Like the Egyptians, the Minoans are a faction which is strong on in the early game with its infantry and navy. Aside from their fairly advanced blue-water navy, the Minoans also get the Libyan and Sea People mercenary pools: these are especially crucial, since they consist primarily of crack light cavalry and light assault units. The Sherden Archers are crack shots with their bows, while the Libyans provide a great deal of mobility and flexibility to your forces, especially in countering the more heavily armoured units of factions such as the Achaeans or the Naharin. Equally, the Minoans are capable of spawning Archer units from the Barracks, thus making them highly useful as a military power.

Still, the lack of proper early game hard hitters means that the Minoans do not do well on maps with vast tracts of open land, but are more than proficient on water. However, they are not just a naval faction - the bonuses enjoyed by the Minoans make them a very powerful commerce-minded faction, with free Taxation upgrades, bonuses to defensive structures, and improved fishing capability. The Minoan way of war thus is to out-boom and to out-build your enemy, using the sea as a source of wealth as well as a free defence against your foes.

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