Wu

As a infantry and naval civilization, Wu reward players who lean into the strengths that define the archetype. Much of their character comes down to a handful of civilization bonuses: Military production buildings and Docks provide +55 food, Infantry regenerates 10/15/30 HP per minute in Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age, Jian Swordsmen and Hei Guang Cavalry +2 attack in Imperial Age and Careening, Dry Dock free. In team games their value grows: the team bonus Houses built +100% faster benefits everyone they play alongside.

They can also research unique technologies that no rival has access to: Sitting Tiger (Traction Trebuchets and Lou Chuan trebuchet weapons fire additional projectiles) and Red Cliffs Tactics (Demolition Ships and Fire Archers deal fire damage to ships and buildings). Their games tend to follow a familiar rhythm, reaching the Feudal Age around 10:20 and the Castle Age near 20:44 on average. The matchup chart tells a clear story: Wu feast on Gurjaras, winning around 62.7% of that pairing, but stumble against Romans, where their win rate slips to roughly 42.6%.

Popular and effective in equal measure, they show up in around 0.6% of games and convert a 52.2% win rate over 38133 RM 1v1 matches — enough for rank #7 of 54. The Castle-trained Fire Archer headlines the roster, but the wider army is dominated by cavalry (~34% of units), anchored by the ever-present Hei Guang Cavalry at about 30% of production.