The Aztec Empire (M2TW:K Faction)

The Aztec empire starts surrounded by enemies, but has the most powerful units for a native American Faction. They have very powerful melee untis but under average ranged ones (they do not need to be that powerful to cause damage anyway) .All are very very fast. They have many new traits and ancillaries, and many new buildings. They have a new form of religion (Sun god worship) which allows them to sacrifice units and convert other religions when capturing cities and to hold ritual sacrifices. They are in danger of a plague early on if they allow new spain to have a strong position and capture tenochitlan(mexico), but if they withstand them they shall not fear it. They do not gain technology from new spain eventually like the chichimecs and apacheans. but they are a strong faction early on. All they can build is relatively cheap, but their cities are relatively under-developed next to new spains.

Stating position

The Aztec empire starts to the southwest of map close to new spain , very close to the thlaxcalans and quite close to the tarascans. Since their cities dont need much to become advanced, they start quite advanced in terms of unit availability

Victory Conditions and Agents

Long:

Hold 30 Regions , hold tenochitlan . Destroy tlaxcalans. Destroy tarascans.

Short:

Hold 20 Regions.

(I trained the assasin, they dont actually start with one)

Unique Ancillaries

The Following have a Chance to be acquired when the conditions are met. its not definite thta you receive them

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Crystal Skull(relic) +2 authority +1 command against catholics +2 Command vs followers of the great spirit +2 command vs followers of the sun god +4 Hitpoints

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Human Skull +2 dread +1 command

Heroic Victory General kills over 10 men in battle General has Over 2 Dread

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Tlapizalli -2 Authority Increases chance of having children +2 Unrest

hasnt spent any movement points -2 Command And theres an Acropolis

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Obsidian Dagger +2 Command +2 Hitpoints

General kills over 8 men in battle General lost over 50% of his hitpoints

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Copper Axe +1 Command

Fought against tarascans General killed over 8 men in battle Command is 3 or more

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Metal Widget -2 Authority

Doesnt have trait Intellegent Has less then 4 Authority Won a battle against Spain/france/england

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Hand Gun +2 Dread +1 command versus catholic -1 Squalor

(assasin created in a city with a gunsmith, Is Transferable)

Or

Heroic Victory General has +4 Dread

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Unique Aztec traits

High Priest ( For Priest)

When a high temple exists

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Blood Letter

Piety 1

Violence 1

Blood Offerer

Piety +2

LocalPopularity +1

Violence +2

Squalor -1

Flesh offerer

Effect Piety +3

Authority +1

PublicSecurity +1

LocalPopularity +2

Violence +2

Squalor -2

Sacrificer

Piety +4

Authority +2

PublicSecurity +2

LocalPopularity +3

Farming +1

Violence +3

Squalor -3

Unrest -1

Will of the gods

Piety +5

Authority +3

PublicSecurity +4

LocalPopularity + 4

Farming +2

Violence 3

-4 Squalor

Unrest -2

When sacrificing in a city with a great pyramid is being held

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Spectator

LocalPopularity +1

-10% cost to bribe

Unrest -1

Law -1

Nobel spectator

+1 Loyalty

+2 Local Popularity

-2 unrest

-1 Law

Famous nobel spectator

+2 Loyalty

+3 local popularity

-2 unrest

-1 law

When a Ball court exists and a general hasnt moved

Units

Infantry

Ranged Infantry

The aztecs benefit from mediocre archers (you dont really need powerful ones that much anyway) and very good javelins in the form of arrow warriors, one of the fastest units in the game including cavalry!

Unique Buildings

Virtually all the aztec buildings are unique or only shared by the tarascans or mayans. They are extraordinary in that they all give a major benefit for their cost, and often mixed benefits. Generally speaking the aztecs will be able to keep their cities happy with very little troops in them with even a few of these buildings made

Battle tactics

Priest Spam You can use your coyote priests liberally, theyre very good. Theyre cheap , good fighters, and increase the morale of your troops and reduces the infantry morale of your enemies. Using them exclusively can result in enemies running away very quickly, and your never routing at all.

Overall Strategy

New spain is the biggest threat, Destroying them is impossible if they keep havanna, but dont let them have a stranglehold . Alternatively, Just ally with them and gift them one of your cities (Preferably a eastern one, So they can fight off new england when it arrives) and let them help you. Or at least not bother you as much . Overall you should expand northwards. Try and retaliate quickly against the tlaxcalans and chichimecs. Then you can take your time. You are technically the strongest starting empire, and can swallows them up if they dont all attack you at once.

Sacrifice

A unit can be sacrificed in place of disbanding, or prisoners can be executed and sacrificed. Or Sacrifices can be held in cities . You can also convert a little by exterminating Sacrificing(disband) a unit usually offers 1% Conversion

Sacrificing (executre prisoners) a general offers 1% conversion

Sacrificing a faction elader offers 3% conversion

holding sacrifices offers 1% conversion

Sacking a city offers 1% conversion

Exterminating a city offers 3% conversion

Plague

At the start of the game a plague will break out. A very dangerous plague. Plagues will continue if spain captures one of the following cities

Tenochitlan

apaztignan

zacategas

canpech