How to beat Egypt Old Kingdom with maximum score (31/31)

The guide for playing on the hardest difficulty. Includes letsplay video.

General Notes

• Play for Horus or Seth. Their key advantage over Ptah is the ability to attack more frequently. Horus has 2 simultaneous attacks during 4 turns. Seth has 1 attack during 3 turns. Ptah has just 1 attack during 5 turns. This is especially critical before T76, when there’s no substantial source of resources but robbery.
  
• It's possible to get maximum score, but you need much luck and many-many trials. Most often you can't complete key trials no matter what you do. What can go wrong:
  
  • You scout 20 turns and didn't find any food source
    
  • Ancestors duty increases so fast that it's impossible to accumulate needed amount of favor before 2nd trial
    
  • You secured 50+% probability of victory in the 2nd trial each turn, but the victory has’t come during 3 turns in a row
    
  • We secured substantial advantage over holders force in the 1st trial, or over Narmer’s force in the 3rd trial, or over separatist force in the 5th trial, but the battle came to a defeat
    
  • On the Egypt map we’re suddenly attacked by the tribe with 2000+ power, that we have no possibility to resist
    
  • On the Egypt there are no available sources of luxury, and you can't build tombs
• To facilitate your walkthrough you can use the utility[github.com], that:
  
  • shows location of food sources on the map, thus allowing proper scouting plan;
    
  • contains the function of automatic recovery of save files deleted by the game.

The schedule

38-43	1st trial (assimilate until 38; or subjugate enemy tribe until 43)
40	+1 worker
66-69	2nd trial (favor 50+)
76	start of wet period
108	3rd trial – war against Narmer (power 300+)
119	Upper Egypt joins
120-122	build temple + palace (food 30+, hammers 250+)
119-169	I dynasty – 8 tombs
151	start of arid period
153	4th trial (favor 32, hammers 26, luxuries 18)
169-204	II dynasty – 5 tombs + 1 building
184-193	5th trial - Civil war (hammers 250+, power 1500+)
193	win the war, start of wet period
204-223	III dynasty – 4 tombs
223-242	6th trial – 10 tombs + 8 dwellings
223-252	IV dynasty
252-271	V dynasty - 9 tombs
265	7th trial (food 570+, hammers 570+, luxury 390+)
271-292	VI dynasty – 4 tombs
289	8th trial (favor 2000)

Technology discovery order

1. Survival: Domestication of cats – Craftstmanship
   
2. Setting up an army: Primitive army – Local cult development – Multiligualism – Copper smelting
   
3. Culture upgrade #1: Cosmetics – Opulent pottery – Proto-writing – Public works
   
4. Strengthening the army: Metalworking
   
5. Temple building and city map conquest: Tombs – Concept of multiple souls – Chiefdoms
   
6. Culture upgrade #2: First laws – Administration – Archaic writing – Hieratic writing
   
7. Economy support near T122: Taxes – Cult of dead rulers – Mastabas
   
8. Empower cults: State cults – State festivals – Teriocephalic divine images
   
9. Growth: Medicine – Statewide cattle count – Nome system
   
10. Culture upgrade #3: Papyrus paper – Creation of literature
    
11. Economy upgrade line: Royal statuary – Stonework – Step pyramids – True pyramids – Pyramid builder towns – Mummification procedure – Social elevation – Hereditary bureaucracy
    
12. The rest of technologies in arbitrary order

Technologies discovered out of order:

• Get Public works when you need to cut thickets for building of barracks or temple
  
• Get farming technologies only in case of extreme necessity or when there are many excess workers to work fields: Fig growing – Pig breeding – Irrigation – Plow – Nilometer
  
• Before completion of the first raid: Slavery
  
• Before T223: Boatmen’s techniques for pyramid building

Initial growth (1-43)

• Objective – passing of the 1st trial
  
• Primary source of resources – scouting
  
• There are 2 ways to pass the 1st trial – peacefull and military
  
• Priority actions with the peacefull way:
  
