Dominions Hub

"The kingdom of Arcoscephale is yet to be founded and in its place is a loose collection of city states. Bronze is more common than iron and hoplites have yet to see the light of day. Instead, myrmidons and chariots compose the core of the armies. In this time, slaves are commonly used and most free men have plenty of time to spend on fine arts and good living. Philosophers gather in the cities to discuss esoteric truths and engineers manufacture clever contraptions for civil or military use. At the heart of Arcoscephale lies Mount Cephalos, abode of the Awakening God. At the foot of the mountain is a great temple where sacred Pegasus Riders are trained. Icarids, men with mechanical wings, are also used in warfare. The philosophers are better at magical research in a slothful Dominion."

Arcoscephale is together with Pythium the first nation conceived in the creation of Dominions. After having played GMT's Great Battles of Alexander and S.P.Q.R. I got fascinated by ancient warfare, and the hoplites were among the first units to appear in Dominions. At first the two nations were one, with a troop roster of ancient units, while Man and later on Ulm had troop rosters with a more medieval touch. Soon, however, it became clear that Pythium and Arcoscephale should be two distinct nations. Arcoscephale is heavily influenced by ancient Greek city-states and Hellas. The Golden Age is influenced by the mythical past and the archaic age." - Illwinter

Troops and commanders

• Militia, Light Infantry, and Peltasts: inexpensive line holders and flankers with javelins and shields.
• Hoplites and Hypaspists: disciplined spear infantry with bronze armor; Hypaspists bring higher morale and attack skill.
• Charioteers: trampling chariots for early expansion against light or medium infantry.
• Elephants: high-impact tramplers that clear indie lines when backed by morale buffs.
• Sacred Heart Companions: capital-only sacred heavy cavalry with lances and good morale.
• Scout and Assassin: stealth tools for early map control and pickoffs.
• Oread: capital-only N3 mage with nature/earth randoms; stealthy, can cloud trapeze later.
• Hiereia: H1 priestess with nature randoms, often your stealthy bless carrier for sacreds.
• Mystic: versatile researcher with S2 base and fire/air/earth/water randoms; cornerstone of communions.
• Philosopher: cheap researcher with inspiring research; ideal for early lab stacking.
• Archon/Strategos: leadership commanders for expansion parties and early thugs with buffs.

Notable strengths

• Diverse elemental access through Mystics, enabling early communions and flexible battlefield magic.
• Cheap research via Philosophers accelerates your early tech curve.
• Strong expanders with elephants, chariots, and sacred cavalry supported by basic buffs.
• Stealth access (Oreads and Hiereiai) for surprise raiding or remote blessing.

Quick guide

Open with Philosopher spam to push research, recruit a mix of Mystics and a few Hiereiai, and expand using elephants or chariots screened by hoplites. A moderate bless (morale/attack or reinvigoration) keeps Heart Companions and Hypaspists reliable. Early research goals: Alteration 3 (Luck/Body Ethereal), Conjuration 3–5 for Summon Earthpower and lesser elementals, and Construction 4 for Owl Quills and Lightless Lanterns. In wars, lean on Mystic communions for buffs (Protection, Strength of Giants) and battlefield control (Sleep Cloud, Stellar Cascades), while stealth Oreads set up surprise raids or cloud-trapeze thugs later.

"Brazen giants and their enslaved helots march to rekindle the Gigantomachia, turning forts into unrestful pressure cookers and wars into brutal, elite brawls."

Troops and commanders

• Helotes: cheap human chaff to screen, soak arrows, and pad sieges while giants do the killing.
• Neodamodes: upgraded helots with better morale and staying power once you can afford the transition.
• Gigante Hoplites: elite giant spear line that wins honest fights, but is limited by recruitment.
• Other Gigante elites (Ekdromos/Discobolus variants): specialized giant hitters for flanks, shock, and armor-cracking.
• Ephor: your fort manager and researcher, also tied to the helot control machinery.
• Archon: combat leader/caster that helps your small-number armies punch above weight.
• Polemarch: strong battlefield commander for giant squads and disciplined positioning.
• Elder Cyclops: premium crafter and economy helper, turns gems into “you’re not allowed to stand there anymore” gear.
• Kryptes: assassin pressure that appears through Mekone’s internal security cycle (use to pick scouts/mages and force caution).

