Minoans

Economy:

Ships, including FBs, cost 30% less – an important advantage on any water map but extremely important on the smallest ones where wood is in short supply. 
Farms give +75 food – this makes farming less unprofitable. It also means less micro-management. 
All Market technologies are available. Minoa is slow (according to some: fast) and gold dependent.

Religion:

Poor Temple technologies. The best counter for enemy Priests is of course the super compie.

Military:

The Composite Bowman has +2 range and gets all technologies and armour. This is a really great unit but it’s wrong to rely on compies only. Minoa has a very narrow technology tree. The only mounted units are Cavalry, Camel Rider and Scout. What units they get are excellent however – they get all technology upgrades you can wish for. 
The infantry is good – it gets almost all units and all Pit technologies. Slingers get all technologies and shielding. The Academy units are great. And they can actually do something useful if you use your compies to cover them. A drawback is that there’s only one fast unit with good line of sight: the Scout. 
There are no fast archers, no CAs. If you learn to mass and micromanage your compies you won’t miss ’em though. All Siege weapons are available with all upgrades. 
No Fortification and no Guard Towers. Otherwise full range and all technologies. 
Ships cost 30% less – it makes Minoa one of the great naval powers. The war ships get full range and all technologies.

Best in Age(s):

Late Bronze, Iron.

RM Ranking:

OK.

Single Player:

This is the civ where I soon learned that it pays to build several Archery Ranges. The only mistake you can make with them is that you forget to train other units as well. On water maps the CP enemy can be a pest, building Scout Ships all day. The ally is often passive. Funny thing is that in many games I never saw the CP research compies – even when Minos hits Iron Age they’re often stuck with impies.

Multi Player:

Minoa can hold their own in RMs if you get the Impie and Compie upgrades quickly and back them up with siege. Massed compies eat CA rushes. The Priests are awful but it’s worth having a few for healing. Siege is good

DM Ranking:

Score: 47%

Ranking: 14th

Description: This civ is a virtual clone of Greece in DM, unfortunately it loses the Ballista Tower dooming its heavy siege dependant strategy. You will never recover if you are attacked. The Priests won’t stop an AE rush although good Centurions will if you are lucky. Looks like its plan for siege and hope. 

Multiplayer: A really tough civ to master. You are going to have to hope for the best and build phalanxes first then bring out your siege. Hopefully, the opponents AE rush was stopped by you phalanxes/cents. 

Best when: You are playing a civ without the AE.