Indians (Age of Empires III)

The Indians are one of three major civilizations featured in the Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties expansion. They require Wood to train their Villagers, therefore, playing them will require an overhaul of the usual tactics used by traditional civilizations, making them essentially the "Dutch of the East". The Indians in-game are based on the Mughal Empire, which controlled the vast majority of present-day India and surrounding territories, under its illustrious ruler Akbar the Great, under whom the empire reached its greatest extent.

Overview
Like the Spanish, the Indians main advantage in battle is a wide and balanced selection of different types of units. The Indians have one of the most well-balanced army in the game. The Indians have a unit to fulfill every role in war - their Sepoys fight well as musketeers, the Gurkhas provide good skirmisher support, and Rajputs help shield the light infantry and assault enemy lines. The Indian hand cavalry, the Sowar, is fast, even when compared to other cavalry, although fairly fragile. The Indians have another hand infantry unit, the Urumi. The Urumi can only be sent from the Home City as it is one of the most vital constituents of any Indian force. The Urumi has bonuses against heavy infantry and ranged cavalry, although it is a hand infantry unit. The Indian dragoon is the Zamburak, equally quick footed as the Sowar, though just as fragile.

All Indian units are unique, although most are modelled after a particular European civilization's troops. The Mansabdar units can be visually identified easily during combat, protecting them is an important endeavor if they are trained.

Bonuses
Civilization Bonus: Villagers costs Wood instead of Food. They lack Villagers shipment cards but receives free Villagers with every shipment sent. Can't hunt from Herdables which instead generate experience from them, even faster when tasked on a Sacred Field. They have some of the best wonders of the game.

Unique Units: All except Villagers and Boats.

Personality: Akbar the Great

Elephant Mounts
In order to re-balance the generally fragile camel units of the Indians, the Indian's primary shock troopers are their mighty elephants - powerful cavalry units with incredibly high hitpoints, siege and splash damage. The Indians have four distinct elephant units, excluding their monks, each with a different role.The Indians have some of the most powerful cavalry units in the game.


 * Howdah - Powerful dragoon unit. Expensive with very high hitpoints and attack, it is excellent for its primary purpose - sniping enemy cavalry. It is also suitable for taking out artillery.
 * Flail Elephant - The cheapest elephant available. Has a good and very fast siege attack and is suitable against Artillery. With its high ranged resistance, it can bring down most fortifications without much cost of life and limb.
 * Siege Elephant - Basically a cannon on an elephant's back. As the name implies, the Siege Elephant is excellent at siege. However, it is also encompasses other artillery abilities, such as anti-artillery and ship bonus. Despite this, the Siege Elephant performs very poorly against troops, although they do have high hitpoints.
 * Mahout Lancer - This elephant unit is the strongest of all the elephant and the strongest cavalry in the game. Like the Cuirassier, it has high hitpoints, high resistance and a wide splash area. Although not that effective against Heavy Infantry, this unit is devastating against archers and skirmishers. Also more effective against buildings than the Howdah, but less effective than the castle ones.

Mansabdar units
The Charminar Gate wonder acts as a barracks and stable, however the units produced here are special and take on the name Mansabdar. They increase the attack and hitpoints of similar (Mahout Mansabdar boosts Mahout Lancers, etc.) nearby units by 10%.

Economy
The Indians main economic distinction is that their villagers costs wood, rather than food. Thus, instead of sending villagers to forage berries or hunt, an Indian player would be mostly chopping wood. This leaves them somewhat weakened if they are in a map with little trees. The Indian civilization will also need to distribute the wood stock between building houses or training villagers early in the game. Fortunately, Indian players will receive free villagers with every shipment, much like how Germans receive Uhlan with every shipment, although the Indians lack any villager shipment cards. Due to this unique ability, Indian players are considered to be far too reliant on the Home City card deck, thus, a blockade would be devastating.

The Indians are unable to slaughter cows due to religious reasons, but this is viewed as a bonus rather than a handicap (they are also free to slaughter other animals for food). When a cow is obtained it generates experience, it generates even more when tasked on a Sacred Field.

Rates of xp gathering vary for different animals. A Sacred Cow (a cow will automatically get renamed to this after you acquired it) for example gathers 5xp/50sec while off a sacred field. A Llama on the other hand will gather 5xp/40sec (yes, faster than the Sacred Cow) while off a sacred field and 25xp/80sec while on it.

As a comparison a Trading Post on an unupgraded trade-route will give about 1.33xp/sec, of course in chunks every time the trade-travois comes by, regardless of the map or route-length.

Wonders
Like other Asian civilizations, the Indians advances in Age through Wonder construction. Below is a list of Wonders available to the Indians and the bonuses they provide:
 * Tower of Victory - This wonder sends a shipment of Wood once built. It also unlocks the Inspiration ability, which boosts land units speed, hitpoints and damage for 15 seconds.
 * Agra Fort - Acts as a European Fortress. Initially, it can only train barracks units, but an upgrade available in the Fortress age and the Industrial Age can unlock the training of Stable and Castle units respectively. Sends Sepoys (Gurkha after T3+) after construction
 * The Karni Mata - Has the ability "Keeper of Rats" which boosts villager gathering within 36 range of the wonder. Sends all three resources once completed
 * Charminar Gate - This wonder sends Sowars if built to advance to the Colonial Age, but sends Mahouts if built later. Able to train Mansabdar units.
 * Taj Mahal - Once constructed, this wonder sends crates of coins. It also unlocks an ability, known as "Cease Fire". When activated, all units on the map cannot attack for 20 seconds, buildings, though, can still attack.

In-game dialogue language (Modern Hindi)
General dialogue:
 * adesh (आदेश) - command
 * tayyar (तैयार) - ready
 * ha? (हा?) - yes?
 * hello? (हेलो?) - hello?
 * main ja raha hoo (मैं जा रहा हूँ)- I am going (Male villager)
 * main ja rahi hoo (मैं जा रही हूँ) - I am going (Female villager)
 * main karunga (मैं करूँगा) - I will do it (Male villager)
 * main karungi - (मैं करुँगी) I will do it (Female villager)
 * ha (हा) - yes
 * sahi (सही) - right
 * kisaan (किसान) - farmer
 * lakara hara (लकड़हारा) - lumberjack
 * shikari (शिकारी) - hunter
 * khurak dhundne wala (खुराक ढूंढे वाला) - forage
 * kamane wala (कमाने वाला) - earner
 * makan banane wala (मकान बनाने वाला) - builder
 * yudh karne ke liye (युद्ध करने के लिए) - for battle
 * hamla (हमला) - attack!
 * ha! (हा!) - Yes!

Brahmin (Explorers):
 * Shareer Mar Sakta Hai par Aatma Amar Hai  (शरीर मर सकता है पर आत्मा अमर है) - Body is mortal but the soul is immortal
 * Swargameeya (स्वर्गमीय) - Heavenly