The
Spaniard begins the game with the map fully explored. No one else does. This lets
you see mountains, which are excellent locations for new cities (you rarely reach
your Metal cap until the late game).
Even a fully explored map, though, is not a complete cartographic resource. You
also begin with a second Scout. Scouting
is a critical part of the early game; Scouts will locate Ruins (there gaining +35
Resources instead of +20) and Rare Resources, and
opposing cities. Scouts also mind your foe's production - they can see more than
half a city at a time as long as they stay alive. Staying alive is always trickier
abroad.
Spanish Scouts have +3 added to their to line of site, can be upgraded for free,
and deploy their Craft abilities faster. Until the Industrial (sixth) Age, the Spanish
player receives a free Heavy Warship
(such as a Trireme or Man o'War, for example) with construction of each dock. The
Spanish player also gains +35 per Science
level researched at the Library.
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Beginning in the Classical (second) Age, the Spanish player can build the Scutari,
a powerful substitute for the Phalanx
most nations deploy. The Scutari is less expensive than the Phalanx, and is built
faster. All Heavy Infantry are strong against mounted units. The Scutari is better.
In fact, nothing else is so fierce against mounts. In the Medieval Age, upgrade
your Scutari to Royal Scutari.
In the Gunpowder (fourth) Age, the Tercio appears, followed by the Royal Tercio,
in the Enlightenment (fifth) Age. Incredibly effective against mounted units, as
well as cheaper - and built faster - than your foes' Heavy Infantry.
A good alliance in Rise of Nations, one would think, would be between a Spanish
player and the Koreans. A combined army could
move into enemy territory, with the Hwarang units supplying fire support for the
Spanish Tercios, who in turn would defend the Hwarang from any enemy cavalry units
attempting to reach them. In the meantime, Korean Flaming Arrows would be busy bringing
their own version of "urban renewal" to enemy cities.
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 Scutari - Heavy Infantry, Classical
Age (II)
Powerful, slow, melee units; extremely effective against mounted troops.
 Royal Scutari - Heavy Infantry, Medieval
Age (III)
Powerful, slow, melee units; extremely effective against mounted troops.
 Tercio - Heavy Infantry, Gunpowder Age
(IV)
Slow, powerful, short-ranged gunpowder units; extremely effective against mounted
troops.
 Royal Tercio - Heavy Infantry, Enlightenment
Age (V)
Slow, powerful, short-ranged gunpowder units; extremely effective against mounted
troops.
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