The Europeans

There's no mystery here: the Europeans were the first culture introduced in Age of Empires III, and at that time, the concept of cultures didn't even exist in this game. They feature the simplest gameplay possible and are designed for people playing Age of Empires III for the first time.

Being simple doesn't mean they're weak, though: the Europeans feature powerful units, the best ships and best artillery in the game. They're also the only culture that has access to Factories and to the Hospital.

Hospital

New to the European arsenal, a Home City card that sends a Hospital Wagon, which becomes a Hospital. This building not only heals nearby units, but also trains surgeons and greatly improves the hitpoints, training speed and healing abilities of your units.

Advanced religion

Birthplace of most religions present in Wars of Liberty, European civilizations have a new card called Advanced Religion. Not only does it double the hitpoints of religious units, but it also enables the Inquisitor, a unit that is both a priest and spy!

An ultimate unit

Usually at Industrial Age, all Europeans get a very strong unique unit, except for the Italians. Read more below.

British

The unified Kingdom of Great Britain came into being on 1 May 1707, the result of Acts of Union being passed by the parliaments of England and Scotland to unite the two kingdoms. The term 'United Kingdom' became official in 1801 when the parliaments of Britain and Ireland each passed an Act of Union, uniting the two kingdoms and creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. After the defeat of France in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the UK emerged as the principal naval and imperial power of the 19th century and the British dominance was later described as ‘’Pax Britannica’’. By the time of the Great Exhibition of 1851, Britain was described as the "workshop of the world". The British Empire was expanded to include India, large parts of Africa, and many other territories throughout the world, which led to it becoming known as ‘’the empire on which the sun never sets’’.

In Wars of Liberty, the British remain the colonial powerhouse they were in the Americas. Now expanding to Africa, they are ambitious and stronger than ever. They have improved their army with top-of-the-line infantry, cavalry and naval units. The extent of their empire is such that several territories ended up declaring their independence and became another major nation.

The leader of the British is Queen Victoria. Victoria inherited the throne at the age of 18, after her father's three elder brothers had all died leaving no legitimate, surviving children. Privately, Victoria attempts to influence government policy and ministerial appointments. Publicly, she became a national icon, and is identified with strict standards of personal morality. From 1 May 1876, she uses the additional title of Empress of India. On 23 September 1896, Victoria surpassed her grandfather George III as the longest-reigning monarch in English, Scottish, and British history. Her favorite personality traits are Prosperous and Expansive and her Home City is London, United Kingdom.

Bonuses

• Manor Houses. Instead of normal houses they’ve got Manor Houses, that spawn villagers when created. You can also set them to receive shipments.
• Free Military. In addition, each barrack will also spawn a Redcoat when built.
• Largest Navy. The British have a naturally larger build limit for ships than other civs.
• Industrial Revolution. The British receive a factory an age earlier.

Weaknesses

• Expansion. The British needs to expand all the time to keep themselves in the game, and this might be a problem in small maps.

Unique units and buildings

The British have several unique units, most of which are really strong. In Wars of Liberty, they no longer train longbowmen.

• Highlander: A powerful heavy infantry unit with great melee attack against Cavalry and a good siege damage.
• Redcoat: A slow-moving musketeer unit that gets stronger when massed.
• Green Jacket: A Ligh Infantry unit with a good range.
• Scots Grey: Cavalry unit that excels at taking down artillery.
• Rocket: An artillery unit that gets created at the Factory.
• Manor House: Unique house that comes with a settler. Can be set to receive shipments.

French

After the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, the absolute monarchy was abolished and France became a constitutional monarchy. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte seized control and was appointed Emperor of the French Empire. His armies conquered most of continental Europe, while members of the Bonaparte family were appointed as monarchs in some of the newly established kingdoms. These victories led to the worldwide expansion of French revolutionary ideals and reforms, such as the Metric system, the Napoleonic Code or the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. France also had colonial possessions, in various forms, since the beginning of the 17th century to the 18th century. In the 19th and 20th centuries, its global overseas colonial empire extended greatly and culminated as the second largest in the world behind the British Empire.

In Wars of Liberty, the French Empire, with colonial possessions in Africa, Asia and the Americas, forms a multicultural society. Napoleon Bonaparte and his Grande Armée had already brought warfare to a whole new dimension and now, with the slogan “three colours, one flag, one empire”, the veteran and elite troops of the French army parade to war, ready to overcome any difficulty.

