Nomad civs

As Temüjin is set roughly during the lifetime of Temüjin - today known as Genghis Khan ( 1170 - 1227CE ) as well as his father, Yesügei (1134-71CE), the 24 factions of this mod are designed to reflect the (predominantly) Asian powers that the Mongols interacted with, both first as a subject people and then later as a conquering horde.

Before the rise of the Mongols, dominance of Central Asia is split mainly between three nomadic and semi-nomadic groups. At this region's southwesternmost fringes, the Muslim Selçuküler dominate the Iranian circuit, along with their Khwarazamshahi vassals. But right at the heart of Asia, and further north all the way to the borders of Europe, two nomadic empires stand out - the semi-Sinicised Qara Khitai, ousted from the lands that the Chinese called Sahun (today Inner Mongolia and Baikalia in our time) by the Jurchen kingdom of Dajin, and the less sedentary but more decentralised Kimek confederacy, dominated in the main by a people called the Polovtsy by the Rus' of Kyiv.

It is in the easternmost regions that we find the Mongol tribes - gradually trying to form a nation or ulus of their own but oft thwarted by their rivals, the Tatars (who are largely aligned with Qara Khitai) and sandwiched in alongside the Tatars by Qara Khitai to the far west, and the Jurchens of Dajin to the south and east (to whom the Mongols must pay tribute as vassals).

For the Mongols, then, it would seem the perfect opportunity has arrived. Dajin is fixated on countering the threat posed by the Song Chinese; Qara Khitai, her Muslim foes to the south and west; and the Polovtsy are too divided and too dispersed. But closer to home is where Mongol concerns must lie, for the Tatars and Mongols have been enemies ever since the days of yore. Old men and sages oft say, "In the sky, there can not be two suns; nor can there be on earth two kings." It must be a matter of time before either the Mongols or Tatars must prevail over one another, and form a new nation or confederacy of their own if they are to survive in a world of war and conquest from horseback by going toe to toe with the other nomadic empires of Asia.

And so, the tale of Kings & Conquerors: Temüjin begins ....

Faction highlights

Qara Khitai

An empire in exile, Qara Khitai (or "black Khitans") once ruled lands between Baikalia to the north and the Chinese Central Plains, but have since been forced into exile by their Jurchen rivals into east Turkestan. Fast and resilient, Qara Khitai excel in rapid expansion and cavalry warfare with cheaper cities and fast-moving units, and so they have proven to be a far greater scourge to Islam than the Frankish Crusaders ever have been.

Khamag Mongol

Roaming the lands between the vast Lake Baikal to the northwest, and the lesser Lake Hulun to the southeast, the Mongols have formed a fledgling confederacy headed by the rulers of several dominant tribes, all ruthless and practical to a fault. Only the spite of their Tatar rivals and the machinations of more powerful neighbours - particularly the Jurchen kingdom of Dajin - keep Khamag Mongol from truly prospering in a world plagued by endemic scarcity and rains of reddened arrows.

Polovtsy

Also known as Cumans, Kuna, Kimek or Kipchaks, the Polovtsy are equestrian nomads who control vast tracts of land from Europe to Asia, aided by cheap, fast cavalry and frequent raiding to establish map control and economic dominance. Yet, lacking a proper sedentary agrarian economy or even any form of intertribal cooperation, the vast territories of the Polovtsy may yet simply just become rich pickings for larger kingdoms and tribes around them.

True to their nomadic heritage and their storied reputation in actual history, the three nomadic civs of Temüjin all have armies based around light cavalry units - namely, Bek Cavalry and Steppe Nomads (as well as other nations, particularly Muslim civs) and most games involving any of these three civs involve long-distance warfare and early game raiding, and have a dearth of Wonders, thus limiting their abilities to be convincing partners in free diplomacy multiplayer games - but there the similarities end.

How these factions must handle the mid- to late-game all differ, depending on their access to other buildings and structures. However one glaring weakness among them persists - and it's the inability to construct Peasants' Hovels, thus cutting their ability to go for quick infantry raiding, thus these factions are best used on large maps with dry land - especially since they all lack proper navies, so to speak.

While Khamag Mongol and Qara Khitai may go for the late game - the one using heavy cavalry, the other heavy horse archers and siege weapons - the Polovtsy are a highly aggressive early game rusher, seeking to establish map control and can also recruit a melange of different infantry units in support of this goal. Regardless, all three are meant to be played offensively. Use your superior Steppe Nomads to knock out enemy heavy infantry, and then use Bek Cavalry to ravage enemy civilian units and Farms, before using bodies of infantry - preferably Spearmen - to finish the game.