Downloadable Content

Heroes of the Aegean

Old World - Heroes of the Aegean gives you control of Ancient Greece's greatest leaders and warriors. Lead Athens to victory in the Battle of Marathon, defend Greece from a Persian invasion as Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, and conquer the Hellenic world as Alexander the Great himself in a series of scenarios spanning over 200 years of classical history.

Heroes of the Aegean includes six historical free-form scenarios, each with unique characters and objectives:

• Defeat the first Persian invasion: Lead Athens against the Persian army of Darius I and reenact famous historical events like Pheidippides running to Sparta and the decisive Battle of Marathon.
• Defend Greece in an evolving scenario where your performance matters: Hold off Xerxes' army as long as possible as Leonidas in the Battle of Thermopylae, engage the Persian navy at the Battle of Salamis, and rout the enemy invaders during the final Battle of Plataea.
• Macedonia conquers Greece: Fight for survival against much stronger enemies as Philip II and turn Macedonia from a weak kingdom surrounded by rivals into the ruler of all of Greece.
• RPG-like Cloak and Dagger: Play Philip's widow Queen Olympias as she holds the empire together after the king's assassination, and shepherd the young Alexander the Great into leadership before his rivals take power.
• Conquer the ancient world: Lead as Alexander the Great and expand the Macedonian kingdom in campaigns ranging from Tyre and Gaza to the Battle of the Persian Gate.
• The Diadochi: Choose one of Alexander’s generals and carve an empire out of the chaos brought by his death, fighting former allies for the remnants of the Macedonian kingdom.

Heroes of the Aegean also adds the Hittites as a brand-new civilization playable in the main campaign and led by the warrior king Ḫattušili I. The Hittites field powerful and unique three-man chariots and gain extra civics thanks to their status as the world's first known constitutional monarchy. Additionally, their entire unit roster has the special ability to cross hills without movement penalties and the ability to chop down forests, reflecting the Hittites experience in the rugged Anatolian landscape and their record of deforestation. With all of these advantages, the Hittites are poised to take the Old World by storm.

The Sacred and The Profane

Old World - The Sacred and The Profane adds a touch of religious fervor to your play with a wealth of new content that explores how religion impacted the fortunes of ancient empires. Experience over 350 new events, recruit new historical characters, and deal with the demands of the clergy as you try and appease the various faiths that exist within your empire. Be warned, if a religion disapproves of your rule, it can lead to dissent, riots, or worse.

Old World - The Sacred and The Profane includes:

• 350+ new events - from small rituals and everyday belief, to the power struggles of state religions and the emergence of world religions, you’ll need to keep your wits about you to navigate the complex world of ancient worship.
• Clergy characters - these new characters can join your court and bring their own missions and projects. How much they benefit you depend on how well their religion likes you. Existing characters can be inducted into the Clergy through a mission by the state religion's leader.
• Over 10 new character traits - The Sacred and The Profane adds a variety of new character traits, including new core traits, event-related traits, and traits unique to Clergy characters.
• Six new historical characters:
  • Mani, the founder of Manichaeism
  • Paul, fiery Christian convert and early Bishop
  • Josephus, Jewish rebel, general, and scholar
  • Ostanes, one of the rumored great magic users
  • Sappho, Greek poetess
  • Hypatia, Alexandrian scientist and philosopher
• Religious dissent mechanics - Negative opinion from a religion can lead to dissent in cities with that religion, which can have lasting consequences.
• Over 10 new ‘cult’ city projects - There are new cult improvements added by events, as well as improvements for existing Shrines. Each has a powerful and unique effect.

This DLC pack features a lot of 'what ifs', reflecting a time during which many religions were young and the empires of the known world were forced to reckon with competing faiths old and new.