Indians
The Indians are an Asian civilization introduced in The Asian Dynasties and retained in Definitive Edition. Hindu Villagers cost Wood rather than Food, and shipments deliver an additional Villager in most cases; livestock cannot be slaughtered for Food and instead produces Experience, with Sacred Fields improving that role.
Economy & identity
The Wood cost changes the opening: Wood must cover both Villager production and Houses, while the civilization receives Gang Saw and Log Flume automatically. A Consulate exchanges Export for allied units and technologies, and Wonders provide age-up choices with different rewards. Sepoys, Gurkhas, Sowars and several elephant units cover distinct combat roles; elephants require substantial resources and population, so they need screens against anti-cavalry forces.
Military & matchups
Keep Wood production aligned with Villager and housing demand, then adjust the balance as shipments and age-up rewards arrive. Use Sacred Fields when livestock-based Experience supports the plan, and choose a Wonder for the next concrete need rather than its label alone. Protect elephants from units with anti-cavalry bonuses.
Practical direction
Reserve Wood for the economic engine before adding optional structures. Select a Wonder and Consulate alliance that fit the current timing, and mix the army so expensive elephants are not left without infantry support.
Hindu Villagers and resource planning
Indian Villagers cost Wood rather than Food, changing the opening resource balance. The starting workforce gathers Export while collecting resources, and the Home City sends an additional Hindu Villager with most shipments, except team and infinite shipments. These workers cannot gather Food from livestock; livestock instead generates experience. The civilization therefore needs to plan Food around hunts, berries, buildings or other available sources instead of treating herdables as a normal worker assignment. Indian Villagers also receive Gang Saw and Log Flume automatically, and their tree yield is higher in the current profile. This makes Wood a central resource for both worker production and construction, while Coin and Food remain necessary for the army and Age advancement. The shipment rule adds workers over time but carries an experience penalty, so shipment timing and the choice of cards have economic consequences.
Wonders and the Age-up decision
Indians advance through Wonders and choose a structure whose reward supports the next phase. A Wonder can deliver troops, resources or other effects, so the choice should reflect whether the army needs a timing attack, the economy needs support or the player expects a longer game. Because Hindu Villagers cost Wood, the resources invested in an Age-up compete with worker growth and military production. Build the Wonder where it can be defended and where its effect contributes to the plan; an exposed structure can delay the Age transition if the opponent destroys it. The precise Wonder roster and rewards are listed separately and have version-specific details. Use the Wonder entry for exact shipment quantities and unit counts rather than transferring one civilization’s age-up choice to another.
Export and the Consulate
Indians generate Export while gathering and can spend it at the Consulate to establish relations with a European power. The chosen ally offers units and technologies, creating a parallel military and economic resource track. Export is not interchangeable with Food, Wood or Coin, so decide which Consulate purchase has a clear use before committing. A shipment-supported army may need a European unit that fills a counter role, while a technology can improve a composition already in production. The Consulate is especially useful when the standard Indian roster lacks an answer at the desired timing, but allied units still cost population and require a safe reinforcement route. Check the current alliance’s choices before writing a build order; each European power provides a different package.
A unit roster with cavalry and support
Indian units are distinctive, though many fill familiar battlefield roles. Sepoys provide ranged heavy infantry, Gurkhas act as ranged infantry suited to fighting other infantry, and Rajputs offer a hand-combat option. Camel Riders and Sowars supply cavalry, while elephants provide expensive, durable mounted force with siege and area damage. Mansabdar units are improved versions of certain troops and are visually identifiable; preserving them can be worthwhile because their stronger profile supports the whole army. The roster includes counter choices, but a large elephant force still needs support against the units that can focus it. Use infantry to hold a line, cavalry to respond to threats and elephants when their durability or siege can turn an engagement. The exact unit costs, multipliers and Age availability should be read from each matching page.
Consulate, shipments and match pacing
The Indian shipment system requires more experience than the baseline profile, while most shipments also deliver a Hindu Villager. This gives each card a small economic component but slows the card cycle. Choose cards for an outcome that is worth waiting for: workers and resources can stabilize an economy, while units can protect an Age-up or create a timing attack. Keep shipment benefits separate in planning, since team and infinite shipments do not follow the ordinary Villager delivery rule. If the map is safe, prioritize sustainable gathering and an Age-up Wonder; if the opponent is pressing, use the Consulate or a military shipment to add the right counter. The civilization’s resource and shipment systems reward a longer plan, but that plan must account for early defense rather than assuming the later army will arrive automatically.
