Civilization Match-up Discussion Round 7 Week 1: Berbers vs Magyars

Lots of cavalry, lots of cavalry counters - same goes of cavalry archers.

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Hello and welcome back for another Age of Empires 2 civilization match up discussion! This is a series where we discuss the various advantages, disadvantages, and quirks found within the numerous match ups of the game. The goal is to collectively gain a deeper understanding of how two civilizations interact with each other in a variety of different settings. Feel free to ask questions, pose strategies, or provide insight on how the two civilizations in question interact with each other on any map type and game mode. This is not limited to 1v1 either. Feel free to discuss how the civilizations compare in team games as well! So long as you are talking about how the two civilizations interact, anything is fair game! Last week we discussed the Aztecs vs Celts, and next up is the Berbers vs Magyars!

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Berbers: Cavalry and Naval civilization:

• Villagers move +10% faster
• Stable units cost -15/20% in Castle/Imperial Age
• Ships move +10% faster
• TEAM BONUS: Genitours available at Archery Range
• Unique Unit: Camel Archer (Anti-cav archer.... cav archer)
• Unique Unit: Genitour (Mounted skirmisher)
• Castle Age Unique Tech: Kasbah (TEAM Castles work +25% faster)
• Imperial Age Unique Tech: Maghrebi Camels

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Magyars: Cavalry civilization

• Villagers kill wolves in 1 strike
• Forging, Iron Casting, Blast Furnace free
• Scout-line costs -15%
• TEAM BONUS: Foot Archers +2 LoS
• Unique Unit: Magyar Huszar (Light cavalry unit with bonus damage vs siege)
• Castle Age Unique Tech: Mercenaries (Magyar Huszars do not cost gold)
• Imperial Age Unique Tech: Recurve Bow (Cavalry Archers +1 attack, +1 range)

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Below are some match up-specific talking points to get you all started. These are just to give people ideas, you do not need to address them specifically if you do not want to!

• So it may seem like Berbers have Magyars' number for 1v1 Arabia, but critically the Magyars are at their strongest when Berbers are at their weakest (early-mid Feudal Age), and Magyars critically have access to Halberdiers whereas Berbers do not. Is this enough to overcome the fact that Berbers can make incredibly strong counters to the Magyar military?
• As a pocket civ in a team game, both of these civs seem very powerful, but not quite at that highest tier. Magyars have a deadly scout rush and full access to Paladins, but lack much of an eco bonus, whereas Berbers possess powerful discounted cavaliers/camels, as well as the camel archer, but unfortunately miss that Paladin tech. Which is overall more valuable to your team?
• In a late game slugfest between these two civs on any 1v1 land map, who has the edge? Magyars possess FU skirms, cheaper scouts, magyar huszars, and halberdiers, whereas Berbers possess even cheaper scouts, skirms/genitours with all upgrades, cost-efficient camel archers, but not halberdier. Really the question boils down to how much you value halberdiers, even if they miss their 2 most important upgrades with squires and plate mail armor 11

Thank you as always for participating! Next week we will begin round 7 with the Goths vs Spanish. Hope to see you there! :)

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Previous discussions: Part 1 Part 2