===============

A Persian with the Hun team bonus can make a good claim on having best knight-rushing combination in the game.

Persia’s extra starting resources give them a good start. Their town center bonus means they reasearch Castle Age 10 percent faster, and shaves more seconds off with faster villager production in the Feudal Age. Recent resource-gathering tests show that Persians are neck-and-neck with the Mongols in the Dark Age, too.

Persians are much like the Huns -- powerful cavalry and weak sword line -- only much stronger on water maps. If anything, Persian cavalry is more fearsome than the Huns. Persian knights have an anti-archer team bonus that also works on skirms, and the Persians have camels, too. Persia is the only civ with a full assortment of stable units with all the upgrades and techs.

Persia is also a fast civ that is a late-game economic powerhouse, a very rare combination. They are also acknowledged leaders in the dangerous “Douche” attack, a highly risky game plan involving deleting your town center in the Feudal Age and rebuilding one at some place highly inconvienent to your opponents.

Visitors to this page will find few posts on war elephants. There is a reason. I have no love for the critters. The unit is too high-priced for what it offers, in my opinion.

Two fine, under-appreciated Persian units are scout-line cavalry and cavalry archers. Persian cavalry archers are not respected much because they lack bracer in Imperial. Yet they suffer no disadvantages in the Castle Age, and are one of only three civs’ CA to have Parthian tactics, ring archer armor and bloodlines. Persian cavalry archers are tough to kill and deadly against spear-line, although the lesser range in Imperial is sometimes annoying.

Persian hussars, frankly, are just among the best “bang for the buck” units in the game. Persia is the only civ with 100% hussars and crop rotation and two-man saw. Their hussars are very tough and very cheap, even without any fishing on the map.

============================
Persian Hunting -- Why Persia is a great, fast hunting civ, by me.

Anyone know how to kill war elephants? -- One of the external newb quesitons leads to a full statement on why many player, including me, beleive the Persians should not make elephants.

Did anyone realize ... -- ... that the Persians have the fastest Dark Age militia rush, or DRUSH, because they can afford a barracks at the start? More of a curiousity than a strat for now, since it may be faster but not as strong as the Aztecs, for instance.

Persian Combined Arms -- So, what combos can you make when sword liine and archers have important Imperial-Age weaknesses? The debate rages between the elephant orthodoxy and the Hun-wise cavalry rebels. Both sides agree on one thing: Hand cannoneers are sweet.

Persian Hunting -- My contention that the Persian’s food bonus translates into a very good hunting bonus, and that hunting increases the benefits of the town center bonus. Includes a plain-English explanation of why the town center bonus is very helpful in the Feudal Age, and a very nice post-game commentary from G6_ and Pale Horse on a good, tough Persian vs. Mayan game between them.

Persian Monk Rush -- Interesting, resourceful game plan by Flammifer.

The Persians: By TheShadowDawn -- The artist now known as DSOD gives an overview of the Persians.

The Sheriff's Persian Dock-First Strategy: By Captn_Kidd. -- Probably the most famous Persian game plan ever invented.

Persian Scout Rush: By Krusty_Kev -- A very nice, developed plan by a veteran player.

Persians vs Huskies -- Hand cannoneers are always handy against Goths, if you can afford them. Hussars are also handy.

Debate: The Persians -- Are the Persians good flushers or not? Reviews are mixed. Discussion was marred by confusion over the town center bonus, which does not apply in the Dark Age.

[This message has been edited by Doug Thompson (edited 10-25-2002 @ 10:22 PM).]