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This article is about the major civilization in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. For other appearances of the faction in the series, see Incas (disambiguation).
Civilization Technology tree Strategy Home City Cards

A vast South American empire known for the power of its walls and smart administration.
—Official description[1]

The Inca are a playable Native American civilization introduced in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. They are based on the Inca Empire (1438-1572) which ruled over modern-day Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and parts of Bolivia, Argentina, and Colombia.

They first appeared as a minor civilization of the same name in Age of Empires III, in update 47581 the minor civilization was renamed to Quechua.

Home City[]

Homecity Incas DE
Default War Chief names
Atahualpa, Huascar, Huayna Capac, Manco Inca, Pachacuti, Paullu Inca, Sayri Tupac, Titu Cusi, Tupac Amaru, Tupac Huallpa, Tupac Inca, Viracocha

  • Inca marketplace1 Marketplace (original) - The original version of the Marketplace (Default)
  • Inca marketplace2 Marketplace (alternative) - The alternate version of the Marketplace with a cross hatched patterned roofing and pink, green, red and yellow market stalls (2 points)
  • Inca inti raymi 1 Inti Raymi Festival Part 1/2 - The Inca Empire celebrates the Inti Raymi Festival by decorating the stairs, and hanging colourful banners (5 points)

  • Inca palace1 Palace (original) - The original version of the Palace (Default)
  • Inca palace2 Palace (gold) - The golden version of the Palace displaying beautiful golden plates and red brick entrances (2 points)

  • Inca temple1 Temple (original) - The original version of the Temple (Default)
  • Inca temple2 Temple (gold) - The golden version of the Temple displaying golden and red brick walls (2 points)
  • Inca lightset Daytime Lighting - The city with the sun shining brightly (Default)
  • Inca sunrise lightset Sunset Lighting - The city with the sun setting (5 points)
  • Inca night lightset Night Lighting - The city at night (10 points)
  • Inca volcano Sabaucaya Volcano Erupting - The Sabaucaya Volcano is erupting! Stay safe everyone! (15 points)

  • Inca plaza1 Plaza (original) - The original version of the Plaza (Default)
  • Inca plaza2 Plaza (alternative) - The alternate version of the Plaza with alternate colored market stalls (2 points)
  • Inca market day Market Day - Market stalls are set up at the plaza for traders and community gatherings (5 points)
  • Inca llamas Llamas - A handful of Llamas roaming around the city (5 points; same slot as Inti Raymi Festival Part 2/2)

  • Inca waterfront1 Waterfront (original) - The original version of the Waterfront (Default)
  • Inca waterfront1 Waterfront (alternative) - The alternate version of the Waterfront displaying red patterned sheets over the roof (2 points)
  • Inca boats Boats - Trading and fishing boats docked by the waterfront harbor (5 points)
  • Inca inti raymi 2 Inti Raymi Festival Part 2/2 - The Inca Empire celebrates the Inti Raymi Festival with crowds marching and dancing around the city (10 points; same slot as Llamas, requires Inti Raymi Festival Part 1/2)

Characteristics[]

Civilization bonuses[]

Shared Native American units[]

Native villager aoe3de Villager: Villager that gathers resources.
Warrior de Warrior: Quick-training Native defender who quickly loses hit points, becoming less effective over time.
Pistolero aoe3de Pistolero: A dangerous outlaw with a pistol.
Comanchero icon aoe3de Comanchero: A dangerous outlaw on horseback.
Renegado aoe3de Renegado: A dangerous outlaw with a rifle.
Captured mortar aoe3de Captured Mortar: Artillery captured and operated by Native Americans. Fires an exploding shell at buildings or ships.
Native fishing boat aoe3de Fishing Boat: Gathers food from Fish or coin from Whales.

Shared Native American buildings[]

Farm aoe3de Farm: Slow, infinite source of Food. Limited to 10 gatherers.
Community plaza aoe3de Community Plaza: Task Villagers on the Community Plaza to perform a poweful ceremony.
War hut aoe3de War Hut: Trains and upgrades infantry units as well as defends an area with a ranged attack.