The leader of the French is Napoleon III. He was the first President of the French Republic and the first ruler of the Second French Empire. The nephew and heir of Napoleon I, Napoleon III was elected President in France's first ever popular vote in 1848 and initiated a coup d'état in 1851, before ascending the throne on 2 December 1852, the forty-eighth anniversary of Napoleon I's coronation. He ruled as Emperor of the French until 4 September 1870. He holds the distinction of being both the first titular president and the last monarch of France. His favorite personality traits are Industrious and Determined and his Home City is Paris, France.

Bonuses

• Better Villagers. Coureurs des Bois, the french villagers, are significantly better at collecting resources and fighting, giving you a much better game start.
• All Royal, All Guard. The French revolution has changed many things about the French Army, and the sense of equality means that anyone and everyone can be a Royal Guard units now.

Weaknesses

• Predictable gameplay. The French don't offer much variety, they just play a straightforward game.

Unique units and buildings

The majority of French unique units are strong military.

• Pied Noir: A more efficient villager with ranged defense.
• Foreign Legionnaire: A heavy infantry unit that gets stronger the further away he is from the Town Center.
• Grognard: A powerful french version of the Grenadier.
• Cuirassier: An strong, heavily armored cavalry unit with a trample attack.

Dutch

Under Charles V, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire and King of Spain, the current Netherlands region was part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Low Countries. In 1581 the Dutch Republic was born and from 1795 to 1806, the Batavian Republic designated the Netherlands as a republic modelled after the French Republic. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna formed the United Kingdom of the Netherlands by adding the southern Netherlands to the north in order to create a strong country on the northern border of France. The Dutch formed a firm colonial empire, with possessions on Latin America, South Africa and Indonesia. Since the 16th century, shipping, fishing, trade, and especially banking have been leading sectors of the economy of the Dutch, who were also heavily involved in the slave trade.

In Wars of Liberty, the Dutch are a challenging nation with a great economy, which is based almost entirely on gold and the banking system. Its land army doesn't offer much uniqueness, but the Dutch navy makes up for this.

The leader of the Dutch is William III. On the abdication of his grandfather William I in 1840, he became the Prince of Orange. On the death of his father in 1849, he succeeded as King of the Netherlands. He also is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and the Duke of Limburg from 1849 until the abolition of the duchy in 1866. He tried to sell his privately held grand duchy (Nassau) in 1867, leading to the Luxembourg Crisis, which almost precipitated war between Prussia and France. However, the subsequent Second Treaty of London reestablished Luxembourg as a fully independent country. His favorite personality trait is Dictatorial and his Home City is Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Bonuses

• Banks. They can build banks, which give coin over time automatically without taking population space.
• Money back: Each Dutch unit you train gives you back a small amount of resources.
• Easier Exploration: You start the game with an envoy, to make exploration easier.
• Earlier Skirmishers: instead of fortress age, Dutch train Skirmishers at colonial age.

Weaknesses

• Villagers cost coin. Making a balanced economy hard early on.
• Low villager buildlimit. The Dutch have a low villager build limit, gives restricts how powerful your economy can become.

Unique units and buildings

The Dutch get a couple of new unique units.

• Envoy: An early scout unit. Has decent speed.
• Flankeur: A range infantry unit that focuses on defeating light infantry.
• Zwarte Hollander: The Dutch version of the Musketeer. You can only get it from the temple.
• Ruyter: A cheap and cost efficient light cavalry unit. Good against Cavalry.
• Bank: A building that automatically produces coin.

Belgians

The Eighty Years' War divided the Low Countries into the northern United Provinces and the Southern Netherlands. The latter were ruled successively by the Spanish and the Austrian Habsburgs and comprised most of modern Belgium. Following the campaigns of 1794 in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Low Countries were annexed by the French First Republic, ending Austrian rule in the region. The reunification of the Low Countries as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands occurred at the dissolution of the First French Empire in 1815, after the defeat of Napoleon. In 1830, the Belgian Revolution led to the separation of the Southern Provinces from the Netherlands and to the establishment of a Catholic and bourgeois, officially French-speaking and neutral, independent Belgium under a provisional government and a national congress.

In Wars of Liberty, the Belgians are a nation that excels on maps with lots of trade routes and natives. Their bonuses work best with the presence of trading posts.

