Here’s yet another civilization concept I’ve been wanting to put out. This concept being the Khmer because I’ve been wanting to put out my own vision of how the Khmer could look like in Age of Empires IV.
The Khmer primarily represent the Khmer Empire, the main medieval period of Cambodia. The Khmer has a history of being known to deploy elephants in warfare, using wetlands to grow their farms, and using stone to build many temples. They are known to have deployed an elephant armed with a ballista on top called the ballista elephant.
Proposed flag
- Year span: 802 - 1431
- Focus: Wetlands, Elephants, Siege
- Difficulty: 2/3
Bonuses:
- Forestry is free.
- Monasteries cost 100 stone instead of 200 wood.
- Elephant units have 20% less production time.
- Siege Workshops have 50% more hitpoints and +10 ranged armor but are 25% slower to contruct and cost 50 stone in addition to the usual 300 wood.
Influence: Wetlands
What does the Wetlands influence do: Farms built within the influence make farmers not carry food but rather directly add food to the stockpile without any drop-off but work rate is 40% slower. Work rate can be increased by 5% if the influence of a Baray is connected to the influence of another Baray (passive range) and additional increase can be made by Horticulture, Fertilization, and Precision Cross-Breeding. It also lets outposts within the influence heal nearby out-of-combat units if Dharmasala is researched.
Unique Units:
- Ballista Elephant - Siege cavalry unit that shoots a bolt from the weapon that’s atop on the elephant. Replaces the Springald.
Wall depiction of ballista elephants
Ballista Elephant icon from AoE II: DE
Unique Buildings:
- Baray - Building that that serves as a drop-off point for food and provides the Wetlands influence. Can also be constructed on shallow terrain. Replaces the Mill.
Unique Technologies:
- Bokator - Villagers and Spearman receive +2 attack. Available at the Barracks starting in the Feudal Age.
- Improved Irrigation - Farms can be constructed 20% faster. Available at the Baray starting in the Castle Age.
- Dharmasala - Outposts within the influence range can heal nearby out-of-combat units. Available at the Baray starting in the Castle Age.
- Phkak - Men-At-Arms and Lancers wield the phlak, giving them slightly more attack range. Available at the Blacksmith starting in the Castle Age.
- Rapid Firing - Enables the “Rapid Fire” ability, which let’s Elephant Archers fire 60% faster for 7 seconds. Cooldown time is 40 seconds. Available at the Archery Range starting in the Castle Age.
- Naga Armor - All elephant units receive +2 melee armor and +2 pierce armor. Available at the Stable starting in the Imperial Age.
- Double Crossbows - Ballista Elephants fire an additional projectile that deals 50% less damage than the primary projectile. Available at the Siege Workshop starting in the Imperial Age.
- Siege Elephants - Ballista Elephants receive +1 range. Available at the Siege Workshop starting in the Imperial Age.
Landmarks:
- Phnom Bakheng - Landmark that acts as a Monastery. It enables sacred cattle to generate a trickle of stone in addition to sacred water. Based on the building of the same name.
- Lingapura Site - Landmark that uses an ability to reduce the contruction time of Barays by 75% for 15 seconds. Based on the Koh Ker.
- Sandstone Complex - Landmark that acts as a Keep. It is capable of healing nearby Elephants. Based on the Ta Keo.
- The Royal Baray - Landmark that acts as a Baray. It is capable of growing shore fish and has 4x larger Influence range. Based on the Baray Teuk Thla.
- The Golden Mountain - Landmark that enables Barays to generate 200 gold per minute. Based on the Baphuon.
- Banteay Chhmar - Landmark that acts as a Barracks and Archery Range. The cost of units at this Landmark is 35% less than what they normally cost. Based on the building of the same name.
Wonder: Angkor Wat
The Khmer wonder in AoE II: DE
Units that are expected to become shared units:
- War Elephant - Melee cavalry that is to become shared among civilizations that historically used them.
New shared unit expected to come into existence:
- Elephant Archer - Ranged cavalry unit where the archer is atop of the elephant and is available to civilizations that historically used military elephants. Delhi Sultanate uses the Tower Elephant instead.
Regional mechanic that should be added: Sacred Cattle
What is the Sacred Cattle mechanic: A mechanic where cattle are unkillable if played as a Hindu civ and the cattle is instead used to produce sacred water.
Architecture: Age I would be using pre-Angkorean styles while for the rest of the ages, Angkorean styles would be prominent.
Language: Old Khmer
Proposed stats for the Ballista Elephant:
- Cost: 400 wood and 600 gold
- Training time: 45 seconds
- Hitpoints: 600
- Melee armor: 0
- Ranged armor: 5
- Attack: Same as Springald
- Attack bonus: +65 vs. siege and ships, +40 vs buildings
- Speed: Same as Springald
- Line of Sight: Same as Springald
- Range: Same as Springald
- Rate of Fire: Same as Springald
If you want, check out my other civ concepts as well: