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Civilization Technology tree Strategy

ā€œAlong the valleys of the Mekong and Chao Phraya, a culture of architects, statesmen, warriors, and religious devotees flourished. Overthrow the king of Khmer, build strategic alliances, and settle the score with your historic rivals. Construct the largest religious monument in the world and amass an unstoppable army of devastating siege weapons. The Khmer unique unit is the Ballista Elephant, a mounted scorpion that can be upgraded to fire two bolts simultaneously.ā€
—Description[1]

The Khmer are a Southeast Asian civilization introduced in Age of Empires II HD: Rise of the Rajas. The Khmer are based on the Khmer Empire, whose capital was Angkor (located in present Cambodia), one of the largest pre-industrial cities. They focus on siege weapons and elephant units, in their case Battle Elephants and Ballista Elephants.

Characteristics[]

Unique unit[]

Ballistaelephanticon-DE Ballista Elephant: Heavy cavalry siege unit.

Unique technologies[]

UniqueTechCastle-DE Tusk Swords: Battle Elephants +3 attack.
UniqueTechImperialDE Double Crossbow: Ballista Elephants and Scorpions fire an additional bolt of half strength.

Civilization bonuses[]

  • No buildings are required to advance to the next age or to unlock other buildings.
  • Battle Elephants move 10% faster.
  • Farmers don't carry food but rather add it directly to the stockpile without any drop-off, but work 5% slower.
  • Villagers (and Kings) can garrison in Houses.

Team bonus[]

Scorpions have +1 range.

Overview[]

The Khmer are classified as an elephant and siege civilization, and they really shine in their advertised departments. Their Battle Elephants are particularly dangerous as they get a notable speed boost which, along with Husbandry, effectively addresses their greatest weakness which is the low speed (although they are still not fast enough to escape Halberdiers). Additionally, they get +3 attack out of Tusk Swords which lifts their attack to levels only the Elite War Elephant sits in. Their cavalry department in general is fairly solid, with fully upgraded Hussars and Cavaliers.

The Khmer siege weapons are excellent for one reason: their Scorpions. They get +1 range from their team bonus and another +1 from Siege Engineers for a total of 9 - enough to outrange Arbalesters, and they get a second bolt fired simultaneously (from Double Crossbow) which greatly increases their damage output. The Ballista Elephant, while lacking range and damage output, is a very durable unit that is very self-sufficient. Their navy is average, as they lack the Heavy Demolition Ship and Shipwright. Their defensive structures and Monks are likewise average. Their economy is great with their Farmers' ability to drop off food instantly.

The Khmer infantry are very weak, without Champions, Squires, Supplies, and Plate Mail Armor. Their archers are decent, but the lack of Thumb Ring can hurt.

Overall, the Khmer are a diverse civilization with both conventional and unconventional unit choices. They are very flexible when it comes to their build orders and opening up to unconventional and unpredictable strategies.

Changelog[]

AoE2-DLCicon-4 Rise of the Rajas[]

  • With patch 5.8, the Arbalester was added to the technology tree.

AoEIIDE icon Definitive Edition[]

  • Faith added to the technology tree.
  • Hussar added to the technology tree.
  • Shipwright removed from the technology tree.
  • With update 34699, a new civilization bonus was added: Farmers no longer require Mills or Town Centers to drop off food.
    • As part of this, Farmers work 3% slower, to balance out the fact that dropping off food normally slows down farmers by a lot.
  • With update 36906, the Bombard Cannon is no longer available.
  • With update 37650, Supplies was removed from their technology tree.
  • With update 42848:
    • Farmers' work rate debuff increased (3% ā†’ 5%).
    • Battle Elephants' speed buff decreased (15% ā†’ 10% faster).
    • Tusk Swords costs more (200 wood, 300 gold ā†’ 300 wood, 450 gold).

AoE2Icon-LordsWest Lords of the West[]

  • With update 44725, Treadmill Crane removed from the technology tree.

