It is my suspicion
that because the Korean players are the best AoK players in the world, ES
made Koreans so powerful in the game. A fearsome civilisation, shining in
the Imperial Age, but very strong in Castle, and not to be underestimated
in Feudal, the Koreans are suited for both land and water maps and push
the Vikings down to second place as the best All-Round civilisation.
Bonuses:
- Villagers +2 line of sight
- Stone miners work 20% faster
- Tower upgrades free (Bombard Tower requires Chemistry)
- Tower range +1 in Castle Age, +2 in Imperial
Unique Units: War Wagon (cavalry archer); Turtle Ship (war ship)
Unique Technology: Shinkichon (+2 mangonel/onager range)
Team Bonus: +1 mangonel/onager range
When Europe
fell into its Dark Age, Korea had been divided into three competing
kingdoms: Koguryo to the north, Paekche to the southwest, and Shilla to
the southeast. In alliance with China, Shilla conquered the other two
kingdoms in the 7th century and then expelled their erstwhile Chinese
ally. The central authority of Shilla disintegrated in the 8th-9th
centuries, however, under pressure from local lords. Korea was unified
once again as Koryo in the 10th century and after that, recovered
territory reaching up to the Amnok River border with China in 993. The
civilian nobility was thrown out of power by a military coup in 1170 and
military rule then lasted for sixty years.
The Mongols invaded in 1231, initiating a 30-year struggle. The Mongols
were often distracted by their wars in China and elsewhere but eventually
brought enough power to bear that Koryo made peace with the invaders in
1258. Under the Mongols the Koryo maintained their distinct culture and
were inspired to demonstrate their superiority to their conquerors through
a burst of artistic accomplishment.
Land reform, the rise of a new bureaucracy, the diminishment of
Buddhism, and the rise of Confucianism around 1400 were part of the
creation of a new kingdom, the Choson, that would rule Korea until the
20th century. China heavily influenced the Choson politically and
culturally. Korea became an important center of learning, aided by the
invention of movable type and the woodblock technique of publishing around
1234.
The greatest test of the Choson dynasty was invasion by samurai armies
from Japan in 1592 that ostensibly planned to conquer China. Although
seven years of fighting left much of the Korean peninsula devastated, the
Japanese were forced to withdraw because their fleets could not keep open
sea lines of supply and reinforcement back to Japan. The great Korean
admiral Yi Sun-Shin defeated the Japanese at sea. One key to the Korean
naval victories was their innovative turtle ships, the first
cannon-bearing armored ships in history. The Japanese had no answer for
these slow but powerful weapons. |
