I’ve been wanting to create a second revision of this civ concept, which itself, is a follow-up to a similar concept that me and @Toltekatl115 made one time, which you can find by clicking here to get to that page. There were some updates I wish to make on this civ concept. Anyways, here’s the Muvendhar civ concept.
The Muvendhar (Also known as the Three Crowned Kings) was a triumvirate civilization consisting of the Chera, Chola, and Pandya dynasties that dominated the politics of and ruled over Tamilakam (consisting of what is now Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India) for over a millennium and as well as smaller kingdoms like the Kolatthunadu, Samuthiri, Venadu, Jaffna, etc. They signaled a time of integration and political identity for the Tamil people while in power.
Some proposed flags
Year span: 590 - 1336 CE
Focus: Infantry, Elephants, Navy
Difficulty: 3/3
Bonuses:
- Elephant units have +40% hitpoints
- Docks provide 10 population and are constructed 20% faster but cost +50 wood
- Trade Ship charge +15% gold
- Trade Ships can garrison 5 units
Influence: Kadagam
How does Kadagam work: Military buildings (excluding the Siege Workshop) built within the influence of the Special-Purpose Academy are capable of creating a Velaikkarar. If Nadapu Recruitment is researched, -15% training time is applied to the Barracks.
Unique Units:
- Eethi Spearman - Light melee infantry that carries the Eethi spear. Replaces the regular Spearman.
- Urumi Swordsman - Light melee infantry with low damage but high attack speed, as well as area damage. Extremely lethal against lightly armored units. Fragile. Weak against archers. Available at the Barracks starting in the Castle Age.
Urumi Sword demonstration
Urumi Swordsman portrait from AoE2: DE - DOI
- Sengunthar - Heavy melee infantry armed with the khanda sword and dahl shield. Replaces the Man-At-Arms.
- Valari Thrower - Ranged unit that throws the valari. Has a bonus damage against archers. Available at the Archery Range starting in the Feudal Age. Like the Javelin Thrower, it’s a Crossbowman replacement that doesn’t use the crossbow.
A pair of Valaris
- Physician - Healer that can be created at the Vimana. Heals slightly faster.
An example of an Indian healer
- Dhoni - Ship that acts as a Fishing Boat and Archer Ship. Available at the Dock starting in the Dark Age but it’s ability to attack is enabled in the Feudal Age. Replaces both, the Fishing Boat and Archer Ship.
- Velaikkarar - It’s not a specific unit but a stronger version of one of any of the base units with improved stats. To compensate, they are more expensive and have slower train time to create. Can be trained at the Special-Purpose Academy and also trainable at the Barracks and Archery Range if built within the influence range. Unit limit is 10.
Unique Buildings:
- Special-Purpose Academy - Military building that recruits a Velaikkarar. Can be constructed in the Dark Age and you can create a new regiment of Velaikkarar with each age up, being able to choose up to 3.
An example of an ancient military academy (it was hard to find a picture of the one with Indian architecture. So, I used a random picture instead)
- Vimana - Religious building that can heal villagers and traders. Can be given the ability to heal out-of-combat military units (excluding siege units) if Stepwells is researched. Replaces the Monastery.
Unique Technologies:
- Naval Expeditionary - Ships have +1 line of light and +10% speed. Available at the Dock starting in the Feudal Age.
- Corps Organization - A group of 10 same units gains +1 / +1 armor when nearby. Available at the Blacksmith starting in the Castle Age.
- Tusk Swords - War Elephants have swords attached to the tip of their tusks, increasing its damage by 3 points. Available at the Stable starting in the Castle Age.
- Stepwells - Vimanas heal nearby out-of-combat military units. Available at the Vimana starting in the Castle Age.
- Poombuhar Shipyards - Ships are created 20% faster and cost -10%. Available at the Dock starting in the Castle Age.
- Ethunu Kaduwa - Urumi Swordman acquires 2 more edges to his sword, increasing its damage by 2 points. Available at the Barracks starting in the Imperial Age.
- Nadapu Recruitment - In addition to the Velaikkarar being available when under the influence of a Special-Purpose Academy, Barracks work 15% faster. Available at the Blacksmith starting in the Imperial Age.
- Professional Handling - Elephant units cost -1 population cap. Available at the Stable starting in the Imperial Age.
- Foreign Engineers - Counterweight Trebuchets have -20% reload time. Available at the Siege Workshop starting in the Imperial Age.