  • Search for food through map scouting (antelopes, aurochs, birds, fish, fertile glades, savages)
    
  • Build 2 workshops. Get hammers by shooting the animals or chopping the acacia
    
  • Start the assimilation immediately after getting the 5th worker. Complete the assimilation until T38
• Priority actions with the military way:
  
  • Search for food through map scouting (antelopes, aurochs, birds, fish, fertile glades, savages)
    
  • Build 1 workshop. Get hammers by shooting the animals or chopping the acacia
    
  • Build 1st barracks and immediately start raiding neighbour tribes
    
  • Build 2nd barracks
    
  • Pass the 1st trial by subjugating holders tribe at T43. The attack should be started at T38 for Ptah, T39 for Horus, T40 for Seth.
• Notes
  
  • Don’t use cults except in extreme cases when it’s a matter of survival
    
  • Although passing this stage for gold on the highest difficulty is possible, but you need much luck and probably dozens of trials

Consolidation of the settlement map (43 – 76)

• Objectives:
  
  • Survival and steady population growth due to robberies
    
  • Accumulation of the strong army and settlement conquest
• Primary source of resources – robbery
  
• Priority actions
  
  • Find sufficient number of areas, occupied by another tribes
    
  • Rob them non-stop until T76
    
  • Steadily increase number of barracks up to 3-4
    
  • If the Assimilation quest is not completed yet (you chosen the military way), complete it until T76.You may use subjugation (+100 clans) or improving relations (+20 clans)
    
  • Clean the place for the temple, complete building at T76
    
  • On the same turns discover Chiefdoms and complete the quest of map consoldation
• Development benchmarks
  
  • Population at T76 is 9-10 workers
    
  • Army at T76 is 200+. Preferably 250+ which will allow to manage without help of Neith
• Notes
  
  • Don’t use cults except in extreme cases when it’s a matter of survival
    
  • At T66 spend favor to pass the 2nd trial – raise the probability up to 30% minimum, preferably 60%
    
  • It’s possibly to complete the consolidation several turns earlier than T76, but be careful with the food stock. At T76 the arid period is replaced with the wet period, which helps to balance food.
    
  • It’s acceptable to complete this stage several turns later than T76. But don’t delay too much.
    
  • Start the building of the temple immediately when the appropriate technology is discovered (clean the place in advance). Build 3 turns out of 4, then remove the worker. Complete building on the turn when you’re ready to discover Chiefdoms.

Unification of Egypt (76 – 122)

• Objectives:
  
  • Victory over Narmer (3rd trial)
    
  • Construction of the capital facilities
    
  • Secondary objective – protect your workers on the settlement map from the wild animals
• Primary source of resources – trade with Upper Egypt
  
• Priority actions
  
  • Rapidly scout 7 areas of Upper Egypt and start trading. Don’t scout further yet
    
  • Increase the number of barracks up to 4
    
  • Exterminate or appease dangerous animals (lions, crocodiles, hippos) near your buildings. Appease the animal if its initial relation level is over 50-55% (increase it up to 67% and leave), otherwise exterminate
    
  • If possible clean up the cursed places
    
  • Conduct 2-3 expeditions in the region of Memphis
    
  • At T120 it becomes possible to build capital palace and temple, do it immediately with the usage of acceleration
• Development benchmarks
  
  • Army at T108 is 300+
    
  • At T119 hammers 250+, food 30+, population is about 20
• Notes
  
  • Don’t use cults except in extreme cases when it’s a matter of survival
    
  • At T108 the war against Narmer happens. It’s strictly desirable to manage using military power solely, without using of luxuries of hammers

Era of the dynasties (122 – 289)

• Objectives:
  
  • Fastest possible growth of population and economy
    
  • Passing of the trials
• Primary source of resources – taxes, cults, expeditions
  
