Cossacks 3: Rise to Glory Review (PirateMike)
There's a Prussian campaign and other goodies, but I'm going to focus on the two new nations, which is why I bought this DLC:
~~~~~Bavaria~~~~~
Bavaria is in many ways a less extreme Prussia. On paper, they look nearly identical: Both are late-game nations who are weak early on (and for the same reason - their 17th century Pikeman upgrades are more expensive). Both have unique versions of the 18th century Musketeer and Grenadier which give them powerful late-game armies (though Bavaria has no equivalent to Prussia's highly spammable Hussars). The two nations play similarly, emphasize similar units, etc.
The key difference is in time, resources, and intensity. Bavaria's late-game power spike costs less overall and can be reached quicker, but it's not as potentially explosive as Prussia's. Lower investment for less payoff, essentially.
Bavarian 18th century Musketeers and Grenadiers are specialized in ranged combat: Their Musketeers, for example, have longer range and do more damage per shot, which is enough to let them comfortably win most firefights even with their slightly slower reload time. They also don't cost much more or take longer to train than generic Musketeers and Grenadiers (unlike the Prussian versions, which are even more powerful but harder to mass up). The drawback is that Bavarian Musketeers and Grenadiers have noticeably lower melee attack.
Gameplay-wise, Bavaria should focus on booming and advancing to the next age. The 17th century is when you are weakest, so don't hang out in it longer than you need to. Get to the 18th century quickly, put up some Barracks, and start pumping out Musketeers. Keep growing your economy and increasing your military production as you grab upgrades, and pretty soon the nations that once menaced you will tremble at the approach of your tricorner-totting troops. Try to target other late-game nations that take longer to reach their power spike like Prussia and take them out before they become a threat.
But Bavaria's not the only German nation joining the Cossacks 3 roster. Rise to Glory also brings us...
~~~~~Saxony~~~~~
Like Bavaria and Prussia, Saxony is strongest in the late game. Unlike them, however, Saxony doesn't see a reason to ignore the early game. Indeed, their 17th century armies are actually respectable thanks to them getting discounted Pikeman upgrades. This makes them harder to rush, allowing them to either tech up in great safety or apply some early pressure themselves.
Once in the 18th century, the Saxons' options open up. Saxon Grenadiers trade a sixth of their HP for better attacks and a hefty food discount on training them. Cavalry Guards are the Saxon version of Cuirassiers which sacrifice the latter's armor against gunpowder weapons for better HP and melee prowess.
The main Saxon claim to fame, however, is their 18th century Musketeer, which is one of the most interesting unit variants in the game. I think a lot of people underestimate them because their stats don't jump out at you, but make no mistake: These guys are among the best Musketeers in the game.
Firstly, although their training time and cost are nearly identical to that of standard Musketeers, they're not as taxing on your economy because they consume less coal and iron when they fire. This inbuilt resource-saving mechanic pairs nicely with their high rate of fire; the fastest of any 18th century Musketeer. This is the Saxon Musketeer's biggest advantage in combat. Sure, their shots might "only" do 30 damage at full upgrades (which is still more than the 25 damage of vanilla Musketeers), but they get more shots off than anyone else. It's not enough to make them as deadly as Prussian or Danish Musketeers, but those guys cost more and take longer to train, so it's all good.
The downsides of the Saxon Musketeer are a weaker melee attack and have slightly lower HP: 90 HP per man versus 100 on most Musketeers. The HP is the bigger issue, as it can sometimes make them vulnerable to a few high-attack enemies like Danish Musketeers who can potentially kill them in two shots (as opposed to three shots for other Musketeers). Because of this, Saxon Musketeers don't dominate the late-game battlefield as hard as some other nations', but they're still one of the best.
Playing as Saxony, you still want to get to the 18th century like Bavaria does, but there's less urgency to do so. Your early-game forces are actually decent, so don't be afraid to take some time setting up your economy or even engaging in some early aggression of your own if you so desire. When you do decide to advance, your position will only improve as fast-firing Musketeers and Cavalry Guard join your army. You may not completely dominate the 18th century like some other nations out there, but you're a force to be reckoned with throughout the game.