Malays/Strategic Overview

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< Malays

Faction Overview Strategic Overview History
  • Strengths: Very expansive civ, with access to some very decent naval units which are cheap enough to achieve early naval supremacy.
  • Weaknesses: Very poor land armies and nearly no late game units.

The Malay civ is one which is highly specialised for use on water maps, especially maps where land is scarce, but water is plentiful. One of the main draws for the Malay civ of Rise of the Ancients is its access to War Canoes. While other factions must rely on War Boats, which are quite slow, War Canoes, being weaker but faster to build and sail, can be deadlier in the right hands. You can use these units to thus harass enemy shipping early on, killing their Tradesmen on the water for loot whilst laying the pressure on their shores to stop them from building larger sea vessels.

On shore, and in later eras, however, the Malays do not enjoy many perks as theirs is essentially a Stone Age civilisation. They lack most Bronze Age upgrades for their units, while other factions can build better warships, especially in the early stages of the game. As such, the Malays are a race that must be played aggressively - and that is by pouring your resources into Timber at any cost, beginning with Logging Camps to acquire enough Timber to build your fleets and then to make way for your War Barges and Longships. Clear the seas of as much enemy shipping where possible, then send your Peons to occupy any and all islands - the more land you acquire, the more Food and thus more units you can create. Wealth and Influence, however, are things you should not neglect — take out enemy Tradesmen wherever you can, and ensure you have plenty of Councillors producing enough Influence to then supplement your armies with your Jungle Tribe mercenaries.

Design notes[edit | edit source]

New American voice lines are needed: namely Tupi, Inca, Aztec, Carib.

But Malays should be allowed to train only a smattering of Miao and Jungle units:

  • Man Warriors (they fight as heavy infantry) [2]
  • Jungle Clubmen [1]
  • Jungle Hunters [2]
  • Asian Elephant [2]

And Olmec?

  • Jungle Clubmen [1]
  • Jungle Bowmen [2]
  • Jungle Hunters [2]