Zulu

Zulu

Leader	Shaka
Benefit	Iklwa
Unique Units	Impi
Unique Building	Ikanda

Introduction

The Zulu are a militaristic nation with unique benefits that entirely aid in conquest. They're a great nation for active players that want to expand, fight, and win. Zulu empires have no advantages in Science, Diplomacy, or Culture, so you either have to beat enemies into submission or at least castrate their efforts to outdo you in those other realms.

Build cities with high Production and good military buildings, and then make a military that is outdone by nobody. Keeping a good economy to support your military is the hardest part of being a Zulu; their units cost less to maintain, but you're often so busy fighting that it's still hard to get cash. Make sure to take a little time establishing Trade Routes with unaligned City-States or nations that won't be on your chopping block anytime soon. If there's no one else who wants to trade with you anymore, use Trade Routes internally to make your best martial city larger and more productive. Above all else, have a good time. Your enemies sure won't, so you have to have fun for everyone.

Passive Benefits

Iklwa

Melee units cost 50% less maintenance. All units require 25% less experience to earn their next promotion.

Iklwa is a sublime military benefit that makes all of your army better throughout the ages. The decreased cost to maintain a large military is a great benefit because Zulu nations are often heavy on troops and take time to build enough infrastructure to pay for them. In addition, it's harder to get good Trade Routes going when you are an aggressor, and Zulu players are often pretty assertive about taking territory.

Faster promotions are even better in some ways. Your troops are already going to be coming out of cities with Barracks (and later Armories and additional martial buildings). Having faster promotions ensures that your troops are even better trained than other martial civilizations. They'll be leagues ahead of softer targets!

Unique Strengths

Impi

Impi are much later game units than they used to be, back in the old days. Instead of being Ancient Era melee troops, these are now Medieval units. Impi fighters have the same basic stats as a Pikeman, but their Spear Throw gives them a bonus attack before melee begins. You end up dealing more damage overall and taking a bit less as well because you weaken the enemies before they have a chance to strike.

Impi are well-rounded, powerful melee troops. They're fairly cheap, don't require any resources, and can be fielded defensively, offensively, or even to aid in siege battles. They're perfect as the core of your Medieval military. Rush to Civil Service and overwhelm opponents that are still stuck with Classical armies.

Ikanda

Zulu Barracks are called Ikandas, and they provide special upgrades for your early- and mid-game melee units. Once gunpowder comes along, the benefits fade away, but until then you're a force to be reckoned with. All of your cities that train units have to construct an Ikanda. This, combined with Iklwa, ensures that your army is top notch, even before Impi take the field.

The Big Picture

Everyone always cringed (or grinned) when someone picked Zulu in Civilization IV; they were a very effective early-game martial civilization, and people used them heavily in multiplayer to threaten their opponents in the initial turns of the game.

Now the Zulu are back, and they're still really scary. Though Impi have moved into the Medieval Era, the overall martial domination of the Zulu is still possible in the first few Eras of the game. Their synergistic mix of improved Barracks, an awesome passive benefit for militaristic players, and a unique unit during this time make the Zulu one of the toughest enemies to beat in the pre-gunpowder days.

Take Honor and Liberty as a Zulu player. Honor is a must-have for your combat troops to reign supreme, and Liberty helps to keep your large empire from stagnating. Make sure to train (or steal) plenty of Workers to upgrade your land, and be ruthless with your targets. Like many early-game civilizations, your victory is determined in the first hundred turns, even if the game ends up lasting for much longer. It's your job to rush with a large military and to either defeat or cripple major opponents before they have their turn to dominate.

Be wary of human players that are used to fighting against aggressive nations. In a duel, you're in a happy place, but in larger games you might end up with multiple opponents agreeing to work together to stop your easy expansion. If you're playing with larger, experienced groups, tone back on your rampaging ways until you see actual weakness to exploit. Or, find an ally who is willing to carve the world in half. Don't rush in and get yourself killed through arrogance.