Every city begins as a humble oasis on the banks of the Nile, sheltered by its walls. Stone by stone, the nomarch raises fields, temples and barracks until the province shines again under the returning sun.
Heart of the empire
Raised on the foundations of an older palace swallowed by the sand, the Palace is where the nomarch holds court, receives envoys and signs the decrees that shape the province.
Strategic roleThe heart of the city. Its rank sets how far every other building can rise, so each improvement here opens a new chapter for the whole empire.
How it growsFrom a modest hall of mud brick to a golden complex of columns, banners and gardens that can be seen from the edge of the Valley.
The drums of the barracks sound from dawn: here farmers become spearmen, the first line of every army of the Nile.
Strategic roleTrains spearmen, the sturdy infantry that holds the front and breaks the charges of enemy chariots.
How it growsTraining yards widen, armories multiply and the banners of veteran regiments fly over its gates.
Targets of reed and leather line the range, where archers practice until they can split an arrow in the wind.
Strategic roleTrains archers, the ranged damage that punishes spearmen before they ever reach the line.
How it growsSimple targets give way to a covered gallery with fletchers, bowyers and raised firing platforms.
The horses of the Nile are proud and fast; only the best charioteers learn to drive them into battle.
Strategic roleTrains war chariots, swift shock troops that run down archers and decide battles with a single charge.
How it growsPaddocks become grand stables with chariot workshops, racing tracks and the finest bloodlines.
Fed by the canals of the Nile, the wheat fields are the oldest wealth of Egypt: every loaf in the city and every ration in the barracks begins here.
Strategic roleGrain feeds and sustains the army. Without a steady harvest, training slows and marches falter.
How it growsSmall irrigated plots spread into terraces of golden wheat, with granaries, water lifts and busy farmhands.
Limestone cut from these quarries once built the pyramids; today it raises walls and temples against the darkness.
Strategic roleStone is the material of every construction. A productive quarry keeps the builders working without pause.
How it growsA shallow cut in the rock deepens into a terraced quarry with ramps, cranes and whole teams of masons.
Deep in the hills, miners follow green veins of copper by lamplight: the metal of weapons, tools and sacred amulets.
Strategic roleCopper equips advanced troops and funds the most ambitious research. It is the metal of an empire that wants to grow.
How it growsA single tunnel mouth becomes a network of shafts, smelters and smoking furnaces carved into the mountain.
Behind thick walls and under the seal of the scribes, the storehouse keeps the reserves of the province safe from thieves and raiders.
Strategic roleShelters part of your resources from enemy attacks, so a lost battle never leaves the city empty.
How it growsPlain sheds turn into a fortified treasury with towers, ramps and sealed vaults.
Under the gaze of the god of writing, scholars copy, study and debate the papyri that hold the secrets of the age.
Strategic roleThe center of research: new techniques for the economy, the army and war are discovered on its scrolls.
How it growsA modest shrine becomes a monumental temple with obelisks, a great library and an observatory for the stars.
Priests, healers and scribes work side by side in the House of Life, where medicine and magic are the same art.
Strategic roleHeals wounded troops after battle, so a costly victory does not become a lasting loss.
How it growsA quiet courtyard of herbs grows into a sanctuary of healing pools, libraries and incense.
Every brick of the walls was laid with a prayer. They have kept the dead outside since the first night of the eclipse.
Strategic roleThe shield of the city. They surround every building on this side of the Nile, with the river closing the last flank, and stand from the very first day. They resist sieges, protect your troops and buy the time your alliance needs to send help.
How it growsEarthen ramparts rise into towering stone walls with gates, towers and battlements of bronze.
Envoys from every nome meet in the halls of the embassy, where alliances are sealed and debts of honour are repaid.
Strategic roleConnects the city to its alliance: it receives reinforcements from your allies and lets you join forces in rallies.
How it growsA humble guest house becomes a palace of diplomacy, adorned with the standards of every allied house.
