzantines
- Burmese
- Franks
- Indians
- Italians
- Khmer
- Mayans
- Persians
- Portuguese
- Saracens
- Spanish
- Turks
The springboard
The springboard player should be a civilization with large economic advantages and bonuses. It does not matter if the springboard doesn't have cavalry or gunpowder.
Civilizations that can function as springboards include:
- Aztecs
- Burmese
- Celts
- Chinese
- Incas
- Indians
- Italians
- Japanese (on water maps)
- Koreans
- Malay (on water maps)
- Mayans
- Persians
- Slavs
- Vikings (mainly on water maps)
The counter-springboard
Good counter-springboards are those with good rushing capacity such as: