On closed maps like Black Forest or Arena, the FI strategy was devastating. Turks were the masters of this: skipping Castle Age heavily to jump straight to Imperial Age for Hand Cannoneers and Bombard Cannons by the 22-minute mark. 1.5.1’s economy balance made the FI timing perfectly tight—20 seconds late, and you die to a Castle Age ram push.
One of the most infamous bugs in 1.0c was the “double heal” or “monk freeze” where attempting to heal a unit while moving caused the monk to lock up. 1.5.1 eradicated this, making Aztec and Saracen monk rushes far more reliable. conquerors 1.5.1
Version 1.5.1 arrived at a critical juncture. Earlier versions (1.0 through 1.4) were plagued by unit imbalance, network desyncs, and a "pay-to-win" structure involving premium currency. stripped away the fat. It was the "competitive patch." It introduced: On closed maps like Black Forest or Arena,
| Civ | Change | Impact | |-----|--------|--------| | | Free Loom removed → start with +50 gold instead | Slightly slower early drush, but still strong eco. | | Mayans | Resources last +15% (down from +20%) | Less insane farming efficiency, still top tier. | | Huns | No house requirement stays, but Cav Archer cost -25% (was -30%) in Castle Age | Still strong, but not overwhelming. | | Franks | Foragers work +25% faster (berry bonus) | Better early food for scouts or FC. | | Teutons | Town Center murder holes free (fixed) | Actually works now — nice for defense. | | Chinese | Start with -100 food (was -200) + 3 vills, no TC LOS | Much more playable. Still hard to execute. | One of the most infamous bugs in 1
focuses on visual and mechanical improvements to make the game feel more like modern grand strategy titles (e.g., Hearts of Iron IV ).