It’s hard to believe it, but even more Crusader Kings 2 DLC is around the corner. The latest release comes out on July 14, just a few short days from now. The new DLC, Horse Lords, reinvents the nomadic peoples of the steppes, transforming them into a vibrant culture of their own with a full set of mechanics suited to their nomadic lifestyle. Pretty impressive for a game that came out way back in 2012 and whose not-really-sequel Europa Universalis IV has also been out for two years.

Crusader Kings 2: Horse Lords Reinvents The Mongols

I sort of thought that, after the last Crusader Kings 2 DLC, the epic medieval dynasty game was finally winding down its run. Way of Life is great, but it’s pretty small in scope. It felt like a final polish. Turns out, not so much. Horse Lords isn’t even slightly small. In fact, according to game director Henrik Fahraeus, the new DLC is “one of the biggest ones we’ve done when it comes to sheer weight of features.” So get excited: Even if you aren’t interested in playing as the Mongols or the Turkic tribes, the changes to them will have a big effect on you when the hordes come rumbling down.

The new features in Horse Lords revolve around making the hordes more like, well, hordes. For one thing, holdings won’t matter to them in the new DLC. Only population does… and they can sustain a higher population by tearing down holdings and freeing up more land. It’s a totally alien way of life to the feudal system in the West. The hordes thrive on prestige, and that influences their relationships with each other and even their inheritance system: a khan’s most prestigious son will inherit the throne. To bolster son’s prestige, khans can send their sons off to lead new mini-hordes, which serves as mercenary companies, allowing their leader to earn prestige of their own in battle.

The hordes also sit astride one of two main branches of the Silk Road, which largely functions as an inland trade route that anyone can build trading posts on… but is easily disrupted if the route belongs to multiple powers (the other branch extends through northern India). Those fighting the hordes will have a tough time, since many of their territories have no holdings at all. Invaders will have to garrison (!) the territory while building a fort, a new, quick type of holding that wrests control of the land from the horde.

The Horse Lords release date also brings more general changes, most notably a new relationship type between polities: tributary states. It works how you’d expect: States can force other states to pay tribute, without actually annexing them outright, in exchange for protection in wars. It’s a much-requested feature, and it’s finally coming. Horse Lords has tons and tons of content, and it’s coming out on July 14. Beware the hordes!!