• Army
  
  • Increase the number of barracks. The optimal buildup is 7 barracks + 4 houses + 1 temple
    
  • When accumulated the substantial power, start raids and conquest of weaker tribes. Usually you do 1 raid and then immediately capture the tribe
    
  • Usually it’s enough to have even slight power advantage to ensure victory. We have substantial reserve – battle bonuses (Gamble, Attack, Defend)
    
  • Gamble is worth using in most cases, Attack during positive or neutral battle events, Defend during negative battle events
    
  • Don’t forget to discover Slavery before your first fight. Choose Enslave after battle
  • Production
  
  • Conduct expeditions in all regions with 3+ hammers or 2+ luxury, when needed add regions with 2 hammers also
    
  • Build I dynasty tombs when you have enough income to complete construction
    
  • Build II and III dynasty tombs only if you can afford it and received architect bonus on speed
    
  • Build IV, V, and VI dynasty tombs necessarily
    
  • Always build the cheapest of the possible tombs
    
  • The strongest of all architect bonuses is speed bonus (in any percentage). It allows to build a simple tomb during 2 turns instead of 3, thus saving 33% of resources.
    
  • If you haven’t received speed bonus, you’re possibly forced to delay or skip construction of that dynasty tombs, thus correcting your game plan to decrease number of worshiped cults.
• Cults
  
  • Start worshipping Hapi after discovery of Mastabas, do it not-stop until about T260 (~22 times)
    
  • After completion of I dynasty tombs and discovery of Teriocephalic divine images immediately worship Osiris 25-30 times.
    
  • Then worship Horus during ~60 turns (~10 times)
    
  • Worship Ptah
    
    • before the Civil war, if it’s needed to accumulate 250+ hammers;
      
    • from T200 to T242 non-stop;
      
    • before the 7th trial, if it’s needed to accumulate 570+ hammers;
      
    • total is ~11 times
  • During the Civil war worship Neith if needed
    
  • In extreme cases (during strong sandstorm) worship Bastet if needed
    
  • By the end of the game the cult price will be about 75. We can afford this assuming that we built all tombs of I, IV, V, VI (and preferably II and III) dynasties.
• Scouting on the Egypt map. Priority directions:
  
  • Red sea (east) – source of luxuries + fish
    
  • Mediterranean sea (north) – culture from travels + fish
    
  • Palestine (north-east) – source of hammers
    
  • Nubia (south along the Nile) – culture from exploration + conquest
    
  • Region in the south-west corner – culture from travels
    
  • Regions to the west and east from Nubia – colonization
    
  • As soon as possible find all sea regions with fish (in the Red or Mediterranean sea)
    
  • If you find petroglyphs, don’t get them instantly. It’s reasonable to keep them until the end of the game to aid in passing the last trial
    
  • In the late game you need to explore the whole map and complete conquest of 40 regions – that will give the substantial amount of resources
• Actions on the settlement map
  
  • Timely clean the sand and aggressive animal from highland areas where you’re going to build the tombs.
    
  • When you’re acquired excess workers, free from actions on the Egypt map, they must domesticate all animals. That will give extra favor income and help with the last trial.
    
  • Areas suitable for grain fields also should be steadily worked.
• Passing of the ‘Civil war trial’ (184 – 193)
  
  • By T184 accumulate 1500+ power and 250+ hammers
    
  • T184 – spend 15+20+25+30+35 = 125 hammers decreasing the opposite force by 200
    
  • T189 – spend 10+15+20+25+30+35 = 135 hammers decreasing the opposite force by 300. The remaining separatist force will be ~1400
    
  • T189 if playing for Horus (T190 for Seth) – start the attack on the nearby Upper Egypt region
    
  • T191 – worship Neith (if needed)
    
  • T191 – exchange the appropriate amount of luxuries for food, and food for army, achieving the reliable power advantage
    
  • T192 – the enemy conducts assault on our region loosing the majority of his force
    
