There are many possibilities for fans to explore while playing as the Abbasid Dynasty in Age of Empires 4. The Abbasids are driven by technological upgrades fueled by their unique House of Wisdom. Further bonuses are bestowed if players manage to initiate a Golden Age for this culture.
Taking the reins of the Abbasid Dynasty is a great choice for intermediate Age of Empires 4 players. When utilized properly, the combined strength of their technology and military is difficult to counter. With a little diligent preplanning and the right information, leading the Abbasid Dynasty to ultimate victory should be a snap to accomplish.
Civilization Bonuses Of The Abbasid Dynasty
Like the other civilizations in Age of Empires 4, the Abbasid Dynasty possesses a few bonuses unique to their culture. Keeping these features in mind is vital for securing a successful match. The Abbasid Dynasty's Civilization Bonuses consist of:
- Villagers gather from Berry Bushes +25% faster but cannot gather from Boar.
- Infantry units can construct Rams, Siege Towers, Springalds, and Mangonels without researching Siege Engineering.
- Advances in Ages by building wings from the House of Wisdom. Nearby buildings gain +5 fire armor.
- Enter a Golden Age to speed up resource gather rate, research times, and production speed.
- Docks are 50% cheaper.
It's important to take note of the Abbasid Dynasty's advantages regarding siege equipment. Without the need to research Siege Engineering, players can go about assaulting enemy walls and fortifications sooner than their opponents. Upgrading the House of Wisdom and entering a Golden Age as quickly as possible is the recommended strategy.
Unique Units Of The Abbasid Dynasty
- Camel Archer
- Camel Rider
The Abbasid Dynasty employs two unique units on the battlefield. The Camel Archer is an exceedingly useful unit to keep on hand in modest numbers. Being both ranged and mounted, the Camel Archer is very mobile. They can harass and pick off enemies from a distance before retreating to safer ground.
Camel Riders also come in handy. They excel in an anti-cavalry role, able to deal bonus damage against mounted enemies. Although these units are costly to produce, it's worth investing in a small force of them to help even the odds of a battle.
The House Of Wisdom & Golden Ages
Advancing through the ages works a bit differently for the Abbasid Dynasty compared to other factions. After building the House of Widom, players advance through subsequent ages by constructing Wings. Each Wing comes with a set of technologies that can be researched for further bonuses. The four Wings and their associated technologies include:
- Culture Wing – Preservation of Knowledge (Feudal Age), Medical Centers (Castle Age), and Faith (Imperial Age)
- Economic Wing – Fresh Foodstuffs (Feudal Age), Agriculture (Castle Age), and Improved Processing (Imperial Age)
- Military Wing – Camel Support (Feudal Age), Camel Rider Shields (Castle Age), and Boot Camp (Imperial Age)
- Trade Wing – Spice Roads (Feudal Age), Armored Caravans (Castle Age), and Grand Bazaar (Imperial Age)
Golden Ages provide additional benefits in the form of increased Villager gathering rates, research speed, and production speed. The more structures built within the influence of the House of Wisdom, the greater the bonuses from a Golden Age. There are three tiers to Golden Ages, which include:
- Tier I: 10 structures built within range increases the gathering rate of Villagers by +10% for all resources
- Tier II: 30 structures built within range increase the gathering rate of Villagers by +15% and research speed by +15%
- Tier III: 60 structures built within range increase the gathering rate of Villagers by +20%, research speed by +20%, and production speed by +20%
Upgrades From The House Of Wisdom
As stated previously, each Wing of the House of Wisdom comes with its own set of unique technologies. They are listed as follows:
The Culture Wing
- Preservation of Knowledge – Reduces the cost of all technology by -30%
- Medical Centers – Keeps healing nearby units for +2 health every 1 second
- Faith – Imams can convert units without holding a relic, but can only target a single unit
The Economic Wing
- Fresh Foodstuffs – Reduces the cost to produce Villagers by -50%
- Agriculture – Improves Villagers' gathering rate from Farms by +15%
- Improved Processing – Villagers drop off +8% more resources
The Military Wing
- Camel Support – Camels increase the armor of nearby infantry by +1
- Camel Rider Shields – Improves Camel Rider melee armor by +3
- Boot Camp – Increases the health of all infantry by +15%
The Trade Wing
- Spice Roads – Increases the Gold income from Traders by +30%
- Armored Caravans – Grants +5 Armor to Traders and Trade Ships
- Grand Bazaar – Traders also return with a secondary resource. This resource is 25% the base Gold value and is set at the Market
Other Unit Upgrades
- Composite Bows – Reduces the reload time of Archers by -25%
- Camel Barding – Increases the armor of Camel units by +2
- Camel Handling – Increases the movement speed of Camel units by +15%
- Phalanx – Increases the attack range of Spearmen by +100%
Tips For Playing As The Abbasid Dynasty
The longer the match, the stronger the Abbasid Dynasty becomes. Players who construct their buildings strategically by placing them close to the House of Wisdom strengthen themselves immensely. By a similar token, the more technologies that can be researched by building Wings, the better.
Camel Riders and Camel Archers are terrific units. Producing a handful of each can help tip the scales in a fight. Once a player's army is fortified with upgrades, opponents will experience a difficult time defeating them. Lastly, the bonuses to the Abbasid economy shouldn't be ignored either. If the economy can be jumpstarted quickly, troops and upgrades can flow seamlessly.
Age of Empires 4 was released on October 28, 2021 and is currently available on PC.