Hello friends! I’m just stoked with the new Caucasus DLC coming soon, and I’m hopeful that the next DLC would be in East Africa! As promised, below is the Swahilis civ concept I would wish to see in a possible future East African themed DLC of AOE2 DE. I already posted a Zimbabwean Civilization concept a couple of days ago, check it out: East African DLC – Emporiums of Ivory and Gold - The Zimbabweans [concept]
I’ll be doing the Somalis next.
Share your thoughts/comments below! J
Swahilis
HISTORY
The Swahili are a distinctive East African culture due to admixture with Arab, Indian, and Persian immigrants. They adopted Islam and are best known as prolific maritime merchants, with their currency and goods reaching as far as China, even Australia. With the lucrative trade of ivory, gold and slaves in the Swahili Coast, the Swahili-city states thrived and rose to power. This civ represents the Swahili sultanates of Kilwa, Mombasa, Malindi, and Pate; the trading polities of Zanzibar, Pemba, Inhambane, Lamu, and Comoros; the Makua people, the Maasai people, the Zanj, and other inland Bantu peoples they influenced.
Kilwa Sultanate (957-1513) – the most powerful Swahili kingdom that controlled the entire Swahili coast and had trading outposts at Madagascar at its height, before falling to the Portuguese. Wholly dependent on commerce, the grains, meats and other supplies had to be traded with the interior Bantu peoples in market towns.
Malindi Sultanate (9th-15th cen) – emerged as a regional power from 9th century onwards, rivalling Mombasa and Kilwa. In 1414, it was notably visited by Zheng He. In 1500, due to trade conflicts, they willingly became a Portuguese vassal and helped the Portuguese in bringing down Kilwa and Mombasa.
Mombasa Sultanate (900 – 1593) – another Swahili regional power that was a rival to Malindi, but unlike them, hostile to the Portuguese. When Ibn Battuta visited, he wrote of their expertly built mosques. They fought many battles and skirmishes with the Portuguese, eventually falling under their rule in 1593.
Pate Sultanate – (12th-19th cen) – became a sultanate after independence from Kilwa in 1203.
Zanzibar, Pemba, Lamu, Comoros, Inhambane – coastal city-states ruled by sultans or sheikhs that was conquered by Kilwa and incorporated into their empire.
Makua people – related to the Maravi people, the Makua were also successful traders controlling the trade routes between Lake Malawi and the Swahili coast. They are also known for their metal processing.
Maasai people – an inland East African Bantu people known for their fierceness and proficiency in using the rungu.
Zanj – a collective term for East African Bantu slaves responsible for the “Zanj Rebellion”, against the Abbasid Caliphate in Basra which is known as one of the bloodiest and most destructive uprisings in Western Asia.
Naval and economic civilization
Civilization Bonuses:
-gathering fish also generates gold (their currency were mainly cowry shells)
-get 20% more of the resources you buy in the Market (The Swahili sultanates relied on their wealth through trade to feed the population of their kingdom)
-Fervor and Theocracy free (represents the quick spread of Islam in the region)
-Markets, Blacksmiths, and Monasteries are built 3X faster and cost 100 less wood (a nod to their trade focused and relatively sophisticated culture)
UU1: Rungu Warrior (50F, 40G) – quick melee infantry armed with a club (rungu) that he occasionally throws dealing high damage. Attack bonus vs. buildings. Strong vs. archers, weak vs. cavalry. (a rungu is a wooden throwing club or baton used by East African cultures)
*intended to be an eagle-gbeto-coustillier hybrid with a ranged ability that when massed, can punch through a building or wall quickly and murder villagers inside
Attack: 8, 10 (elite) ; vs. buildings +5, +6 (elite)
Club Throwing Ability Atck: +12, +16(elite) ; vs. buildings +30, +45(elite)
Ability Charge Time: 40 seconds ; Range: 4
Armor: 0/3, 0/4(elite) ; Armor class: Eagle Warrior
Hit Points: 55, 60(elite)
UU2: Mtepe (85W, 30G) – replaces the Trade Cog. Trade ship that is cheaper. Can gather fish like fishing ships and build fish traps, and generates gold while fishing at double the rate of the civ bonus. (A Swahili sewn boat designed to be flexible)
Regional Unit (East Africa): Assegai Ambusher – regional unit for East African civs accessible at the Barracks at Castle Age. Fast moving ranged spearman with high pierce armor and attack bonus vs. cavalry. Good vs. cavalry and archers. Bad vs. skirmishers, infantry, scorpions.
