Content :
1) Introduction
a. Main strengths
b. Main weaknesses
2) Starting macro
3) Build orders
a. Common build orders
b. Specific build orders
4) Decks
5) Match ups
1) Introduction
This guide has for purpose to help new players as well as more experienced players, to learn or improve their Indian gameplay. This guide is exclusively for 1v1 supremacy purposes, subjected to balance changes. For more advances tips, feel free to contact me on discord or join the Eso community discord where you will find a panel of top players willing to help and answer questions.
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Keywords through the guide :
- FF : Fast Fortress. Reaching fortress age as soon as possible to make fortress age units and get advantage from it.
- MU : Match Up, Referring to contest between 2 civilizations, different or the same.
- BO : Build Order, in aoe3 it's generally used as reference to combine with the card order of shipments sent from your homecity.
- Wonder : Buildings exclusive to the Asian Civilizations, used to age up instead of picking politicians.
- Timing : a power spike, either economic or military
- To contain : the action of controlling the map and denying the opponent resources.
- Kiting : The action to use your range advantage to shoot, gain some distance while youâre reloading and shoot again.
ranged units.
- Scouting = Using units to gather information
- Herding : the action of shooting a herd in a specific direction, usually to get them closer to your town center or villagers.
- Semi ff : or semi fast-fortress. The idea is to train a couple of units in the commerce age but going to the fortress age after a couple shipments.
a. Main strenghts
Economy : India is commonly called a scaling civilization. Their early game economy isnât the greatest but their mid game economy is excellent. This is mostly due to their unique civilization bonus of receiving a free villager with every shipment they send.
India doesnât have villagers shipment but you have access to 2 wood trickles (distributivism age 1 and foreign logging age 2) to compensate. It is as strong as regular villagers shipment because a trickle never idle, and the fact that both these trickles improve your wood income helps India to make infrastructures, train villagers and units. You also have access to 4 villagers from the ottoman consulate for the cost of 300 export.
India starts with 2 wood upgrades already researched, gathering wood isnât as slow for them as it is for other civilizations.
As you use wood to train villagers, you donât deplete your starting resources as fast as other civilizations.
Military : India has access to every single type of units early on. You have strong musketeers type unit (sepoys), a skirmisher type unit (Gurkha), an excellent melee infantry (Rajput, recently buffed), a cheap dragoon type unit (zamburak), a melee cavalry unit (sowar). All of these are available in the commerce age. The composition you go for is your choice, but you have access to everything.
You do have access to 2 camel cards (camel attack +30% damage of both sowars and zamburaks and desert terror (+0.5 multiplier against infantry for sowars and +0.5 multiplier against heavy cavalry/shock infantry for zamburaks). Rajputs benefit from the Dravidian martial art card, giving them a 30% damage buff (15% for sowars). Your composition can also be supplemented by a combination of 2 sets of minuteman to help you hold pushes.
In addition to that, you do have access to more limited but powerful units from your consulate (ottoman delis, azaps, redcoats musketeersâŠetc.)
In the fortress age, you get access to elephants : Mahouts are a strong melee cavalry unit while Howdahs are a strong ranged cavalry.
In industrial age, you get access to infinite urumi shipment, which is a ranged infantry inflicting damage in melee with area of attack. Can be devastating if well used. The infinite 2 Mysorean rockets is the only way to get access to artillery as India (apart from consulate armies) but they are quite strong.
b. Main weaknesses
Economy : India economy requires time to be set up and requires the combination of several shipments. Foreign logging is nice in the long run but 700w allow you to get infrastructures/market upgrades more quickly. You can send 300 export to get 4 ottoman villagers but you wonât be able to get the ottoman delis at the same time if you choose that option.
If you want to go for a fast fortress strategy, you will have to sacrifice some economic potential to be faster.
Military : Although you do have access to excellent unit composition in the commerce age, these units get outclassed in the fortress age. If you choose to follow up your opponent to the fortress age, you will struggle to hold early fortress pressure, as your age up wonder takes time to build and none of your commerce age units shadow tech, meaning that you will have to upgrade them to disciplined (veterancy). India doesnât have an arsenal, so to get access to techs such as counter infantry rifling, you will have to spend a shipment on Royal green jackets card.
Your main weakness will be artillery. You canât train any yourself early on and the only response you have will be training siege elephants (requires a castle and very costly) or ship the 2 siege elephants shipment. This unit has good siege and is decent against artillery but thatâs about it. Not to mention the pathing they tend to have is horrible so be aware of that.
2) Starting macro
Gather your crates then send all your villagers on wood except one who will be used to herd. I recommend choosing one side of the map to scout and split your elephants to cover more ground, but keep them close so you can pick a treasure that requires both elephants to be taken.