The leader of the Belgians is Leopold II. Leopold was the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State, a private project undertaken on his own behalf. At the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, the colonial nations of Europe committed the Congo Free State to improving the lives of the native inhabitants. From the beginning, however, Leopold essentially ignored these conditions and ran the Congo using a mercenary force for his personal gain. Some of the money from this exploitation was used for public and private construction projects in Belgium during this period. His favorite personality traits are Colonial and Mercantile and his Home City is Brussels, Belgium.

Bonuses

• Frontier expansion. Every age up they get a Frontier Wagon that can become a trading post or an outpost.
• Trade dominance. Every trading post decreases enemy economy by 5%.
• Native oppression. Several units have bonuses against native units.
• Native Embassy. They can always build it and have access to African native units.
• Technology. All tech research is 50% faster.

Weaknesses

• Costly villagers. The Boers cost two resources to train, food and wood.
• Expensive units. They can either focus on their own expensive units, or on the cheap but fragile African natives.

Unique units and buildings

The Belgians have a couple of high-technologic units.

• Boer: Their unique villager. Costs both food and wood, but provides its own population space.
• Bicycle Infantry: Light infantry with a bonus against Light infantry. Rides a bicycle.
• Mitrailleuse: Artillery unit with a fast attack. Good against Infantry.
• Combat Medic: A unit that's weak in combat, but can also heal.
• Force Publlque: Their unique skirmisher. Good against natives.

Spanish

The unification of the crowns of Aragon and Castile by the marriage of their sovereigns laid the basis for modern Spain and the Spanish Empire, although each kingdom of Spain remained a separate country, in social, political, laws, currency and language. Spain was Europe's leading power throughout the 16th century and most of the 17th century, a position reinforced by trade and wealth from colonial possessions. The Spanish Empire expanded to include great parts of the Americas, islands in the Asia-Pacific area, areas of Italy, cities in Northern Africa, as well as parts of what are now France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

In Wars of Liberty, the Spanish are wild travellers and conquerors, thirsty for gold and adventure. Even while travelling miles away from their Home City, discovering new territories for the crown, they always stay loyal to her. At the same time, Sevilla will never let the unprotected starve to death, even when they are in the most difficult places to reach.

The leader of the Spanish is Queen Isabella II. Isabella came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. Her reign is maintained only through the support of the army. She usually shows favour to her reactionary generals and statesmen and to the Church and religious orders. During her reign the fruitless Chincha Islands War against Peru and Chile took place. Her favorite personality traits are Protective and Spiritual and her Home City is Seville, Spain.

Bonuses

• Faster Shipments. As a show of support from your home city towards colonization, you’ll require less experience to earn your shipments.
• Faster Arriving Shipments. In Wars of Liberty this not only means you earn them faster, they also arrive faster.
• 3 Royal Guard Units. The Spanish have access to 3 Royal Guard units, instead of 2.
• Combined Arms. Spanish units boost each other's stats, making their armies fearsome when large and varied.

Weaknesses

• Can't quite shine. Even when they are strong overall, for whatever your opponent's civilization is good at, he is better at it than you.

Unique units and buildings

The Spanish have several unique units, mostly focused on early game.

• War Dog: A loyal companion to the explorer. Good at taking treasrres.
• Regular: All-around heavy ranged infantry. Armed with a bayonet to beat cavalry.
• Chapelgorris: Replaces Skirmisher. Costs less coin.
• Demi-Lancer: Heavy cavalry with a bonus vs Heavy Infantry.
• Missionary: A mounted monk with an aura that boosts your units.
• Infante de Marina: Tough Heavy infantry unit trained from the docks.
• Aduanero: Raiding ranged unit. Trickles coin.
• Galleon: Replaces the Heavy Ship. Trains Infantes de Marina. Highly upgradeable.
• Batidor: Strong Heavy Cavalry with an aura that boosts speed.

Portuguese

Portugal spearheaded the exploration of the world and undertook the Age of Discovery. Prince Henry the Navigator became the main sponsor and patron of this endeavour. During this period, portuguese explorers explored almost the whole world, discovered new places and continents and formed colonies for the portuguese crown. After many long decades of internal conflict, civil wars, and occupation by foreign countries, order was restored in Portugal with the Liberal Revolution of 1820. After that, Portugal was about to play an important role in the Scramble for Africa as well, its interests clashing with the British aspirations to create a Cape to Cairo Railway.

