Howdah
The Howdah is Indian elephant ranged cavalry. It provides a durable mobile firing platform against mounted targets and complements the slower Mahout Lancer in an Indian army.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 250 Food, 350 Coin, 550 (Ethiopians only) Influence
- Available
- Fortress Age · Caravanserai; Fort; Agra Fort (with the Delhi Gate upgrade) ; Galleon; Palace (Ethiopians)
- Training
- 60 sec · 6 population · 60 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 667 hit points · 20% ranged resistance · 5.5 speed · 20 line of sight
- Hand attack
- 33 damage · 1.5 attack interval · bonuses: 2.75x vs. Heavy cavalry; 2.25x vs. Artillery; 2.2x vs. Hand shock trooper; 1.0x vs. Villager
- Ranged attack
- 60 damage · 16 range · 3.0 attack interval · bonuses: 2.75x vs. Heavy cavalry; 2.25x vs. Artillery; 2.2x vs. Hand shock trooper; 0.5x vs. Villager
- Siege attack
- 50 damage · 3.0 attack interval
Role & counters
Howdahs are expensive and occupy multiple population slots. Their ranged attacks let them contribute without immediately charging into melee, but their size and cost make focused anti-cavalry fire dangerous. Sepoys or other infantry can help protect them from units that threaten their position.
When to field it
Keep Howdahs with the main force and let a frontline absorb attacks before they fire. Use them against cavalry when the matchup is favorable, and avoid sending elephants forward without support. Plan population and resources before training a large group, since each unit occupies a substantial share of the army cap.
Durable Indian ranged cavalry with a high population cost
The Fortress Age Howdah is an elephant-mounted ranged cavalry unit. It costs 250 Food and 350 Coin, takes 60 seconds to train and uses six population; Ethiopian access has an additional 550 Influence cost. With 667 hit points and 20% ranged resistance, it can stay in a fight longer than ordinary cavalry, while its 60-damage ranged attack reaches 16 and has bonuses of 2.75× against Heavy Cavalry, 2.25× against Artillery and 2.2× against hand Shock troops. These multipliers make it a specialized answer to costly mounted or siege targets, but the high price and population use limit how many can support the army. Protect it from concentrated counter-fire and pair it with units that can handle threats outside its preferred matchups.