Build a house and switch all your villagers to food once you have 12 to 13 villagers in queue (your choice).
The wonder you choose to age up with depends on your strategy. 2 are viable : agra fort and karni mata. The fort can be dropped mid map for aggression/map control strategy or in base for defensive purposes. The karni mata is an economic building that boost your villager gather rate as long as they are in its aura (pretty good on maps with 2 gold mines in base or one 5k gold mine and good hunts)
I like to get market upgrades in transition to the commerce age, but some players prefer to get a trading post. Itâs up to you and the strategy you choose.
In early commerce age, choice is yours. 700w first is the most standard card as you can do anything with it (drop infrastructures, get markets upgrades, a trading post, train rajputs, get a consulateâŠetc.)
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3) Build orders
For each following build orders, there will be a turning point where you will have to adapt to what your opponent is doing and might deviate from the original plan.
a. Common build orders
Sepoy rush : one of the most aggressive option you have as India. Age up with a forward agra fort and gather enough wood for 2 houses in transition, then switch most of your vills on food and a few on coin for sepoy production.
Ship 5 sepoys first and train 5. Donât forget your 2 sepoys from your age up. Once you have 12, put the pressure on your opponent town center. If you kill 2 vills or a batch of units, your push was most likely successful. Town center fire 2 shots sepoys so donât stay under it for too long.
Sepoy Sowar timing push : Build order is 700w 300 export 4sowars .
Less all in than the sepoy rush and more effective against semi ff civilizations. Age up with forward Agra fort and train sepoys constantly. Get a consulate up with your 700w crate and ally with either British for redcoats or ottoman for the delis once you receive 300 export shipment(I recommend ottoman alliance for extra cavalry and a better follow up but the British 8% hp boost is nice for sepoys). Once you get your 4 sowars shipment, time to right click your opponent.
Karni mata start : Build order is 700w or foreign logging followed by 300 export.
Get a market in transition and start getting tier 1 market upgrades. With the crates from your age up, get a military building up. Make sure you scout your opponent first military building and you want to mirror what they do. If you see a stable, train some zamburaks. If you see a barracks, train some sepoys or Gurkhas.
What you do with 300 export is up to you. Either go for a timing push with ottoman delis followed by a unit shipment or go for an economic development with 4 ottoman villagers followed by 700c.
Defensive Agra fort : You usually want this against aggressive civilizations such as Russia or Aztecs but you could also for a greedy build order with this defensive building.
Against aggressive civs, I recommend 700w first followed by 4 sowars or 5 sepoys if you need it to hold, or 300 export. Make sure you time your minuteman with delis or azaps from your consulate to trap your opponent.
b. Specific build orders
Consulate rush : Most all in strategy but can do serious damage if not scouted/reacted correctly.
Build order : 300 export > 5 sepoys/4 sowars
Donât market in transition for this build order. Build a forward agra fort and gather wood exclusively in transition. Once you have enough wood for a consulate, your villager building the agra will now build a consulate next to it.
Ship 300 export first while training sepoys. Either ally with British for 6 redcoats or with ottoman for 3 delis. If you ally with British for the redcoats, ship 4 sowars next and go. If you ally with ottoman for the delis, ship 5 sepoys or 4 sowars, up to you. You need to do damage with this push or you will be behind since you didnât do any economic development.
Fast fortress : Build order : Foreign logging > 700c
Defensive agra fort or karni mata is up to you. Defensive agra is safer but karni gives you an extra eco boost. If you go for defensive agra, Iâd recommend getting a trading post in transition if itâs safe.
Market in transition, get all tier 1 market upgrades and get the tier 2 food upgrade as well. Gather 300c and keep 2-3 villagers on wood for constant villager production as well as houses. Everything else on food to get the required 1200.
Either age with the Charminar gate or tower of victory. Charminar gate is good to get mandsabar units and a mahout while tower of victory is nice to get infrastructures and disciplined units with the 800w. Inspiration is also a great ability in big fights.
Rajput/Gurkha/Ottoman consulate timing : I keep this build order as a specific one as Rajput and otto consulate have been recently buffed and this could change in the future.
Build order : 700w > 300 export > 4 sowars
Age up with the karni mata and get a market in transition, get all tier 1 market upgrades. With your crates age up, build a barracks and train 2 batches of rajputs. Use them to scout/siege opponent trading post. Send 700w first and get a consulate/houses/market upgrades.
Start adding Gurkhas and ally with ottoman consulate for the delis. Next shipment is 4 sowars, get the azaps from the ottoman consulate as well. Your timing is quite strong as your composition is really good and has high siege potential with rajputs.
