Faction overview

• Population Boom : Setlements cost 75% cheaper
• Khitan Caste System : May build one more Settlement beyond the normal limit (bonus Settlement begin with 1st level of Administration research)
• Relentless : Double population limit per military technology, up to 25% above maximum game limit
• Experienced Wayfarers : Barracks units and citizens move 25% faster
• Imperial Legacy : Unit upgrades do not require military research, except cavalry which requires Military Level 2).

Strengths

Excellent starting economic bonuses, expander par excellence, strong cavalry component for mid- to long-distance rushing.

Weaknesses

No navy, mediocre siege and infantry make for a questionable late game.

True to their ancestors' warlike spirit, and the collective experiences accumulated in governance and military affairs under Chinese suzerainty (and then as rulers of northern China) the Qara Khitai as a faction are highly proficient as expanders, and of course, warriors. Being able to build cities cheaply, and move over vast distances more quickly means that the Qara Khitai often have some of the fastest starts that any faction in a Rise of Nations game may be permitted to have. While other nations may have various perks - eg, Kievan Rus' can build Settlements further apart from one another, the Khwarazamshahis and Khmers have more economy-efficient cities - the main advantage Qara Khitai enjoy over them is that their cities will always be cheaper to build, allowing them to expand more quickly than anyone else without the need for micromanagement or premeditation - why waste time in deliberating where exactly to place a new city you are waiting to build, when you can simply do it right away because you can always place one down now, and followed by yet another settlement in a better place right afterward?

In military affairs, the Qara Khitai are still very much a horde faction like all other Nomad civs (and a few Muslim or north Asian ones, eg Dajin), capitalising mainly on light and medium cavalry superiority, although early on, they have access to Ordo Cavalry, their signature unit, right away. While this is one of the best units in Temüjin, it is also a very pricy one - you won't be able to create more than two at the very most in the first quarter-hour of a normal Rise of Nations game, although its stats early on may well justify the vast outlays of resources you will need to create one. More useful, perhaps, for the aggressive rush gameplay that many Rise of Nations players are fond of could well be Steppe Nomads and Bek Cavalry (trained from a Corral), supplemented later on by fast-training Tatar Cavalry and Turkish Archers (from a Warrior Hall). Infantry-wise, Qara Khitai have few options - the only melee component to note are Spearmen, although Qara Khitai can supplement these with Crossbow Infantry and Steppe Warbands, who with their javelins, can defend against war elephants, which are commonly raised by as many as five different factions in this mod. The only issue is that Qara Khitai cannot access Peasant Hovels (like Mongol Uls and Polovtsy) - but given how flexible cavalry with proper infantry backup can be, access to a strong economy and fast-moving infantry units may well more than offset this issue.

As Wonders and diplomacy go, Qara Khitai is a fairly competent nation capable of building as many as three different Wonders. The issue however is that these Wonders often have a low WP score, and their low cost and lack of exclusivity often result in Qara Khitai having to compete with other nations, especially other Nomad civs, just to get a Wonder built, thus making any attempt to achieve a Wonder victory very difficult, in contrast with other nations, most notably the civs of north Asia. However, again - being a potential economic powerhouse often allows Qara Khitai some degree of strategic flexibility:  cheaper expansion and faster economic setup means that there can be an early boost of resources that can then speed up the process of whatever it is you desire to do - a Wonder race, a cavalry rush - or if need be, outright turtling (although Qara Khitai's inability to access Guard Towers serves only to impede this). All told, perhaps, the most glaring problem that Qara Khitai faces is one that affects all Nomad civs, and a few others: it has no navy to speak of. Thus, the best use for Qara Khitai is on large land maps, where vast tracts of map space allow full use of Qara Khitai's cultural bonuses, in contrast to small maps or water maps which can put dampers on Qara Khitai expansion and military flexibility.

Unique units and structures gallery

Leader names

Settlement names