Abbasid Dynasty

This article is about the civilization in Age of Empires IV. For the civilization in Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, see Saracens.

Civilization

Technology tree

Mastery

Abbasid Dynasty
Civilization
Civilization information
Introduced in	Age of Empires IV
Continent	Asia
In-game theme
Difficulty	2/3
Timeframe	750 - 1517 CE
Features/Characteristics
Focus	Technology, Camels and City Planning
Unique units	Camel Rider Camel Archer Ghulam Trade Caravan
Unique technologies	19

The Abbasid Dynasty is a playable Asian civilization in Age of Empires IV.

Their variant civilization are the Ayyubids.

As an Arab civilization, they also feature in Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings as the Saracens.

Civilization overview

“	The Abbasid Dynasty is an adaptive civilization due to their ability to research unique upgrades at the House of Wisdom. These upgrades impact and alter core game elements and mechanics, providing a unique way to build your empire. In Age of Empires IV, the Abbasid Dynasty civilization spans the years 750-1517 CE and is based on the Abbasid Caliphate and the Mamluk Sultanate. The empire was born in modern-day Iraq, but after the Mongols destroyed its capital of Baghdad in 1258, the seat of power moved to Cairo. You will experience the "Golden Age of Islam" playing the Abbasid Dynasty. This period saw flourishing technological innovations as the medieval world raced towards the modern era. The Abbasid Dynasty ruled the spiritual heart of the Islamic world for nearly 800 years, surviving civil wars, the Crusades, the Mongol invasion, relentless piracy, and rebellions.	”
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Strengths

“	The Abbasid Dynasty civilization is centered around their House of Wisdom, which provides unique upgrade opportunities and acts as the basis of their Golden Age mechanic. As buildings are constructed around the House of Wisdom, the tier of their Golden Age increases, bringing with it increases to gather, research, and production rates. Unique to their civilization, the Abbasid Dynasty receive Camel Archers and Camel Riders, which serve as unique anti-cavalry cavalry units. The Abbasid Dynasty's unique ability to construct Landmarks and advance through the ages without needing to assign active villagers enables the Abbasid Dynasty to continue gathering resources, construct buildings, or perform other tasks allowing uninterrupted growth.	”
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Civilization bonuses

• Pursuit of Knowledge: Instead of building landmarks, Age up without the need for Villagers at the House of Wisdom by upgrading up to four wings - Economic, Military, Culture, and Trade. Each of these wings unlock unique technologies in each Age.
• Camel Fighters: Camel units spook enemy horse cavalry with their presence, reducing damage of nearby enemy horse cavalry by -20%.
• Siege Experts: Infantry units are able to construct Battering Rams and Siege Towers from the Dark Age without researching Siege Engineering. They can also construct Springalds and Mangonels from the Castle Age.
• Grand Orchards:
  • Constructing the Mill near Berry Bushes create Orchards, which increases the amount of food available per bush by 100 (from 250 to 350 Food per Berry Bush).
  • Villagers gather from Berry Bushes 25% faster, but cannot gather from Boar.
  • Villagers carry +3 food from Berry Bushes.
• Trade Economy: Land Traders are 33% cheaper.
• Dockyards: Docks are 50% cheaper.
• Golden Age: Enter a Golden Age by building structures within the influence of the House of Wisdom, increasing resource gather rate, research times, and production speed. Buildings within this influence gain +5 fire armor.

Golden Age bonuses

Tier	Buildings	Bonuses
		Resource gather rates	Research speed	Production speed
	10	+15%
	30	+15%	+20%
	60	+20%	+20%	+20%

Starting resources

200 food, 200 wood, 100 gold

Unique units

• Camel Archer: Light ranged cavalry that deals bonus damage to light melee infantry.
• Camel Rider: Light melee cavalry that deals bonus damage to cavalry.
• Ghulam: Man-at-Arms replacement. Heavy melee infantry that can attack twice in a quick succession, as well as having increased hit points and faster movement speed, in exchange for lower base melee attack and increased cost and training time.

“	Unique to their civilization, the Abbasid Dynasty receive Camel Archers and Camel Riders, which serve as unique anti-cavalry cavalry units. The Camel Archer is an anti-cavalry cavalry unit that reduces damage from nearby enemy cavalry units. Their expanded attack range and higher damage than average Horse Archers allows them to pick away at enemy cavalry from a safe distance. The Imam is an inspirational community leader that can be created from the Abbasid's Mosque building.	”
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• Trade Caravan: A camel variant of the Trader.

