| “ | Hindustani unique infantry unit that thrusts its spear through multiple targets. | ” |
| —Age of Empires II description | ||
The Ghulam is a unique unit of the Hindustanis in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Dynasties of India, trained from the Castle, replacing the Indians' Elephant Archer. It is an anti-archer infantry that thrusts its spear through multiple targets and is adept against masses of archers, but weak vs. cavalry.
Tactics[]
The Ghulam is a peculiar infantry unit; most infantry are weak against archers, due to their low movement speed and low pierce armor. Ghulams have high pierce armor, fast movement speed, an attack bonus vs archers, and its attack deals damage to the unit behind its target. Ghulams excel at taking down armies of archers, especially if massed.
In its anti-archer infantry role, Ghulams can be compared in some ways with Goths' Huskarls and Eagle Warriors. Huskarls have slower movement, but higher attack bonus vs archers and buildings, and better pierce armor. Compared to Eagle Warriors, both units have fast movement speed (Elite Eagle Warriors still move faster than Elite Ghulams), good pierce armor (Ghulam base pierce armor is better than the base pierce armor of the Eagle Warrior), but in this case, Eagle Warriors lack any anti-archer bonus attack. The thrusting attack of the Ghulam can be compared in a way with the ranged attack of a Kamayuk. However, the Ghulam attack effect only applies if two enemy units are aligned in a row, since they don't have range.
Ghulams fill an important role in Hindustani armies, covering a natural weakness Hand Cannoneers and Camel Riders have against archers, since these two units are specialized in countering infantry and cavalry, respectively. Since Ghulams are highly vulnerable against melee attacks, they should be paired with either Camel Riders or Hand Cannoneers.
Further statistics[]
As Ghulams are unique to the Hindustanis, only technologies that are available to them are shown in the following table:
| Unit strengths and weaknesses | |
|---|---|
| Strong vs. | Archers, Skirmishers, Cavalry Archers, Villagers |
| Weak vs. | Champions, Jaguar Warriors, Samurai, Teutonic Knights, cavalry, Monks |
| Upgrades | |
| Attack |  Forging (+1) Iron Casting (+1) Blast Furnace (+2) Arson (+2 attack against standard buildings)
|
| Armor |  Scale Mail Armor (+1/+1) Chain Mail Armor (+1/+1)
|
| Speed |  Squires (+10%)
|
| Sight |  Tracking (+2)
|
| Conversion defense |  Faith
|
| Creation speed |  Conscription (+33%) Kasbah (+25%, with Berber allies only)
|
| Upgrades |  Elite Ghulam
|
Comparison in the Castle Age with similar units[]
 Ghulam
|
 Eagle Warrior
|
 Huskarl
| |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | 30 food, 45 gold | 20 food, 50 gold | 56 food, 28 gold |
| Training time | 12 | 35 | 16 from Castle 13.33 from Barracks |
| Movement Speed | 1.265 | 1.265 | 1.155 |
| Line of Sight | 8 | 8 | 5 |
| Hit Points | 65 | 55 | 60 |
| Armor | 0+2/3+2 | 0+2/3+2 | 0+2/6+2 |
| Attack | 8+2 | 7+2 | 10+2 |
| Attack bonuses | +5 vs Archers +2 vs Eagles +4 vs St. buildings |
+8 vs Monks +3 vs Siege weapons and Cavalry +2 vs Camels and St. buildings |
+6 vs Archers +2 vs Eagles +4 vs St. buildings |
| Armor classes | Infantry | Infantry | Infantry |
| Special ability | Attacks through units to damage units within 1 tile with 50% strength | Cannot be converted before 8 seconds | Can be produced from both Castles and Barracks |
Comparison in Imperial Age with similar units[]
| Elite Ghulam
|
 Elite Eagle Warrior
|
Elite Huskarl
| |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | 30 food, 45 gold | 20 food, 50 gold | 52 food, 26 gold |
| Training time | 9 | 15 | 12 from Castle 10 from Barracks |
| Movement Speed | 1.32 | 1.43 | 1.155 |
| Line of Sight | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Hit Points | 75 | 60 | 70 |
| Armor | 0+2/6+2 | 0+3/4+4 | 0+2/8+2 |
| Attack | 10+4 | 9+4 | 12+4 |
| Attack bonuses | +6 vs Archers +2 vs Eagles +4 vs St. buildings |
+10 vs Monks +5 vs Siege weapons +4 Cavalry +3 vs Camels |
+10 vs Archers +3 vs Eagles +6 vs St. buildings |
| Armor classes | Infantry | Infantry | Infantry |
| Special ability | Attacks through units to damage units within 1 tile with 50% strength | Cannot be converted before 8 seconds | Can be produced from both Castles and Barracks |
Team bonuses[]
- A team containing Bulgarians: Blacksmith upgrades are researched 80% faster.
- A team containing Goths: Researching Arson and Squires is 20% faster.
- A team containing Lithuanians: Researching Faith is 20% faster.
- A team containing Teutons: Ghulams are more resistant to conversion.
Trivia[]
- The Ghulam and the Eagle Scout line are the only infantry units to cost more gold than food.
- The Ghulam is the third unique unit to represent an elite slave soldier, after the Mameluke and Janissary from the base game. Each belongs to one of the three main divisions of human units: infantry, cavalry, and archers.
- The Ghulam is the only infantry unique unit that increase its base speed when the elite upgrade has been researched.
History[]
Ghulam (غُلَام) (plural Ghilman (غِلْمَان), lit. servant) were slave-soldiers and/or mercenaries in the armies throughout the Islamic world. Ghilman were slave-soldiers taken as prisoners of war from conquered regions or frontier zones, especially from among the Turkic people of Central Asia and the Caucasian peoples. They fought in bands, and demanded high pay for their services.
The Delhi Sultanate also made extensive use of Turkish cavalry ghilman as their core shock troops. After Central Asia fell to the Mongols, they switched to capturing Hindu boys to convert into Islamic slave soldiers[1].
Gallery[]
References[]
Video[]
ELITE GHULAM vs EVERY UNIQUE UNIT (Total Resources) - AoE II- Definitive Edition