Unique Inca units[]

Inca-war-chief-icon-aoe3 Inca War Chief: The leader of your Tribe. Possesses many powerful bonuses and abilities. Explores, fights, builds Town Centers, Strongholds and Tambos.
Priestess-icon-aoe3 Priestess: Heals injured units and converts enemy units.
Chasqui-icon-aoe3 Chasqui: Inca scout with a great deal of utility. Good against Treasure Guardians and can construct various buildings.
Jungle-bowman-icon-aoe3 Jungle Bowman: Foot Archer with envenomed arrows, which inflict poison damage over time. Good against Heavy Infantry and Light Ranged Cavalry.
Plumed-spearman-icon-aoe3 Plumed Spearman: Heavy Infantry armed with a feathered spear. Good against cavalry and buildings.
Chimu-runner-icon-aoe3 Chimu Runner: Fast moving warrior armed with a mace. Can easily disengage from fights. Good against skirmishers and artillery.
DE Bolas Warrior Icon Bolas Warrior: Ranged warrior who hurls bolas for a wide area of effect. The bola slows down enemies. Good against cavalry.
Huaraca-icon-aoe3 Huaraca: Anti-building ranged infantry. Good against artillery and buildings.
Inca Maceman Icon Maceman: Powerful Heavy Hand Infantry which inflicts splash damage with a large bludgeon. Good against buildings, cavalry, and anything within range.
Chincha raft aoe3de Chincha Raft: Strong seagoing raft which fires multiple projectiles.

Unique Inca buildings[]

Inca kancha house Kancha House: Inca House that supports 16 population and produces food.
Inca tambo Tambo: Defensive Inca Trading Post that supports 5 population and can shelter civilians who strengthen its attack.
Inca kallanka Kallanka: Military building that trains Inca elite infantry and reduces the population cost of garrisoned units.
Inca stronghold Stronghold: A powerful military building that can train and garrison all military units to strengthen its attack.

Unique Inca ceremonies[]

Moon-dance-ceremony-icon-aoe3-150x150 Moon Ceremony: Generates wood
Supay-ceremony-icon-aoe3-150x150 Supay Ceremony: Spawns Macemen

Overview[]

Their main civilization bonus comes in the shape of their unique House - the Kancha House - which supports 16 population and passively produces food (although it does cost 180 wood). The Inca also receive a free Chasqui with each age, which can construct Tambos, the powerful Incan Trading Posts, which support 5 population and can garrison Villagers for extra damage. Similarly, military units may be garrisoned in Kallankas and Strongholds, two of the Inca's unique buildings. They also have access to the unique unit Priestess, which, although expensive (300 coin), can convert enemies and work at the Community Plaza.

The Inca also possess two unique ceremonies they may perform at the Community Plaza: the Moon Ceremony (which generates wood over time) and the Supay Ceremony (which spawns Macemen).

They are similar to the Aztecs, with all infantry units trained at the War Hut and Kallanka, which is the Incan counterpart to the Nobles' Hut. Priestesses are also similar to Warrior Priests, as they can also work at the Community Center. The unique units of the Inca are often similar to the Aztecs' and perform the same role.

The Inca, however, can train all their units from their Stronghold, which is the Incan equivalent of a Fort. The Stronghold and Kallanka also play the role of military garrison points, excluding the garrisoned units' population from the player's population if garrisoned within a Kallanka or boosting the Stronghold's attack if garrisoned within a Stronghold.

Changelog[]

Age3DE Icon Definitive Edition[]

  • With update 14825, the Inca's civilization music theme was updated.

Age3DE Icon The African Royals[]

Campaign appearances[]

In-game dialogue[]

Quill icon This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.
Main article: Inca dialogue lines

The Incan units speak Quechua, also known as Runa Simi. Dialogue lines used for the Inca are different from those of the minor civilization of the same name in the original.

Common[]

Select
  • ¿Allinllachu? - Are you good?
  • ¿Arí? - Yes?
  • ¿Ima? - What?
  • ¿Imata munanqi? - What do you want?
  • Imaynata Yanapayman - How can I help?
  • Listunkaya - I'm ready
Move
  • Allinmi - I'm good
  • Arí - Yes
  • Awmi - Yes
  • Diosninchiskunapaq sutinchu - In the name of our god
  • Wayralla - Quick, like the wind
  • Ya, yanapashayqi - OK, I'm helping you
Attack
  • ¡Armasqunawan! - With the weapons!
  • ¡Atipanakusqa! - Outsmarting!
  • ¡Atipanakuy! - To out smart them!
  • ¡Reynichispak! - For our king!
  • ¡Wantupakuy! - Regroup!
  • ¡Wañunanchiskama! - Until we die!

Villager[]

History[]

The Inca were a pre-Colombian Andean civilization that, according to legend, emerged from a series of caves sometime in the 12th century. Living a pastoral lifestyle in modern-day Peru for some time, they eventually migrated to the Urubamba valley during the 13th century. Under their leader, the semi-legendary Maco Capac, the Inca seized control of the city of Cuzco and founded their kingdom there.

In 1438, the ambitious ruler Cusi Yupanqui (1418-1472), known also as Pachacuti "The Earth Shaker" undertook a series of massive expansionist campaigns, dealing first with local enemies such as the fierce Chanca, then defeating the rival forces of his treacherous brother Urqu, and finally triumphing over the advanced and warlike Chimu civilization, which would go on to supply the Inca with some of their most feared warriors. Matching his military prowess with impressive administrative feats and reforms, Pachacuti organized his domain into Tawantinsuyu "The Four Regions", more commonly termed the Inca Empire, and became its first Sapa Inca, or emperor.

Pachacuti's successor, Topa Inca Yupanquiy (1441-1493), having accumulated considerable battle experience fighting under his father – traditionally, it was actually the son of the Sapa Inca who led the Inca forces in combat – continued Pachacuti's expansionist policies. By the end of his reign, the Inca Empire had more than doubled in size. His son, Huayna Capac (1468-1524) was a skilled warrior as well as an administrator; vast territorial gains were accompanied by improvements to infrastructure, from fortresses and observatories to agricultural reforms and the expansion of the road network traversing the Inca Empire.

At their height, the Inca were among the most advanced civilizations of their time. A vast road network connected all constituent regions, enabling efficient and swift travel. During the late 15th century, the Inca constructed over 10,000 tambos – administrative buildings that were staffed by locals conscripted through the mit'a corvee system – along these roadways. Agricultural productivity was bolstered by a vibrant and bustling trade network, and the bureaucracy managed these vast systems with the help of an ingenious calendar and the use of quipu, knotted string that functioned as a writing system of sorts, for record-keeping.

The standing army of the Inca was formed primarily by nobles, but the Sapa Inca could raise an army of able-bodied men from the general populace at will. Military discipline was strictly enforced when the troops were on the march and the army, although variously specialized, was extremely well trained. Inca warriors wore cloth armor that breathed well, allowed for free movement, and dissipated the force of blows. Drawing on the resources of a vast empire, the Inca recruited warriors from numerous subordinate tribes with their own military traditions, resulting in an extremely diverse and versatile military force. Battles tended to open with a hail of projectile weaponry before the forces closed in brutal melee combat.

Spirituality also played a considerable role within the Inca Empire. Inca religion combined a complex set of ceremonial rites, animism, and, above all, worship of the sun-god Inti, who was considered the father of the Sapa Inca. The priestly class that presided over this system commanded immense social and political influence as curators of the people's spiritual welfare and relationship with the divine. A major locus of this system was the impressive temple complex at Saqsahuaman, near Cuzco.

Prosperity was not to last, however. An epidemic, probably smallpox spread by Spanish explorers, decimated the Inca population in the early 16th century. Simultaneously, the Inca Empire was rent by a bloody civil war between the brothers Atahuallpa and Huascar. Just as the war ended, Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro pounced on the weakened Inca in 1532, killing the Sapa Inca and swiftly subjugating the region. Manco Inca Yupanqui (1515-1544) led the surviving Inca in a desperate and initially successful war of resistance, but was slain by Spanish conquistadors after a decade in power. In 1572, the last Inca stronghold at Vilcabamba was seized and its ruler, Topa Amaru, executed. The Inca Empire, a marvel for the ages, had been extinguished.
—In-game history section

Trivia[]

  • The Incan flag is designed after Wiphala, a square emblem commonly used as a flag to represent some native peoples of the Andes.
    • The actual Wiphala is square, but the proportions were changed to 2:3 in-game.
    • The design is often alleged to be Incan in origin, although there is no proof of this.
    • Originally, the flag of the Inca was the real Wiphala with 2:3 proportions, as can be seen in the announcement trailer for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, in some pre-release screenshots and in the beta.
  • Their personality appears as one of the AI player names of the Incas in Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten.
  • Their free Llama at the start is also a callback to the Incan civilization bonus of Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten, where they also start with a free Llama.

Gallery[]

References[]

Civilizations in Age of Empires III
AfricanFlag Ethiopian aoe3de Ethiopians · Flag Hausa Hausa
AmericanFederal American: Flag MexicanDE Mexicans · Flag American act3 aoe3de United States
Native American: Flag AztecDE Aztecs · Flag IroquoisDE Haudenosaunee (formerly Iroquois) · Flag IncanDE Inca · Flag SiouxDE Lakota (formerly Sioux)
AsianFlag ChineseDE Chinese · Flag IndianDE Indians · Flag JapaneseDE Japanese
EuropeanFlag BritishDE British · Flag DutchDE Dutch · Flag FrenchDE French · Flag GermanDE Germans · Flag ItalianDE Italians · Flag MalteseDE Maltese · Flag OttomanDE Ottomans · Flag PortugueseDE Portuguese · Flag RussianDE Russians · Flag SpanishDE Spanish · Flag SwedishDE Swedes · Flag PolishDE Polish · Flag DanesDE Danes
Minor
AfricanAkan Settlement Icon Akan · Berber Settlement Portrait Berbers · Somali Settlement Portrait Somalis · Sudanese settlement portrait Sudanese · Yoruba settlement portait Yoruba
AsianBhakti aoe3de Bhakti Temple · Jesuit aoe3de Jesuit Mission · Native shaolin site icon portrait Shaolin Temple · Sufi aoe3de Sufi Mosque · AOE3DE Tengri Tengri Shrine · Udasi aoe3de Udasi Temple · Zen aoe3de Zen Temple
EuropeanBourbon icon portrait-1 House of Bourbon · Habsburg icon portrait-1 House of Habsburg · Hanover icon portrait-1 House of Hanover · Jagiellon icon portrait-1 House of Jagiellon · Oldenburg icon portrait-1 House of Oldenburg · Phanar icon portrait-1 House of Phanar · Vasa icon portrait-1 House of Vasa · Wettin icon portrait-1 House of Wettin · Wittelsbach icon portrait-1 House of Wittelsbach
Native AmericanApache aoe3de Apache · Aztec native icon aoe3de Aztecs · Carib aoe3de Carib · Cherokee aoe3de Cherokee · Cheyenne aoe3de pre update Cheyenne · Comanche icon aoe3de Comanche · Cree aoe3de Cree · Iroquois aoe3de Haudenosaunee · Huron aoe3de Huron · Klamath settlement portrait Klamath · Sioux aoe3de Lakota · Lenape warrior portrait Lenape · Mapuche icon aoe3de Mapuche · Maya aoe3de Maya · Navajo aoe3de Navajo · Nootka aoe3de Nootka · Inca native icon aoe3de Quechua (formerly Incas) · Seminole aoe3de Seminole · Tupi aoe3de Tupi · Zapotec icon aoe3de Zapotec
Other
CampaignUnited States flag revolt DE Black Family Estate · EIC Flag AoE3DE British · Circle of ossus Circle of Ossus · Flag John Black's Mercenaries DE John Black's Mercenaries · Flag Maltese Cross Knights of St. John · Flag American act3 aoe3de United States
Historical BattlesBarbary States flag revolt Barbary Pirates · Flag CanadianDE Canadians · Flag Ethiopian aoe3de Ethiopians · Flag Moroccan Moroccans · Flag Somali aoe3de Somalians · Flag Tatars aoe3de Tatars · Flag American act3 aoe3de United States
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