AoE2Icon-DynastiesIndia Dynasties of India[]

Campaign appearances[]

The Khmer have a campaign devoted to their civilization: Suryavarman I. They are also playable as the second player in the co-op version of the campaign in all but the fourth scenario. They also appear in:

CampaignIcon-GajahMadaDE Gajah Mada[]

CampaignIcon-SuryavarmanIDE Suryavarman I[]

This campaign is played as the Khmer.

  • Usurpation
    • Udayavidityavarman I - Enemy
    • Udayavidityavarman's Army - Enemy
    • Angkor - Enemy
    • Local Inhabitants - Ally
  • Quelling the Rebellion
    • Northern Rebels - Enemy
    • Eastern Rebels - Enemy
    • Local Inhabitants - Ally
  • A Dangerous Mission
    • Hostile Locals - Enemy
    • Khmer Empire - Ally
    • Local Inhabitants - Ally
  • Nirvanapada
    • Khmer Rebels - Enemy

CampaignIcon-BayinnaungDE Bayinnaung[]

CampaignIcon-LeLoiDE Le Loi[]

Rajendra Icon Rajendra[]

In-game dialogue language[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

Khmer units speak their namesake, an Austroasiatic language (related to the language spoken by the Vietnamese) spoken as the official language of the modern Cambodia.

Along with the Malay, Khmer is one of the few major languages of mainland Southeast Asia that is non-tonal. It also shares similarities with Malay due to Indian and Sanskrit influence (e.g. Suosdey in Khmer and Swasti in Malay).

Villager
Military
Monk
King

AI player names[]

When playing a random map game against the computer, the player may encounter any of the following Khmer AI characters:

  • Barom Reachea I (įž”įžšįž˜įžšįž¶įž˜įž¶įž’įž·įž”įžįžøįž‘įžøįŸ”, also known as Dhamkat (įžŠįŸ†įžįž¶įžįŸ‹); reigned 1363 to 1370): One of the last kings of the Khmer Empire under the rule of the Thai Kingdom of Ayutthaya. He lead a rebellion against the Ayutthaya Empire before he died after being poisoned by his crucibles, leading to civil war and downfall of Khmer Empire. Father of Ponhea Yat.
  • Indravarman III (įž„įž“įŸ’įž‘įŸ’įžšįžœįžšįŸ’įž˜įŸįž“įž‘įžøįŸ£; reigned 1295 to 1308): King of the Khmer Empire, also titled Srindravarman (Khmer: įžŸįŸ’įžšįžøįž“įŸ’įž‘įŸ’įžšįžœįžšįŸ’įž˜įŸįž“). Upon his ascent to power, he declared Theravada Buddhism as the state religion. Son-in-law of Jayavarman VIII.
  • Jayavarman II (įž‡įŸįž™įžœįžšįŸ’įž˜įŸįž“įž‘įžøįŸ¢; reigned 802 to 835): Founder of the Khmer Empire, he unified several parts of Khmer warlord states, marking the beginning of Angkor (great city) era in Cambodia history.
  • Jayavarman VII Mahaparamasaugata (įž‡įŸįž™įžœįžšįŸ’įž˜įŸįž“įž‘įžøįŸ§; 1125-1218, reigned 1181 to 1218): Regarded as one of the greatest kings in Khmer history and his reign is remembered as the "golden age" of the Khmer Empire. During his reign, he defeated the Champas, expanding his empire to its greatest extent, as well as building the Bayon Temple and hundreds of Buddhist temples.
  • Jayaviravarman (įž‡įž™įžœįžøįžšįžœįž˜įŸŒįŸ’įž˜, reigned 1002 to 1006): Khmer King who dethroned Udayadityavarman I, ruled the Khmer Empire during the civil war before being defeated by Suryavarman I.
  • Ponhea Yat (įž–įž‰įž¶įž™įŸ‰įž¶įž; 1396-1463, reigned 1405 - 1463): The last king of the Khmer Empire who reigned at the age of 11, known by his reigning title as Barom Reachea II (įž”įžšįž˜įžšįž¶įž‡įž¶įž‘įžøįŸ¢). After the attack by the Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1436, he was forced to submit his kingdom to the Ayutthaya, ending the Angkor era and beginning the era of the Kingdom of Cambodia, which saw the conquest over Cambodia between the Siamese and the Vietnamese.
  • Rajendravarman II (įžšįž¶įž‡įŸįž“įŸ’įž‘įŸ’įžšįžœįžšįŸ’įž˜įŸįž“įž‘įžøįŸ¢; reigned 944 to 968): King of the Khmer Empire, described as a great warrior-king who ruled his people kindly.
  • Sangrama (įžŸįž„įŸ’įž‚įŸ’įžšįž¶įž˜, died in 1065): General under the service of Udayadityavarman II, he was credited for putting down several rebellions against Udayadityavarman II's rule.
  • Suryavarman I (įžŸįž¼įžšįŸ’įž™įžœįžšįŸ’įž˜įŸįž“įž‘įžøįŸ”; reigned 1006 to 1050): First king of the united Khmer Empire. During his reign, he expanded his territory to the west to Lopburi, including the Menam basin in Thailand, and east into the Mekong basin. After his death in 1050, he gained the posthumous title Nirvanapada (the king who has gone to nirvana) for his Buddhist beliefs.
  • Suryavarman II Paramavishnuloka (įžŸįž¼įžšįŸ’įž™įžœįžšįŸ’įž˜įŸįž“įž‘įžøįŸ¢; reigned 1113 to 1145/1150): King of the Khmer Empire, widely regarded as the greatest king of Khmer Empire, well known for building the Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world.
  • Udayadityavarman I (įž§įž‘įž™įž¶įž‘įž·įžįŸ’įž™įžœįž˜įŸŒįŸ’įž˜įž‘įžøįŸ”, reigned for only few months in 1002): Succeeded the throne after Jayavarman V, Udayadityavarman I later dethroned by Jayaviravarman in 1002.
  • Yasovarman I (įž–įŸ’įžšįŸ‡įž”įž¶įž‘įž™įžŸįŸ„įžœįžšįŸ’įž˜įŸįž“įž‘įžøįŸ”; reigned 889 - 910): King of the Khmer Empire. His reign is remarkable for various major construction projects, he built several water reservoirs around the new capital of Yasodharapura (later known as Angkor) as well as a hundred monasteries.