Expansion identity and version scope
Indians were introduced in The Asian Dynasties and are also playable in Definitive Edition. Their Home City customization and shipment experience penalty have changed through later updates, so older strategy articles can show a different experience cost or visual setup. Current listed bonuses include automatic access to two Wood technologies and an altered Villager train and gather profile. The civilization also appears in its dedicated India campaign and in selected scenario forces; campaign units and objectives may not match a standard random-map game. When comparing a unit or card, check whether the page describes The Asian Dynasties, Definitive Edition or a particular update. This keeps its Asian Villagers, Wonders and Consulate system distinct from other civilizations’ economy rules.
Livestock and experience tradeoffs
Indian Villagers do not gather Food from livestock. Instead, livestock can generate experience, connecting herd management to the shipment cycle. This creates a different choice from a conventional livestock economy: animals can support experience progress, but the player must secure Food through other gathering sources. Keep an eye on the shipment threshold when deciding whether to preserve animals or use a direct Food source. Since most ordinary Home City deliveries also include a Hindu Villager, shipment timing can reinforce the worker base even while the experience penalty slows the next card. Team and infinite shipments are exceptions to the Villager delivery rule, so do not count them as workforce replacements in an economic plan.
Organizing the Indian army
Indian army composition should reflect the price and role of its mounted units. Gurkhas and Sepoys can provide ranged pressure and a stable infantry line, while Camel Riders or Sowars respond to cavalry and create mobility. Elephants have high hit points and siege or splash potential, but consume substantial resources and population. Mansabdar enhancements can make selected units more valuable, so preserve them when possible instead of trading them for a small objective. A protected infantry and cavalry combination is more adaptable than a force made entirely of expensive elephants. Use the Consulate for a missing counter and a Wonder reward for the timing that supports the formation. Individual unit entries give exact costs and bonuses, which can vary with Home City cards and version.
Wood demand and workforce priorities
Because Hindu Villagers cost Wood and the civilization begins with free access to key Wood technologies, Wood income affects both worker growth and the buildings needed for production. Avoid spending the full reserve on infrastructure if the next Villager queue depends on it. Tree gathering receives a civilization-specific increase, but workers still need safe access to forests. Protect the routes and use the Home City Villager deliveries to complement, rather than replace, regular Town Center production.
Support the army between battles
Healing and Wonder rewards can preserve costly troops, but they work only when the army can regroup safely. Keep the next reinforcement plan ready before sending elephants or Mansabdar units back into combat.
Plan the next shipment
Because shipments require additional experience, scout and collect safe experience sources before the next card is urgent. Treat its arriving Villager as part of the plan only when the shipment type includes one.
Wood-driven workforce and shipment timing
Hindu Villagers cost 100 Wood, train in 25 seconds and use one population; they have 150 hit points and 20% hand resistance. That Wood price changes the opening because the same resource is needed for Houses, military buildings and other infrastructure. Indians also receive a Hindu Villager with most ordinary Home City shipments, so a card can advance both its printed reward and the worker count. The extra Villager arrives only with eligible shipments; team and infinite cards follow their own rules. Maintain enough Wood income to keep the Town Center producing while still building the structures needed for the next army. If Wood is being gathered from an exposed forest, protect the route before relying on repeated queues.
Build an army around complementary counters
Sepoys provide a durable ranged frontline and have bonuses against Cavalry and Shock troops; Gurkhas supply longer-range anti-Infantry fire, while Sowars are mobile hand Cavalry with a bonus against ordinary Infantry and reduced performance against Heavy Infantry. Camel Riders give India another mounted response, and elephants can add health, area damage or siege depending on the unit, at a high resource and population cost. A force made only of elephants may be vulnerable to dedicated anti-Cavalry units, so keep Infantry and mobile support beside them. The Agra Fort Wonder can establish forward access and help shape the army’s timing; other Wonders support different plans. Choose the production and Wonder reward after scouting, then use Consulate Export for a unit or technology the selected composition still lacks.
Livestock, Experience and Food supply
Indian Villagers do not slaughter livestock for Food under the standard civilization rules. Livestock can instead provide Experience, helping advance the Home City shipment cycle, while Food must come from hunts, Rice Paddies or other available sources. This creates a real trade: keeping animals can accelerate a shipment but does not directly fill the Villager queue’s Food demand. Protect the herd and track shipment progress before assigning workers to manage it. A Rice Paddy provides an infinite Food or Coin source and can stabilize a long match, but its 400-Wood cost competes with worker production and military infrastructure. Use it when natural Food is running out or unsafe, and keep enough Villagers on active gathering to sustain the immediate army.