Settlement
A South American regional building that supports population and serves as a universal resource dropsite. Available exclusively to the Inca, Mapuche, Muisca, and Tupi civilizations, Settlements replace traditional economic buildings (Lumber Camps, Mining Camps, Mills) for the Inca, while complementing them for the other three civilizations.
Statistics
- Age
- Dark
- Category
- economic
- HP
- 1000
- Build Time
- 25s
- Melee Armor
- 0
- Pierce Armor
- 5
- Garrison
- 5
Cost
- Wood: 100
Strategic Analysis
The Settlement is the economic backbone of South American civilizations. Unlike standard drop-off buildings that only accept one resource type, the Settlement serves as a universal dropsite for food, wood, gold, and stone. It also supports population, functioning as a minor housing building. For the Inca, Settlements completely replace Lumber Camps, Mining Camps, and Mills, streamlining their economy into a single versatile structure. For the Mapuche, Muisca, and Tupi, Settlements complement traditional drop-off buildings, offering additional flexibility in resource collection and base layout. The Mapuche gain additional military utility, as their Settlements can also train Spearmen and Skirmishers.
- Universal Dropsite Efficiency: Place Settlements at the intersection of multiple resource types. A single Settlement between a gold mine, a woodline, and berries can serve all three groups of villagers, saving wood that would otherwise be spent on separate drop-off buildings.
- Inca Economic Streamlining: As the Inca, you rely entirely on Settlements for resource drop-off. Plan their placement carefully to cover all resource nodes. The wood savings from not needing three separate building types can be invested into faster aging or military production.
- Forward Settlement Pressure: Build Settlements near contested resources to establish forward economic presence. The 5-unit garrison and population support make them more useful than standard drop-off buildings for aggressive expansion. For Mapuche players, forward Settlements double as military production facilities for Spearmen and Skirmishers.
- Population Support: Each Settlement provides population support, reducing your reliance on Houses. Factor this into your build order to avoid population blocks. Build Settlements early and often to maintain smooth villager production.
Warning: While the Settlement is versatile, its 1000 HP makes it weaker than a Town Center. Do not rely on Settlements for defense — they lack the firepower and durability to withstand military pressure. Always pair Settlements with proper military buildings or walls when expanding into vulnerable areas.