History[]

ā€œAlthough the Khmer people had already settled in present-day Cambodia since the second millennium BC, larger polities would only emerge from the first century AD on. Along the Mekong river, the kingdom of Funan (68-550) and the kingdom of Chenla (550-802) profited greatly from trade and rice cultivation. However, it was their successor, the Khmer Empire (802-1431), that became the most powerful state during the Middle Ages in mainland Southeast Asia.

A century after the kingdom of Chenla had disintegrated, a local chief from Southeast Cambodia called Jayavarman II (770-834) reunited the different polities through military conquest and marriages. Following his successful expedition, Jayavarman crowned himself God King (Deva Raja) in 802. This ritual act, inspired by Indian Hinduism and local traditions, not only marked the birth of the Khmer empire, but also legitimized the Khmer kings as manifestations of the Hindu gods Shiva or Vishnu. Successive rulers used this power to intervene in many aspects of the Khmer society:
History khmer

First, kings ordered largescale waterworks. Because monsoons greatly affected water levels, proper irrigation systems were essential for the widespread rice cultivation. At the same time, the government did not try to control production itself. Instead, local officials collected a levy from the traders in the marketplace, which was mainly run by women. Temples served as storage and were connected by an extensive network of roads, facilitating long-distance trade.

Second, Khmer rulers funded extensive building programs as they regularly moved their capital. This relocation was often accompanied by the construction of a new state temple that acted as the center of the city and a place for worshiping the king. Angkor, one of the largest pre-industrial urban areas, consisted of seven capital cities and housed over one thousand temples. In the early twelfth century, Suryavarman II (1113-1150) constructed the most famous state temple, Angkor Wat. Today, the temple is still considered the largest religious complex in the world, testifying to the engineering and architectural skills of the Khmer.