You can stay age 2 and send 700c or foreign logging after that push or go to the fortress age. Your eco will be decent with all market upgrades and you will be able to get ottoman villagers from your consulate as well.
4) Decks
1v1 standard deck :
1v1 elephants :
1v1 Royal green jackets :
1v1 anti water :
1v1 Germany :
1v1 Japan :
5) Match ups
Sweden
Originally good for India, this seems harder now that Sweden can ship a leather cannon + an artillery foundry. As India, donât stay age 2 for too long or you wonât be able to kill leather cannons + caroleans.
You can open rajputs and siege exposed torps/kill villagers building them. Add some Gurkha to deal with caroleans and try to age up to avoid leather cannons spam. You could also try to timing push Sweden if you scout that they are aging themselves. Make sure you have royal green jackets in deck for the extra multiplier against caroleans on your Gurkhas. Gurkha + mahouts is great against early fortress caroleans before they get platoon fire.
Recommended build order : Rajput/Gurkha/Ottoman consulate timing, Karni mata start Inca
A close match up where itâs hard to achieve meaningful damage in commerce age against Inca. You might struggle to kill chimu runners with the recent sepoy nerf against shock infantry in melee.
Iâd recommend going for sepoy + mahout composition against inca or Gurkha + zambs or rajputs + mahouts (the first composition is better in fights, the second is better to catch chimu raids). You do want elephant combat in deck in this match up.
Recommended build order : Fast fortress, Karni mata start, Mid map Agra fort â
Lakota
Be aware of aggressive Lakota gameplay, it could be tricky to hold their push. Defensive Agra fort against Lakota is most often the way to go but you could go karni mata if youâre a cracked gamer like me.
If you scout a stable start from Lakota you can go for Gurkha/Rajput if you aged with agra fort, or stable start yourself if you aged with karni and train some zamburaks.
Recommended build order : Defensive Agra fort Haudenosaunee
Hard match up for India, ideally you want to do some damage and force Haudenosaunee to stay age 2 longer than they would like to. A timing push when Haudenosaunee tries to go fortress can work. You canât really FF yourself because their ff is faster than yours by a solid minute, they can forward war hut and you wonât be able to hold their early fortress pressure most likely.
Either you go forward Agra fort and timing, or karni mata and try to timing with a different composition imo. If you do enough damage, you should be able to follow up to fortress or play age 2 a bit longer.
Recommended build order : Sepoy Sowar timing push or Rajput/Gurkha/Ottoman consulate timing India Mirror
In this current meta, karni mata seems to be the main strategy but mid map Agra fort for map control is also viable. Itâs hard to make damage with timing pushes as India has access to 2 sets of minuteman + potential units from consulate but you could go for it against a karni mata.
Usually the longer the game goes on, the better Gurkha + zamburak composition is.
If you decide to go karni mata and your opponent does too, make sure you scout if he goes for a military building or if he goes greedy instead. If the game is very passive and both players are booming, going industrial is a good option against Gurkha zamburak composition to get access to rockets and urumi shipments.
Recommended build order : Agra fort map control, Defensive Agra fort, Karni mata start
Germany
Hard match up for India. Old school way was to rush with Agra fort and force Germany to stay age 2.
I think Indiaâs best bet is to karni start and go for big timing when Germany tries to age up. Rajput sowar Gurkha is a good composition with the addition of azaps from otto consulate, you could catch Germany 3 war wagons shipment and snowball.
Eventually you might need to age up or you wonât be able to compete with german units if they can mass enough of them. Keep it mind you will be very weak at that time and itâs gonna be hard to hold.
Gurkha zamburak with mahouts shipments is what you want usually, you could add some rajputs as well to body block uhlans.
I like to go Gurkha zamburak sowar and get both camel cards in at some point if I can, this way you melt uhlans and can deal with jaegers.
Recommended build order : Karni mata start, Rajput/Gurkha/Ottoman consulate timing, Sepoy Sowar timing Italy
Currently this civilization is completely OP but some might say India = Italy so you could have a shot at it I guess.
If the map has a good trading post line go for it with 700w first in age 2. You could train a few Rajput in age 2 to try to siege buildings outside of his town center/towers range. Ideally go to the fortress age as soon as possible and ship siege elephants as they are the only way you can actually siege things.
Composition should be mostly sepoys/Gurkha but be careful of Italy cavalry shipments because sepoys will struggle to kill them.
Recommended build order : Karni mata start, Fast fortress France
Most likely you want to mirror what France does and try to get an eco advantage. France will be faster at semi ff and can do damage early fortress age so be aware of that.
