Saracens
Camels & NavalTeam Bonus
Foot Archers and Skirmishers +2 attack vs. buildings
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"The Saracens are a camel and naval civilization with low market fees, stronger camels, faster-attacking galleys, and powerful transport ships."
Civilization Bonuses
- 1
Market trading fee only 5%; Markets cost -100 wood
- 2
Camel Units +25% HP
- 3
Galley-line attacks +25% faster
- 4
Transport Ships +100% HP, +20 carry capacity
Unique Units
Unique Technologies
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AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
Saracens are a flexible Camel, archer and naval civilization with a uniquely strong Market. Their Market trading fee is only 5% (vs the standard 30%), making resource conversion incredibly efficient — a defining economic tool for the late game. Camel Units get +25% HP, turning their already-strong anti-cavalry Camels and the Mameluke unique unit (a ranged camel that throws swords) into elite units. Their Galley-line attacks +25% faster for strong water play. Saracens can counter almost anything: Camels for cavalry, good archers for infantry, and the Market to never run out of a needed resource.
History & balance
The Saracen 5% Market fee has always been their signature economic bonus, quietly one of the strongest lategame tools in the game for sustaining gold-unit armies. The Mameluke — a gold-heavy ranged camel with a huge anti-cavalry profile — has been their defining unique unit since Age of Kings. The Definitive Edition added the +25% Camel HP bonus (previously a different bonus), strengthening their Camel identity. Their archer bonuses (historically attack-vs-buildings via team bonus) and naval strength keep them a versatile, multi-map civilization.
In pro play
Saracens are a flexible Arabia and water pick. On land, pros use them as a premier Camel civ to hard-counter cavalry opponents, with the +25% HP making their Camels exceptional. The Mameluke is a Castle Age power spike that crushes cavalry and trades well into many units. The 5% Market fee shines in the late game, letting Saracens sell excess resources and buy gold to sustain Mamelukes and Hand Cannoneers when others run dry. On water maps their fast-attacking Galleys make them a strong naval pick. Their flexibility makes them a safe, answer-everything choice.
How to counter it
Saracen Camels and Mamelukes are gold-heavy, so denying gold hits them hard — raid their mining and force them onto the Market (which, while efficient, still drains resources). Their Camels are weak to archers and infantry like all Camels, so don't feed them cavalry; switch to Crossbows or Champions. The Mameluke, though strong, is expensive and fragile to massed archers and Skirmishers. Against Saracen archers, Skirmishers and Mangonels apply. The macro counter is forcing a resource-starved attrition fight before their 5% Market lets them out-sustain you in the very late game.