I understand that the armoured elephant example wouldn’t work in the game. The only way to change them for Dravidians without changing it for the other civs is through a civ bonus. But that kind of modification through a civ bonus is unprecedented. It was just a brainstorming thing.
But if it is done, you don’t need armoured eles in large numbers, you only need 1 or 2. After having played them for a while, the best army comp for Dravidians imo is pikes+2 to 4 elephant archers + crossbow + skirms. If they have skirms, you push your elephant archers and your skirms forward. If they don’t have enough skirms, your team should stand a chance. If they push knights, you push your pikes. You can’t have your pikes in front because their skirms will kill your pikes. This composition has three main weaknesses. First is that it is expensive, and if you do this, you can’t afford a mangonel early. Second, you don’t have a unit that can deal with mangonels easily like knights or scouts. Third and most important, you don’t have anything against buildings. Basically, this is a composition that will help you hold on, barely. They can just add a lot of skirms, and you are done. You need something against their skirms and yours just won’t cut it. This is where the armoured elephant is good. It only has 2 roles, tank skirm fire, and take out buildings. If they make knights, it should be able to withstand knights, and pikes can be a weakness.
Now all that being said, I do agree on the food point. Almost all elephant civs have bonuses that can either let them produce elephants for a cheaper cost, gather more food, or add survivability to elephants. Dravidians don’t have the first or second on land maps, and Medical corps is garbage.