In Wars of Liberty, the Portuguese focus -just like in reality- on discovering new places and exploring unexplored territories. Their explorer always leads them in this quest. They don't just explore, however, they also establish new towns and trading posts, which help their empire grow larger and become more powerful.

The Leader of the Portuguese is Carlos I the Diplomat. The grandson of King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, Carlos was born in 1863. He has an intense education and was prepared to rule as a constitutional monarch. As a patron of science and the arts, King Carlos took an active part in the celebration of the 500th anniversary (in 1894) of the birth of Prince Henry the Navigator. Carlos has a personal interest in deep-sea and maritime exploration, publishing an account of his own studies in this area. His Home City is Lisbon, Portugal.

Bonuses

• Extra Town Centers. On every age up, you’ll receive an extra Town Center, greatly increasing the number of villagers you can train and your map control.
• Sea dominance. On water maps, you’ll get a Caravel on every age-up. Also, your docks bring a Fishing ship with them.

Weaknesses

• Slow build-up. They can really grow, but they need time and are quite fragile while on it.
• Sea is important. If you don't have access to sea, you might struggle when playing as the portuguese. Also, while you are good at sea, you are not particularly good at fighting on it, so losing it might be your end.

Unique units and buildings

The Portuguese favor long range combat and prefer to fight from behind walls.

• Cassador: A strong skirmisher with less hitpoints than normal.
• Atirador: Portuguese ultimate unit. An extra powerful skirmisher unit.
• Ordenanza: A resistant and spammable Heavy Infantry unit. Good against cavalry and buildings.
• Organ Gun: Artillery unit good against Infantry.
• Caravel: Light ship with huge line-of-sight.

Italians

The Renaissance, a period of vigorous revival of the arts and culture, originated in Italy thanks to a number of factors, as the great wealth accumulated by merchant cities and the patronage of its dominant families like the Medici of Florence. The birth of the Kingdom of Italy was the result of efforts by Italian nationalists and monarchists loyal to the House of Savoy to establish a united kingdom encompassing the entire Italian Peninsula. In 1860–61, general Giuseppe Garibaldi led the drive for unification in Naples and Sicily, allowing the Sardinian government led by the Count of Cavour to declare a united Italian kingdom on 17 March 1861. In 1866, Victor Emmanuel II waged the Third Italian War of Independence which allowed Italy to annex Venetia. Finally, as France during the disastrous Franco-Prussian War of 1870 abandoned its garrisons in Rome, the Italians rushed to fill the power gap by taking over the Papal States.

In Wars of Liberty, the Italians are a newborn nation; even though their national identity was formed centuries ago, they managed to gain their full autonomy only lately. They are people of religion and art, but equally skilled on the battlefield, with paramilitary troops that are used to intrigues and dirty games.

The leader of the Italians is Victor Emmanuel II. King of Sardinia from 1849, Victor Emmanuel II assumed the title King of Italy on 17 March 1861, to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century. He lived for some years of his youth in Florence and showed an early interest in politics, the military, and sports. He took part in the First Italian War of Independence under his father, fighting in the front line at many battles. The Italians gave him the epithet “Father of the Homeland” (“Padre della Patria”). His favorite personality traits are Imperialistic and XXXXX and his Home City is Rome, Italy.

Bonuses

• Catholicism. They already start the game with a religion chosen, Catholic. Also, they build a Basillica instead of a Temple.
• Cosa Nostra. the Italians have a much stronger form of Espionage, the Mafia.
• God protects us all. With their Statues, they can protect an area from being attacked by Natural Disasters. Also, enemies cannot build close to them and they even reveal spies.
• Architects and Merchants. Italians have two types of villagers. The merchant collects resources but can't build and the Architect can construct Architectural Wagons that build specialized buildings.

Weaknesses

• Weak army. The strength of the Italian lies on their subterfuge and underhanded tactics, having a subpar regular army, which is even worse on close combat.

Unique units and buildings

The Italians favor long range warfare and have many civilian unique unit and buildings.

• Merchant: One of their unique villagers. It collects resources.
• Architect: Their constructing villager. It can't collect resources.
• Alpino: A skirmisher with greater range but less hp and damage.
• Bersagliere: A musketeer with greater range, but less hp and damage.
• Mafioso: Unique spy, trickles coin at a 0.4/s rate.
• Basilica: Powerful version of the temple. Aloows you to get coin in exchange of faith and viceversa.
• Marble Statue: A building that prevents enemies from building close to it, reveals spies and protects you from god powers.