Finally, the king commanded the army. Between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, Khmer rulers continuously conducted military campaigns and conquered much of Southeast Asia. Their major enemies were the Siamese, the Vietnamese, and the Cham, who raided Angkor in 1177 and 1178. The Khmer had no standing army, but relied on appointed captains who were responsible for conscripting peasants in times of war. Aside from this large contingent of peasant infantry, the army deployed war elephants, sometimes mounted with ballistae.

The Khmer not only fought other civilizations. Because kings married multiple women, disputes between different lineages often resulted in civil wars. For example, after Suryavarman I (1002-1049) had claimed the throne, he fought eight years with other contenders. Political instability was inherent to the Khmer society. However, from the fourteenth century on, civil wars became more frequent as rulers were unable to deal with other, structural problems: rice cultivation declined due to a cooling of temperature, the conversion from Hinduism to Theravada Buddhism undermined the legitimacy of kings as divine ruler, and warfare with the Siamese resulted in a continuous loss of territory. Eventually, king Ponhea Yat (1405-1463) abandoned Angkor in 1431, marking the end of the great Khmer Empire.
ā€

Trivia[]

  • The bottom left and right of the navigation bar in the user interface display an image of human face based from the statues found in Bayon Temple depicting the face of Avalokiteśvara.
    • This image is also used as the civilization icon of the Khmer in the Definitive Edition.
  • The middle of the navigation bar displays a human-bird creature based on the Garuda, commonly depicted in Angkor reliefs as a symbol of power and is similar to the national emblem of modern Thailand.
  • Khmer Houses can be compared to Atlantean Manors from Age of Mythology: The Titans; both can garrison Villagers. However, Manors support more population, soldiers can garrison inside and also cost some gold alongside wood.
  • The following heroes available in the Scenario Editor are themed on the Khmer: Suryavarman I and Udayadityavarman I. Jayaviravarman is portrayed as a Malay prince, but he was also distantly related to the Khmer ruling family before Suryavarman's ascension.
  • They are the only civilization outside most Age of Empires III civilizations (Asian ones, however, need to construct Wonders) that can advance to the next Age without requirements. They also are the only civilization outside of the Age of Empires III civilizations and the Atlantean Citizens of Age of Mythology: The Titans that don't need dropsites for food produced by farms.
  • Until the Definitive Edition, Khmer Battle Elephants were the weakest against conversion as they did not have access to Faith.
  • The original Rise of the Rajas campaign scenario prologues and epilogues consistently mispronounce the name of the civilization. The Definitive Edition re-dub uses the proper pronunciation, better approximated by the spelling "K'mai" ().
  • The Khmer are the only civilization added in Rise of the Rajas that can train Hand Cannoneers. They are also the only Rise of the Rajas civilization to lack the Bombard Cannon, and to lack Supplies.
  • During the beta, Khmer Villagers could use Houses as dropsites for resources, mostly due to a bug.
  • The Khmer are the only non-India civilization with access to more than one type of elephant unit.

Behind the scenes[]

Although the Khmer are one of the newest civilizations in Age of Empires II series, they have long been considered as the new potential addition by Ensemble Studio. During the development of The Conquerors, Khmer - along with Tibetans and Koreans - were considered as one of the new factions to represent the Far East region. Eventually, the developers picked Koreans because they were impressed with Turtle Ships and attracted by potential sales in South Korea.[2]

Gallery[]

Video overview[]

References[]

Civilizations in Age of Empires II
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AoE2-DLCicon-3 The African KingdomsCivIcon-Berbers Berbers Ā· CivIcon-Ethiopians Ethiopians Ā· CivIcon-Malians Malians Ā· CivIcon-Portuguese Portuguese
AoE2-DLCicon-4 Rise of the RajasCivIcon-Burmese Burmese Ā· CivIcon-Khmer Khmer Ā· CivIcon-Malay Malay Ā· CivIcon-Vietnamese Vietnamese
AoE2-DLCicon-5 The Last KhansCivIcon-Bulgarians Bulgarians Ā· CivIcon-Cumans Cumans Ā· CivIcon-Lithuanians Lithuanians Ā· CivIcon-Tatars Tatars
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