Fires of Calcutta
Fires of Calcutta is scenario 2 of Act III: India in The Asian Dynasties. The 1857 mission depicts the escalation of resistance against the East India Company, with repeated small attacks as Nanib Sahir’s loyalty to the Company comes under strain.
Scenario setting & objectives
Move east to the Company Town Center, destroy all eight Barracks used by the resistance fighters, and protect the Company Command Post. The objective combines an advance with a defense: reaching the eastern position does not finish the mission if the Command Post falls during the attacks.
Mission approach
Keep a mobile group near the Command Post while the main force advances east. Deal with the nearest Barracks and attack routes in manageable steps, then return or reinforce when a wave threatens the Command Post. Avoid chasing small groups so far that the objective structure is left undefended.
Secure the town before destroying the resistance barracks
Fires of Calcutta is the second scenario of Act III: India in The Asian Dynasties, set during the 1857 uprising. The player controls the British India Company with Nanib Sahir and Colonel Edwardson, supported by Sepoys, Urumi Swordsmen and Sowars. The objectives are to move east to the Company Town Center for 1,000 XP, destroy all eight resistance Barracks for 10,000 XP and protect the Company Command Post for 4,000 XP. Small groups of Arsonists and Chakram Throwers raid from the north, south and sometimes east, so the player must hold a central defense while advancing. The Town Center in the central village changes the economy when captured: the player gains control of the colony and Hindu Villagers. Put ten Hindu Villagers on Wood to support production, then gather from the available huntables before relying on berries. A Market helps balance Food, Wood and Coin. The scenario grants a Home City deck and six free cards after the town is reached, and provides a Caravanserai. Wood shipments are especially useful while the base is being established and before the northern forest is secure. The map resembles Deccan and contains two mutineer-controlled Trade Routes, one north and one southwest. Capture and upgrade them to Iron Horse for a steady resource trickle. Natural resources in the northeast support the opening; once they are depleted, send a Mango Grove for Wood and build Rice Paddies for Food and Coin. Protect these economic structures from raids while the army works toward the eight Barracks. Most enemy units are infantry, so Sowars can be effective against the resistance but should not charge into defensive structures without support. Gurkhas and other ranged infantry can help remove enemy infantry, while heroes’ abilities support the early advance. Use small detachments to destroy Barracks after clearing defenders, and leave enough troops near the Company Command Post to repel raids. The objective structure must survive throughout the operation; an aggressive push that leaves it undefended can fail even if several Barracks have already fallen. There are thirteen treasures across the map, including resources, unit health bonuses and animal spawns. Collect them when they lie along a safe route, but do not divert the main defense from the Command Post. The recommended sequence is to reach the Town Center, establish the Hindu Villager economy, secure the trade routes, then destroy the resistance Barracks in a controlled sweep while defending the starting command position. This is a scripted campaign scenario with repeated raids and objectives, not a standard Indian civilization skirmish.
Maintain production while the raids continue
After the Town Center is captured, use the newly controlled villagers to establish a sustainable army rather than spending every resource on the first raid. Build military production near the command position and keep a mobile group ready to intercept Arsonists before they reach buildings. Chakram Throwers can threaten grouped infantry, so spread vulnerable units and use cavalry to force them away. When the army is ready, destroy the eight resistance Barracks one cluster at a time, leaving a reserve beside the Company Command Post. Upgrade the Trade Routes to Iron Horse for resources during the extended fight and protect the villagers gathering at the northern forest.
Use the objective rewards to stabilize
The Town Center and Barracks objectives award substantial experience, so completing them also supports future shipments. Capture the central colony early enough to make use of the deck and six free cards, then spend those reinforcements on the unit types that answer the raids. Protect the Command Post through the entire sweep.
Hold the center as a safe rally point
The captured Town Center anchors the player’s economy and army rally point. Keep defenders close enough to protect villagers while sending a separate force to each Barracks cluster.
Finish the barracks sweep in a safe order
The eight resistance Barracks may be spread across the map, so remove those nearest the town first and use the new territory to secure the next route. Keep a reserve at the Command Post while the main army advances, then regroup before crossing to another side of the map. This avoids losing the objective building to a raid while the army is far away.
Recover after each raid
Use the pauses between small enemy attacks to heal and replace units before destroying the next Barracks. A rested force can finish the objective without exposing the Company Command Post.
Protect the campaign objective
Keep the Company Command Post guarded until all eight resistance Barracks have been destroyed. The objective remains active throughout the sweep.
Protect the Company Command Post from repeated raids
Fires of Calcutta is the second Act III: India scenario and centers on continuing waves of resistance fighters. The player must move east to the Company Town Center, destroy eight Barracks and protect the Company Command Post. The Command Post is the loss condition focus, so leave defenders there while the mobile force advances toward the Barracks. Small raiding groups arrive repeatedly; do not chase one so far that another reaches the protected structure. Destroy production buildings systematically to reduce the number of new attackers, but preserve troops for the return path and base defense. The mission depicts the growing violence of the revolt and rewards balancing offense with a garrison rather than committing the entire army to one push. Keep scouts ahead of the eastward advance and rally replacements toward the Command Post until the nearby threat is under control.