Let’s face it: we all want to be the “evil genius” that takes over the world with science. To come up with new technologies and techniques which so hilariously outclass our opponents that they simply surrender in the face of superior brain power. The Tahuks don’t exactly qualify as “evil,” but the “genius” part they have down cold. If you want to bind the world of Saiadha with science, read on.
Hit The Books
Science is the Tahuks’ big thing. They need Food, Industry, Influence, and Dust, of course. But Science is the key to their domination. Early on, you’ll get a quest to build a special district, the Holy Ocularium, which will unlock a number of special abilities (not unlike those the Kin of Sheredyn have). Get that structure built to unlock those abilities as well as bump up your Science output.
Ewww, Don’t Touch Me!
The Tahuks military forces are heavily weighted towards ranged units. They only have one melee unit. Everything else is ranged or ranged cavalry. That said, their infantry can dish out some hurt, so try to keep more of them with your Heroes than ranged units, at least to start.
King Of The Mountain
The Tahuks can build a special structure, the Observatory. This structure can only be built on tiles that have a Ridge (mountains, basically). And you cannot put them on Ridge tiles in a territory that has already been claimed by another faction. So definitely seek out those areas and put up Observatories as soon as you can. Even if the territory gets claimed by another faction afterwards, the Observatory will still be there. At the start, they just provide a little bump to Science and, when the Monsoon events occur, they provide food for the nearest City.
Scientific Orthodoxy
While being very focused on Science, the Tahuks also have a decidedly religious element to their culture. So much so that when you use some of those special projects on the upper left corner, you will create a special population unit, the Called. These are religious zealots, often who have some specific bonus or (more often) detriment built into them. Too many Called population can lead to Rebel units popping up and rendering the City they originated in completely useless. Try to keep them down as much as possible.
Light’em Up!
One of the big compensations for the Tahuks military leaning so heavily towards ranged units is the ability of some of those units to inflict a special status on their targets. Some ranged units deliver the “Illuminated Strike” status when hitting a target. This status lasts until the next time that particular target is hit. By flipping between ranged units who deliver an Illuminated Strike and melee units who do not, you can absolutely pump out some damage on even the toughest opponents.
The Tahuks are definitely not the fastest faction, nor are they the strongest. But their focus on Science and related abilities can make them a formidable force in the race to conquer Saiadha. Be smart and give them a chance.
