Desert Kingdoms (TWR2 Culture)

Desert Kingdoms (TWR2 Culture)
Name:	Desert Kingdoms
From Game:	Total War: Rome II
Cultural Group:	Eastern
Playable Factions:	Yes

Overview:

“Desert storms and war: both bring danger and opportunity.”

Culture Traits

• Desert Warriors: +10% morale for all units during battles in the desert
• Deep-Rooted Traditions: -7% research rate

Factions:

Kush

• Disciplined Workforce: 10% reduction in slave population decline
• The Land of the Bow: +6% missile damage inflicted by all archers

Masaesyli

• Desert Ambushers: +50% chance of successfully launching an ambush
• Hit and Run: +12% shots per minute for all cavalry units

Nabataea

• Stonecutters: -20% provincial capital and minor settlement main chain construction costs
• Incense Traders: +15% tariff income from trade agreements

Saba

• Mercenary Armies: -25% mercenary upkeep costs
• Incense Traders: +15% tariff income from trade agreements

In game:

• Cultural Traits increase unit morale, but only when fighting in desert terrain, and increase the time it takes to research new technologies.
• Desert Kingdoms factions start off in the southern half of the map, specifically Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Proximity to the major southern powers, such as Egypt, Seleucids or Carthage can create a challenging early game, though this also offers the opportunity to take advantage of their conflicts with other more traditional enemies to gain rich and strategically important settlements.
• The Desert Kingdoms' rosters are notable for their relatively large number of faction specific units, making for armies which are often distinct in terms of gameplay and appearance. The Kush focus on archers and cheap slaves drawn from the African native population; the Masaesyli on desert ambushing light infantry and light cavalry (with Roman influences later on); the Nabataen adoption of Eastern and later Hellenic weapons and tactics; and the Saba's heavy use of camels and mercenaries, mean that each offers it's own unique “eastern” playstyle.
• Are the only factions with the Desert Nomadic cultural type.

In history:

• The masters of the desert.
• With their positions at the crossroads between empires, trade was an important part of life for many of the Desert Kingdoms. Trade routes across the Red Sea and overland via the famous Silk Road allowed for goods to be brought from as far afield as India and China. This made many rich, but also tempting targets for rulers and bandits alike.
• Though they have perhaps been overshadowed by the many ancient structures of the Roman and Hellenic world, the Desert Kingdoms were responsible for some of the truly great structures of the ancient world. Engineering marvels such as the city Petra, with its buildings and temples carved out of the sandstone rock face itself, and the Great Dam of Marib, still exist to this day, over 2000 years after their original construction.