Age of Strategy Forums

Front Cataphract dismounted: Heavy infantry transformation, basic heavy infantry bonuses + against heavy infantry. Iron Pagodas were notable for methodical dismounting during battle as heavy infantry as the situation required. May require tech. Sinic.

2 ship upgrade lines:

Guangchuan is resilient, weak ramming attack, relatively fast in deeper water, has cannon shot. Guangchuan Upgrade has raised superstructure, giving boarding capability + small gunpowder trebuchet abilities + spurt tube abilities.

Fuchuan is cheaper, less resilient, relatively fast in shallow/medium water, Heavy Crossbow attack, boarding capability. Has small gunpowder trebuchet abilities (weaker/lesser) + limited rocket abilities + spurt tube abilities. Fuchuan Upgrade (call it Niaochuan) has gun deck, increases resilience + giving weaker anti-flesh and blood spray cannon shot.

Paddlewheel Tech: allows ability sacrifice action to boost speed for 1 turn for some ships.

Kite mounted multiple rocket launcher (天兵箭): unique ability summon of Rocketeer with long cooldown. Has ranged rocket abilities. Flying, has 2-3 turns leaving.

Scorching fire kite (燔積火風箏): unique ability summon of Rocketeer with long cooldown. Flying, has 'leaving' (actually new active effect). Upon 'leaving', explodes, dealing damage to enemies in surrounding tiles, applying incendiary and chemical active effects. Both kites have relatively slow speed (e.g. 4).

Command Cart: Movable construct with High Morale Aura. 1 capacity slot with units attack from inside.

Swivel gun cabinet: 2 action anti-personnel, movement costs action, can fire explosive, poison, smoke, shrapnel, incendiary projectiles with high cooldown + costs 2 actions.

Also, a proposition for reach to grant first strike, full bonus counter to all deployed war wagons/war cabinets, which usually had extensive melee defences/personnel against cavalry charges (lesserly for war cabinets).

Handgonne War Cart tech gives 0 action cost handgonne shot ability (3 cooldown) to all deployed war wagons/carts, scales with ability power. This includes Culture Neutral Wagon Fort, Rocket Cart (Divine Fire Arrow Screen), Light War Cart (Qing Che), Assault Cart (former Knife Cart), Vanguard Cart (former Ironhead Assault Cart), Drum Cart (former South Pointing Chariot), and Command Cart. This was to reflect the prominence given to firepower and that many handgonnes/swivel guns were mounted on most carts in war cart regiments.

Plaited Gallery: More resilient fieldwork than Cloth Fort. 1 carry cap (foot), attack from inside. Allows Misc. Buildable only on plains. Slightly higher cost than Cloth Fort. Not a fortification.

Siege Screen: gives pierce armor to surrounding machines, 1 range. Has ability with cooldown to give additional aura, preventing burn damage.

Mobile observation tower. Has high sight, weak attack when deployed (0 speed transformation).

Head Cart: Packable ~light siege tower, 1 speed when deployed. No jumping over aura. 2 carry cap, attack from inside. Slightly less armored than siege tower. Allows misc inside.

Mobile moat bridge: can drive on moats/trenches, suppresses terrain effect, garrisons similar to bridge. Actual use was closer to cloud ladder.

Dun Hou Melee Stance: (Ranged Stance: Higher pierce armor, less armor, 2 speed, with Handgonne shot, stronger smoke/incendiary/chemical grenades (probably scales with ability power), movement costs action. Ability ('stand shield', costs action) increases pierce armor for some turns + -2 speed, Medium Infantry. Has melee transformation; Melee Stance: Rough foot knight stats/bonuses, Medium Infantry category, weaker smoke/incendiary/chemical grenades (probably scales with ability power))

Wujunying Infantry: Moderate/high cost Medium Infantry with ranged capability.
cost 4
hp 20
attack 10
range 1
armour 2/2
speed 3
sight 5
CR
same bonus as swordman

ability: bow shot
power 6
range 5
CD 1

Depot: large government facilities usually storing grain, ordinance, arms, supplies. Has ability sacrifice valuable/(food) to summon supply wagon/supply units in wide radius. Units entering have supply (active effect) applied by aura. No production. Aura reduces ability range of surrounding depots.

