Ashdod is a dry wasteland inhabited by the Rephaim, giants descended from the Nephilim of primordial times. The Rephaim have degenerated and lost the prodigal powers of their predecessors, but they are still mighty in comparison to other beings. While not as mighty as they once were, there are still a few Rephaim with pure blood. In the Twin Cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon live the Anakim, mightiest of the Rephaim, and the Anakite priest-kings. With the disappearance of the Nephilim and the pureblooded Rephaim, the Nephilim Cult has been replaced by ancestor worship. Malikum, Rephaite kings of old, are worshiped at sacred banquets for the dead. The Kohanim of earlier times have been replaced by the Zamzummim, priest-mages and shepherds of the dead, who fulfill their purpose in life by being devoured at the funerary banquets.

"Hinnom, Ashdod and Gath are heavily influenced by ancient Israelite, Canaanite and Philistine concepts. I have always been intrigued and fascinated by biblical mythology, and had long I wanted to include the Nephilim and biblical Genesis myths into the game. However, I was worried that I would not do the sources justice, so it took a while before I finally got down to finishing the nations. The Bible, the Book of Enoch, the Dead Sea scrolls and the Ras Shamra texts of Ugarit and interpretations of these texts are the main sources of the nations. [T]he veneration of the deified dead kings of Ashdod draws inspiration from the Ras Shamra and Canaanite/Ugaritic concepts of the dead. The rephaim/r'p'm of the Ugaritic texts are ghosts or deified dead rather than giants, so Ashdod turned out a bit different than I first intended, with death magic replacing blood. The shift from blood to death gave the nation a different and interesting mood. I have looked a bit at Sumerian and Babylonian history when designing Hinnom and Ashdod." -Illwinter

If you are considering picking this nation to play, what should you know?

Magic Access	Alt. Access	Unit Summary	Core Abilities	Buildings
4 3 (rare 4) 3 (rare 4) 3 (rare 4) 2	Heroes 42 42 1142 Summons 3 (req. 41) 3 (req. 52) 44 or 44 or 44 or 44 (req. 73) 2222200% (req. 41) Event 3332 (Turn 25, req. 8)	Rephaite Giant Infantry Human Slaves Sacred Anakite Giants	Sacred Fire Resistance Gluttony Wasteland Survival Fear of the Flood	Giant Forts

Capitol Gems: 1211
Heat Limit + 1
Death Limit + 1
Prefers Heat Scale + 2

• Strange Fire (Evocation 4)
  12
  Commentary here.
  

See Magic Access. These guides supplement the summaries at the top.

• 3 on one-in-three Talmai Elders (capital-only), 2 on one-in-three Rephaite Sages off-capital
• No Air Magic
• No Water Magic
• 3 on one-in-three Talmai Elders (capital-only), 2 on one-in-three Rephaite Sages off-capital

• 3 on one-in-three Talmai Elders (capital-only), 2 on one-in-three Rephaite Sages off-capital
• 4 on one-in-eight Zamzummites (capital-only), 2 on one-in-four Emites off-capital
• No Nature magic
• No Glamour magic

• No Blood magic (aside from 2 on summoned Maliks)
• 2 on Adonai (capital-only), 1 on Kohens off-capital

• 32/23/14: Blight, Fields of the Dead, Hidden summons, Shadow Brand, Eye Pendant (Disease Healer)
• 122/113: Bane Fire, Magma Eruption, Skull of Fire, The Copper Arm, various combat items
• 212/113: Gifts from Heaven, Nether Darts, Communion plugs, Armor of Meteoric Iron (+3 Magic Resistance)

Ashdod doesn't have a ton of useful paths for boosting, but there's always a chance of one of the Talmai Elders having something remarkable, such as 13 (for the Sky Metal Coin) or 4 (for the Flame Helmet.

If possible, reaching 37 allows casting Call Merkavah for 222. The summoned Chayot can have either 4, 4, 4, or 4, depending on the shape it is in. The Air path is especially useful.