Landmarks:
- Bhima Ratha - Landmark that increases the hitpoints of stone buildings by 25%. Based on the building of the same name.
- Nageswaraswamy Temple - Landmark that reduces the gold cost of Dock Technologies by 20%. Based on the building of the same name.
- Rahu Stalam - Landmark that acts as the Vimana. Spawns 1 sacred cattle every 5 minutes. Based on the building of the same name.
- Airavateswarar Temple - Landmark that gives nearby infantry and elephants 50% resistance to ranged attacks. Based on the building of the same name.
- Gingee Fort - Landmark that acts as the Keep. Enables units to be able to garrison inside Barracks. Based on the building of the same name.
- Sacred Gateway - Landmark that let’s nearby Vinamas work 20% faster and gives the Physician +20% hitpoints. Based on the Monumental Gateway of Brihadishvara Temple.
Wonder: Brihadishvara Temple
A portrait of the Brihadishavra Temple
The Brihadishvara Temple in AoE2: DE (formerly the Indian Wonder and now the Dravidian Wonder)
Units that are expected to become shared units:
- War Elephant - Melee cavalry that is to become shared among civilizations that historically used them.
New shared units expected to come into existence:
- Elephant Archer - Ranged cavalry unit where the archer is atop of the elephant and is available to civilizations that historically used military elephants. Delhi Sultanate uses the Tower Elephant instead.
- War Chariot - Regional Lancer replacement that’s available to certain civs of South and Southeast Asia. This includes this one, the Vijayanagara Empire, and the Majapahit.
Regional mechanic that should be added: Sacred Cattle
What is the Sacred Cattle mechanic: A mechanic where cattle are unkillable if played as a Hindu civ and the cattle is instead used to produce sacred water. This would not just apply to Hindu civs in South Asia like this one and the Rajputs, but it would also apply to Hindu civs in Southeast Asia like the Majapahit.
Architecture: Chola and Pandyan architecture would both be most prominent.
Language: Old Tamil and would evolve into Middle Tamil.
Proposed stats for some of the unique units:
[Eeleti Spearman]
- Cost: 50 Food and 15 Wood
- Training time: Same as Spearman
- Hitpoints: 60 (Regular), 80 (Hardened), 100 (Veteran), 120 (Elite)
- Melee Attack: Same as Spearman
- Fire Attack: Same as Spearman
- Attack bonus: Same as Spearman
- Rate of Fire: Same as Spearman
- Melee armor: Same as Spearman
- Pierce armor: Same as Spearman
- Speed: Same as Spearman
- Upgrade cost: Hardened and Elite upgrades remain the same as the Spearman while the Veteran upgrade costs 80 Food and 160 Gold
- Upgrade time: Same as Spearman
[Urumi Swordsman]
- Cost: 50 Food and 90 Gold
- Training time: 21 seconds
- Hitpoints: 85 (Regular), 100 (Elite)
- Attack: 9 (Regular), 11 (Elite)
- Area Damage: 0.5 area
- Rate of Fire: 1 second
- Melee armor: 0
- Pierce armor: 0
- Speed: 1.40 tiles/second
- Upgrade cost: 300 Food and 700 Gold
- Upgrade time: 60 seconds
[Sengunthar]
- Cost: Same as Man-At-Arms
- Training time: Same as Man-At-Arms
- Hitpoints: 135 (Regular), 160 (Elite)
- Attack: Same as Man-At-Arms
- Rate of Fire: 1.15 seconds
- Melee armor: Same as Man-At-Arms
- Pierce armor: Same as Man-At-Arms
- Speed: 1.140 tiles/second
- Upgrade cost: Same as Man-At-Arms
- Upgrade time: Same as Man-At-Arms
[Valari Thrower]
- Cost: 80 Food and 40 Gold
- Training time: 21 seconds
- Hitpoints: 65 (Regular), 80 (Veteran), 95 (Elite)
- Pierce attack: 7 (Regular), 9 (Veteran), 11 (Elite)
- Attack bonus: +6 vs. Ranged (Regular), +8 vs. Ranged (Veteran), +10 vs. Ranged (Elite)
- Rate of Fire: 1.80 seconds
- Range: 4 tiles
- Melee armor: 0
- Pierce armor: 0
- Speed: 1.36 tiles/second
- Upgrade cost: 80 Food and 160 Gold (Veteran), 300 Food and 700 Gold (Elite)
- Upgrade time: 30 seconds (Veteran), 60 seconds (Elite)