The Aztecs

The Aztecs

The Aztecs are one of the new Meso-American civilizations added in The Conquerors. Like the Mayans, they are not able to build a stable, making them quite different from the old Age of Kings civilizations and the other new civilizations in The Conquerors. Unlike the Mayans, whose strength lies in their strong archer line, the Aztecs have a powerful infantry. How do the Aztecs stack up against the other civilizations?

Civilization Bonuses

The bonuses that the Aztecs receive are as follows:

* Start with Eagle Warrior, not Scout Cavalry
* Villagers carry +5
* All military units created 15% faster
* Monks +5 HP for each Monastery technology
* Team Bonus - Relics +33% gold

Start with Eagle Warrior, not Scout Cavalry

While not quite as fast as the Scout Cavalry, the Eagle Warrior makes up for its slowness with its extra line-of-sight. Not only that, but the Eagle Warrior can take a loomed villager on 1v1, something that the Scout Cavalry is unable to do. Upon reaching Castle Age, these units become very valuable for raiding and scouting, as their low food cost makes them very affordable and their attack is upgraded to 7. However they are countered very easily by the Swordsman line of troops, which have an attack bonus versus the Eagle Warrior (Militia +0 attack, Men-at-Arms +2 attack, Long Swordsman +4 attack, Two-Handed Swordsman +6 attack, Champion +6 attack), and Knights fare decently against Eagle Warriors as well - so do not rely too heavily upon them for a major attack. In Imperial, Eagle Warriors get the Elite upgrade, but that only adds 10 hit points, 2 attack, and 2 Piercing Armor (their Mayan counterpart on the other hand gets another +40 hit points on top of those bonuses, once their Unique Technology "El Dorado" is researched). In Imperial, Eagle Warriors are so easily countered by Champions that they are not much of an option except for specializing against ranged units.

Villagers carry +5

While at first this bonus might frustrate a few newer players who are wondering why their villagers aren't dumping the food needed to make another villager, the bonus does help give the Aztecs a boost though the ages. The bonus is extremely helpful when villagers have to walk any distance to dump off resources, as the villager will not have to make as many trips. Not only does it allow for delaying the addition of a second lumber camp at a wood cutting site, but it also allows for a later wheelbarrow, since the Aztecs will already have more carrying capacity then the other civilizations. The carrying bonus is also useful in late-Imperial Age, when the trips between resources and their gathering sites become very long.

All military units created 15% faster

This bonus obviously allows the Aztecs to be able to produce military units faster than anyone, except for the civilizations (and their allies) that have team bonuses which speed military unit production by 20%: Goths - Barracks; Huns - Stable; Britons - Archery Range; Celts - Siege Workshop. (The Goths also far outstrip this bonus once they research "Profusion", which allows 50% faster production of Barracks units.) If the Aztecs ally with any of the civilizations that have these team bonuses, expect them to field units on the field faster than anyone else - except of course for Gothic infantry with Profusion (good thing the Aztecs have a specialist anti-infantry infantry unit!).

This fast military production combined with the Aztecs' economic bonus allows them to launch a fairly decent rush in either Feudal or Castle Age. In the later game when battles involve more units, it also allows them to replace units faster, allowing an Aztec player to be a little more reckless with units, since they will be replaced quicker than the opponents.

Monks +5 HP for each Monastery technology

Monks were good enough to be used in Age of Kings as part of an army, or even an army unto themselves. In the Conquerors, Monks have been improved slightly, and the Aztecs have by far the best Monks in the game. While for every other civilization a Monk is a fragile unit with very few hit points, the Aztec Monk is extremely strong, as a result of the extra hit points it gains from the researching of Monastery technologies. A virtual super-monk! The effect is two-fold for an Aztec player: it not only means Aztec Monks will be created more often, but also means that the Monastery technologies will be researched more often. Even Monastery technologies that are for the most part worthless will now be researched by the Aztec player, for no other reason than the extra 5 hit points.

Relics +33% gold

Ensemble must really want not only an Aztec player to build more Monks, but the Aztec player's teammates to do so as well. Relics were already slightly altered in the Conquerors to provide gold faster, and with this bonus it would be almost stupid not to pick them up. Team up with a Spanish player, and the gold may never run dry. The best part about Relics is that they don't take up a population slot, so this is almost something for nothing, the only cost being the 100 gold for the Monk, and the time period in which he was taking up a population slot as he picked up the Relic and brought it back to the Monastery. (That's if you're at the population limit, of course!)