Notable strengths

• Giant statlines win early-mid fights through raw Strength, HP, and damage even with fewer bodies.
• Excellent item crafting options via Cyclopes lets you scale into thugs/supercombatants earlier than many nations.
• Dominion conflict pressure and late-game leverage improves when your national plan comes online.
• Gigantomachia is a major momentum flip: better recruitment limits and cheaper giants when you need to surge.
• Helot bodies let you trade time and positioning while giants deliver decisive swings.

Watch-outs

• Recruitment limits mean losses hurt more than normal: avoid sloppy trades and grindy wars.
• Fort unrest is not flavor text: unmanaged unrest bleeds income and can snowball into problems.
• No sacred troop core means you’re not leaning on a simple bless to carry expansion.
• Low model count armies can get outmaneuvered, surrounded, or spell-controlled if you fall behind research.

Quick guide

Open by building a “two-layer army”: helots in front to absorb the first impact, giants behind to land the real damage. Prioritize clean expansion fights, minimal casualties, and early gearing paths that turn a giant commander into a reliable problem-solver.

Plan your midgame around timing: stabilize unrest around forts, then pivot into a power spike when you can leverage Cyclops crafting and, if practical, push toward Gigantomachia to surge recruitment and reduce giant gold costs for sustained wars.

"Pangaea is a woodland realm of satyrs, maenads, and horned beastmen gathered by the revels of the Pans."

Troops and commanders

• Satyr Hoplites: spear infantry with shields; cheap line troops for early expansion.
• Centaur Warriors and Centaur Archers: fast flankers and accurate archers that hit hard in the early game.
• Maenads: free-spawning berserk chaff produced in turmoil that soaks arrows and ties down enemy lines.
• Minotaurs: trampling shock infantry with high strength and berserk, available as troops and as Minotaur Lords.
• White Centaurs: capital-only sacred heavy cavalry with multiple hoof attacks and good protection.
• Dryad and Satyr Scout: stealthy leaders for raiding parties and unrest generation.
• Pan: cap-only N3H2 mage-priests with nature randoms for buffs and summons.
• Pan of the Wild: nature mages with blood randoms that can start early blood hunting and support sabbaths.

Notable strengths

• Free maenad chaff provides numbers, archer soak, and siege bonus in turmoil.
• Fast and accurate centaur archers dominate many early indie fights.
• Strong nature magic for buffs like Protection and Wooden Warriors plus access to Swarm.
• Blood access through Pans of the Wild opens sabbaths and demon summons.

Quick guide

Use Satyr Hoplites to hold the line while Centaur Archers fire and White Centaurs anchor sacred expansion under a simple attack/reinvigoration bless. A Pan casting Protection and Swarm dramatically improves early fights. Research Alteration 3 for Wooden Warriors, Enchantment 3 for Swarm, and Construction 4 for Thistle Maces. Start blood hunting with Pans of the Wild in safe provinces and lead maenad-heavy stealth raids with Dryads to punish enemy backlines.

"Early Ermor is the disciplined republic of the Old Faith. Augurs consult the stars and shades while citizen legions march behind heavy shields and pila."

Troops and commanders

• Hastatus, Princeps, and Triarius: Roman infantry with formation fighter and pilum volleys; Triarii are elite spear lines with high protection.
• Eques and Equite Extraordinarius: fast cavalry flankers; Extraordinarii have better armor and morale.
• Gladiator: one-battle, high-damage units used to crack thugs or early forts.
• Velite: javelin skirmishers; the sacred Velite Warrior variant is capital-only.
• Augur and Augur Elder: astral/death priests (S1D1 and S2D2) that research well and form communions.
• Pontifex: H3 astral leaders who preach, bless, and provide strong leadership for legions.
• Legatus Legionis: inspiring commanders with formation fighter leadership bonuses.

Notable strengths

• Disciplined infantry with formation fighter trades efficiently and holds lines.
• Astral/death priesthood enables communions for Paralyze, Soul Slay, and Banishment.
• Accessible sacred Velite Warriors work with inexpensive blesses.
• Gladiators offer powerful one-shot damage for sieges or tough indie fights.

Quick guide

Expand with Hastati backed by Principes and Equites on the flanks; add Gladiators when facing heavy armor. A modest attack/defense bless keeps Velite Warriors effective without heavy investment. Research Alteration 3 for Body Ethereal and Protection on communion masters, then Enchantment 3 for Strength of Giants and early banishment. Use Augur Elder communions to spam Paralyze and Soul Slay while Pontifices preach and lead sieges with formation-fighting legions.