Inca Rework Guide

The Inca rework is a major civilization overhaul in Age of Empires 2, fundamentally changing how the civilization plays from the Dark Age onward. The Incas gain access to Settlements, Champi warriors, and the Catapult Galleon, but lose Eagle Warriors and traditional economic buildings like Lumber Camps, Mining Camps, and Mills.

This is more than a small balance tweak; it changes the Inca identity. Where the old Incas were a mobile Eagle Warrior civilization with strong infantry support, the new Incas are a Settlement-based economy civilization with Champi warriors as their mobile option and Kamayuks as their core power unit.

The removal of Eagles is a major change. Eagles were the Incas' primary raiding unit, scout replacement, and monk counter. Without them, the Incas lose significant mobility and must rely on Champi warriors for scouting and raiding duties. Champi are capable raiders but lack the speed and monk resistance that Eagles provided.

On the positive side, Settlements as universal dropsites dramatically simplify the Inca economy. Instead of building separate Lumber Camps, Mining Camps, and Mills, a single Settlement serves all three purposes. This saves wood on buildings and allows for more flexible base layouts, though it requires learning new placement strategies.

Settlements replace Lumber Camps, Mining Camps, and Mills for the Incas. A single Settlement acts as a universal dropsite for all resources: wood, food, gold, and stone. A Settlement costs 125 wood, so replacing a Mill and Lumber Camp avoids 200 wood of separate building costs, for a net saving of roughly 75 wood before other placement benefits.

Optimal Settlement placement is the key skill for new Inca players. Place your first Settlement between your berries, woodline, and gold mine if possible, so a single building serves all three gathering operations. In practice, you may need 2-3 Settlements in different locations, but each one covers multiple resources unlike traditional eco buildings.

The number of Settlements you need depends on your map layout. On standard maps, plan for 3-4 Settlements covering your main base resources, plus 1-2 forward Settlements for expansion. Remember that Settlements also provide 5 population space, so factor that into placement decisions.

The economic efficiency of Settlements is highest when they serve multiple resources simultaneously. A Settlement placed perfectly between a woodline and a gold mine effectively replaces both a Lumber Camp and a Mining Camp with a single building. However, be careful not to place Settlements too far from any one resource: villagers walking extra tiles to a central Settlement lose gathering time compared to a dedicated building placed optimally for one resource.

In the mid-game, build Settlements near new resource patches as you expand. Each new gold mine or stone pile you access should have a Settlement nearby. The versatility of Settlements means you can gather from any resource near them without needing to predict which resources you will need most, giving you additional economic flexibility.

Champi warriors are the new regional Infantry line available to the Incas, replacing Eagle Warriors as the mobile infantry option. They are trained at the Barracks and serve as all-purpose Infantry for scouting and raiding. They can build Outposts, are strong against Foot Archers, Siege Weapons, and buildings, and are weak against Cavalry.

The Champi line has several age steps: Champi Scouts are available in the Dark Age, Champi Runners in the Feudal Age, and Champi Warriors in the Castle Age. The line supports scouting and raiding, but unlike Eagles the units do not have innate monk resistance. Use them with the Inca infantry bonuses and choose the available step for the timing you want.

In terms of production, continue the available Champi line from the Feudal Age onward, then add the Champi Warrior step in the Castle Age. Maintain 2-3 Barracks producing Champi alongside your main army composition. Use them to raid enemy eco while your Kamayuks and Slingers hold the front line. A raid group of 6-8 Champi can threaten villagers and force the opponent to divert attention from the main battle.

Champi upgrades are useful for keeping them relevant into the late game. Remember that the Inca discount reduces the food cost of military units by age, not the cost of Barracks technologies. Prioritize the infantry upgrades and Squires that fit your composition.

Inca military units cost 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% less food in the Dark, Feudal, Castle, and Imperial Ages respectively. This discount applies to military-unit food costs, so use it to support production while still budgeting for buildings, technologies, and gold.

Fabric Shields gives Kamayuks, Slingers, and Champi Warriors +1 melee armor and +1 pierce armor. The effect is specific to these units; do not generalize it to all Inca Infantry.

Kamayuk and Elite Kamayuk are unique Infantry with increased attack range. They are strong against Cavalry and Infantry, and weak against Archery Units and Gunners. Use their range as a positioning advantage rather than assuming they are universally strong.