Unique Unit - THE JAGUAR WARRIOR

The Aztec Unique Unit is the Jaguar Warrior, the anti-infantry infantry unit. Created at the Castle, it isn't too different in hit points or cost of most of the other infantry Unique Units, however there is one key difference - it does extra damage against infantry, which it's referred to as being an anti-infantry infantry unit. Combine this with the Aztec Unique Technology "Garland Wars", and it will be fairly stupid to build infantry against an Aztec player.

Like other infantry units, the Jaguar Warrior can be upgraded at the Barracks and the Blacksmith. The Aztecs are able to research every technology that benefits infantry. Which ones are the best to get for the Jaguar Warrior?

The most important infantry technologies to research are probably the armor ones, as the Jaguar Warrior has no piercing armor and against arrows it would be put to good use. This is especially important against ranged units and buildings.

Next on the list after the armor technologies would probably depend on what units you are facing. If facing a lot of ranged units, then Squires would probably be the best to research, as the quicker they get out of range or kill the offending units, the less damage they will take.

However if your opponent is building Cavalry, the attack upgrades are probably the best to get, since the Jaguar Warrior does not have a bonus versus those units.

Elite Jags slice through a superior force of champs

Tracking is optional, as Eagle Warriors already have such a wide line-of-sight and can do most of the scouting.

Unique Technology - GARLAND WARS

The Aztec Unique Technology is named "Garland Wars". It affects all of their infantry, giving them a +4 attack. This is an extremely useful Unique Technology, as it gives the Aztecs some of the best - if not the best - infantry in the game.

Mid-ranged in price for a Unique Technology, it is definitely worth it in the late game, which can degrade into Champion and/or Halberdier wars. Aztec Champions will slaughter most other infantry, and what they can't take, the Elite Jaguar Warrior will. Garland Wars also makes up for the lack of Halberdiers, and makes Aztec Pikemen just about on par with other civilizations' Halberdiers. This is one of the Unique Technologies that is almost a must-research.

Military Analysis

The Barracks

The Aztecs receive every Barracks unit aside from the Halberdier upgrade. Lacking Cavalry, and having a Unique Technology that benefits all Barracks units, expect to see a lot of infantry from an Aztec player.

The Archery

The Aztecs get Arbalests and Elite Skirmishers, but since they get no mounted or gunpowder units, they are missing Cavalry Archers and Hand Cannoneers. They are missing a few critical archer upgrades as well - Thumb Ring and Ring Archer Armor. Nowhere near as good with archery as their Meso-American brothers, and with their ability to counter infantry with infantry, the only unit that should see action here is the Elite Skirmisher, but even that will not see quite as much action, since Eagle Warriors also counter archers.

The Stable

Just like the Mayans, the Aztecs cannot even build a stable. Is this a problem? Not likely, as the Aztecs have many other weapons they can use.

The Siege Workshop

The Aztecs have a decent Siege Workshop, with the full line of rams and onagers, only lacking the Heavy Scorpion and Bombard Cannon. Having Siege Onagers allows the Aztecs to effectively counter archers and other siege weapons and should be researched against civilizations using either of the above. Having Siege Rams makes rams + infantry a very enticing option for leveling towns.

The Monastery

The only thing missing from the Aztec Monastery is the Missionary, but who needs that when the Aztecs have super Monks? If the Aztec player is going heavy on Monks, then all the cheap technologies will probably be researched to add hit points, with only the prohibitively expensive technologies being left untouched. 5 hit points can go a long way, especially when it is cumulative. Spending gold on Monastery technologies is even easier with the lack of gold-intensive cavalry to waste gold on.

The Dock

The dock is by far the Aztecs' weakest point, since they are the only civilization to lack the Galleon. The only Imperial Age ship they have access to be the Fast Fire Ship, which while having its uses at times, is generally a waste of time to build. At all costs an Aztec player should avoid playing on water (or equally, a water player should avoid playing Aztecs). Unless the sea is taken early, it will be next to impossible for the Aztec to gain control in the later game. They do have access to Dry Dock and Careening, which means that their transports will be fairly effective in launching surprise landings, or in evacuating to an ally's town in island games once the enemy has surrounded their island with superior ships.

Technology Analysis

The Aztecs, like the Mayans, are fairly lacking in the technology department, which means that what they do have is fairly important to have researched.

Economic Technologies

Economically the Aztecs aren't missing much, and coupled with their +5 carrying capacity, this allows them to collect resources more efficiently than most other civilizations. The only technologies they are missing are Guilds and Two-Man Saw. Neither is extremely important, but Guilds can be nice to have at times.

Military Technologies

Besides missing every cavalry technology there is, the Aztecs also manage to lack the upgrades for some of the more important ranged units, as previously mentioned. Add on top of this their very poor ship line, and you see how they are balanced with the other civilizations, considering they have such a strong infantry line.

