Multi Player Strategies
Introduction
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Final Notes

Egyptian Strategy Guide

By Tanner Kinkead

Introduction

I used to despise priests. I never used priests, as they always converted me and I got so mad. Then I realized, "Hey, I can make other people mad with these things!" Obviously, Egyptian priests are the best. They have the greatest range of all units and all the priest upgrades. Also, Egyptians have an excellent Bronze with souped up chariots and CA's, all tower and wall upgrades, they only have stone throwers, but they have all the government center upgrades. While they aren't very diversified in Iron, they don't need to be, because they'll be converting units left and right.
I'm not going to go into getting to Bronze, because you can find that on almost any site on the web, especially right here at the Academy. Put an extra couple of vills on gold early, because that's the main resource you'll be using. Get some stone too, if you normally don't. Walls are incredibly important to your defense.

Bronze Age

Defense
Walls are the keys to your defense. You can use Towers, but don't use too many. Tower every 7+ spaces, leave a little extra stone in the bank, and then stop mining stone. Use the leftover stone to repair walls and towers. Divert a vill to stone if you need to. Now, when you hit Bronze, build at least four temples, more if you have the wood, and two or three siege workshops. A government center is very nice, but not absolutely necessary if you don't have time or wood. Crank out priests like there's no tomorrow. In both Iron and Bronze Ages, Egyptian priests out-range the best siege weapons your opponent can build. Often times, when you're facing a human opponent, you can convert a cat and fire it a couple times before he notices. One final point, Stone Throwers are useful for defense because they won't damage your own walls when firing at melee units.
Bronze Age Defense breakdown:
Cavs: Killed by ST or converted
Chariots: Killed by ST or towers
Camels: Same as Cavs
SS/BS: Killed by ST, converted, towers
ST: Fall to priests
Improved Bowmen/Compies: Hit by STs, towers or converted
CA: Die by STs or towers
Hoplites: Fall to STs and Priests
Offense
Priests aren't good offensive units in Bronze. They are more useful in Iron with the upgrades. Egyptian Bronze offense is put together in one word: Chariots. They are fast, have a medium attack power, and with Egyptians and Nobility, have a good amount of hit points. The way your defense is set up, hand-to-hand units won't help your defense, so Chariots should never be used for defense. CA are versatile because they can be used in either role. Their speed almost makes up for the fact that the wheel must be researched before they can be constructed. In a 1vs1, I almost always Chariot (Chariot includes CA) rush. Also, use ST if the enemy is completely walled in. Try to run past towers, as the point of this attack is to kill vills.
Bronze Offense Breakdown
Chariots: Average unit, but well balanced. Can keep defensive units busy for CAs to find the vills, kill vills themselves, and can take out buildings. One level of storage pit upgrades for it is enough, as you will only be using it once. If the attack is successful, go ahead and build more and upgrade fully. Also, send some priests to convert the buildings (If you have Monotheism).
CA: Best used to kill vills. Can also be used for defense inside the walls.
ST: Use on walls and towers.
Improved Bowmen/Compies: Not of real use in this strategy. Don't make them.
SS: Of less use then the Compies.
Hoplites: Don't bother

Iron Age

Defense
Basically same as the Bronze Age. Don't get Ballista towers unless you have a lot of extra food. If you do get Ballista towers, try to add a few extra towers to your defensive perimeter.
Iron Age Defensive Breakdown:
Hoplites/Phalanxes/Centurions: Easily converted, also chopped down by towers and STs
Priests: Convert em'
Heavy Cavs/Cataphracts: PCT (Priests-Towers-STs)
WE/AE: Convert, Convert, Convert
SC: STs and towers
LS/Legions: Convert, ST, towers
Cats/HCats: Convert. Your priests have a longer range than they do after you research Afterlife.
Ballistas/Helepoli: Convert, STs, Towers if their range is low enough.
HA/HHA: Convert, Towers, STs are tough to hit with, but can make them dodge and give them a tough time firing.
EA: Convert, STs
Offense
Priests, Priests, Priests. That's the main point of the Egyptians offense. In 1vs1, take WE in front of your priests to draw Cat fire while you convert them. Heal the WE every chance you get. EA can take to place of WE also. In team games, concentrate mostly on Priests. My ally attacked a very good opponent repeatedly, but was beat back every time. I sent about twenty priests for support and I had 14 priests survive and he only lost about half his force. He resigned after that.
Iron Age Offense Breakdown
Priests: The heart of this strategy. Convert everything in sight.
WE: Used to cover priests in 1vs1. Don't use them otherwise.
EA: Same as WE.
SC: Could be useful in limited amounts, if the upgrade from regular to Scythe Chariots wasn't so expensive. Don't use them unless you have a really good reason to incorporate them into this strategy.

Final Notes

This strat works best on Inland, Coastal also works well. Large and Small Islands are all right. Highland and Hill Country is a terrible place for this. Mediterranean, Coastal, and Narrows work well also. Basically anything with water. You must have a water connection to your ally. Boat fishing is terribly important, as well as trading with your opponent. If you have questions or comments, please email me.

Back to Top

Back to Strategy Index