Ottomans

After successfully conquering Constantinople and destroying the Byzantine Empire, the Ottomans formed their own multicultural empire, which expanded on Asia, North Africa and the Balkans, and tried to become a powerful European nation, usually copying the civilizations of the west. When their huge empire was torn down, Mustafa Kemal’s movement of the Young Turks managed to restore order in the new republic that rose from the empire’s ashes, Turkey.

In Wars of Liberty, the Ottomans are a civilization who favors using strong gunpowder units and powerful artillery. They are fighting not to lose their identity, while the revolutions of the Orthodox populations of their empire break out one after another, distracting the Porte from focusing on economic growth and reformation.

The leader of the Ottomans is Sultan Abdülmecid I. His reign is notable for the rise of nationalist movements within the empire's territories. Abdülmecid encourages Ottomanism among the secessionist subject nations and tries to stop the rise of nationalist movements within the empire. During his reign the Ottoman Empire was officially included among the European family of nations. His favorite personality traits are Diplomatic and Democratic and his Home City is Istanbul, Ottoman Empire.

Bonuses

• Free Villagers. The Ottoman Empire has villagers that slowly train automatically.
• Looting. Every time an Ottoman unit attacks, it generates a small amount of coin.
• Strong Military. Their Military units are, for the most part, stronger versions of their western counterparts. They also bring you more Experience when trained.

Weaknesses

• Slow Villagers. Villagers train time is terribly slow unless you research church techs and their build limit is also limited until you do so.
• Outdated military. Their military, while strong, has weak bonuses, and can quickly become weak, costly and subpar compared to their western counterparts.

Unique units and buildings

The Ottomans have several unique units.

• Janissary: A powerful Heavy infantry. Very tough.
• Abus Gun: A siege unit with a bonus against Infantry.
• Nizam-i-Cedid: Their ultimate unit. An unmatched Musketeer equivalent.
• Galley: A powerful version of the european Sloop.
• Spahi: Tough cavalry unit. Can only be sent from the Homecity.
• Deli: Fast Heavy cavalry unit.
• Humbaraci: The turkish version of the grenadier.
• Great Bombard: Massive cannon. Good against everything. can only be sent from the Homecity.

Russians

The land of the steppes and the merciless Tsars, Russia was proclaimed an Empire in 1721, under Peter the Great, and became recognized as a world power. Being a huge country, expanding both in Europe and in Asia, Russia’s sphere of influence was rather great, leading to Russia having not only many allies, but many enemies as well. The late 19th century saw the rise of various socialist movements in Russia, with the most notable being the October Revolution in 1917, which started the Russian Civil War and created the Soviet Russia.

In Wars of Liberty, the Russians are the protectors of their southern Orthodox Slav allies and a really terrifying opponent, especially on snow maps; the dreadful Russian winter is their secret weapon and even the strongest foes may be subjugated by it.

The leader of the Russians is Tsar Alexander II. The eldest son of Nicholas I of Russia and Charlotte of Prussia, Alexander’s most important achievement was the emancipation of serfs in 1861, for which he became known as ‘’Alexander the Liberator’’. Apart from Emperor of Russia, he is also the King of Poland and the Grand Prince of Finland and, at the beginning of his reign, he expressed the famous statement "No dreams" addressed to the Poles inhabiting his empire. His Home City is St.Petersburg, Russia.

Bonuses

• Field Hospitals. Russian Field Hospitals improve your nearby units HP.
• Cheaper Infantry and Settlers. Russian infantry and settlers cost less compared to those of other Europeans. They are also trained in batches.
• More starting resources. Russians start the game with extra resources.
• Russian Winter. When one of your buildings get destroyed, it slows all enemy units around it.

Weaknesses

• Bad on the Offensive. They can gather quite a military mass, but that may not be enough to win a game.
• Greater need for resources. Russians are in greater need for resources, because they need a greater stockpile in order to train their blocks of infantry, settlers, spies or priests.

Unique units and buildings

The Russians have several unique units and one unique building.

• Ryadovoy: A cheap light infantry rifleman, who fights with an axe in melee.Trains in blocks of 10.
• Pekhota: Russian ultimate unit. High-range harassment unit that is trained in low numbers.
• Opolchenets: Fast training Infantry unit armed with a lance.
• Okhrana: Cavalry unit that excels at raiding, but does poorly in standard combat.
• Blockhouse: combines outpost and barracks.

