Forced Levy is a technology in Age of Empires II HD: Rise of the Rajas that is unique to the Malay and can be researched at the Castle once the Imperial Age is reached. Once researched, it eliminates the entire gold cost and adds an equal food cost of the Militia-line, practically turning them into trash units.
With Forced Levy researched, Militia line units cost 70 food, 0 gold.
Strategy[]
In order to keep the late game balance, the Malay crucially lack the final Militia line upgrade, the Champion, and Gambesons. They do however have access to all infantry Blacksmith technologies, making their Two-Handed Swordsmen very useful for their price, giving the Malay an edge in late game trash wars, when gold has become a scarcity.
Like the Persian unique technology Kamandaran, the Magyar unique technology Corvinian Army, and the Bohemian unique technology Hussite Reforms, the player should research Forced Levy as soon as they require more infantry in order to have the highest possible use. As the Militia line units cost 20 gold each, this technology pays out gold-wise if more than 25 units are trained after researching it.
Team bonuses[]
Portuguese: Researching Forced Levy is 25% faster.
Changelog[]
Rise of the Rajas[]
Definitive Edition[]
- Forced Levy now costs 850 food, 500 gold, and changes the gold cost of Militia line units to food. This was done due to the addition of Supplies.
Trivia[]
- The English word "levy" originates from the Middle French words lever, to raise, and levée, raised.
- Compulsory recruitment is by no means a Malay invention, being evidenced as early as the reign of Babylonian king Hammurabi (18th century BC).
- However, the technology may be a reference to the capture of Malacca in 1511, where a large portion of the Malaccan troops were commoners mustered for war or unpaid slave soldiers.