They miss out on Masonry and Architecture, two semi-important technologies that usually aren't researched by most players. These technologies do make a difference however, as Aztec buildings won't stand up as long as those of other civilizations which have these technologies.

The Aztecs' wooden buildings won't be the only things falling, as they also miss out on hoardings, allowing their castles to fall more quickly than other civilizations' castles which do have this technology. This is not too critical most of the time - when the enemy has six trebuchets firing on your castle it is doomed anyway - but in certain situations, those extra hit points can turn a game.

Dominance by Age

The dominance of each civilization by age indicates how they are best used. By examining the combination of the aspects described above, we can gauge this dominance in terms of the Aztecs.

Dark Age

As mentioned above, the Aztecs receive a +5 carrying bonus, which gives them an economic edge over most other civilizations in the Dark Age. They also start off with the Eagle Warrior, allowing them to better scout out their land, and their opponents' land. This sets them up really well to attack in the Feudal Age.

Feudal Age

The Aztecs will have a slight speed advantage against civilizations without economic bonuses, and the speed they are lacking in age advancement against the Chinese or another fast civilization, is just about made up by their faster production of military units. Also, their +5 carrying capacity plays a role here as well, as they don't necessarily have to spend time at the Town Center researching the wheelbarrow. They may not have the best Feudal Rush, but they can certainly deliver one.

Castle Age

Castle Age is not the strongest point for the Aztecs, however they do fare well in it, despite their lack of mounted units. They have many options for what to do in Castle Age. A few options they have on the attack are: a Monk Rush; raiding with Eagle Warriors; or a massive castle attack consisting of any combination of castle age units except cavalry. Economically, the Aztecs make for a good partner in the pocket, as they can boom better than most civilizations with their +5 carrying capacity.

Imperial Age

At the beginning of the Imperial Age the Aztecs are a little vulnerable, as they need a few key upgrades before they can really do some damage - such as upgrading their infantry lines and researching Garland Wars. Before that happens, they are at a little of a disadvantage against other civilizations' Cavalry and Archers.

Aztec champs make even the mighty Paladin wary

Post-Imperial Age

The Aztecs do extremely well in the Post Imperial Age, as they have an extremely powerful infantry line. Between Champions, Pikemen, Elite Eagle Warriors, and Elite Jaguar Warriors, they can counter any unit fielded by an opponent. Since they have weak archers, expensive siege and no cavalry, infantry is about the only choice anyway - but it is a good choice. They will have more than enough resources to support their cheap infantry, as that +5 carrying capacity still makes their economies one of the best in the game.

Conclusion

The Aztecs are an interesting civ with many strengths but a few obvious weaknesses. Most critical is their inability to fight on the seas late game. Lacking galleons is an enormous handicap for the Aztec player and it is something to be well aware of. The second component is both a boon and a weakness. The Aztecs are simple to play - you just focus on infantry. However this also makes them predictable. Keeping a well-rounded force with Aztecs can be difficult and a player must remember to add skirms and Eagles in to keep their infantry army alive.

Perhaps more than any other civilization, the Aztecs will field monks. This is not only because of the bonuses their monk line gets but also because an infantry strong economy is a cheap economy which leaves them with gold to spare on monks. When you add in the increased relic garrisoning benefits you can see why you shouldn't be surprised to see monks in an Aztec army.

and sugestin from xrovos :
Aztecs are the best civilization for strategy called drush. It means that you attack your enemy just in dark age with militias and eagle and try to disturb his economy meanwhile your economy is getting better and even kill some vills.
Another good strategy is to reach imperial we would say in 27+ minutes with only 3 Town centres and mass elite eagles from 5+ barracks.
Eagles are perfect against any archer units and can make lot of damage. They are also very resistent against Town centres so that they can kill vills easily.
Jaguar warriors(from castle)with special bonus are cool against any infantry. You can beat even goth massing infantry.
Aztecs are strong landmap infantry civilisation with very strong combination of units like arbalests, pikemans, eagles, champs, jaguar warriors(if needed) and heavy rams.
Thanks to their strong economy(they have almost all economical researches and upgrades) they can be very dangerous.
Last quite interesting and powerfull strategy is monkrush. It is about making many monks(every monastery research adds +5 hp to monks) who are hard to kill and convert enemy units/vills. You can make some rams to destroy buildings and make some pikemans/archers to protect your monks.

30 Elite Samurai
VS
30 Elite Jaguar Warrior

Who Won?

PS:Both have bonus against infantry attack

samurai is the best infantry (teuton is stronger but slow)