Germans

Following the fall of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna convened in 1814 and founded the German Confederation, a loose league of 39 sovereign states. Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 enabled the creation of the North German Confederation and the exclusion of Austria, formerly the leading German state, from the federation's affairs. With almost two-thirds of its territory and population, Prussia was the dominating constituent of the new state.

In Wars of Liberty, the Germans are a totally militarized nation; their war machine is absolutely strong in all areas and is also backed by loyal mercenaries, well-paid and ready to give their life for the Emperor. They focus especially on cavalry, which are delivered freely from their Home City with every shipment that's sent to them.

The leader of the Germans is Otto von Bismarck. Bismarck is dominating German and European affairs with his conservative policies. In 1871, after a series of short victorious wars, he unified most of the German states (excluding Austria) into a powerful German Empire under Prussian leadership. His diplomacy of Realpolitik and powerful rule has gained him the nickname the "Iron Chancellor". His favorite personality traits are Charismatic and Diplomatic and his Home City is Berlin, Germany.

Bonuses

• Free Uhlans. The Germans receive Free Uhlans with every shipment.
• Healthy. Units regenerate slowly when idle.
• Krupp factory. Artillery depots spawn artillery units slowly.

Weaknesses

• Population count. Due to so many free units, your strategy may break because of population count.
• Coin dependant. Germans require a lot of gold to keep the machine of war running. German players will have to secure key resources constantly to stay in the game.

Unique units and buildings

The Germans have powerful new unique units, while losing all previous medieval units.

• Uhlan: A Heavy cavalry unit with low hitpoints but a massive attack. Carries a lance.
• Landwehr: An all around heavy infantry unit. Armed with a bayonet to beat cavalry.
• Jaeger: A more tough version of the skirmisher.
• Totenkopf Hussar: Swift and effective Heavy cavalry unit, very reliable. Heals faster than other units

Habsburgs

The House of Habsburg was one of the most important royal houses of Europe. The throne of the Holy Roman Empire was continuously occupied by the Habsburgs between 1438 and 1740. Emerged from Switzerland, they moved the family's power base from Habsburg Castle to the Duchy of Austria in the middle ages. A series of dynastic marriages enabled the family to vastly expand its domains, to include Burgundy, Spain and her colonial empire, Bohemia, Hungary, and other territories into the inheritance.

In Wars of Liberty, the Habsburgs are not a single nation, but a combination of several ones, mainly Austria, Hungary, Switzerland and other Germanic states. They represent most of the continental Europe and are the only European that are not colonizers.

The leader of the Habsburgs is Queen Maria Theresa, the only female and last ruler of the House of Habsburgs. She rules by the counsel of her advisers. She understands the importance of her public persona and is able to simultaneously evoke both esteem and affection from her subjects. Her Home City is Vienna, Austria.

Bonuses

• All military units are mercenaries. So they’re all slightly stronger than usual, and have an increased coin cost.
• They age up by dynastic marriages. The Habsburgs don’t have natural bonuses, but every age up grants you the possibility of marrying one of your princes to a princess from one European country. When this happens, the Habsburgs absorb the bonus from that nation, and they’re cumulative!
• Unpredictable bonuses. Since they have 16 different marriage possibilities, the Habsburgs can have many different bonus combinations.
• Mercenaries from the entire Europe. The definitive mercenary nation, they have access to a map of Europe from where they can send mercenaries from any country.

Weaknesses

• No early bonus. Until they age up, they have no bonus at all.
• Ageing up does not grant units or resources. When they age up, their only prize is absorbing the bonus from that nation. They never get crates or units from age ups.
• Vulnerability to spies. Since all military units are mercenaries, they are all vulnerable to spies, their major weakness. However, they have their own tricks to counter them.
• Resource demanding This civilization requires a lot of resources to function properly.

Unique units and buildings

Since all Habsburg units are mercenaries, they have a whole new set of units.

