Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia is an Industrial Age Revolutionary Nation with Bogotá as its Home City. It converts Villagers into Independence Guards, upgrades existing Musketeers and delivers two Ironclads. The route combines a slower, tougher land force with naval control, while disabling ordinary worker production and raising the population cap.
Access & effects
The population cap becomes 200 and Settler, Settler Wagon and Fishing Boat training is disabled. Two Ironclads arrive and the build limit for Ironclads becomes four. Existing Musketeers upgrade to Independence Guards, and converted Villagers become Guards instead of ordinary Revolutionaries; Settler Wagons provide additional Guards. The Portuguese path adds a further 5% hit points and attack to Independence Guards. These effects make an existing Musketeer army and navigable water especially relevant to the decision.
Availability
Definitive Edition; Industrial Age. Two Ironclads arrive and build limit becomes four. Settlers become Independence Guards; Portuguese Guards gain an additional 5% hit points and attack. Home City: Bogotá.
Army & economy
Gran Colombia is suited to naval maps or battles where land and sea control matter together. Prepare the economy before converting workers, then keep Guards in a supported formation and use Ironclads to contest a crossing, coastline or naval route. The Guards’ slower movement rewards deliberate advances; ranged counters and artillery still need answers. Portuguese players receive an additional Guard bonus, which can change the comparison with other Revolution choices.
Independence Guard combat role
Independence Guards are a slower musketeer-style force intended to anchor the post-revolution army. The reference describes improved hit points and attack alongside reduced speed, with stronger ranged damage against cavalry and shock troops. That profile favors standing engagements and coordinated advances over chasing fast units across the map. Protect the formation from artillery and ranged infantry, which can exploit its lower mobility, and use the Guards’ anti-cavalry role to keep mounted pressure away from the cannons and support units.
Worker conversion and water access
Gran Colombia removes ordinary worker and wagon production when the Settlers become Guards, so the transition should be treated as an all-in decision. The 200 population cap supports a large force, but it does not restore economic flexibility. Two Ironclads add value only on maps with useful water, crossings or coastal targets. Before revolting, arrange shipments and resources; afterward, use the land army to secure a safe harbor and let naval units contest a specific objective rather than operating without a plan.
The Gran Colombia transition
Gran Colombia is an Industrial Age revolution for Spain and Portugal. The transition raises population space to 200, disables Settler, Settler Wagon and Fishing Boat training, sends two Ironclads through the Home City naval shipment point and sets the Ironclad build limit to four. Villagers become Independence Guards instead of Revolutionaries, and each Settler Wagon present adds one more Independence Guard. Existing Musketeers also become Independence Guards. The result is a powerful military conversion that arrives with naval strength, but it closes the ordinary worker production lines. Prepare the economy and position before sending the revolt, and account for the number of Settler Wagons because they directly change the size of the converted force.
Independence Guards and civilization differences
Independence Guards are Veteran Musketeers that can be trained at Town Centers. They gain 10% hit points and attack but are slower than the Musketeer line. For Portugal, they receive an additional 5% hit points and attack. Their durability and ranged anti-cavalry role make them a useful core for the converted army, but their slower movement can make it harder to catch targets or disengage. The Portuguese bonus makes this route particularly robust, while Spain gains a different set of benefits from its own politicians and cards. Existing Musketeers are converted too, so a player who invested heavily in that unit before the revolution does not lose the line. Pair the Guards with anti-infantry support; relying on them alone leaves the army vulnerable to units that counter heavy infantry and to artillery.
Bolívar and the hero-centered formation
Gran Colombia can obtain Simón Bolívar through a shipment. He can train Independence Guards, receive Home City shipments and use Eye of the Assassin and Heavy Strike. His aura increases the hit points of nearby friendly units, making an escorted hero formation more effective than sending him alone. Keep him inside the army so Guards benefit from the aura and so he can support the army’s shipment timing. His abilities reward selecting a high-value target and protecting the hero during the approach. Independence Guards make a natural escort because they are durable and form the core of the army, but a formation still needs mobile units and anti-infantry support. Bolívar does not remove the need to plan for artillery; use Culverins or another appropriate counter when the opponent fields guns.
Land composition and Colombian Army
On land, Independence Guards provide a strong ranged anti-cavalry core. Add anti-infantry units such as Skirmishers to deal with the troops that can threaten the Guards. Colombian Army supports the Skirmisher and Independence Guard combination and allows both lines to be upgraded to Imperial for a relatively small resource investment. This creates a broad composition against many common units, but artillery remains an important gap. Include Culverins or another siege counter and protect them from cavalry. The main decision is to avoid treating a large Guard count as a complete answer: a heavy infantry mass is still vulnerable to artillery and anti-infantry specialists. Preserve enough population and resources to add the missing counter before beginning a prolonged push.
Ironclads and the naval shipment point
The two Ironclads arrive at the Home City naval shipment point, so the flag’s location matters to the timing and usefulness of the fleet. Scout a suitable point before the revolution and move the flag if necessary; attempting to discover a safe location after the ships are needed can delay the naval advantage. Ironclads can threaten ships and land units, and the four-unit build limit gives room to enlarge the fleet. Build Docks where they can repair ships. The source comparison notes that a Dock repair becomes cost-effective after restoring 18.18% of an Ironclad’s hit points, which makes post-battle repair worth considering before committing expensive ships again. Protect the fleet with land units and use Culverins or cavalry to handle threats that can attack the ships from shore.
