The origins of the Wallachians are a mystery, the majority of contemporary scholars such as Kekaumenos, John Kinnamos, Simon of Kéza, Poggio Bracciolini, Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, Nicolaus Olahus wrote that the Vlachs ancestors had been Roman colonists settled in Dacia Traiana as they speak a latin-based language, their name “Vlachs” comes from the old Germanic “stranger” which was used to describe the Romans and in their tongue they still call themselves “Romani” meaning “citizens of the Roman Empire”. While others such as William of Rubruck wrote that the Vlachs descended from the Ulac people.
The first independent Wallachian state appeared in 1330 when Basarab I the Founder revolted against the Kingdom of Hungary and defeated the Hungarian armies at the Battle of Posada. For most of their history, the Wallachians were sandwiched between the much stronger Hungarians, the Polish and the Ottomans and would often side with one or another to preserve their independence.
It is in this context that Vlad the Impaler appeared, who has a campaign in the game. The Wallachians were known of using hit and run tactics to harass and drain the armies of their much stronger opponents, until they had a chance at face to face combat, using the enviroment in their advantage, especially the swamps that could easily be used to lock an army into place and encircle it, taking advantage of their knowledge of the local area, and scorched land tactics, where the Wallachians would burn the fields and poison the water in front of all invading armies, in a further attempt to drain their resources and manpower.
In short, the Wallachians’ war strategy were rarely about charging your opponent heads on, as most of often than not, they would stand no chance, and more about picking your battles and using the land to your advantage. Vlad the Impaler’s famous night attack, when he charged into the Ottoman camps at midnight with his whole army, almost killing the sultan, was merely another piece of a long Wallachian tradition of fighting this way. Mircea the Elder previously defeated Sultan Baiazid I at the battle of Rovine with 12.000 troops against 40.000 with similar tactics. And before that, Basarab I the Founder earned Wallachia’s independence through an ambush at the Carpathian passes with 10.000 troops made out mostly of conscripted peasants against the Hungarian 30.000 troops army made out mostly of professional mercenaries.
Wallachians: Cavalry and archer civilization
- Town Center technologies (except Age advancing) cost -50%
- Archer-line gets +1/+2/+3 melee armor in Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age (not Skirmishers nor Cavalry Archers nor Hand Cannoneers)
- Villagers get +3 vs cavalry, archers and monks
- Cavalry Archers get +1 attack
Team bonus: Siege Workshops cost -50 wood
Unique techs:
- Night attack (200 food 200 wood): Cavalry Archers and Voivodes get +2 vs standard buildings
- Artillery positioning (400 wood 400 gold): Bombard cannons move 30% faster and get -2 minimum range.
Unique unit:
Voivode: Light Cavalry with high pierce armor. Bonus attack vs archers
Cost: 65 food 40 gold
Upgrade cost: 800 food 500 gold
Creation time 19s. Speed 1.45 Reload time 2.
HP: 50 (60)
Attack: 6 (7) melee
Armor: 0/3 (0/4)
Armor class: Cavalry
Upgrades: Blacksmith, Stable
Attack bonus: Archers 3 (5)
Barracks: Two-Handed Swordsman – Halberdier – All techs
Archery range: Arbalester – Elite Skirmisher – Heavy Cav Archer – Hand Cannoneer – All techs
Stable: Hussar – Cavalier – All techs
Siege workshop: Siege Ram –Siege Onager – Heavy Scorpion – Bombard Cannon – Siege Tower
Blacksmith: Lack the last infantry armor upgrade
Dock: Galleon – Fast Fire Ship –Demolition Ship –Cannon Galleon – Lack Shipwright
University: Lack Architecture – Bombard Tower – Fortified Wall – Guard Tower – Keep – Arrowslits
Castle: Lack Hoardings
Monastery: Lack Redemption – Atonement – Sanctity – Faith – Block Printing
Economy: Lack Crop Rotation
Voivode concept art:
