The Rajputs is the fifth and final scenario of the Babur campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Dynasties of India. It depicts the Battle of Khanwa in 1527.
Intro[]
Having established myself as the new ruler of northern India, I set out to explore my new realm — but wherever I went I experienced only shock and disappointment.
The people here lacked all good manners and never paid their taxes on time. None of the cities that I visited had a university and there were no good horses to be found, no tasty grapes or sweet melons — nothing!
The one saving grace was the enormous deposits of gold and silver, riches which made the Rajput empires in the west regard me with envy and suspicion. I knew better than to underestimate these independent princes, whom even Lodi had failed to subjugate, but motivating my men to do battle with them proved difficult.
Many of the soldiers who had traveled with me from Kabul were disappointed that our campaign had not ended with a traditional Timurid pillaging. Like a sword that had seen too many battles, their loyalty had been blunted.
I had to use all of my eloquence to convince them to stay: in a humbling act of sacrifice, symbolic of what I now asked of my followers, I publicly spilled a whole batch of Afghan wine that I had been looking forward to for months.
My men were moved to tears when I announced that I would never again drink wine, for they knew very well how devoted I was to such wordly pleasures. When I asked Allah for his blessing, my soldiers held up their weapons in assent.
With my warriors' loyalty sharpened, I began preparing for war.
Scenario instructions[]
Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Imperial Age - Starting resources: 1,000 food, 1,000 wood, 1,000 gold, 1,000 stone
- Population limit: 200
- Starting units:
- 6 Camel Riders
- 14 Ghulams
- 1 Light Cavalry
- 19 Villagers
- 2 Trade Carts
- 6
Objectives[]
Main objectives[]
Choose one of the following two objectives:
- Defeat both Rajput factions (the Kingdom of Amber and the Kingdom of Mewar).
- Construct and defend a Wonder.
Secondary objectives[]
- Repair damaged Town Centers (6, Grey) to win over the rural population.
- Destroy the Portuguese Feitoria to prevent the Rajputs from fielding artillery and Hand Cannoneers.
- To hire the Purbiya Mercenaries (Player 4), tribute them 1,000 gold.
Hints[]
- Babur can support a population of 200.
- Once again, Babur is confronted with enemies that are superior in numbers. Explore the map and seek out allies who can assist you in the fight against the Rajputs.
- In contrast to the defeated Delhi Sultanate, the Rajputs use gunpowder obtained from Portuguese traders. Driving the Europeans out as early as possible may be wise.
- You can choose a defensive strategy and build a Wonder, or you can take the offensive yourself. Expect your opponents to react to your strategy, however.
- As Hindustanis, you can build Carvanserais to increase the speed of nearby Trade Carts. Indian villages that have joined you will open their Markets for you.
Scouts[]
- Babur (1, Orange) resides in his new capital, Agra, a former power center of the Delhi Sultanate. The city is well fortified and Babur's subordinates have gathered enough resources to enable him to build a wonder or recruit a large force early on.
- In the west, the opposing Rajput confederation consists of the kingdoms of Amber and Mewar. Amber (2, Blue) will primarily train infantry, but will also field Elephant Archers and Chakram Throwers.
- Mewar (3, Purple) will primarily rely on heavy cavalry, Camel Riders, Chakram Throwers, and archery units in battle. The Rajputs will also train gunpowder units as long as they maintain trade relations with the Portuguese.
- Mercenaries of Afghan origin (4, Green) roam the north seeking a new lord to serve. With enough gold, Babur may be able to win over the mercenaries and their cavalry.
- Portuguese merchants (5, Red) have been sighted on the western coast doing business with the Rajputs. It might be beneficial to put an end to this dangerous alliance.
- The ongoing war has badly affected many villages (6, Grey). Babur may be able to win their residents over by restoring their destroyed villages.
Players[]
Player[]
- Player ( Hindustanis): starts in Agra in the southeast with most structures.
Allies[]
- Devastated Villages ( Gurjaras): are scattered around the map, numbering four. Each has a damaged Town Center, a Market (unusable for trade unless the village is no longer devastated) and a Caravanserai.
- Allied Villages ( Gurjaras): are those devastated villages whose Town Centers are repaired by the player. They allow the player to trade with their Markets.
Neutral → Ally/Enemy[]
- Purbiya Mercenaries ( Hindustanis): They have set up a military camp in the north-east of the map. They will ally with the player when their base is located, and fight alongside the player upon meeting their demands; they will ally with the Rajputs instead if the player delays in confirming the deal. They train Heavy Camel Riders, Heavy Cavalry Archers, and Armored Elephants.
Enemies[]
- Kingdom of Amber ( Gurjaras): have a walled city in the north. They train Spearmen, Crossbowmen, Chakram Throwers, Long Swordsmen, Elephant Archers, and Armored Elephants. As long as the Portuguese survive, the two Rajput cities also create Hand Cannoneers and Bombard Cannons.
- Kingdom of Mewar ( Gurjaras): have a walled city in the northwest. They train Camel Riders, Crossbowmen, Chakram Throwers, Shrivamsha Riders, Trebuchets, and Armored Elephants. As long as the Portuguese survive, the two Rajput cities also create Hand Cannoneers and Bombard Cannons.
- Portuguese ( Portuguese): have a presence in the southwest of the map. They do not directly attack the player but as long as their Feitoria remains standing, the two Rajput cities can field gunpowder weapons. They flee if it is destroyed. Their base is defended by Arbalesters, Hand Cannoneers, Organ Guns, and also a few Monks.
