Time to do another Civ! This time, the Mongols!
Leader: Genghis Khan
Leader Ability: Great Khan - Great Generals act as Siege Towers. Razing a city grants culture to the capital per population point razed.
Genghis was a great military mind, and he quickly learned and adopted strategies from Chinese and Muslim generals, especially siege warfare. He also trusted his generals to lead on their own when he was away in other parts of the empire, and promoted them due to merit, not heritage.
This ability should make Genghis a fierce conqueror.
Agenda: Slaughter the Dishonorable - Likes Civs that raze cities. Dislikes Civs that break promises that he demands (but doesn't care about other demands he hears about through gossip).
Genghis was very famous for razing cities and choosing targets based on honor-slights in the past. He also beheaded anybody who did anything wrong. Uh oh, here comes Genghis!
Alternate Leader: Ogedei Khan
Leader Ability: Pax Mongolica - Receive +2 production, science, and culture per turn in your capital for each Civilization and City-State that you control an original city of. Receive +1 "Silk Road Tariffs" gold per foreign trading post in your lands.
Ogedei constructed the new capital of Karakorum, and brought craftsmen, administrators, and advisers from all over the empire to assist him. He made sure to get ones from different cultures and faiths, as well. The Pax Mongolica refers to the fact that the entire Silk Road was controlled by the Mongols, which meant it was easy to travel along during that time (Marco Polo, for example). That also made it easy to tax
This LA should encourage the player to conquer in multiple directions at once (as Ogedei did), but also to keep the peace with their neighbors at some point to develop trading posts.
Agenda: Chosen Son - Likes Civs that are ahead in Science. Dislikes Civs that have weak militaries.
Ogedei was an intelligent and charismatic pragmatist. He liked learning and debating, and was capable of excellent rhetoric. He listened to his advisers and appreciated advanced societies. However, he was also a very practical man, and cared about the ends rather than the means. Conquering was often a very good end.
Hopefully this Agenda will make the Ogedei AI pick on weak players while trading with technologically advanced ones.
Unique Ability: Steppe Nomads
Great Generals get +2 movement. Pillaging tiles grants additional gold. Performing a siege causes the city to lose health every turn (bypasses walls).
The road systems the Mongols conquered plus the horses they rode allowed forces to be anywhere in the empire very quickly. Genghis Khan implemented a policy of distributing spoils to the men in the army rather than just the leaders, which earned a lot of loyalty. The Mongols were famous for providing ultimatums to the cities they sieged, which was to surrender or be completely slaughtered. They would actually follow through, but would leave a few people alive to flee to other settlements and spread the word and that they had kept it.
This UA should encourage raids and also enable quick conquering if you have enough armies.
Unique Unit: Keshik
Unlocks at Stirrups; replaces Knight. Does not require strategic resources. This unit has a range of 1, and can move after firing. It still receives flanking bonuses. Starts with the promotion "Psychological Warfare", which provides double flanking bonuses and a combat bonus against wounded units.
The Keshik were an Imperial Guard for the Khagan. The idea spread to the areas conquered by the Mongolians, presumably because each Khan also had a guard in a similar style to the Keshik. Mongolian military tactics involved firing while encircling or retreating from their opponents (on horseback), splitting up their forces to come from all sides and thus look bigger while also flanking, and terrifying their enemies by lighting extra fires in their camps the night before battle (or while sieging). Horses were such an inherent part of the nomadic lifestyle and they were so prevalent that the strategic resource requirement can be removed. (If ZoC does not allow Keshik to retreat after firing, then they should also have the ability to ignore ZoC after firing)
Unique District: Ger District
Unlocks with Bronze Working; replaces the Encampment District. Harvesting adjacent Camp/Pasture resources provides double yields. Provides +2 housing. Can be moved to another valid tile upon completion of its "Migration" Project (which also provides the normal "Training" benefits)
The Mongolians have always lived in Gers, which are a unique tent. They frequently move these around, following the migration patterns of their livestock. Though much of Mongolia is still nomadic today, the capital of Ulanbataaar (which holds over 40% of the total population) and other cities have Ger Districts. These are walled communities where people live in Gers and use public wells, public bathhouses, and pit toilets.
The main benefits of this district are that it is free (like all unique districts) and that it provides housing (and enables the military buildings, which give more housing). You will also be able to move this district out of the way as borders expand, and hopefully harvest some juicy livestock along the way.
Playstyle
The Mongols love war. With bonuses to Great Generals, raiding, building an army, and conquering, the Mongols are the powerhouse Civ for war.
The Ger District will allow every city to have an encampment, and early too. Since you can move it out of the way later, you might as well build it soon. Ogedei will be happy to leave some opponents alive so that they can trade with him, but he does want to show them who's boss first.
All of the other Mongol bonuses are militaristic in nature. Genghis works particularly well with his Great Generals, which are more powerful and cheaper. The Keshik is very powerful, especially in packs.
Genghis is the "war to end all wars" sort of leader. Ogedei wants to conquer so that he can rule the land. But the Mongol war machine turns no matter who leads them. Happy raiding!