Aoe2 have deprived many signature tactics along the update, I hope to see some of them again.
You can nerf it, make it not that powerful but not totally deprive the power spike. At least make them playful again with more effort but not no chance.
C tier Civ (According to Viper latest tier list on Arabic)
Burmese
- Wood last 50% longer (Mandatory)
(Optional part) - Exchange Manipur cavalry as a castle UT (Option A)
- Siege move speed +20% , Parthian tactics effective on Arambai (Option B)
A civ with merely one early eco bonus, deficient archer line, no advantage on siege.
Since Arambai attack state decrease from 17 to 12, near no one use this civ again in whatever open nor closed map nor hybrid map nor water map.
If you play Burmese , you will know what it lacks most is wood, extend the durability of wood would be a wonderful advantage to power up this civ which also match with its free upgrade.
The optional bonus is upgrading its early destruction ability.
If (Option A), Arambai can resume its destruction ability with cost in castle age. I think it is pretty fair.
Comparison to other imperial age UT
Malian : cavalry +5 at (650 food 400 gold)
Incas: +1/2 armor (600 food 600 gold)
Bulgarians:+5 melee armor (900 food 450 gold)
Lithuanians:+2 pierce armor (500 food 200 gold)
Sicilians:+1/2 armor (500 food 400 gold)
Comparison to other castle age UT
Bulgarians: +33% attack speed (400 food 200 gold)
Italian : +1/1 armor (350 food 150 good)
Burmese UT
Castle: elephant +1/2 armor (300 wood 400 gold)
Imperial: Arambai, cavalry +6 attack vs building(650 food 400 gold)
Manipur cavalry cost the same as Malian UT but only +6 attack vs building, not to mention Bulgarians can invent its aggressive UT one age earlier. I think it is still reasonable to make Manipur cavalry as a castle UT.
Who build a castle just for upgrading the elephant armor, where the civ package is not as like as Khmer nor Malay.
Clearly Burmese build castle is just for Arambai.
Nearly all other Civ provide armor upgrade in imperial age. It is because the cost for building a castle and invent UT is pretty expensive. It is usually the last move to do it.
If (Option B), siege can provide a better support to Arambai instead of directly raising its destruction ability’s in castle age. Also The siege can cooperate with infantry as a new combo. Then i would suggest to compensate Arambai Late game armor by making Parthian tactics utilizing on it.
I have saw so many suggestion to add the 2nd armor, but I think what the game need is variability. Make the archer become usable in castle (There is a lot good archer civ out there) or eco bonus favor to make good use of its stable(There is a lot good elephant or knight civ out there). Keep balancing those power spike civ back to a norms just make the game become bored and lack of diversity.
Incas
- Village +20% Hp (start from feudal age)
- Team bonus : garrison units heals 2 times faster
(if no loom, 25+5 & get loom, 40+8)
A civ is once famous for its 18p tower attack and it is quit often to see it on 1v1 or Team game.
It is nonsense to deprive it without any compensation. So I have the following suggestion.
In the past, Incas village get armor upgrade since feudal age is pretty op. (40hp 2/3 armor) if go into village war, they got 40 hit to be killed which is 100% more. If add 20%hp, it get just 20% more hit to be get killed. i think it is a bit more reasonable and can grant them some advantage on tower war but not as op as before.
The team bonus provide advantages for eagle, tower war and units garrison in castle. I think it is a good fit and useful bonus for both Incas and ally.
Spanish
(Optional)
- Trash unit upgrade cost food only (Option A)
- Trash unit upgrade is available one age earlier. (Option B)
- Maybe both
Being a defensive civ with nearly no early eco bonus, I suggest to grant them more defensive advantage.
This bonus would allow them buy more time to boom or successfully build a castle.
Goths
- Mill cost 40 wood only
- hunting food last 15% longer
- deer killed by one hit
Goths has once been a top tier civ with an extra 50 gold to produce extra milita for dark rush. Aoe2 deprived it, so i suggest some other dark age eco bonus in the way favor their hunting.
S tier civ
Mayans (According to Viper latest tier list on Arabic)
- Archer cost -5%/15%/25%
- Resource last 15% longer except hunting food
- Castle UT include plumed archer, but cost increase to 400 food 350 gold (same cost as Aztec castle UT)
Mayans are the top one archer civ in both solo and team game right now mainly because great eco bonus in the early age which allows it produce more archer without damaging its eco and ensure a earlier advance time to castle age, plus a opportunity switch to eagle .
It is not surprised that eagle civ get great advantage in early game since they are not that great in closed, hybrid nor water map. Also it lacks diversity in late game.
So reducing its archer discount and weaken the eco bonus on hunting are enough. I suggest compensate with little buff for the plumed archer to encourage the usage of it. So I suggest the castle UT make plumed archer can get the same attack stat as arbalester but with a higher cost. The cost discount also affect plumed archer not as cheap as before.
Aztecs and Chinese have already been nerfed several times. I think it is enough.
Steppe Lancer
(Preliminary suggestion)
- Add Light Steppe Lancer in feudal age (40hp 7at 0/1 armor 30s training time)
- Upgrade to Steppe Lancer cost (100 food 50 gold)
- Upgrade to Elite Steppe Lancer cost (decrease from 900 food 550 gold to 800 food 500 gold)
The Light Steppe Lancer may provide a new tactics to the game in feudal age to counter the quick waller. I just don’t know whether it is balanced or not. But i am pretty sure it is insanely expensive.
Feudal Boom Cumans can train steppe Lancer as a option.
I really hope the Insiders can adopt my recommendations. I hope to see more diversity in aoe2 without breaking the balance.