Strategy[]
Though risky, it is worthwhile to immediately build about 13-15 Petards (or a smaller number of Trebuchets) right from the get-go. The Portuguese are enabling the enemies to build gunpowder units - especially Bombard Cannons. If the player decides to build Petards, proper selection of the path to take is important. It is important that once the player reaches the water crossing next to the Feitoria, avoid straying too far north. Ranged units are stationed there, and will quickly destroy the Petards if they are caught. Should the raid be successful, the Portuguese will resign shortly after that.
Trebuchets are probably the better choice for this task, though, since their high pierce armor will let them survive much longer against the units that the Portuguese field. Adding some Elite Skirmishers to protect the Trebuchets would also help. However, Trebuchets are vulnerable to the enemy Cannon Galleons located in the river, which can easily destroy them. Additionally, if the player wishes to move the base to the southern part of the map (see below), the player may find themselves short of wood when they need it most.
Additionally, it is worthwhile to quickly dispatch Villagers to repair 3 of the 4 damaged Town Centers around the player's starting base. Doing so will allow the player to secure tributes from them early on, before the player inevitably becomes besieged by the enemy AIs. Concurrently, defensive-minded players may wish to consider abandoning their original base. Holding onto the original base is hard due to frequent attacks, which include Trebuchets and Bombard Cannons (unless the player takes out the Portuguese early).
Option 1: Eastern base[]
Just to the east of the player's original base lies a Local Village with Gold Mines, a Relic, and more importantly, a Market. It is also situated at the corner of the map, which means that it is largely protected on two sides. It is helpful, though not absolutely necessary, to build a Dock near the bottom of the map. This will allow the player to build a fleet of Galleons to protect not only the Dock, but also hold off part of the enemy forces crossing towards the player's base via the bridge.
Option 2: Southern base[]
Alternately if the player plans to destroy the Portuguese base, the player may decide to move to the southern corner of the map instead. Because the path leading to that area is mostly walled off by trees, it is extremely narrow. Hence, it can be walled off and defended while suffering minimal damage using a combination of a Castle, normal Galleons, and Cannon Galleons.
Gold income can be secured by trading with Yellow's Docks conveniently situated nearby.
For this to work, though, the player must destroy the Portuguese and research Chemistry very early on. The former, because the Portuguese are located beside this location, and possess Dock(s) and Cannon Galleons. The latter, because Cannon Galleons are necessary to protect the base from enemy Trebuchets and Bombard Cannons, which are deployed very early on. Even so, with only one clear path into the base, most players will find this base location more defensible than the other alternatives.
Afghan mercenaries[]
The player will be offered the option of hiring Purbiya mercenaries (Green) sometime during the game, in return for a tribute of 1,000 gold. They are useful as a harassing force against the enemy, but they are especially useful if the player decides to move bases to the east corner, since their base lies in the way of Amber's (Blue's) attack route - allowing them to slow down and/or weaken Amber's attacks on the player. Furthermore, their base does not seem to suffer many enemy attacks, either - which means that as long as they have sufficient resources, they will remain useful throughout the game.
That said, they are only able to slow down Amber's attack, but not stop it. Also, the player only has a limited amount of time to tribute them, and if they fail to do so, the Purbiya mercenaries will become an enemy. Their main threat lies in the ability to deploy Siege Elephants, but they are otherwise easy to handle.
Wonder victory[]
If going for a Wonder victory, the player should ideally move their base to one of the two alternatives mentioned in the guide, with defenses surrounding it so it doesn't get attacked by siege units. Losing the Wonder doesn't mean defeat, but it will prove very costly if the player has to build another one. Expect the enemy to attack more aggressively if a Wonder is built, and that they will dedicate their efforts to destroying it. Building it in the eastern corner of the map will also increase the time needed for enemy armies to cross the map to reach it, stringing out their attacks, but the advantages from this may be negated by the military buildings the enemy AIs will build next to the player's base.
If going for a military victory, the player should primarily use Imperial Camels, Trebuchets, or Bombard Cannons, and a few Hand Cannoneers to take out any Chakram Throwers. Since both foes are Gurjaras, the player doesn't need to worry too much about their Spearmen, as they cannot even be upgraded to Pikemen. Ghulams won't be necessary, even against Amber, as Elephant Archers can be dealt with via Imperial Camels and Gurjaras cannot get Arbalesters.
 |
This article is a stub. You can help the Wiki by expanding it. |
Outro[]
With the Rajput alliance crushed, there was no one left who dared challenge me.
A grand feast was held to celebrate my victory. Everyone who had stood by my side on my arduous path to power received an invitation — as did of course, all of the descendants of Genghis Khan and Tamerlane.
Forty thousand guests accepted the invitation, including princes from Persia, veterans from Kashmir, and even commoners who had done me a favor in one way or another.
Yet what pleased me most was the arrival of about a hundred Afghan peasants from Transoxiana who had given me shelter during my days in the wilderness. I had never forgotten the bravery of these common shepherds — and they, evidently, had not forgotten me either!
While I laughed at the follies of my fellow commanders and danced to my heart's content with the cheerful peasants, it was all just for show.
On the inside I remain a stranger, alone in a foreign land.
Trivia[]
- The Rajputs is about the Battle of Khanwa between Babur and the coalition of Rajput clans led by Rana Sanga, the first time they had united to fight a foreign invader since the time of Prithviraj Chauhan. However, Sanga suffered a major defeat in the Battle of Khanwa due to Babur's skillful positioning of troops and modern tactics and firepower. The Battle of Khanua was one of the most decisive battles in Indian history, more so than the First Battle of Panipat, as the defeat of Rana Sanga was a watershed event in the Mughal conquest of northern India.
- The Hindustani Wonder is the tomb of Humayun (Babur's son), which makes the Wonder victory dark-humored.
