Kushan Empire

Difficulty: hard Winning chance: medium

Faction: Barbarian
Land fields: 328
Starting population: 583,000
Provinces: 2
Cities: 3
Currency: Dinar
Growth material: Stone
Starting treasury: 2,000,000
Starting ships: 2
Starting trains: 5

Historical background

The Kushans emerged from the Yuezhi, a people driven from western China as far as Bactria by the Xiongnu in the 2nd century BC. In the 1st century AD Kujula Kadphises united the Yuezhi tribes; at its height under Kanishka the empire reached from Bactria into the Ganges plain. Lying on the Silk Road between Rome, Parthia and Han China, it promoted Buddhism and the Greek-influenced art of Gandhara. In the 3rd century it lost its western lands to the Sasanians.

Strategic overview

The Kushan Empire is a large inland realm at the centre of Asia with hardly any coast. It borders five realms, and with Persia it shares the longest land border on the map. With five neighbours, a war on two fronts comes quickly.

As a barbarian realm you raise Tribes, up to 5 a month, the last two of them at a surcharge. Your troops are cheaper and more numerous but of lower quality. You can only form a friendship with other barbarian realms.

What to watch

Persia and Sogdia are your longest borders. Both are barbarian and therefore open to friendship: settle early which of them you want peace with.
You start with few ships and many trains. Trains are your main way to move goods.
You have horses, gold and salt, but no food deposits. Food only grows in Latifundia on your plains.
To the south-east lies India, also barbarian and itself tied down on three fronts. A pact with India keeps your back free there.

Provinces

Province	Land fields	Share of province	Starting population
Baktria	188	100%	272,500
Balutschistan	140	94%	310,500

Terrain

Terrain	Land fields	Share
Hill	84	26%
Plain	75	23%
Savanna	58	18%
Mountain	52	16%
Forest	27	8%
Desert	17	5%
Steppe	11	3%
Swamp	4	1%

Resource deposits

Resource	Fields
Horses	5
Salt	2
Gold	2
Oil	1

Cities

City	Starting building	Province	Position (x / y)
Balchas	Trade centre	Baktria	82 / 32
Alexandria-Archosium	Trade centre	Baktria	101 / 39
Musarna	Trade centre	Balutschistan	100 / 59

Army

This realm's legion types and unit types, with its own values. Compare all troops

Legion types

Legion type	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Infantriestamm	MSI	MSI	MII	MII	LEI	LEI	LEI	LEI	KRG	KRG
Kriegerstamm	KRG	KRG	KRG	KRG	KRG	KRG	KRG	KRG	KRG	KRG
Kavalleriestamm	SWR	SWR	MIR	MIR	MIR	LER	LER	LER	LER	KRB
Kriegerstamm beritten	KRB	KRB	KRB	KRB	KRB	KRB	KRB	KRB	KRB	KRB

