Civilization Match-up Discussion Round 8 Week 17: Indians vs Malians

Oops.... nearly forgot.... but it's still Wednesday where I am right now so I'm fine :P

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Hello and welcome back for another Age of Empires 2 civilization match up discussion! This is a series where we discuss the various advantages, disadvantages, and quirks found within the numerous match ups of the game. The goal is to collectively gain a deeper understanding of how two civilizations interact with each other in a variety of different settings. Feel free to ask questions, pose strategies, or provide insight on how the two civilizations in question interact with each other on any map type and game mode. This is not limited to 1v1 either. Feel free to discuss how the civilizations compare in team games as well! So long as you are talking about how the two civilizations interact, anything is fair game! Last week we discussed the Tatars vs Turks, and next up is the Indians vs Malians!

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Indians: Camel and Gunpowder civilization

• Villagers cost -10/15/20/25% per Age
• Fishermen work +15% faster and carry +15 food
• Camels +0/+1 armor
• TEAM BONUS: Camels +5 attack vs buildings
• Unique Unit: Elephant Archer (Very slow, tanky, and expensive cavalry archer)
• Unique Unit: Imperial Camel (Additional Imperial Age upgrade to the camel line)
• Castle Age Unique Tech: Sultans (All gold income gathered/generated +10% faster)
• Imperial Age Unique Tech: Shatagni (Hand Cannoneers +1 range)

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Malians: Infantry Balanced civilization

• Buildings cost -15% wood
• Barracks units +0/+1 armor per age, starting in Feudal Age
• Gold Mining upgrade free
• TEAM BONUS: Universities work +80% faster
• Unique Unit: Gbeto (Fast, frail infantry with powerful long-range attack)
• Castle Age Unique Tech: Tigui (Town Centers fire +5 arrows, even when ungarrisoned)
• Imperial Age Unique Tech: Farimba (Cavalry +5 attack)

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Below are some match up-specific talking points to get you all started. These are just to give people ideas, you do not need to address them specifically if you do not want to!

• Both of these civilizations have strong economies and broad tech trees, with a couple very noticeable holes. For our beloved 1v1 Arabia, Malians are going to be faster out of the gate, but do lack Halberdiers in dealing with Imperial Camels. Meanwhile, Indians feel pretty susceptible to heavy Castle Age infantry aggression. How do you see this match up playing out?
• Which do you feel is more restrictive: Malians missing Bracer/Halb, or Indians missing the entire Knight line? Obviously it is not great to miss any of those units/upgrades, but which civ has more limitations in crafting their overall gameplan?
• In honor of RedBull Wololo, how do you feel about these civilizations on the Empire Wars setting? In case you are unfamiliar - in this mode you start in Feudal Age with 27(?) Villagers working for you, as well as a Barracks and a Blacksmith. Which civ do you think is helped most relative to the other in this game mode?

Thanks as always for participating! Next week we will begin Round 9 with the Portuguese vs Teutons. Hope to see you there! :)

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Previous discussions: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3