Strongest starts as India?

[randerzbobanderz]

Hello all! I am hoping to get some advice on India age 1 play.

Right now against Semi civs I am afraid of reaching 3 like France/Germany/Otto I go for a 10/10 Sepoy rush with the Agra. All vils to food until age 2, build two houses in transition, and then adjust for Sepoy and constant vil production. I try and punish their age 3 play until I go for the TC around 9ish with 30 sepoys and 6 redcoats.

If I am playing against a civ I am fairly sure will not rush me, such as Brit or Dutch, I have started chopping for a TP in age 1, followed by a market and a house in transition. Obviously this is pretty greedy but it feels a lot stronger to me.

What do yall think about India starts? What option do you like best?

[chronique]

@randerzbobanderz
viewtopic.php?t=12083

[WickedCossack]

I'm hoping to update the guide at somepoint, India feels very dynamic now and has a lot of options.

Sounds like you are doing the right sort of things @randerzbobanderz. If you want to sepoy rush instead of 10/10 I would do a slower standard age up (continuous training of vils) and build brit cons in transition. You can then tech brit cons but still hit with the usual 12 sepyos at a pretty fast time (on EP maps with 400w start you can reliably age 4:30-4:50.)

Vs French you can definitely go FF and I would reccomend to do so. Germans are more scary taking it to age 3 so go aggro there if you want.

[Mitoe]

I'm hoping to update the guide at somepoint, India feels very dynamic now and has a lot of options.

Sounds like you are doing the right sort of things @randerzbobanderz. If you want to sepoy rush instead of 10/10 I would do a slower standard age up (continuous training of vils) and build brit cons in transition. You can then tech brit cons but still hit with the usual 12 sepyos at a pretty fast time (on EP maps with 400w start you can reliably age 4:30-4:50.)

Vs French you can definitely go FF and I would reccomend to do so. Germans are more scary taking it to age 3 so go aggro there if you want.

Personally I'm not sure sepoy rushing is ever viable anymore...

[Garja]

Sepoy rush into something it's still viable. 12 sepoy early on with still 1v coming from the shipment is just too good for the game to not be viable. If anything India has so many other good options that sepoy rush is relatively one of the worst if not the worst.

[rsy]

Cons rush still works sometimes in the semi ff matchups. Though personally I prefer the flail rush lately

[WickedCossack]

I'm hoping to update the guide at somepoint, India feels very dynamic now and has a lot of options.

Sounds like you are doing the right sort of things @randerzbobanderz. If you want to sepoy rush instead of 10/10 I would do a slower standard age up (continuous training of vils) and build brit cons in transition. You can then tech brit cons but still hit with the usual 12 sepyos at a pretty fast time (on EP maps with 400w start you can reliably age 4:30-4:50.)

Vs French you can definitely go FF and I would reccomend to do so. Germans are more scary taking it to age 3 so go aggro there if you want.

Personally I'm not sure sepoy rushing is ever viable anymore...

I would have agreed with your sentiment for the last 2 years or so and have said many times the same thing. But having tried out this new variant on the weekend I will say it's viable again (doesn't mean it's the best, but viable.)

It hits stronger (hp on eles, sepoy have more hp - though barely and probably makes no difference over 190hp), and faster (400w every game.) In fact on Aidrondacks and Ozarks I had to build the wonder with zero vils or I would've aged before my shipment (seriously this recent xp nerf is actually too noticeable that I can age without a shipment ....)

Ok I will acknowledge the drawback of not having a TP or market is pretty huge but that's where the 700w follow up that we didn't have before comes in great to keep training sepoys and get one or both tp and market up. No idle TC time as usual though so the eco gets right back on track.

Give it a go before you knock it. vs Sweden, Japan, Brit etc, the usuals. I think I will still FF vs france and other civs etc

[Le Hussard sur le toit]

Also WickedCossack guide is still the best at lower, where people will do a lot of mistakes. Sepoy rush is definitely viable in the abyss of elo.

[Mitoe]

@WickedCossack wait Sepoy have more than 180hp?

[WickedCossack]

@WickedCossack wait Sepoy have more than 180hp?

12 x 192 + 2 beastly eles

It's a brit cons (not the traditional consulate rush though) variant I am trying out and it's going well so far!

[Mitoe]

Oh I completely missed that part of the build. Yeah that makes sense, I had been thinking of trying it that way as well; it’s probably worth it to increase he TC shots from 24 to 36 to kill 12 Sepoy for sure

[iNcog]

@WickedCossack wait Sepoy have more than 180hp?

12 x 192 + 2 beastly eles

It's a brit cons (not the traditional consulate rush though) variant I am trying out and it's going well so far!

Wait but you aren't making british musks with the rush?

Also when doing a cons rush are you supposed to get a TP too? it's really hard to macro for this, lol I can't get full batches out ever

[Efraín]

Starting with portuguese consulate and changing to brit in transition to 2nd age?

[Thrar]

Port consulate isn't normally used with India. The problem is you'll have to spend an extra 200w in age 1 that slows down your age up more than the 120f you save.

You're also down 100 export compared to going straight for brits or otto, so while you'll need to spend those 200w on the consulate sooner or later anyway, 100 export and a slower age up for 120f isn't a good trade.

[drsingh]

You won't have enough export to change so soon

[drsingh]

[
I think I will still FF vs france and other civs etc

Do you FF with Karni and Agra? What time are you usually up...

[fei123456]

Now that India will always have 2f4w start, 11/10 becomes the most viable start:
11/10 consulate rush (with 3 batches of sepoy)
11/10 karni mata build
11/10 and a TP in transition, trickle-300e eco semiFF

[aaryngend]

A new India guide on how to go about their early game options (similar to Thrar with China) would be much appreciated @WickedCossack !

[Efraín]

Port consulate isn't normally used with India. The problem is you'll have to spend an extra 200w in age 1 that slows down your age up more than the 120f you save.

You're also down 100 export compared to going straight for brits or otto, so while you'll need to spend those 200w on the consulate sooner or later anyway, 100 export and a slower age up for 120f isn't a good trade.

But u spend lower wood in house and market in transition too.

[Hazza54321]

The age time is more relevant

[Efraín]

I'll hope the differents BO of the master @WickedCossack.