Llaneros: outlaw cavalry and herdables
Gran Colombia has access to Llaneros, an outlaw hand cavalry unit with an ability to gather Food from herdable animals. They cost one population and have a 2× attack multiplier against Infantry. As outlaws, they benefit from Wild West or Folk Heroes and provide 20% experience bounty for training and killing. Their Trample ability is unusually forceful: it keeps the Infantry multiplier, but the unit takes damage equal to 50% of the damage it deals to enemies. The ability is best activated after the Llaneros have reached their targets, since the reduced movement is less important once adjacent; switch it off when they need to retreat. Use it against dense groups or when quickly eliminating a dangerous cluster, then pull surviving cavalry back to heal or use their herdable function. Do not leave Trample active during a chase or escape.
Herdable economy and Homestead Wagon
Cattle Drivers can provide a Homestead Wagon that is more useful for Gran Colombia than a Livestock Pen alone. The wagon can build Estates, Haciendas or Mills, and using it for one of those buildings can save more Wood than constructing a Livestock Pen. This makes the shipment a way to connect the outlaw cavalry’s herdable role with a wider economic plan. Choose the building that fills an actual resource need and place it where the army can protect it. A Herdable-focused economy can also support the Naturalist political option, but do not overinvest in animals if the map has no safe gathering area. The revolution has already stopped ordinary Settler and Fishing Boat training, so any new economic structure should be part of a deliberate recovery plan.
Mercenary and experience options
Gran Colombia offers mercenary shipments that can suit a deck already improved for mercenary units. The Albion Mercenary Legion is one named option, and it can help maintain pressure after the initial conversion. Mercenaries may lose relative value later if they lack the Guard upgrade available to regular troops, although their population and shipment value can still make them competitive. The Independence Guard shipment provides a large raw-resource value as well, with different advantages and drawbacks. Since Revolutions often have unusually strong Home City cards, experience becomes more valuable: Trading Posts and Churches can generate experience while also serving their ordinary purposes. Building them solely for experience may not justify the investment, but their other uses can make the shipment cycle a worthwhile bonus.
Political paths for Spain and Portugal
The recommended politicians differ between the two parent civilizations. Spain can use the Logistician for faster shipment timing and the Bishop for a Covered Wagon; Portugal can use the Exiled Prince for a fast age-up and the Mercenary Contractor for additional Tavern options that work with Colombia’s mercenary shipments. The Naturalist and Philosopher Prince support early economic or age timing for both. The Quartermaster can provide Wood for ships to eligible non-Spanish paths, while the Admiral of the Ocean Sea supplies naval support and a Caravel to Spain or Portugal. At Industrial Age, the Portuguese Viceroy can add Fishing Ships and Wood, the Spanish King’s Musketeer can support a Musketeer-derived Guard army and the Portuguese Tycoon provides Coin for a fast transition. Select the option around the naval map and intended army rather than applying one universal build order.
A practical land-and-sea sequence
A strong Gran Colombia sequence begins by scouting the water shipment point and protecting the resources needed for the conversion. If the plan emphasizes land, use converted Guards and existing Musketeers as the core, send Bolívar when the hero can remain protected and add Skirmishers and artillery counters. If the plan emphasizes naval control, position the flag, place Docks and plan repair before taking risky fights with the Ironclads. Use Llaneros to pressure Infantry or raid herdables, activating Trample only at the target. The army should keep a route back to protected production and not stretch the Guard line beyond the hero’s aura or artillery support. This approach turns the revolution’s multiple strengths into a sequence rather than a simultaneous, unfocused commitment.
A matchup checklist for independence forces
Before taking Gran Colombia, check whether the map makes the two Ironclads immediately useful, how many Settler Wagons will add converted Guards, and whether the deck contains anti-infantry and artillery counters. On land, the Guards need Skirmishers or equivalent support; at sea, the Home City water flag and Docks should be prepared. Portuguese players receive the extra Guard bonus, while Spain can use its own unit shipments and politicians. If the opponent has strong artillery, save population and resources for Culverins instead of relying on the Guards’ durability. This preparation turns the revolution into a coordinated land-and-sea force rather than an expensive conversion with ships arriving at an inconvenient location.
Using experience and timing the follow-up
Gran Colombia’s cards can reward a player who keeps the shipment cycle active. Trading Posts and Churches generate experience while also providing their ordinary map or healing uses, so they can support the next wave of Independence Guards, mercenaries or naval options. Do not build them solely for experience if the resources are needed for artillery or ships; their value is better when their secondary function is useful too. After the initial conversion, use the first shipment to complete the army’s most urgent role: Skirmishers for anti-infantry, Culverins against artillery, or Bolívar for a protected hero-led force. Then expand the naval position or economy only after the army can hold the ground. This sequence keeps the revolution’s many available options connected to a clear battlefield need.
Reading the Ironclad and land army together
Do not separate the naval and land plans completely. The Ironclads can pressure units and shore positions, but the converted Independence Guards still need to secure the land around Docks and protect repair access. Conversely, a land army that advances without looking at the water can leave the fleet idle or expose the Home City shipment point. Use scouting to connect the two fronts: reveal safe water before moving the flag, then place land troops or Culverins where they can answer enemy guns. The extra Portuguese hit-point and attack bonuses strengthen the Guard formation, while Spain can lean on its own shipment support. Whether the map favors sea or land, the revolution works best when the Guards, hero, artillery and ships cover one another’s exposed roles.
Final roster balance
Before the first major fight, check that the army has at least one answer for infantry, cavalry and artillery rather than filling every slot with Independence Guards. The Guards anchor the line and punish cavalry, Skirmishers address many infantry threats, and Culverins protect the force from guns. Bolívar’s aura and shipments improve the group, while Llaneros provide a fast hand-cavalry option against infantry and exposed targets. The Ironclads can control water and pressure shore units, but they do not replace the land counters. This balance is especially important because ordinary worker training stops at the revolution; each lost unit must be funded through the remaining economy and Home City support.