This week's installment in our long-running look at the civilizations of the Age of Kings turns to Persia. This country was well represented in the original Age of Empires and in the expansion pack, Rise of Rome. However, you might be surprised by its return in the Age of Kings, especially considering that the Persian nation declined sharply early on in history. Although it was one of the greatest ancient civilizations, warfare with Greece, then Rome, and then the Muslims of the Middle East all took its toll on Persia. In later years, the Mongol hordes, who spared no one in their phenomenal conquest of Eurasia, left Persia in disarray as well.

click to enlarge

Yet, there Persia is, standing tall in Age of Empires II. Although it might be something of an anachronism, the designers wanted the Persians and their magnificent war elephants in the game because of a certain "cool" factor. Persians play great, and their elephants are simply awesome units. The Persian player has some handy bonuses on hand to allow for quick growth and a quick rebuilding period if he is set back by a Franks cavalry rush or a Teutons town center rush.

click to enlarge

As always, we have a little bit of history for those who are interested, but if you want to skip ahead to the gameplay sections, go ahead.

Next: History lesson