Hindustanis
Camels & GunpowderTeam Bonus
Scout Cavalry-line and Camel Units +2 attack vs. buildings
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"The Hindustanis are a camel and gunpowder civilization with cheaper villagers, faster-attacking camel riders, armored gunpowder units, and the unique Caravanserai building."
Civilization Bonuses
- 1
Villagers cost -8/13/18/23% in Dark/Feudal/Castle/
- 2
Camel Riders attack +20% faster
- 3
Gunpowder Units +1 melee/+1 pierce armor
- 4
Can build Caravanserai in Imperial Age
Unique Units
Unique Technologies
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AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Hindustanis are a camel and gunpowder civilization defined by economic efficiency and durable mounted units. Their Villagers cost progressively less each Age (-8/13/18/23% in Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imperial), giving them one of the strongest macro economies in the game. Camel Riders attack +20% faster, and Gunpowder Units gain +1 melee and +1 pierce armor, making both core lines unusually resilient. They field two unique units, the Ghulam infantry and the powerful Imperial Camel Rider, plus the unique techs Grand Trunk Road and Shatagni. They excel on open maps where their cheap economy snowballs into a camel and Hand Cannoneer composition that crushes cavalry and grinds through trash wars.
History & balance
The Hindustanis represent the civilizations of the Indian subcontinent and were reworked from an older, broader "Indians" design into a more focused identity centered on camels and gunpowder. This redefinition gave them a clearer competitive role and a distinct flavor among the cavalry-and-gunpowder factions. Their reputation rests on a remarkably cost-effective economy paired with two of the strongest anti-cavalry tools in the game: fast-attacking Camel Riders and well-armored Hand Cannoneers. Over time they have settled into the meta as a reliable open-map pick whose strength lies in snowballing an economic lead into a hard-to-counter trash and gunpowder army, rewarding players who value efficient macro over flashy timing pushes.
In pro play
Pros typically leverage the cheaper Villager bonus to power a smooth Feudal into Castle Age, often opting for Scouts or archers before transitioning into the camel and Hand Cannoneer core that defines the civ. On open land maps like Arabia, the economic discount lets them out-boom many opponents and then field a deathball of Imperial Camel Riders supported by armored Hand Cannoneers and Halberdiers. They are also a premier Arena and closed-map gunpowder pick, where the gunpowder armor bonus makes massed Hand Cannoneers shine. In team games, the bonus to Light Horsemen and Camel attack versus buildings makes them effective raiders and a strong pocket or flank civ that can apply relentless economic and military pressure.
How to counter it
The Hindustanis lack a strong dedicated answer to massed archers, so Arbalest-heavy civilizations with good economy can out-trade their camels, which have low pierce armor. Skirmishers and Elephant Archers also trouble their gunpowder-and-camel composition. Because their identity leans on cavalry-style units, opponents should avoid feeding melee cavalry into the fast-attacking Camel Riders and instead pivot to ranged units, Halberdiers against any Imperial Camel push, and Onagers or Siege to break up clumped Hand Cannoneers. Pressuring their economy early matters: while their Villagers are cheap, denying the smooth boom with feudal aggression or raids blunts their snowball. Mangonels and Scorpions are effective against the low-pierce-armor camel and Hand Cannoneer masses they like to clump together.