Iâd forward Agra fort most of the times, try to siege their trading post with sepoys or rajputs start to force them to make age 2 units. Add some Gurkhas to deal with potential musketeers then go for a timing push or age up yourself.
Aging is the best option in my opinion as France can easily get 20-25 musketeers and hold any timing push with cdb villagers and minuteman. You can sacrifice your Agra fort to buy time. Ship siege elephants first if France is going Falconets, otherwise 8 Gurkha or 2 mahouts shipments are usually good.
Recommended build order : Sepoy sowar timing, Agra fort mid map semi ff Spain
Hard match up. In my opinion tactics matter more than strategy in this one. I donât think any early pressure can accomplish anything, and spain has all the tools to counter any timing push as well.
You can try to fast fortress yourself but Spain might pressure you hard.
The most success I had in this match up was to forward Agra fort while going super greedy. Make sepoys constantly while adding a stable later on. The game will most likely be decided in one big fight. You want to fight the Spanish fast fortress army under your Agra fort and try to have a strong power spike at that moment. Try to surround the Spanish army from all sides while popping a batch of units + a shipment from your Agra fort.
Once you have dealt with 2 falconets, either keep playing age 2 or try to age up.
Recommended build order : Agra fort map control Russia
Good match up for India but requires good defense. Will be harder on maps with low resources or a good trading post line for Russia.
You always want to place your Agra fort defensively against them. Russia will mostly rush you with 5 cossack and 5 musketeers or 10 strelets.
You have 2 ways of playing this in my opinion : either you make sepoys and ship 4 sowars to try to catch the rush and clean the units. Follow this with 5 sepoys shipment and try to right click the Russian blockhouse. Russia will struggle to defend it.
The second option is more standard and less all in. Just ship 700w first while training a batch of sepoys. You will have 7 sepoys, Agra fort fire, 2 monks and potential minuteman to defend. That should be more than enough. Train Gurkhas after that and add a consulate. If it goes late age 2 transition to Gurkha zamburak sowars. This composition is great after both camel cards. Could also try to age if Russia ages.
Recommended build order : Defensive Agra fort
Portugal
Used to be a good match for India as your units outclass the Portuguese ones. They still are but ports can do some early fortress timings that are hard to hold. 3 organs guns will delete your infantry if youâre not careful.
I would go for an Agra fort mid map with the objective to deny ports 3rd tc or at least force it in his base and try to contain.
If ports try to push your Agra early fortress with cassadores dragoons and organs guns you can try to trap this army with a surround. Rajput sowars will do good against this comp. You can try to age yourself otherwise and ship siege elephants.
Recommended build order : Agra fort map control, Timing push, semi ff Japan
Good match up for India, I would always forward Agra fort against Japan and open sepoys to siege shrines on the map. 700w first or foreign logging is up to you.
Go for sepoys Gurkha composition to siege shrines and deny Japan boom. Then go for a timing push or age up. Royal green jackets and elephants combat will be great in late fortress (check 1v1 Japan deck).
Recommended build order : Agra fort map control China
Hard match up for India, China strengths happen to be your weaknesses as well. Their FF is way faster than yours and they get more units early fortress. They could also fast industrial if you decide to FF or play greedy.
Agra fort mid map is a way to play this match up, trying to go for a timing when China ages to the fortress age. Karni mata start into timing push can also work, but the Agra is superior to buy some precious time if you decide to age up at some point.
Sepoy sowar delis with Agra fort start or Gurkha Rajput sowar/delis with karni mata start are good composition. In age 3 Iâd go sepoy Gurkha mahout but make sure you scout if China is going heavy on melee cavalry.
Recommended build order : Agra fort timing push, defensive Agra fort, karni mata start, Rajput/Gurkha/Otto consulate timing USA
Map dependent match up. Recently most USA players went for trading post strategies.
Iâd recommended taking one trading post yourself in transition to commerce age. Agra fort mid map or Karni mata start is up to you, both are fine in my opinion. Scout if USA is going fortress or playing some age 2.
Iâd train a couple of units to siege his trading post(s), mostly rajputs as they have way better siege than sepoys. If USA is playing age 2 add Gurkhas, otherwise go fortress yourself and ship siege elephants when you scout 3 gattling guns.
Recommended build order : Agra fort map control, Karni mata start Mexico
You will adapt to what Mexico does, if you see a forward hacienda early chances are he will be rushing you so go Agra fort in base. If you see a more passive set up by Mexico you can go karni mata. Try to scout actively to see what Mexico is up to. You can try to timing in age 2 or go fortress if you see Mexico revolting because you might struggle against cannons.