  • T193 – our attack completes with victory
• Passing of the ‘Great age of pyramids’ trial (223–242)
  
  • By T223 accumulate 500+ hammers and 110+ food
    
  • T223 – spend 10+16+22+28+34 = 110 food to accelerate expeditions from 10 to 6 turns during the trial
    
  • T223 – spend 5+8+11+14+17+20+23+26 = 124 favor to get additional income of hammers and luxuries during the trial
    
  • Build all tombs using acceleration. We have 19 turns to build 9 tombs and 1 Sphinx, each tomb must be built for 2 turns, and Sphinx for 1 turn. 8 dwellings must also be built for 19 turns – use the acceleration for the majority of them
    
  • If normally a tomb is build for 3 turns, turn on the acceleration and complete 2/3 of the work in 1 turn, then turn of the acceleration and complete the remaining 1/3 of the work
    
  • Timely stop the expeditions that won’t complete by the turn when you need to build a tomb or a dwelling in the region. Memphis and next to it region to south start their work at T223, the rest regions start sequentially from north to south
• Passing of the ‘Dramatic reforms’ trial (265)
  
  • By T265 accumulate 570 food, 570 hammers, and 390 luxuries. Spend them immediately and pass the trial.
• Passing of the ‘First intermediate period’ trial (289)
  
  • By T289 you need to accumulate 2000 favor for the victory. All other resources don’t matter
    
  • Stop worshipping cults (Hapi and Ptah) when it’s obvious that accumulated stock is enough to pass the 7th trial
    
  • Don’t forget about your favor reserve in the form of found petroglyphs. Each of them will give ~75 favor (amount equivalent to the current cult price) which helps to accumulate the desired amount
• Development benchmarks
  
  • 30 workers by T140
    
  • 40 workers by T150
    
  • 50 workers by T200
    
  • 60 workers by T220
    
  • 70 workers by T240

The video

No maphack, military passing of the 1st trial

Using maphack, peacefull passing of the 1st trial

[RajaAgni]

In my first game and just found this guide looking to have a question answered. (Would have been nice to have known some of this beforehand but the first game is always a bit blind.) I got "social elevation" on the tech tree and don't know what a new icon is that I get as a one time bonus. I'm probably not far enough in the game for it to be relevant yet. BUT I'm wondering if I have lost this one time bonus or will it still be applied when it becomes relevant.

[mixalios]

Excellent guide, thank you for the effort! It helps immensely.

[Boogafreak]

Excellent guide.
Some aspects of this game are hidden, so that only experience can teach you. And someone else who has experienced it :)
True, I only now finished the historical setting with 28 points, but I think he captures most points, especially the critical ones.
I think the Civil war is definitely the hardest thing this game throws at you.

The utility mentioned is a bit lame IMO, but aside from that, good job :)

[cz]

What does the blue text on some of the nodes in the utility signify?

[Seen]

It is a decent guide but could use much more detail at start (aka step by step and why especially). Kept failing first 2 trials and now gave up and accepted Seth. Still a thumbs up!

[Medjay Archer]

@mviner
I managed to win 7 ironman games (ironman = no cheat, no bug exploit and no reload) so far on Mummypocalypse w/ hardest settings, but the game mode is very broken when it comes to the early game. One needs to play maps after maps until determining one particular one being winnable. If it weren't of the Separatist trial where you cannot bring the odds to a reasonable favorable level, I would say a Mummypocalypse game is won with certainty once Narmer is beaten.

[mviner]

No, I don't see fun in this mode.

[Medjay Archer]

@mviner

Ever tried hardest settings with Mummypocalipe on? I see this guide was written before new mode was released. A month before during 2018 to be exact.

[Soulhunt]

Today passing the Trial worked for the first time for me like described...seemes there is a bug or something

[Rynewulf]

Thanks for the guide! It looks like it's time to go achievement hunting