Japanese

Civilization Bonuses

Unique Unit

Samurai are excellent at killing other unique units due to their bonus damage.

Unique Technologies

Build Orders

Strategy Tips

In-Depth Japanese Analysis

The Japanese are a strong infantry and fishing civilization that rewards players who understand how to exploit map conditions and use their unique speed advantage efficiently. Their 33% faster infantry attack rate is one of the most powerful combat bonuses in the game, and their Samurai provides a reliable counter to any enemy unique unit. On water maps, their Fishing Ships are so superior to those of other civilizations that naval control becomes almost guaranteed.

The 33% Faster Attack — Why It Matters

A standard Long Swordsman attacks once every 2 seconds. A Japanese Long Swordsman attacks once every 1.5 seconds. Over a 30-second fight, a Japanese infantry unit makes 20 attacks where a non-Japanese infantry unit makes 15. This is a 33% damage increase in practice — effectively the same as giving every Japanese infantry unit +4 effective attack, which would be one of the most powerful bonuses in the game if expressed as a flat attack bonus. The compounded effect over hundreds of units in a large Imperial Age army is massive.

This bonus also affects the Samurai specifically: the Samurai already has a fast base attack, and the Japanese civilization bonus makes it even faster. Against unique units — which the Samurai already counters with bonus damage — a Japanese Samurai destroys them in just a few hits. This makes Japanese armies particularly effective on maps with opposing civilizations that depend heavily on expensive unique units like War Elephants, Huskarls, or Cataphracts.

Water Map Supremacy

Japanese Fishing Ships have 2x hit points and up to +20% gathering speed in Imperial Age. On water maps, this means Japanese fishing fleets survive raids from enemy Galleys far more effectively than standard fishing ships, and generate food income at a pace other civilizations cannot match. This economic advantage frees up land villager production for resource gathering rather than food, often allowing Japanese players to maintain larger armies than opponents who must split resources between land and water food production.

The Japanese Navy itself is not specifically bonused, but Dromon (fire ship) and naval combat are supplemented by the fact that the Japanese water economy generates so much food income that the player has more resources available for military production overall. On mixed water-land maps like Arabia (when there is water access) or explicitly water-focused maps, Japanese consistently punch above their weight in naval contests.

Kataparuto and Late Game Siege

The Kataparuto technology allows Japanese Trebuchets to fire and pack 33% faster — one of the more subtle but impactful unique technologies in the game. Standard Trebuchets pack very slowly after each shot, creating windows where cavalry can charge and destroy them. Japanese Trebuchets reload fast enough that aggressive players can miss this window, making Japanese siege trains significantly harder to react to. Combined with a strong infantry escort and fast attacking infantry to deal with any cavalry response, Kataparuto Trebuchets enable Japanese players to demolish castles and fortifications more efficiently than almost any other civilization.