Best civilization for Late Imperial Age

[Señor Obsto, Bsc]

Hello AoE2 Community!

My friends and I ve been playing AoE2 for about 5 months but i just can't manage to win!
We really dont like to rush cause otherwise it's a bit boring. We like big combats in Late Imperial Age.
I ve been looking for the best civ to play in Late Imperial Age, I know there is no perfect civ for beating every civ, but aren't there a special civ or a range of civ which are best for playing No Rush in Black Forest??? I also like to play a bit defensive!

So I hope you guys have any suggetions on what civ I should pick and should specialise on!!!

Yours Obsto1234!

[iEuro]

I would say Spanish, but that's just my opinion.

There is no best civilisation for late imperial age, the point of the game is using the bonuses of each civilisation to take advantage of your opponent based on the bonuses themselves...

I like the Spanish because upgrades only need food, so you manage to gather a lot of resources in late imperial, you get Conquistadors which are some of the strongest units - mounted hand cannoners, you also get mounted priests, who can move, heal and convert way better than other monks, you have excellent gun powder units, etc.

On top of that, I am Spanish, so just because of that the civilisation works better when I play it

[DarK | Adélie]

Supposed an efficient trade, Celts, Mongols, Persians, Saracens and Turks are top tier.

Everybody like to bash on Viking Imp by the way, but they are decent even on BF post-imp if you know how to play them

[DrewReaLee]

As iEuro mentioned there is no best civilization. If you like defensive civs then try the Byzantines. Their buildings automatically get stronger each time you age up. A fully upgraded castle in the Imperial age has like 8100 hitpoints. They have nearly every upgrade available to them or at least more than any other civilization. Their unique units, Cataphracts, rip through infantry and are decent against Cavalry. They only suffer against microed archers. Their only real downside is that they don't have blast furnace or any economic bonuses. However, their trash is super cheap for grindy games.

[iEuro]

I added you, I am not great at this game myself lol, so we can play if you want, no rush, etc. I could help you out and vice versa.

[FE_HockeySam18]

Goths are pretty hard to beat come late Imperial.

[TerminallyGrill]

Goths are absolutely insane at Imperial Age: not only do they get a population limit boost, they also can recruit their unique unit from any point on the map, or just flood the map with champions and halberdiers. But really, nearly every civ can be or is good at late Imperial Age. If a civ performs badly in Imperial, it's probably performing bad at every other stage of the game as well (looking at you, Italians).

[DrewReaLee]

Originally posted by Cuchulainn:

Goths are absolutely insane at Imperial Age: not only do they get a population limit boost, they also can recruit their unique unit from any point on the map, or just flood the map with champions and halberdiers.

I didn't like Goths growing up because they lack a lot of defensive upgrades namely the walls and towers. However, Huskarls are absolutely no joke and the speed at which the Goths can create them is not funny at all. They effectively are a raiding unit as they will not die to arrow fire and are their own siege units in of themselves.

[FE_HockeySam18]

Originally posted by DrewReaLee:

Originally posted by Cuchulainn:

Goths are absolutely insane at Imperial Age: not only do they get a population limit boost, they also can recruit their unique unit from any point on the map, or just flood the map with champions and halberdiers.

I didn't like Goths growing up because they lack a lot of defensive upgrades namely the walls and towers. However, Huskarls are absolutely no joke and the speed at which the Goths can create them is not funny at all. They effectively are a raiding unit as they will not die to arrow fire and are their own siege units in of themselves.

If the Goth player has ample resources and 15+ barracks up plus a few castles, then it's basically game over ;D

[The O.G. Manbeast]

Turks are always good to go with for late game (especially once trade is up and running). Koreans are also rather beastly, Warwagons basically being the AOE equivelent to tanks and long range siege onagers which completely destroy EVERYTHING are a nice combo. It really depends on what you personally like in a civilisation.

[Nightmare]

"The best" depends on your opponents. Lots of people mension goths, well, a handful of janissaries on a small chokepoint on BF will one shot any goth unit trying to pass. gg goth, but the koreans with their insane range siege onagers easily outrange the janissaries, gg turks, and list goes on like that, for every civ, there is atleast one good counter civ, or heck, just even good counter play. Many civs are kinda played for their strengts, but also got good counters to their weeknesses.

[TerminallyGrill]

Originally posted by DrewReaLee:

Originally posted by Cuchulainn:

Goths are absolutely insane at Imperial Age: not only do they get a population limit boost, they also can recruit their unique unit from any point on the map, or just flood the map with champions and halberdiers.

I didn't like Goths growing up because they lack a lot of defensive upgrades namely the walls and towers. However, Huskarls are absolutely no joke and the speed at which the Goths can create them is not funny at all. They effectively are a raiding unit as they will not die to arrow fire and are their own siege units in of themselves.

Your soldiers are the only defensive line you need. You can just produce a literal wall of steel and meat that any enemy army will break themselves against.

[ToastBones]

For water maps: vikings. They also work on land as their infantry heal themselves (they are best in castle on land tho)
For land maps: The incas are probably the best-especially with team play. With super tough villagers and literally the fastest unit in the game they deny any economic harrassment. They have all the defensive upgrades and their unit composition (eagle, kamayuk, slinger) although gold heavy is made to counter everything and moves faster than anything. In my opinion they are busted, but like i said, they are very gold heavy. So trading is good...

[Dragunsky]

All races have their strengths. I personally play Turks. Gunpowder FTW. Elite Jannissaries, Bombards, Cavalry Archers (which are now better in HD!! :) ), and the Turks even have decent cavalry. Oh and the Turks have decent ships. I used to play the original Aoe a lot years ago and I also played the Spanish. As stated above they are good. I mean come on, you get to be a conquistador! But all races are strong enough late game. Depends on your play style.

[heebie-jeebies]

Post imperial with Trade I'm thinkin'
Byzantines
Spanish
Persians
Indians
Koreans
Teutons
Goths
Turks
Any of the big gold intensive civs really.

Post Imperial without Trade I'm thinkin'
Byzantines
Persians
Magyars
Mongols
Slavs
Incas
Any Civ with the Heavy units and good trash to fall back on.

[NJ1193 (Alpha Male)]

Mayans. Their elite plumed archers and upgraded eagle warriors (100hp instead of 60/70) take out anything in their path. Plumed archers are great against pretty much everything (onagers and scorpions are about the only things that can defeat them).