Civilization IV: Warlords Review

Many Civilization players fall into one of two camps, with the rest generally somewhere in between. In one you have the players who want to build large and glorious civilizations and would rather not have to deal with issues such as wars that detract them from their building. In the other you have those who enjoy expanding their empires at the end of a sharp pointed stick. While the name of the Civilization IV Warlords expansion certainly indicates that it is geared towards the latter group, there is something for everyone in this expansion.

Probably the first question that comes to Civilization fans’ minds when they hear of a new expansion is “what are the new civs?” Well to answer that question Warlords adds six of them to the game: the Carthaginians, the Celts, the Koreans, the Ottomans, the Vikings, and the Zulus. Of course each comes with its own unique units and leaders, and in keeping with the expansion’s theme the new civs are slanted towards those with a historical knack for making war.

The expansion introduces the warlord unit to Civilization IV which is a great general to join the other “great” people that your civilization produces now and then. The warlord can bestow bonuses on the military unit it is attached to, such as increased experience or a stat boost. Warlords can also be sacrificed in a city to create an academy to boost the production and quality of military units created in that city. Although they have an impressive sounding name, warlord units will not be able to run amok across your enemies in the game. They simply add a little bonus to a stack of military units and are as susceptible to attack and defeat as any other unit.

Those of you who are more civic-minded players will be happy to hear that three new wonders have been added to the game, although they are all confined to the early stages of the game. The new wonders include the Temple of Artemis, Great Wall, and University of Sankore. The Temple of Artemis is basically an empire-wide temple, the Great Wall will ease your barbarian troubles, and the University of Sankore will turn your religious buildings into research centers as well.

Warlords also adds a new vassal state system to the game. Vassal states add a portion of their resources to your civilization and add their territory and population to your domination score, but vassal states will work better for your AI opponents than for you. A civ will usually only offer to become your vassal once you’ve already pretty much brought it to its knees, so why not just finish it off and take everything it has? On the flipside if a civ with which you’re at war acquires a vassal, you will suddenly find yourself in a much expanded conflict.

The real heart of this expansion is in the eight scenarios it includes. Each includes its own unique twist on the rules of Civilization IV and in keeping with the expansion’s theme they are all war-focused. Alexander's Conquest has you driving east out of Greece and attempting to steamroll the Persians on your way to India. The Peloponnesian Wars has you island hopping around Ancient Greece. The Rise of Rome challenges you to expand the Roman Empire by driving to capture key strategic locations. Genghis Khan is interesting in that you must sweep across other civilizations, pillaging as you go. You’ll rely on mobile camps instead of cities and must gain your technology through ransacking enemy cities. Chinese Unification adds an element of alliance through intermarriage while Vikings has you earning wealth by ransoming cities. Omens is a kind of fantasy version of the French and Indian War in which gods periodically punish the faction in last place. Lastly Barbarians turns the tables and lets you be the one destroying cities in an attempt to stop human civilization in its infancy.

I found these scenarios to be enjoyable and a break from the usual Civilization. However if you’re a Civilization purist who never enjoyed the scenarios in previous incarnations of Civilization, then odds are that you won’t spend much time with the ones included in Warlords. To really get your money’s worth out of this expansion though you need to get some good playing time out of the scenarios. If you’re not a big fan of scenarios, then it can be hard to justify the cost of the expansion based on the other additions.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 88%.  Civilization IV Warlords will please all but the most pacifistic of Civilization players.