Hey guys,
It’s been a while that I created a balance discussion, but now I’m back with one. 
Take this post seriously please, it is TIME that we bring the QUALITY to balance discussions back, because lately most of these discussions and topics have been shitshows (cough cough Equalizer).
Anyways, after this brief start, let’s get into it:
Vikings have always been a top tier civ (atleast in DE). You just can’t deny it. They have atleast as strong archers (just because of their eco bonuses) as most of the ACTUAL archer civs’ which have a direct archer bonus (a boost to stats or discount), if not stronger. On Random Maps, other “S tier” civs were pretty competitive with vikings, because of their dark age bonus (for example chinese or mayan villager bonus, aztec eco bonus, briton sheep bonus, frank berry bonus, etc).
But now, when Empire Wars has just become an official ranked gamemode, a nerf to Vikings is necessary. Vikings are even stronger in this gamemode than other S tier civs, since these S tier civs lose all of their dark age bonus, while Vikings don’t have any. Now let’s take it over again why Free wheelbarrow and handcart are so strong.
These two technologies literally save them 725 resources (technologys’ costs) and gives them 6 FREE VILLAGERS (ok, you need 300 food for that, but thats still much smaller than the 725 resources you save). From that point, these 6 villagers - which you basicly have and your oppenet doesn’t have in a fair matchup - will CONSTANTLY create your resources that your oppenet doesn’t get.
Vikings are undoubtably the top 1 civ in EW gamemode without contester (fun fact: just look at statistics of any Red Bull tournament) on arabia-like maps, not to mention they also excel on water. They need a HUGE nerf as SOON as possible, I don’t want to have every second of my EW matches against a vikings player in the middle of August, because I’m pretty sure most of the players will realise it till then.
So, hear out my propositions:
- Lose free hand cart upgrade
Explanation: Vikings have only got 4 instant civ bonuses: HP bonus to infantry, warship discount, dock discount, and this eco upgrade everyone knows about. I think we can safely say that the first 3 of these bonuses hardly ever if not never get a use in a typical arabia-like map. Therefore it’s literally this upgrade which carries vikings all from the botton the the top of the tierlist, to be exact to the top 1 in EW gamemode. They need to lose free handcart, its a must. Before people keep saying that it is too big of a nerf, let me tell you: free wheelbarrow is already a VERY HUGE bonus. And it is much better for a civ to be mid-tier than top1 by far.
- Docks cost -25%, warships cost -15%
Their early game on water maps is just weak compered to other civs, because they lack fire ships. A slithly bigger dock discount will help. To balance out the effect of this bonus in imperial age, their warships discount should be reduced to -15%
What do you think? Feel free to post any constructive critisim but make sure it doesn’t turn into a shitshow 
so real multiplayer was the only meaningful… way to play (as in skill difference was so much that lag or no lag, if I would’ve played with full seriousness then no one would’ve ever played LAN with me)
)