Inca Rework Guide

What Changed

The Inca rework is one of the most significant civilization overhauls 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 not a simple balance tweak; it is a complete reimagining of 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 the most impactful 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.

Settlement Economy

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. This means you need fewer buildings to support your economy, saving approximately 200-400 wood across a typical game that would have been spent on specialized economic buildings.

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 serve as the Inca version of Houses in some configurations, so factor in population space when deciding placement.

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 economic flexibility that other civilizations lack.

Champi Warriors

Champi warriors are the new regional unit available to the Incas, replacing Eagle Warriors as the mobile infantry option. Champi are trained at the Barracks and serve as a hybrid between light infantry and raiders. They have decent speed, reasonable HP, and good attack, though they are not as fast as Eagles were.

The Champi's role in the Inca army is versatile: they serve as scouts in the early game, raiders in the mid-game, and meatshields in the late game. Unlike Eagles, Champi do not have innate monk resistance, so be cautious when engaging civilizations with strong monks. However, Champi benefit from the Inca infantry bonuses, making them tankier than their base stats suggest.

In terms of production, Champi should be a constant presence in your army from the Feudal Age onward. 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 essential to keep them relevant into the late game. Prioritize the Barracks line upgrades (which the Incas get at reduced cost for soldiers) and Squires for movement speed. In Imperial Age, fully upgraded Champi are competent fighters that can go toe-to-toe with many infantry units while maintaining enough speed to raid and retreat.

Updated Bonuses

The soldier cost reduction bonus has been nerfed from its previous version. While Inca military units still cost less food than generic equivalents, the discount is smaller than before. This means you can still produce slightly more units than your opponent with the same resources, but the advantage is less dramatic. Adjust your expectations and do not over-rely on the cost reduction.

Fabric Shields has been nerfed, providing less armor than the previous version. The technology still gives Inca infantry extra armor, making them tougher than generic counterparts, but the reduction means your units are not as invincible as they once were. Factor this into your fight calculations: you can no longer trade as recklessly as the old Incas could.

On the positive side, Elite Kamayuk has received a significant buff. The upgrade is now more impactful, making Elite Kamayuks one of the strongest infantry units in the game. Their extended reach remains their signature feature, and with the buff, they deal more damage and survive longer in combat. The Kamayuk should be your primary power unit in Castle and Imperial Age.

The net effect of these changes is a shift from a generalist infantry civilization to one with a clear power spike in the Kamayuk. Your army composition should center around massed Kamayuks supported by Champi for mobility and Slingers for anti-infantry. The cost reduction nerf means you need to be more careful with your resources, and the Fabric Shields nerf means you need better micro to avoid unfavorable trades.

New Build Orders

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 Settlement replaces both a Mill and a Lumber Camp, saving you 200 wood. 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, build a Barracks and begin Champi production for scouting and early pressure. Transition to Castle Age around minute 14-15 with 28-30 pop. Immediately build a Castle and begin Elite Kamayuk production. Support with Champi from 2 Barracks and Slingers from an Archery Range. Your ideal 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 all your resource nodes. Upon reaching Imperial, research Elite Kamayuk upgrade immediately, as the buff makes this a top priority. Add more Castles for Kamayuk production and maintain Champi and Slinger support. Your late-game army should be 20-25 Elite Kamayuks, 15-20 Champi, 10-15 Slingers, and 3-4 Siege Rams. The Kamayuks hold the front with their reach while Champi screen flanks and Slingers provide ranged DPS.

Comparing Old vs New

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 raw infantry power. Without Eagles, your army is slower and more vulnerable to monks, but the buffed Kamayuks and Settlement economy compensate with stronger direct combat and more efficient 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. However, Champi are available from the Feudal Age, giving you an earlier mobile option than Eagles provided.

The Settlement economy is a pure upgrade over traditional buildings in terms of wood efficiency, 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 learning curve is steep but the payoff in economic efficiency is worth it.

Overall, the reworked Incas are a stronger civilization in direct combat situations but weaker in 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.

Tips for Transition

Settlement placement is the single most important 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.