Poland

Poland

Leader	Casimir III
Benefit	Solidarity
Unique Units	Winged Hussar
Unique Building	Ducal Stable

Introduction

Poland is a flexible nation that can work toward a number of victory conditions. They're best used in the hands of someone who likes to be unpredictable. Access to bonus Policies lets Poland keep up with nations that have even higher Culture, and their unique strengths can be used defensively, as a raider, or even as a serious conqueror.

This blank slate aspect of the nation is especially helpful in multiplayer. Humans automatically assume a number of things about some nations. If someone picks Songhai, Rome, Assyria, etc., then the people around them get a sense of what to expect and when to defend themselves. Poland isn't like that. You can mold your empire in many directions, and that's likely to keep people on their toes.

Passive Benefits

Solidarity

Receive a free Social Policy when you advance to the next era.

Poland gets its Policies a little bit faster because of their Solidarity. This helps to keep Poland toward the front of the pack instead of falling behind if they start to focus more on martial buildings and infrastructure instead of pure cultural pursuits.

Unique Strengths

Winged Hussar

Winged Hussars are aggressive Lancers that have increased Movement, Combat Strength, Shock I, and a Heavy Charge that pushes enemies back as long as the Winged Hussar damages them more in combat. Enemies that cannot retreat take additional damage, so it's a win-win situation. If you make more room, send in additional troops to follow up against your enemy. Otherwise, they'll be crippled and won't likely have the ability to survive a drawn-out engagement.

Set up your Winged Hussars as the frontline assault troops for your army. Have them rush in to knock fortified enemies off of their tiles, and then assault them when they have lower bonuses. Or, play the hit-and-run game. Small groups of Winged Hussars can race in, knock foes back, and retreat out of attack range. This is very frustrating for enemies because they'll need decent cavalry to have any hope of countering it. And your mounted troops are better than theirs, so it's often to your advantage to force them to play the cavalry game.

Ducal Stable

The Polish version of the Stables has multiple advantages over its generic alternative. Ducal Stables grant 15 XP for mounted units that are trained in their city. They also add 1 Production and 1 Gold for every Pasture that the city works. That's a rather nice combination for a civilization that already enjoys training mounted units. It's pretty much free money and Production for a building that you were planning on building anyway.

In addition, your mounted units get to start with a fair amount of experience. Don't waste your Heroic Epic, the Brandenburg Gate, or Alhambra on a city without Pasture access. Make sure to build these (or at least attempt to get them) in your best cavalry areas. That way, your mounted units get all of the free perks granted by these buildings.

The Big Picture

You don't need to decide what type of Poland you're going to play at the beginning of the game. Because you don't have bonuses that force you into a specific playstyle, it's better to let your tactics evolve throughout the game. Play to your position, to the map, and to the actions of your rivals. If people are being peaceful and taking over trade, become a marauder and carve them down. When heavy military forces are battling it out, use your superior mobility (through a higher percentage of mounted troops) to avoid fights that aren't in your favor. Skirt around enemy armies, invade their homeland to destroy roads and improvements, and put pressure on people in your territory to go home and chase off your raiders.

Make sure to have a couple of solid allies as you work your way to the top. Poland isn't some type of rampaging brute, and you won't want to take on the whole world at once. Keep to your word diplomatically, trade heavily with nations that you think will be in your favor, and prey on targets that won't be able to overwhelm you quickly. The longer a fight, the better it is for your nation. Sudden massive attacks are the hardest to do anything about.

In terms of disadvantages, Poland has few. Their big weakness is that they don't have a huge Era when they're the scariest kid on the block. Winged Hussars are fun, and they're dangerous too, but they don't create that magical time of conquest in the way that Rome and Assyria have in the late Classical Era. Nor does Poland have a late-game advantage for Tourism, Culture, or Diplomacy. You can push successfully in any direction, but it takes hard work to succeed rather than relying on your nation's bonuses.