Aztec is well-known difficult to counter massive infantry, before was ERK+AK combo to counter, now ERK was deeply nerfed, AK is also going to be nerfed.
Why most of civs are using goon + skirm but Aztec need to use AK to replace skirm? AK is not really good to counter inf, this is because Otontin Slinger is too weak, they are low attack and less range, will be hit run by skirm hardly if only ERK+ OS. No one will use AK as inf countering unit if Aztec has strong skirm type such as Abus or Bersagliere, Aztec also doesn’t have artillery to do effective inf countering. If any balance decider has tried a normal supremacy team game (because this mode especially reflect this problem of Aztec, you will always face massive skirm easily in team game), this kind of nerf without compensate shall not happen.
Another issue for coyote, 0.05 armor to replace 10% HP/Att, is buff after Aztec send the card but nerf after imperial, Aztec is weak already to counter massive inf, as coyote is one of formal unit to counter skirm but also getting nerf, so this is serious exacerbated Aztec weakness in late game.
Although Jaguar (JPK) is getting buff this time, first their role is counter cav and heavy inf, the main problem is they are melee inf, which is a weak type in the game.
I don’t know is dev really hate this civ or just listening people without testing (from long time ago removed 5 vils card, 10/9 nerfed to 9/8 Otontin Slinger, recently nerfed ERK deeply, nerf everything they can counter inf that exacerbated their problem), this civ is already completely unplayable (for at least team game), no any unit they are good at battle frontline and eco is also bad (no 5 vils and only 600gold for FF). This several main problem makes Aztec completely rubbish and almost no contribution in team.
If dev still have will to do a balance game, please try a team game (at least 33 or 44) and pick Aztec, while your opponent will be always picking top tier civ such Otto, this is no chance Aztec can win a game if both team skill are similar.
7 Likes
dont forget we got lower hp pumas with lower siege and lost the age 1 warrior priest that gave tempo options. Can’t wait for next patch when otonin get 0.8x vs light infantry
6 Likes
I was about to create a topic about current Aztec situation but you was the first one 
If PUP goes live, Aztecs are in a very bad situation:
1. Military composition
What is their “go to” composition in Age III?
Eagle Runner Knight after nerfs is a good unit agains heavy cavalry and a bad against everything else.
Arrow Knights after PUP nerfs is a decent unit against artilery, and bad against everything else.
Jaguar Knight got a big buff but you can’t rely every time on a melee stealth infantry unit.
ERK + AK no longer works vs infantry. ERK + Slinger loses to infantry. JPK + Coyote looses to infantry/Skirm + Goon/Musk + Falcs (if stealth attack fails).
2. Cards
- Citadel card is a nice addition and fits Aztec well
- No Knight Combat in Age III? It’s like moving Cavalry Combat for Germany to Age IV. Or worse. Knights does not have Elite upgrade. Without this basic upgrade card in Age III there is pretty much no point of creating them or aging to Age III at all.
- Calmecac card without a Warrior Priest? There is no point of sending this card now. Quick age-up is not worth one card without any other bonus.
- In Maya castle in Age III Warrior Priest can be now trained for 200 coin. Is this intentional and somehow response for 10% nerf of WP spawning rate?
3. Other changes
- Good decision about buffing stealth and JPK with a little speed and Combat Promotion. I guess this unit finally will be usable.
- 10% slower spawning rate is IMO one of the worst of this changes. Before PUP, 10 villagers / 5 Warrior Priests needed 38s to spawn 1 WP. Now it becomes 42s. It is crazy long time for a one unit.
4. Summary
Overall bad changes for Aztec. Their miliary will be unbalanced and quite impossible to face standard Musk + Skirm, Skirm + Goon or Musk + Falcs compositions. Nice changes with stealth, JPK and fort but nerfs are not well thought and makes Aztec a broken civ IMO. Instead od fixing Aztec weaknes to infantry these changes makes it much worse.
5 Likes
Yeah i get they wanted to nerf coyotes and ERK/AK but like…no conpenstory buffs and WP nerf is probably going to really going hurt a civ that at least most modes was already niche and not that dominating, with a lot of investment to perform at the same level other civs will.
And not matter how much JPK the dudes are too fat to connect into range infantry. Age2 pops a la dopps using BB is basically their only use i think still
8 Likes
When I used to play Aztecs, I noticed that my coyotes couldn’t counter strelets. The guy kept spamming tons and tons of stretlets all game and I couldn’t counter them with anything I had. I quit playing Aztecs after that so I don’t know the current state, is it still true that coyotes are bad? Seems like fixing coyotes would be a good idea.
1 Like
you almost never see this civ on the ladder but they keep getting nerfs for some inane reason
1 Like
Dev said they listen most of people opinion.
- native is not popular. Player database is much less.
- Gets core hardly nerf every time, who will want to play this civ.
- Seldom players to play this civ, it is common less people to raise this civ weakness, only players who seldom see this civ and dunno how to play against come to complain, result is kinds of complaint remain.
3 Likes
I would like to see the record of aztec changes through patches
Same issue as the post I created. People want aoe3 to be a european game. People complain whenever they lose to a civ that is not european. And then non euro civs get nerfed non stop
1 Like
To be fair some European civ also got some nerfed, but they usually have something new OP to compensate.
And, in the other hand: why does the Aztecs have a weak economy? Their city was bigger, cleaner, more advanced and more populated than the European cities at that time.
I think this is the focus we should get with the Aztecs: strong attack, fragile soldiers, strong economy if left untouched.
Resource trickle from Trading Posts (representing tribute from conquered peoples); the Aztec were very good in commerce, the central market (Tianguis) was huge.
I kept insisting Otontins need ROF Promotions. I would vote for Skull Promotions, but I think everyone think thay would be OP
1 Like
Ah, and I was forgetting: ROF promotions for Arrow Knights. Now they won’t cause problems with “kill very much infantry”, with the 0.75 new malus.
0.80/s of every resource (Food, Wood, Coin) would be enough? I’m gonna make a mod with this valors for Aztec Trading Post trickles.
EDIT: Mods Single - Age of Empires
Aztec Trading Post trickle
completely anecdotal but I only play against AI (usually on hard as euro civs) in skrimish and have noticed that the Aztec AI is one of the hardest to beat (for me at least). They typically send a brutal puma spearman rush (e.g. 20 spearmen a few mins into age II) that very quickly sieges down everything and then follow it up with waves of spearmen and slingers that can obliterate AI allies or the player if they’re unlucky. I don’t know if I’m just bad at countering the Aztecs specifically but it always seems their spearmen are way tougher than others and espcially that they deal massive siege damage so early in the game. The slingers also obliterate early musket masses and crossbowmen seem ineffective.
Maybe the devs are reacting to the performance of the AI against skirmish players?
those pikes have been nerfed dramatically since de’s release, so I’d wager it might be not the unit at fault here.
I guess the developers mostly rely on ladder supremacy results. From what I have heard most of the Aztecs’ wins are due to their rush and my experience is that in the late game the Aztecs have many weaknesses. So it makes sense for developers to nerf Aztec’s rush, but improve their late game options. However, the Aztecs get nerfed in both early and late games.
2 Likes
Obvously JPK promotion was nerfed haha It last too long
2 Likes
you don’t understand, we HAVE to nerf aztec again
2 Likes
Of all the civilizations, the Aztecs are the civilization that most needs a counter-skirmisher unit. Since they invented units with that concept, they should create one for the Aztecs.
You guys are forgetting something: the aztecs feel so boring and tiresome to play right now. Same with incas, spain, portos and haude.
There is no reason to pick them unless you want something tedious.