Armaments Workshop (using old image): Producing siege machines, gunpowder units, some basic units, relevant techs (upgrades reliable rockets), Siege Engineer below.

Siege engineer: 4 turn, can mend/construct only some siege engines, some ships, simple + more elaborate (some gunpowder) earthworks/siegeworks. Has weak ability similar to set petard. Has bonus against structures similar to petard. Can sacrifice logistics personnel to temporarily buff ability power (for gunpowder ability units, some siege). Buildable only in Armaments Workshop. Chinese 2 turn worker will only be able to build structures/buildings, simple siege machines/ships, rudimentary earthworks.

Tech image for legalism/associated reforms: unlocks more units in TC.

Soldier colonist train/summon/tech image

Chinese/Sinic stat improvement tech image. Unlocks some Sinics.

Sinic stat improvement tech image. Also unlocks other Sinics/mercenaries.

Song crossbowman mainly improves resilience/armors, mainly because of drilling/improved countermarch (and also better armor, small shields). Upgrade of Qin crossbowman.

Han Light Cavalry: slight anti-mounted bonus similar to Equites. Maybe bottle rocket ability with gunpowder.

Sinic Auxiliary Skirmisher: cheap skirmisher with ability poison weapons. Also Indochinese.

Foot mace: bonus slightly more towards heavy cavalry similar to Falxman.

Foot flail: More defensive flailman.

Map Editor Qing Bannerman. Has bow shot ability attack.

Current Roster of Siege Crossbow Units (Medieval units are indicated):

Siege Crossbow (Double) - High Range, High Damage, Accurate. 1 Action Turn, Movement Costs Action. Scorpio Bonus. Has Bonus Damage after Gunpowder.

Siege Crossbow (Multiple Bolt) - Moderate Range, High Damage, Inaccurate, 1 Action Turn, 1 Power Range, Movement Costs Action. Ballista Bonus + Limited Structure Bonus. Has Bonus Damage after Gunpowder.

Bed Crossbow Stand - Very High Range, High Damage, Accurate. 1 Action Turn, 0 Movement. Ballista Bonus. Has Bonus Damage after Gunpowder. (Medieval)
(Transforms into)
Bed Crossbow Packed

Bucket Siege Crossbow - Low Range, Moderate Damage, Inaccurate, 2 Action Turn, 1 Power Range, Movement Costs Action. Hwacha Bonus. Has Bonus Damage after Gunpowder. Medieval

I expanded the persuader mercenary into more units for further specialisation. (Can only be trained in 1x1 Barracks)

Confucian - Gives ability power to leaders, buffers, maybe applies short-ranged aura on them (similar to fervor). Promotes Loyalty, dismisses propaganda.

Legalist - Hires colonist militia units, group pays mercenaries, can sacrifice oneself to speed up production.

Mohist - Gives power, ability power to machines, can mend a little.

Strategist - Has short-ranged high morale aura, can buff flesh and blood attack/ability power with ability.

Wall Gunner: Pavise crossbow counterpart. Stronger handgonne shot when deployed.

Wall Gunner: Pavise crossbow counterpart. Stronger handgonne shot when deployed.

Great Drum: only has Chinese aura when standing. Standing has 0 movement. Maybe has other specific buff.

Small wall drum foot: increases movement speed in low aura range, mental resistance (for flavor) (necessitated since there is a war drum cart, hence Chinese specific move aura)

To stress that Divine Fire Arrow Screen is usually a stationary launcher, I suggest that it can fire only in stand mode, which requires transformation from moving mode.

Signalling bottle rocket: Increases sight of affected ally/self. Ability of Jian Ye and light cavalry (melee, light crossbow, longer cooldown for other cavalry).

Civil Service: Tech allows Confucian and Legalist to be trained in TC (OR summoned from Chinese Barracks). Requires Legalism.

Command Chariot: Heavy command chariot designed as wagon fort. Used in Han period. 2 speed, 1 range Chinese aura. Has heavy crossbow shot as main attack.

Gun Spearman: Descendant of firelance. Anti-mounted polearm wielder with ability weaker handgonne shot (smaller projectile), 2-3 cooldown. Many similar weapons were part of Ming arsenal.