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This article is about the Age of Empires II unit. For the unit in Age of Empires IV, see Ghulam (Age of Empires IV). |
| “ | 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. It is a fast infantry with high pierce armor, used as an anti-archer and a raiding unit.
Ghulams can be upgraded to Elite Ghulams in the Imperial Age.
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 the archers are in clumped groups.
In its anti-archer infantry role, Ghulams can be compared in some ways with Eagle Warriors and Goths' Huskarls. 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, and take bonus damage from Militia-line infantry. 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. Their fast speed also enhances their ability to kite siege weapons, which does not help Hindustanis much, since they already have good units for that role anyways.
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. | Foot archers, Villagers, siege units, Eagle Warriors |
| Weak vs. | Champions, Jaguar Warriors, Samurai, Teutonic Knights, heavy 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%)
|
| Conversion defense |  Devotion (+1 min, +1 max) Faith (+4 min, +4 max)
|
| Creation speed |  Conscription (+33%) Kasbah (+25%, with Berber allies only)
|
| Regeneration | Stronghold (30 HP/min when within 18 tiles square of a team Celts Castle)
|
| Upgrades |  Elite Ghulam
|
Comparison in the Castle Age[]
 Ghulam
|
 Eagle Warrior
|
 Huskarl
| |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | 30 food, 45 gold | 25 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 | 60 | 55 | 60 |
| Armor | 0+2/3+2 | 0+2/3+2 | 0+2/6+2 |
| Attack | 9+2 | 7+2 | 10+2 |
| Attack bonuses | +5 vs Archers +2 vs shock infantry +4 vs St. buildings |
+8 vs Monks +3 vs Siege weapons and Cavalry +2 vs Camels and St. buildings +1 vs Ships and Fishing Ships |
+6 vs Archers +2 vs shock infantry +4 vs St. buildings |
| Armor classes | Unique unit | shock infantry | Unique unit |
| Upgrade cost and time |
950 food, 575 gold 45 seconds |
800 food, 500 gold 50 seconds |
1200 food, 550 gold 40 seconds |
| 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 the Imperial Age[]
 Elite Ghulam
|
 Elite Eagle Warrior
|
 Elite Huskarl
| |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | 30 food, 45 gold | 25 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 | 70 | 60 | 70 |
| Armor | 0+2/6+2 | 0+3/4+4 | 0+2/8+2 |
| Attack | 11+4 | 9+4 | 12+4 |
| Attack bonuses | +6 vs Archers +2 vs shock infantry +4 vs St. buildings |
+10 vs Monks +5 vs Siege weapons +4 Cavalry +3 vs Camels +2 vs Ships, Fishing Ships, and St. buildings |
+10 vs Archers +3 vs shock infantry +6 vs St. buildings |
| Armor classes | Unique unit | shock infantry | Unique unit |
| 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[]
Armenians: Ghulams have +2 Line of Sight.- Bulgarians: Blacksmith technologies are researched 80% faster.
- Goths: Researching Arson and Squires is 20% faster.
- Lithuanians: Researching Devotion and Faith is 20% faster.
- Portuguese: Upgrades that benefit Ghulams are researched 25% faster.
- Teutons: Ghulams are more resistant to conversion.
Changelog[]
Dynasties of India[]
- Upon release, (Elite) Ghulams had 65 (75) hit points. With update 66692, they have 55 (65).
- (Elite) Ghulam have 8 (10) attack.
Return of Rome[]
- With update 87863, (Elite) Ghulam have 9 (11) attack and 60 (70) hit points.
Trivia[]
- The Ghulam, three shock infantry lines, and Warrior Priests are the only infantry units to cost more gold than food or wood.
- The Ghulam is the third unique unit to represent a Muslim 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.
- Historically, ghilman (plural for "ghulam") were an elite strike force in Islamic caliphates that was used to weaken the enemy with a series of swift attacks before the main force would engage. The in-game Ghulam's role as a quick raiding unit is therefore somewhat historically correct, as is the use of a long spear and a round shield. However, real-life ghilman usually fought on horseback instead of foot.
- Despite the Hindustanis also mainly representing the Mughals, the Ghulams were rarely used during the Mughal era in real life.
- The Ghulam's shield resembles the Hindustani civilization icon.
History[]
Ghilman (غِلْمَان) (singular Ghulam (غُلَام), lit. servants or slaves) 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.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
