Inca Rework Deep Dive: Settlements and Champi Warriors

The Inca civilization received the most comprehensive rework of Update 169123. Unlike a typical balance patch that adjusts numbers by a few percent, the Inca rework changes how the civilization is built and played from Dark Age onward. Two months after launch, here is what actually changed, what is working and what Inca mains should focus on.

What the Inca lost

Four things are gone: Eagle Warriors, Lumber Camps, Mining Camps and Mills. That list looks short on paper, but each removal reshapes the civilization in a different way.

Losing Eagle Warriors removes the Inca's signature fast-raiding unit. Eagles were the tool that let Inca players apply map pressure during the Castle Age transition without committing a Castle. Without them, early Inca pressure has to come from Champi Warriors or generic Scout Cavalry, neither of which fills the exact niche Eagles occupied.

Losing Lumber Camps, Mining Camps and Mills is more radical than it sounds. These three buildings are the backbone of standard resource collection in every other civilization. The Inca replace all three with a single building: the Settlement. One dropsite type for every resource is a unique economic identity, but it also means that every Settlement is a high-value target for raiders — and there are fewer of them than you would have Lumber Camps and Mining Camps combined.

What the Inca gained

Three things are new: Champi Warriors, Catapult Galleons and Settlements themselves.

Champi Warriors are a shared regional unit (also available to Mapuche, Muisca and Tupi). Base stats: 40 food 25 gold, 75 HP, 8 attack, 1/3 armor, 1.3 speed, +4 damage versus Archers. They upgrade through the Champi Scout / Champi Runner line from Dark Age and become Champi Warriors in Castle Age. For the Inca, Champi replace the mobility role that Eagles used to fill — but Champi are anti-archer specialists, not anti-villager raiders, so the playstyle must adapt.

Catapult Galleons are a new naval siege ship available to civs without the Cannon Galleon. For the Inca, whose previous naval options were limited, this opens up hybrid-map and water-map play in a way that was not possible before.

Settlements serve as the primary economic building. Unlike a Lumber Camp, a Settlement is also a dropsite for food, gold and stone. It supports population and — in the Inca's case — is the only economic building type they can build.

Bonuses, with the patch math

The Inca civilization entry in the game data lists the following bonuses after the rework:

• Houses provide +5 population space.
• Buildings cost -15% stone.
• Military Units cost -8/12/16/20% food in Dark/Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age. Note: this was nerfed from -10/15/20/25% in the same patch.
• Villagers are affected by Infantry Blacksmith upgrades starting in Castle Age.
• Settlements replace Lumber Camp, Mining Camp and Mill.

Two Inca-specific changes are also worth noting from the patch: Fabric Shields (the Imperial unique tech) was reduced from +1/+2 armor to +1/+1 armor, and Elite Kamayuk pierce armor was increased from 1 to 2. The Elite Kamayuk buff is meaningful — that is one more shot you survive from archer fire — but the Fabric Shields nerf cuts into the Inca's late-game infantry durability.

Playing the new Inca

The core tension of the rework is that Inca armies are now infantry-centric and Settlement-dependent. Kamayuk remain the backbone: they are strong against cavalry, they have +2 pierce armor at the Elite tier, and they still benefit from the civilization's food discount on military units. A Castle Age composition of Kamayuks with Champi Warrior support and a Monk or two covers most ground threats.

Settlement placement is the new core skill. A poorly placed Settlement is worse than a poorly placed Lumber Camp because it is your only dropsite option for the resource it sits on. Scout for defensive terrain, avoid obvious raid paths, and do not bunch multiple Settlements in a single area — spreading them out costs a bit of Villager walk time but protects you against a single raid wiping out multiple dropsites.

The -8% food cost on military units in Dark Age may look minor after the nerf, but it still stacks meaningfully when you start producing infantry. Spearmen, Champi Scouts, and later Kamayuks all cost slightly less than generic equivalents, which adds up over dozens of units in a long game.

Tips for Inca mains

First, accept the loss of Eagles and plan for it. Your early game cannot rely on the same raid-first style you ran before the rework. Use Champi Warriors to contest archer pushes and rely on Kamayuks plus Castles for the Castle Age power spike.

Second, the Fabric Shields nerf means you cannot rely on it to save Kamayuks from heavy archer masses in Imperial. Pair Kamayuks with Monks, add Skirmishers where possible, and consider Siege Rams to clear Castles directly rather than trying to out-HP them with infantry.

Third, use the Catapult Galleon addition on any map where water is contested. Even a small Dock commitment can give your team a siege option at sea that would have been impossible pre-rework, and it is a way to turn the rework's side benefits into real impact.