Attack: 3, 4 (elite)
Armor: 0/4, 0/5 (elite)
Hit Points: 40, 50 (elite)
Range: 4, 5(elite)
(The Assegai Ambusher is designed to replace the Cavalry archer for the East African civilizations since horses in this area were barely used due to the abundance of tsetse flies. The Assegai is a light spear or javelin that was used throughout Africa)
Castle Age UT: Coral Architecture - 50% of tower stone cost converted to wood (They used coral-derived material to construct walls and towers)
Imperial Age UT: Shirazi Legacy – Allied trade units take 10% less pop space; then generate three monks carrying relics (The Shirazi is a dynasty of possibly Arab or Persian origin that ruled most of the Swahili city-states. They proselytized Islam, dominated trade, and developed the culture in the region)
Team Bonus: The first trade unit that you create is free
Missing technologies:
Mill – Crop Rotation
Barracks – Champion
Mining Camp – Gold Shaft Mining
Archery Range – Cavalry Archer, Parthian Tactics
Stable – Hussar, Paladin, Bloodlines
Blacksmith – Plate Barding Armor
Dock – Heavy Demolition Ship
University – Keep, Bombard Tower
Monastery – Heresy
Siege Workshop – Siege Ram
Possible Wonders: Husuni Kubwa, Great Mosque of Kilwa
Main Strengths: Water Maps, Trade and Team Play, Monks
The Swahili are a naval and trade focused civilization that will shine in water or hybrid maps, and as well in team games, and is designed to rival the Spanish as an ally. They are great picks on any water map, team games, Black Forest, but will mainly struggle in open land maps such as Arabia or Land Madness.
Dark to Feudal Age: In water or hybrid maps, the bonuses that will work for you are their gold generating fishermen, fishing ships, and Mtepe, giving you an early gold boost, so definitely go for a fish boom. You also get wood savings from the cheaper Blacksmith and Market, thus allowing to field archers early. With your team bonus in team games, this will allow your team to modestly trade early on, and the gold that your team will earn will certainly stack up ahead of your opponents. In 1v1 land maps, with your Market bonuses and free Caravan, you can perform a deadly “trade cart rush” provided your enemy’s Market is not within walls; or you could go for a free Mtepe instead in water or hybrid maps. With the additional 20% that you get when buying resources in the Market, adapting to different situations will be easier, or going for a fast Castle.
Castle Age: If you go for a fast Castle strategy, you may quickly field monks with your Monastery bonus with deadly timing. With free Fervor, you also have a better edge in contesting relics. You can also go for an Assegai Ambusher rush that will harass your opponents and force them into skirms, infantry, or siege; or build a Castle early to go for an even stronger Rungu Warrior rush. You may also research your Castle Age UT to annoy your opponents with a tower spam and cement your positions in the map.
Imperial Age onwards: With access to Hand Cannoneers, Bombard Cannons, and Siege Onagers, supported by Halbs or Assegai Ambushers, your late game army can be unstoppable. Your Imperial Age UT will be impactful in team games since this will enable your entire team to have a little extra pop space to be used for more military or trade units. In 1v1s, the three free relics that you get will give you more gold generation, which will give you an advantage when gold runs out. In water/hybrid maps, your fish boom will also generate you gold aside from relics, and you can even invest in replacing your entire fishing ship eco with Mtepes for a better gold trickle from your civ bonus, and they are even affected by your Imp Age UT.
With the Swahilis, you have many opportunities to get ahead of your opponents financially, which you must translate into a victory. But with their reliance on access to water and an undisturbed economy, your opponents can exploit this weakness and shut you down. Their lack of good cavalry and power units also puts a limit to what they can do. However, a good Swahili player can make money talk.
AI player names:
Ali ibn al-Hassan Shirazi – founder of Kilwa
Muhammad ibn Ali – second ruler of Kilwa, ruled for 40 years
Suleiman ibn al-Hassan ibn Dawud – one of the greatest Kilwan sultans; brought Sofala, Pemba, and Zanzibar under Kilwan rule
Al-Hassan ibn Talut – seized power from the Shirazi dynasty by force, starting the Mahdali dynasty
Al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman/Abu’l-Muwahib – Mahdali sultan who went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, who was named as “father of gifts” by traveler Ibn Battuta for his generosity
Ibrahim ibn Suleiman/Emir Ibrahim – Kilwan usurper who killed the previous sultan and was driven out and deposed by Francisco Almeida
Mwana Mkisi – pre-Islamic queen of Mombasa, founded Kongowea, predecessor settlement of Mombasa
Shehe Mvit - succeeded the Mkisi dynasty and built Mombasa’s oldest stone mosque
Sultana Alimah I – first female Comorian sultan
Hassan ibn Abu Bakr – a ruler of Zanzibar
Possible campaigns:
- Founding of Kilwa Sultanate
- Expansion of Kilwa under Suleiman ibn al-Hassan ibn Dawud
Historical Battles: - Zanj Rebellion
- Battle of Mombasa vs. the Portuguese
Sources:
Wikipedia articles