• Pandour: The all-around infantry unit, is good against cavalry in melee.
• Pavisier: Early gunpowder infantry armed with a large shield. Can take a lot of damage.
• Landsknecht: Early halberdier, has an area damage, making it really useful to beat cavalry.
• Grenzer: The Habsburg skirmisher, really good at fighting infantry.
• Doppelsoldner: Habsburg two-handed sword, armored infantry. Fights in melee, and is good against anything within his reach.
• Reiter: The dragoon equivalent, is really well armored, even for a mercenary.
• Krajisnik: Habsburg hand cavalry, can deal and resist for much longer than a regular hussar.
• Saker: All around artillery, good against infantry, cavalry and even other artillery.
• Demicannon: Archaic, but very strong, cannon. Good against anything it can strike.
• Magyar Grenadier: Grenadier that’s devastating against infantry and buildings.
• Fougasse: Petard like unit that causes huge explosions.
• Tross: Female settler, can detect spies.
• Winged Hussar: Heavy cavalry mercenary from Poland that increases the strength of nearby cavalry units.

Danes

After the Danish defeat in the so-called Danish-British Gunboat War, during the Napoleonic Wars, the British control of the waterways between Denmark and Norway proved disastrous to the union's economy and in 1813, Denmark-Norway went bankrupt. The Danish-Norwegian union was dissolved and Norway entered a new union with Sweden which lasted until 1905. Denmark kept the colonies of Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Greenland. Apart from the Nordic colonies, Denmark ruled over Danish India, the Danish Gold Coast and the Danish West Indies. A nascent Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s; after the European Revolutions of 1848, Denmark peacefully became a constitutional monarchy on 5 June 1849.

In Wars of Liberty, the Danes are war-torn people, ready to defend their homes at all times. Through centuries, they have developed special skills at irregular warfare and especially at fighting on snowy terrains, but they have also excelled at literature, poetry and the arts in general, offering Europe some of its greater masterpieces on these fields.

The leader of the Danes is Frederick VII. Frederick had a rather neglected childhood after the divorce of his parents and for many years he appeared as the ”problem child” of the royal family. A keen antiquarian and a simple, yet dignified monarch, loved by his people, he is the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and also the last king of Denmark to rule as an absolute monarch. During his reign, he signed a constitution that established a Danish parliament and made the country a constitutional monarchy. His favorite personality traits are Charismatic and Democratic and his Home City is Copenhagen, Denmark.

Bonuses

• Golden Age. The danes have the power of the Golden Age, temporarily giving them and their allies better gather rates and experience when killing when reaching a new age.
• Ox carts. They have access to Ox carts, a mobile building that improves resource gathering or can turn into an economic building.
• Knowledge is power. The Danes start the game with a shipment already available. Also, they age-up 50% faster..
• Frozen sea. Enemy ships that get close to a Danish Anchorage freeze.

Weaknesses

• Reliant on being on the move. The Danes need to be always fighting and getting golden ages, otherwise, they become stale. Defensive civilizations will give them a hard time.

Unique units and buildings

The Danes don't have many unique units and one unique building.

• Anchorage: dock that freezes enemy ships.
• Snapphane: Their unique skirmisher. Can build military buildings.
• Ox Cart: Improves villager gathering and can turn into economic buildings.
• Gunboat: A lighter version of the Sloop.
• Espingol: Trained at the factory, replaces Heavy Cannon. Has less range but better rate of fire.

Swedes

The Swedes are a nordic people that inhabit Scandinavia. During the 17th-18th centuries, the Swedish Empire was one amongst the greatest of Europe. This period is known as ‘The Great Power era’. One of the reasons why they achieved such great success, was their innovation in military tactics, greatly diverging from the tactics on the continent. Now, the Swedes wish to retrieve their former glory. No longer an empire, and locked in Scandinavia, they must find a way to sit, again, amongst the most powerful nations on earth.

In Wars of Liberty, the Swedes are a powerful european nation, with a unique economy that works around natural resources and an army system that will allow them to quickly muster a powerful army if you have the resources. For the Swedes, patience will surely pay.

The leader of the Swedes is Oscar II, the king. He will modernize Sweden and get it ready for whatever comes. His Home City is Stockholm.

Bonuses

• Nature friendly. In order to train a settler, you must also generate a nature element such as trees, mines or huntables..
• Royal Armies. The Swedes can instantly create armies of 10 of the chosen units, at an escalating cost.

Weaknesses

• Costly. In order to use their only military bonus, they will spend a lot of coin.

Unique units and buildings

The Swedes have four unique units and one unique building.

• Sawmill: Generates wood.
• Surveyor Settler: Creates a tree, mine or huntable and spawns a settler afterwards.
• Carolean: their unique infantry unit.
• Drabant: their unique cavalry.
• Geshwind: a very agile heavy cannon.