Unique buildings

• House of Wisdom (Economic Wing, Trade Wing, Military Wing and Culture Wing)

Landmarks

The House of Wisdom is the only Landmark available to the Abbasid Dynasty. It can be built in the Dark Age and upgraded with new 'wings' to provide various bonuses. Wings can be added in any order, and each wing that is added advances the civilization to the next Age except for the wing that can be added in the Imperial Age. For more information about this unique mechanic, see the House of Wisdom's article.

Unique technologies

• Fresh Foodstuffs (Mill) - Villagers are 35% cheaper.
• Teak Masts (Dock) - Increases military ships' hit points by 10%.
• Phalanx (Barracks) - Spearmen +100% attack range.
• Camel Rider Shields (Stable) - Camel Riders +3 melee armor.
• Camel Handling (Blacksmith) - Camel units' movement speed +15%
• Camel Rider Barding (Stable) - Camel Riders' melee and ranged armor +2
• Proselytization (Mosque) - Imams can convert single units without holding a Relic (called Proselytize).
• Preservation of Knowledge (House of Wisdom with Culture Wing) - Technologies are 20% cheaper.
• Medical Centers (House of Wisdom with Culture Wing) - Keeps and Town Centers heal nearby friendly units for 2 hit points per second.
• Public Libraries (House of Wisdom with Culture Wing) - Villagers gain +2 hit points per economic technology researched.
• Fertile Crescent (House of Wisdom with Economy Wing) - Reduces wood and stone cost of economic buildings and Houses by 35%.
• Agriculture (House of Wisdom with Economy Wing) - Villagers gather 15% faster from Farms.
• Improved Processing (House of Wisdom with Economy Wing) - Villagers drop off 8% more resources.
• Boot Camp (House of Wisdom with Military Wing) - Infantry +15% hit points.
• Composite Bows (House of Wisdom with Military Wing) - Archers' reload time -0.375 seconds.
• Camel Support (House of Wisdom with Military Wing) - Camel units boost armor of nearby infantry by +2.
• Grand Bazaar (House of Wisdom with Trade Wing) - Trade Caravans return an additional secondary resource.
• Armored Caravans (House of Wisdom with Trade Wing) - Trade Caravans and Trade Ships +3 melee and ranged armor.
• Spice Roads (House of Wisdom with Trade Wing) - Trade Caravans return 30% more gold.

Changelog

• Originally, Abbasid Dynasty gathered berries +25% faster and did not have a Berry Bush carry capacity bonus. With patch 11009, the gather rate bonus was increased to +30% and they gained a +3 carry capacity bonus. With update 12.0.1974, the bonus was decreased back to +25%.
• Originally, building a Mill next to Berry Bushes increased their total food by +250. With the Season One Update, this was decreased to +100.
• With the Season Two Update 17718, the Golden Age tier 1 bonus was changed from +10% gather rate to +15% gather rate.
• With update 7.0.5861, the Abbasid Dynasty received the Ghulam unique unit to replace the standard Man-at-Arms on its roster.
• With Patch 11.1.1201, the Abbasid Dynasty received the Public Libraries unique technology.
• With update 12.0.1974, the Abbasid Dynasty no longer has access to the Bombard.
• With update 13.0.4178, the Abbasid Dynasty's Trader was replaced by the Trade Caravan.

In-game dialogue

The units of the Abbasid Dynasty speak Arabic

Trivia

• The flag of the Abbasid Dynasty is the Black Standard, one of the flags flown by Muhammad in Muslim tradition. It was historically used by Abu Muslim in his uprising leading to the Abbasid Revolution in 747 and is also associated with the Abbasid Caliphate.
• The time span of the civilization begins in 750, with the establishment of the Abbasid Caliphate, and ends in 1517, the year that the Ottomans conquered Mamluk Egypt and ended the Abbasid Dynasty of Caliphs and established the Ottoman Caliphate.

Gallery

An Abbasid city

Imperial Age Abbasid City

Prayer Hall of Uqba

Promotional photo from game website

Concept art of an Abbasid warship