Recommended build order : Defensive Agra fort, Karni mata start Ethiopia
This civilization is currently really strong but India units perform decently against Ethiopian ones. They have good tools to easily defend rushes (somali skirmishers with good range) and shotel warriors destroy infantry. They also have access to excellent anti cavalry and 8 cannoneers so keep that in mind.
Iâd would start karni mata and try to play this in fortress age if possible. Rajputs and carded zamburaks do well against shotel warriors. Defensive Agra fort could also help.
Recommended build order : Defensive Agra fort, Karni mata start Hausa
Hausa is also a civilization that has access to most unit composition in age 2. Raider arenât really strong but they can mass a lot of them easily. Fulani archers are really good too after their range upgrade and obviously, javelin riders are the equivalent of your zamburaks.
I donât have a magic build order for this match up but I would play it slow and greedy. Your units should be stronger than Hausaâs ones in the mid game. You could also surprise him with a timing but I donât see that working with strong Javelin riders and high range Fulani.
Recommended build order : Karni mata start Malta
You donât want to drag this match up to late game as you will get outscaled and Maltese units will be unkillable.
Both mid map Agra and karni mata start are viable. Forcing Malta to play age 2 is good if you can slow down their settler wagon boom. Gurkha sowar zamburak is a great composition against age 2 Malta.
You can also timing with otto consulate delis and azaps. If Malta manages to age up and you canât punish it, you most likely wonât be able to break fixed guns camping so age up yourself and tech your units. Gurkha sepoy mahouts are excellent and really hard for Malta to kill after elephant combat and British east India company.
Recommended build order : Agra fort map control, karni mata start, Rajput/Gurkha/Otto consulate timing Ottomans
Recently buffed Ottomans are hard to deal with. The meta seems to be playing greedy as Ottoman nowadays, so you could do the same as India. Try to deny ottoman town centers in early fortress if you can, delis are pretty good at raiding too so be careful.
I would go heavy on Gurkhas as India with enough anti cavalry to be safe from spahis or mamelukes. Eventually you will need to add mahouts do deal with abus gunners. Be careful of old school ottoman FF into early falconets, this could be hard to deal with if youâre not prepared.
Recommended build order : karni mata start, defensive Agra Dutch
Close match up, you will usually out scale Dutch in the long run but you also rely more on natural resources than Dutch does. Dutch strength is early to mid fortress so either try to timing them in age 2 or try to survive until past 20 minutes.
I would always age with Charminar gate for the extra mahout and mandsabar units to compete in skirmishers war.
Make sure you have enough anti cavalry to deal with hussar switches but go heavy on Gurkhas.
Recommended build order : karni mata start, Agra fort map control, commerce age timing push British
Close match up in my opinion, also quite map dependent. Iâd try to contain British on low resources maps and force them to stay age 2.
I think you must go forward Agra fort otherwise British can boom hard. Sepoy Gurkha and adding sowars later if usually the composition you want Against them. Raiding with ottoman delis is also good.
On high resources maps British can go fortress in which case Iâd follow up to fortress as India. Ship siege elephants first if British is pushing you with 2 falconets.
Be careful of British going industrial as you will struggle to kill rockets.
Recommended build order : Agra fort map control Aztecs
You will react to what Aztec does. If you scout a forward war hut in transition/early commerce age. You will most likely get rushed or timing. Either way I would go defensive Agra fort and make Gurkhas early on. 700w first is a no brainer as you will need that wood for infrastructures.
A bit like against Russia, getting Gurkha sowar zamburak with camel cards is super good against Aztecs as you will destroy coyote runners.
If Aztecs is going greedy you can greed yourself and raid with ottoman delis. Iâd also train a few rajputs to make sure Aztecs can not drop a forward war hut or 2 forward noble hut from their age up.
Gurkha zamburak mahouts is a good composition against them in fortress age too.
Recommended build order : Defensive Agra fort
Tips :
- Ottoman alliance is the best by far : you have strong melee cavalry, 7 azaps, and 4 villagers. The line of sight bonus is also helpful to raid or prevent being raided. If you place a few houses in good locations you will see any incoming raid and have more time to react.
- Youâre weak to artillery and early fortress timings but you can deal with them with precise timings : try to pop both sets of minuteman from your town center as well as a unit shipment, units from the consulate, units trained and your main army to surround and take a good fight
India is a popular civilization played in tournaments. You can check ESOCTV on twitch and on Youtube for top players India gameplay.
I'll add a few of my VOD's here :
Guigs India vs Miggo Spain :
Thanks for reading it ! If you have any questions feel free to contact me on discord or join ESOC discord where you will find top players willing to help.
Guigs out