I find it very disbalanced and can give few examples.
English longbows have abiility to fight either ranged units or cavalry using ability.
French knights is win-win unit because you can attack and heal all units after this.
Mongols can produce 2x unit from one building, it’s very good both for offence and defence strategy.
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Any other civilizations have bonuses with effectiveness depends on map\certain situation (water on the map or Is it open map or with forest where you can build walls, is there a 2 or more sacred sites)
I find it also stupid to say some cilivization OP (RUS with Springald bonus) just because they have something special in Imperial Age (or Chinese with +10% hp for all units). It’s all doesn’t matter if your opponent is cheesing you and attack super early (like longbows rush or mongol horses)
There’s also bonuses which works only if you have some unit or building. Like what use of Camels playing Abbsides if my opponent completely don’t make cavalry.
So what I’m trying to say civs or units with permanent bonus not depending on some building\other circumstances always gonna be ahead in this game.
I don’t want choose my civilization depending on map I play or opponent, every civ should be universal.
They have Streltsy in imperial too. They are OP. Why wouldn’t you mention those? And it’s not like they can’t get to imperial, they are one of the 2 strongest civs in the game whether they reach imperial or not.
Chinese have Grenadiers in imperial. Those are OP. Why wouldn’t you mention those? Their problem is getting to imperial.
Some other mentions:
Camel Archers are just amazing. Very good against their counters. Excellent against spears, debuff enemy cav, buff friendly infantry, and they have so much health and damage that archers just get wrecked by them, and they have mobility.
French Crossbows are just amazing. Good against their counters. Wreck ranged. High melee armour as well.
Those are off the top of my head, there are probably more amazing units I’m missing.
As for Mongols, they currently aren’t considered “too strong” outside of their cheese.
And as for the English, their one unique unit that they get in the game is good? I should hope so.
You didn’t mention their other abilities. Campfire is just awesome lol
Spikes aren’t as useful as your enemy needs to be stupid enough to run into them.
Haven’t used mass volley too much as I tend to switch to handcannons late game.
I agree some civs units are all blah, till imperial. Makes them difficult for short skirmishs… but its all meamt to counter something… but a few civs could use some tweaking which im sure will start getting quickly