AOE IV / Versions & Expansions
The Sultans Ascend
Adds Byzantines and Japanese, four variant civilizations and a Middle Eastern historical campaign.
Overview
Adds Byzantines and Japanese, four variant civilizations and a Middle Eastern historical campaign.
Availability
Variant civilizations are separate playable choices; their units, landmarks and bonuses should not be assumed to match their parent civilization.
Civilizations and campaign
Released on November 14, 2023, The Sultans Ascend adds the Byzantines and Japanese as new civilizations, plus four separate playable variants: Ayyubids, Jeanne d’Arc, Order of the Dragon and Zhu Xi’s Legacy. Its eight-mission campaign follows Muslim resistance during the Crusades and is the game’s first campaign to include naval gameplay.
Maps and biomes
The expansion adds ten skirmish maps—African Waters, Cliffside, Forts, Glade, Golden Pit, Haywire, Hidden Valley, Himeyama, Thickets and Turtle Ridge—and two biomes. Open a map entry for its terrain and match considerations; the civilization pages describe each new economy, army and variant system.
