g. Saracens [AOK6G]

Learn about the Saracens in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, including their foot archer bonus against buildings and reduced market trade costs.

History: The term Saracen originally referred to nomadic desert peoples from the region spanning modern Syria to Saudi Arabia, later broadly applying to all Arabs in the Middle Ages. These nomads rapidly established a vast empire fueled by faith and high morale, aiming to transform the global religious and political landscape. Following the teachings of the prophet Mohammed, who began preaching Islam in 613, his followers initiated a holy war (jihad) in 634 after his death in 632. Within five years, they conquered Egypt, Palestine, and Syria, with their tolerance towards Jews and Christians easing their advance against Byzantine persecution. Over the next 60 years, North Africa and Persia fell to Islam. In the early eighth century, Saracens from Tangiers invaded the Iberian Peninsula, conquering the Visigoth kingdom. In Asia, they took Asia Minor from the Byzantines but failed to capture Constantinople due to its defenses. Charles Martel of the Franks halted their invasion of France at Poitiers in 732. Frustrated in the west, Islamic forces expanded east, reaching the Indus River and Central Asia by 750. A civil war between the Sunnites and Shiites from 656 onwards led to the fragmentation of the Islamic state into independent entities. Muslim Spain flourished culturally with relative harmony among Muslims, Jews, and Christians, but internal divisions by 1000 facilitated the Christian Reconquista. Muslim Turks conquered Asia Minor and the Middle East in the early eleventh century, leading to the Crusades. Saladin united several Muslim states in the late twelfth century and retook Jerusalem. Muslim states remained independent, eventually forming modern Arab nations, but experienced economic decline after European nations established their own trade routes to Asia in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Team Bonus and Civilization Attributes:

• Foot archers receive a +1 attack bonus against buildings.
• Market trade costs are reduced by 5%.
• Transport Ships hold twice as many units (40 troops per ship).
• Galleys attack 20% faster.
• Cavalry Archers receive +3 attack on buildings.

Saracen Technology Tree:

• Archers: Archers, Crossbowmen, Arbalests, Skirmishers, Elite Skirmishers, Cavalry Archers, Heavy Cavalry Archers, Hand Cannoneers.
• Arbalests and Heavy Cavalry Archers receive marginal attack bonuses against buildings (+1 and +3 respectively).
• Archer upgrades include Fletching up to Bracer.