Slavs

The Slavs are a civilization featured in the Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten expansion. They are an infantry and siege civilization.

They Slavs represent their namesake Eastern European peoples that later become the founders of Russia, Ukraine and many other Eastern European countries that uses the closely related Slavic languages. In Middle Ages many Slavic kingdoms were dominated by aristocrats known as Boyars, which is also their unique unit in form of a heavily armored cavalry. Slavs adopted the Eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity as their religion, and to depict this, their Castle Age unique technology, Orthodoxy, gives Monks extra armor. Slavic armies are mainly composed of infantry, and to depict this, they have access to all infantry upgrades and their Imperial Age unique technology, Druzhina, gives infantry trample damage, making them powerful in groups and against clusters of units. Also, they receive the Tracking technology for free. Slavic economy on the Middle Ages are mosly dependent on agriculture, so Slavic farmers work faster. The Slavs were highly influenced by the Byzantines and learned many techniques and technologies from them, particularly siege engines and military logistics, and to depict this they have cheaper siege weapons and their team bonus makes military buildings provide +5 population.

Description
"The icy plains of Eastern Europe have more under their thick crust of permafrost than meets the eye. After the dissolution of the Mongolian Golden Horde and the emerging of the Khanates, the eyes of the newly formed empires set their eyes upon the west. Thundering hooves of Kievan and Moscovite cavalry, escorted by large squadrons of men at arms terrify the established kingdoms on the horizon."

- Description from www.forgottenempires.net

Overview
Slavs are an offensive, economic civilization with powerful infantry and siege weapons. They have a good economy, missing only the Stone Shaft Mining and Guilds upgrade. Their Monks are tougher than most because of their first unique technology, Orthodoxy, which gives them +3/+3 armour. They have cheaper siege weapons due to their civilization bonus. They have powerful infantry units as they have all infantry upgrades and their second unique technology, Druzhina, gives infantry AOE damage, making them powerful in groups and against clusters of units. Their cavalry is somewhat lacking as they don't have the Paladin upgrade but they make up for this with their unique unit, the Boyar, a cavalry unit with heavy melee armour that can be used as a damage soaker for other units. While they have powerful infantry their archers are weak as they don't have the Arbalest and Bracer and are missing some other archer upgrades such as Thumb Ring.


 * Unique Unit: Boyar (heavily armored cavalry)
 * Unique Technologies: Orthodoxy (Monks extra armor), Druzhina (Infantry damage adjacent units)

Civilization Bonuses

 * Farmers work 15% faster
 * Tracking free
 * Siege units 15% cheaper
 * Team Bonus: Military buildings provide +5 population

Changes in African Kingdoms

 * Farming rate fixed to 1.31 rather than 1.18. Actual farming rate is now at +15% (+15% after wheelbarrow, +5% after handcart)

In-game dialogue language
Until The African Kingdoms expansion, Slav units reuse the Russians' dialogue in Age of Empires III.