So I was thinking about how my beloved Burmese still seems to suck in Open maps, mainly because they keep dying hard to xbows in mid to late Caste and Early imperial. And I’m still trying to find a solution for them.
So I was thinking what could be given to them that will help them with this issue, in this period of the game, and doesn’t buff them in other ways: And Suddenly, I thought about something crazy:
Is Free Ballistics OP for Burmese?
Yes, I know it’s a huge power spike in early castle age, and will be completely broken for any civ with decent xbows/skirms in castle age. But the thing is Burmese doesn’t have either. Once you reach Castle age, your Archers / Skirms are viable for how much more time ? 3 min? 5 min?
Once your opponent have both Castle age upgrades for their archers, yours are useless. Same with the skirms.
Ballistics is a virtually useless tech for burmese (yeah, it improves arambai a little, but just a little, and it’s not Arabai are what they once were, a force to be reckon. Nowadays they’re an okey Castle unit), so there’s no point in building an university, and then researching Ballistic for a civ that can’t play ranged units after early castle age.
Also free ballistics could give Burmese a buff for water/hybrid maps (free wood upgrades + free ballistic could make them an okaish water civ). In addition, It will help them with their M@A + towers strategy (only when reaching castle age, but still another small buff).
Of course, Xbow could be removed from burmese tech tree as a balance nerf. Either that or block free ballistic until the university is built
Last, but not least, I honestly believe that free Ballistic will be just plain OP for any civ with FU xbows, or with good stable and decent skrims in castle age (which it means, virtually every civ)
Anyway, feel free to share your thoughs