Unit types

No.	Name	Class	MK	HG	Rüpu	EW	SW	Pla	Hil	Stp	Sav	For	Des	Swa	Mtn	FK	RW	Wt.	MP
21	Legionäre des Crassus	MSI	RB	85	5	4	85	5	5	5	5	3	4	2	3	—	—	200	36
24	Palastgarde	MSI	IB	75	5	4	70	5	4	4	4	3	4	2	3	—	—	200	32
40	Lanzentruppen	MII	IC	48	2	3	40	4	3	3	3	2	3	2	2	—	—	200	32
42	Masagetische Kämpfer	MII	IC	30	1	3	30	3	3	4	3	2	2	2	3	—	—	200	32
44	Speerwerfertruppen	MII	IB	30	2	3	40	4	3	3	4	2	2	3	3	3	9	200	32
46	Axtkämpfer	MII	IC	40	2	3	40	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	3	—	—	200	32
47	Kushanitische Infantrie	MII	IB	35	2	3	40	4	4	5	4	2	4	2	3	—	—	200	32
52	Baktrische Griechen	MII	IB	50	4	4	60	4	4	5	4	3	2	2	4	—	—	200	32
53	Phalanxtruppen	MII	IC	34	4	3	60	4	4	4	4	2	3	2	2	—	—	200	32
56	Kriegselefanten mounted	MII	IC	150	4	3	55	8	6	7	8	3	4	2	2	2	9	600	24
68	Bogenschützen	LEI	IB	30	1	3	30	3	3	3	3	3	3	2	3	4	14	200	32
69	Schleuderer	LEI	IB	30	1	3	25	3	3	3	3	3	3	2	3	4	12	200	32
72	Tocharische Kämpfer	LEI	IC	20	1	3	35	3	3	4	3	2	2	2	4	—	—	200	32
76	Pfeilgeschützabteilung	LEI	IB	350	24	3	60	4	4	4	4	4	4	2	3	4	26	200	32
77	Steinschleuderabteilung	LEI	IB	425	36	3	60	4	4	4	4	4	4	2	3	5	20	200	32
84	Persische Aufgebotstruppen	LEI	IC	26	1	2	30	3	3	4	3	2	2	2	2	—	—	200	32
85	Baktrische Infantrie	LEI	IC	25	1	2	30	3	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	—	—	200	32
92	Plänklertruppen	LEI	IC	20	1	3	30	3	3	3	3	3	2	2	3	3	9	200	32
106	Sogdische Bergkrieger	KRG	IC	13	1	2	25	3	3	3	3	2	3	2	4	2	9	180	32
107	Bergstammkrieger	KRG	IC	16	0	2	20	3	3	3	3	3	2	2	4	2	9	180	32
109	Stammeskrieger	KRG	IC	20	0	2	20	3	3	3	3	3	2	2	3	2	9	180	32
122	Kataphrakten mounted	SWK	RB	280	14	5	135	12	10	11	12	3	7	2	3	3	14	480	40
123	Persische Clibarnii mounted	SWK	RB	220	12	4	120	8	6	7	8	4	6	2	3	2	14	480	40
126	Sichelstreitwagen mounted	SWK	IA	125	5	4	70	7	6	4	7	1	2	1	1	2	9	480	40
130	Skythische Adelsreiterei mounted	SWR	IA	75	5	4	80	6	5	6	6	2	3	2	3	—	—	450	40
133	Berittene Axtkämpfer mounted	SWR	IB	48	4	3	70	6	5	5	6	3	2	2	3	—	—	450	40
138	Sogdische Adlige mounted	SWR	IA	67	4	4	70	6	5	6	6	2	3	2	2	—	—	450	40
140	Schwerer Streitwagen mounted	SWR	IB	70	4	3	70	5	4	4	5	2	2	1	1	3	9	450	40
148	Speerwerfer beritten mounted	MIR	IB	35	3	3	50	4	3	3	4	2	3	2	2	3	9	420	40
153	Kamellanzenreiter mounted	MIR	IC	38	3	3	50	3	3	4	3	2	5	2	2	—	—	420	40
162	Berittene Bogenschützen mounted	LER	IB	30	2	3	35	3	3	3	3	3	3	2	3	4	14	400	40
164	Dromedarkavallerie mounted	LER	IC	20	1	3	30	3	3	4	3	2	5	2	3	—	—	400	40
175	Persische ber. Bogenschützen mounted	LER	IB	40	2	3	40	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	4	14	400	40
178	Leichter Streitwagen mounted	LER	IB	40	3	3	45	3	3	3	3	1	2	1	2	3	9	400	40
186	Nomadenstammeskrieger mounted	KRB	IC	25	0	2	20	3	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	—	—	380	40
187	Uigurische Steppenreiter mounted	KRB	IC	15	1	2	25	3	3	3	4	2	3	2	2	3	14	380	40

MK Moral class · HG Bounty per man · Rüpu Armour points per 25 men · EW Highest experience through training · SW Protection value · FK Ranged combat points · RW Range of ranged combat · Wt. Transport weight per man · MP Movement points · The eight columns in between are the melee points per terrain.