The current Inca plan centers on Kamayuks supported by Champi for mobility and Slingers against Infantry. The food discount helps military production, while Fabric Shields rewards using the listed units together and positioning them carefully.

Dark Age Settlement Opening: Place your initial Settlement between berries and your woodline. Send 6 villagers to sheep under the Town Center, 4 to berries near the Settlement, and 3 to the woodline also using the Settlement as a dropsite. This single 125-wood Settlement replaces both a Mill and a Lumber Camp, avoiding 200 wood of separate building costs and saving roughly 75 wood net. Lure boars to the Town Center as normal. Aim for a 21-22 pop Feudal transition.

Castle Age Kamayuk and Champi Composition: After reaching Feudal, continue the available Champi line for scouting and early pressure. Transition to Castle Age around minute 14-15 with 28-30 pop. Immediately build a Castle and begin Kamayuk production; the Elite Kamayuk upgrade is an Imperial Age step. Support with Champi from 2 Barracks and Slingers from an Archery Range. Your target composition by minute 20 is 8-10 Kamayuks, 10-12 Champi, and 6-8 Slingers.

Imperial Composition: Boom through Castle Age with 3-4 Settlements covering your resource nodes. Upon reaching Imperial, research the Elite Kamayuk upgrade when its increased attack range and matchup strengths justify the investment. Add more Castles for Kamayuk production and maintain Champi and Slinger support. The Kamayuks hold the front with their reach while Champi screen flanks and Slingers provide ranged damage.

The old Incas were defined by Eagle Warrior mobility. Eagles served as scouts, raiders, monk counters, and siege snipes. You could play an aggressive, mobile style with constant Eagle raids while building up your infantry and Slinger core. The economy used traditional buildings, which was familiar to most players and required no special adaptation.

The new Incas trade mobility for economic flexibility and infantry power. Without Eagles, your army is slower and more vulnerable to monks, but Kamayuks with increased attack range and the Settlement economy support direct combat and flexible resource gathering. The playstyle shifts from aggressive raiding to methodical army composition and positioning.

The loss of Eagles is most keenly felt in the Castle Age, where old Inca players would produce Eagles to raid and pressure. New Inca players must use Champi warriors for this role, which are slower and less effective at sniping monks and siege. The Champi line begins with earlier age steps, while the Champi Warrior is a Castle Age step; use the available unit for the timing you want.

The Settlement economy can be wood-efficient when it replaces the relevant dropsites, but it requires relearning base layouts. Players accustomed to the familiar pattern of Mill near berries, Lumber Camp at woodline, and Mining Camp at gold must adapt to the Settlement placement optimization. The placement learning curve is real, so practice layouts that keep resource walking distances short.

Overall, the reworked Incas now emphasize direct combat more than mobility and raiding. If you preferred the old aggressive Eagle style, you will need to adapt significantly. If you enjoy methodical, army-composition-focused gameplay, the new Incas may actually suit you better.

Settlement placement is a key skill to master for the new Incas. Spend time in practice games experimenting with Settlement positions on different maps. The ideal placement serves 2-3 resources at once, but on some maps this is not possible and you will need multiple Settlements. Learn to read map generation quickly and decide Settlement placement in the first 30 seconds.

Do not try to play the new Incas like the old Incas. If you keep trying to raid with units that are not Eagles, you will be disappointed. Instead, embrace the new identity: strong frontline infantry with Kamayuks, flexible Champi support, and an efficient Settlement economy. The new Incas want to take good fights, not harass constantly.

Champi micro is different from Eagle micro. Eagles were fast enough to dive in, snipe a target, and run away. Champi are slower and must commit more to engagements. Use Champi in groups for raiding rather than individual hit-and-run. A group of 8 Champi can overwhelm a few defending villagers quickly, but a single Champi trying to harass will just die.

Your new rhythm of play should be: build Settlements efficiently, produce Champi for map control, drop a Castle for Kamayuks as soon as possible, and push with a composed army. The old rhythm of constant Eagle production and raiding is gone. Instead, focus on hitting strong timing attacks with your Kamayuk-centered composition.

In team games, communicate with allies about your changed capabilities. You no longer have Eagles for flanking or monk sniping. Ask cavalry allies to handle those duties while you provide the infantry backbone with Kamayuks. The Catapult Galleon addition also makes you more valuable on water-adjacent maps, so consider picking Incas on hybrid maps where the naval siege option adds strategic value.