So my next choice? An interesting one for sure. The Indo-Iranian Alans are quite traveled. Many were forced into migration from Hun and Germanic invasion, so far forced that they winded up joining the Vandals all the way looped from Iberia into Carthage.
The Alans who didn’t make that journey stayed in Alania by the Black Sea. They were even known about in China! Their location was an excellent trade point between much of the Steppes. They lost to the Mongols.
So here the Alani are a cavalry based civ.
Alans (90BC-1239) A Cavalry and Cavalry Archer civ
Bonuses:
- Huntables generate wood while gathered
Like most nomads, bows were made not just of wood, but bone, horns and other composition of animal parts that could not be eaten. The conversion rate??? HELP!
- Military units +1 LoS
With such far travel, the Alans have good navigational skills.
- Cavalry Archers +2 armor vs anti-archer attacks
Like most Steppe peoples there were Cav Archer bonuses to be had.
- Berries last 40% longer
Food is scarce, but gatherers gonna gather.
Team Bonus: Completed Markets spawn a trade cart.
As stated, good crossroad location.
Missing Techs
- Barracks: Eagle Scout
- Archery Range: Hand Cannoneer, Elephant Archer,
- Stable: Battle Elephant, Husbandry
- Siege Workshop: Siege Onager, Battering Ram, Bombard Cannon
- Dock: Heavy Demo Ship, Cannon Galley
- Blacksmith: Iron Casting
- Economy: /
- University: Heated Shot, Bombard Tower, Stone Wall, Treadmill Crane, Chemistry
- Monastery: Heresy, Theocracy, Sanctity, Redemption
- Castle: /
The tech tree has a few notable missing pieces, namely Stone Walls, Chemistry and Age 3 Melee attack. We’ll find some work around.
UU: Draco - Cavalry wielding a banner that has a charge attack that deals minimally more damage but causes all nearby allies to be inspired to hit harder for a short time. The boost for melee is +2 and +1 for ranged and nothing for non-biological units. With multiple Dracos, another Draco will not activate his power unless a unit within 15 range of him is not inspired. The effect lasts 1 minute and cooldown is 2.5 minutes.
DOES NOT BOOST TEAMMATES!
The numbers need a little balance for sure.
| Draco | Stats | Elite |
|---|---|---|
| Health | 110 | 145 |
| Attack (Pierce) | 9 (+3 with charge) | 11 (+5 with charge) |
| Range | melee | melee |
| LoS | 6 | 6 |
| Movespeed | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Armor | 2/1 | 3/2 |
| Cost | 55f/65g | |
| Train Time | 19 | 19 |
| To Elite | 900f/550g | 35s |
Draco banners were first used by Dacians but the local Sarmatians (later Alans) were quick adapters as well. The banner was inspirational to troops.
Castle UT: Kontos - Mounted units except Knight line +1 range.
The Lance of the Steppes. The Kontos is why you can’t hit hard and need your castle to Sub in for a lack of Smithing. Granted, the value of +1 range on a bunch of Knights can’t be understated. Interestingly enough, this civ gets Elephant Rams due to some exposure to Iranian warfare early on. And yes they too get the boost.
Cost: 550f/600g 45s
Imperial UT: Dragon Banners - Improves Draco aura by increasing the range of the inspiration by 20% and doubles the damage boost (+2 more for melee and +1 for ranged). In addition charge cooldown reduced by 20%.
Keep in mind you have no Chemistry and no Iron Casting.
Strategy: So this civ is very oiled as a machine and if pieces are missing it kinda falls apart. Cav archers with +1 range? Cool! Cav archers without Chemistry needing supplementation by a UU? Not so great but you can reach Magyar levels eventually.
Paladins with +3 range?! Cool! -3 attack? Not so good.
And the Draco is not awful but he has one very heretical flaw that can really topple the player that makes them: No heresy. A converted Draco that isn’t on cooldown can pretty much turn the tide of a big battle in favor of your enemy who likely DOESNT use the boost to compensate for a lack of techs. That said, Hussars with +1 range are great, but missing Blast Furnace is actually CRUCIAL! Without the banner boost an Alani Light Cav will do 17 damage and come too short of a 2hKO while a Blast Furnace Hussar always does. Protect your Dracos kill all priests!
+1 range for Lancers is pretty silly as now they’re at 2 range, which shouldn’t be discounted even with a low base power.
Dracos, even if Monks are handled, are a bit unwieldy in combat. You want a few, always, but not too many to entice a conversion that pretty much hoists your own petard against you as this unit is more game changing than losing an Elite War Elephant.
Cav archers resistant to anti-archer lets them stand in the face of Skirms that much better.
The idea is that the civ is a little versatile but a few key techs just pushes them backwards.