3 Talmai Elder (1 in 3) is the highest Fire mage available. Both Emite (1 in 4) and Zamzummite (1 in 4) can have 11 to make a Skull of Fire. This can allow the Talmai Elder to get to 4 to make a Flame Helmet, removing the need to try for the unique The Ruby Eye.

The hero, Sheshai - First Son of Anak, has 4.

No native access. 41 can cast Ether Gate for a 1 in 4 chance of 1.

No native access. 3 can Summon Spectre for a 7 in 16 chance of at least 1.

3 Talmai Elder (1 in 3) is the highest Earth mage available along with the (1 in 8) 3 Zamzummite. Neither has useful crosspaths, unless you can take a (1 in 8) 21 Zamsummite all the way to 55 for the unique Atlas of Creation.

The hero, Ahiman - Second Son of Anak, has 4. The hero, Talmai - Third Son of Anak, has 14, which theoretically could allow it to make the unique Atlas of Creation. Increasing Earth by four is difficult, though.

3 Talmai Elder (1 in 3) is the highest Astral mage available. A (1 in 8) 21 Zamzummite, with a Starshine Skullcap made by the Talmai Elder, can forge a Coin of Meteoritic Iron. With all three, the Talmai Elder can get to 6 for a Ring of Sorcery.

The hero, Talmai - Third Son of Anak, has 4. With an Earth booster it can make a Coin of Meteoritic Iron. With enough boosters and empowerment, it theoretically could make the unique items Atlas of Creation and The Forbidden Light, increasing a path by four is difficult.

4 Zamzummite (1 in 8) is the highest Death mage available.

A 12 Zamzummite (1 in 8), with Earth Boots it makes itself, can make The Copper Arm to allow a Death mage climbing the path to hold more boosters.

No native access. If an 3 Talmai Elder (1 in 3) is empowered Nature, he can Call Arel for a 3 mage.

If you have 8 in a province on Turn 25 or after, and at least one Adon and one Zamzummite in that province, the Zamzummite will be replaced with a 3332 mage. This happens only once.

No native access. 4 can cast Troll King's Court for 1.

3 can Summon Spectre for a 7 in 16 chance of at least 1.

No native access. 41, 55, and the mage sacrificing itself, allows casting Banquet for the Dead and a 2 mage.

41 can cast Ether Gate for a 1 in 4 chance of 1.

How to win as the nation. Feel free to use the following sections, or delete them, or change them.

Different expansion options.

Early game options.

Mid game options.

Late game options.

What are the nation's weaknesses?

Add links to guides or other overviews for this nation here.

Nations
Early Ages	Arcoscephale • Ermor • Ulm • Pyrène, • Marverni • Sauromatia • T'ien Ch'i • Machaka • Mictlan • Abysia • Caelum • C'tis • Pangaea • Agartha • Tir na n'Og • Fomoria • Vanheim • Helheim • Niefelheim • Muspelheim • Rus • Kailasa • Lanka • Yomi • Hinnom • Ur • Berytos • Xibalba • Mekone • Ubar • Atlantis • R'lyeh • Pelagia • Oceania • Therodos
Middle Ages	Arcoscephale • Ermor • Sceleria • Pythium • Man • Eriu • Ulm • Pyrène • Marignon • Mictlan • T'ien Ch'i • Machaka • Agartha • Abysia • Caelum • C'tis • Pangaea • Asphodel • Vanheim • Jotunheim • Nidavangr • Vanarus • Bandar Log • Shinuyama • Ashdod • Uruk • Nazca • Xibalba • Phlegra • Phaeacia • Ind • Na'ba • Atlantis • R'lyeh • Pelagia • Oceania • Ys
Late Ages	Arcoscephale • Pythium • Lemuria • Man • Ulm • Marignon • Mictlan • T'ien Ch'i • Jomon • Agartha • Abysia • Caelum • C'tis • Pangaea • Midgård • Utgård • Bogarus • Patala • Gath • Ragha • Xibalba • Phlegra • Vaettiheim • Feminie • Piconye • Andramania • Pyrène • Atlantis • R'lyeh • Erytheia