Indian States/Strategic Overview

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===Strengths===
*Superb cavalry components
*Expansive building bonuses that makes urban development cheaper
===Weaknesses===
*Poor infantry
*Weak early navy
India has substantial economic and military powers, with the ability to create larger, more developed cities and the ability to create a powerful army, which is centred around cavalry. They can train also train one of the possibly more fearsome units: war elephants.
Because ramp cost for construction is eliminated for the Indians, they can expand early because much needed structures such as farms, woodcutter and mining camps stay at the same price for the whole game. So while other nations have to gather more and more to build even the most essential buildings, Indian cities are able to save these resources on creating extra buildings, which is especially useful when the game starts because they can get extra farms, woodcutter camps, temples, markets, etc, which of course produce extra resources. Also with a larger economic radius for cities, Indian cities can have extra forests and mountains within their radius so lumber mills and smelters can enhance resource production even further. Although innocuous in itself, the Indian ability to access cheap temples however can be dangerous: Indian temples can generate fakirs, mystics with unbelievably destructive power. Fakirs, although very powerful, are not that tough - a fakir caught by a machine gun crew will have made his very last mistake.
Note, however, that unlike other factions, India does not have access to a heavy infantry line until the Imperial Era. As a result, your armies will basically have to be built revolving around your awesome cavalry units, with some infantry thrown in for support. India's preference is normally for melee cavalry (the Mughals and their Indian rivals were never impressed with firearms because of their perceived poor reload time), supported by artillery and war elephants. The war elephants are meant to decimate all other melee units, while the cavalry are meant to knock out ranged units (which normally have very poor armour). Indian cavalry is to be noted for its strong attack but its poor hitpoint bonus, although it must be noted that the heavy cavalry line has an anticav bonus, as do the Jat Regimental Cavalry so in sufficient numbers, Indian cavalry can be counted upon to punish enemy units, and even swarm heavy units albeit with casualties. There however, is little to speak of for infantry: sepoys, while among the fastest moving units, have a poorer range than normal arquebusiers and deal almost no damage against buildings, although this handicap decreases over time. Equally, the Indians do not get skirmishers, and so to protect your units, artillery will be necessary, if not archers, against grenadiers and assault infantry. Thus an Indian strategy naturally revolves around cavalry rushes, early and often, to deprive the enemy of his better units where possible. You must learn to divide your opponent's forces, and then swarm them with cavalry with the support of other reinforcing units.
Commanders will thus be advised to look up on the Indian art of war: use elephants either for offence or defence, supported by missile troops - archers and javelineers, and later musketeers with your light cavalry. Because infantry is a glaring weakness for India, but their cavalry units can be used to fend off European cavalry, the best way forward for India usually is to research the first two green techs whereso possible at the Senate (these being Liberalism and Consensual Government) in order to unlock better infantry options particularly, the Republican Guard and the All-Victorious Army. With these two units in hand, India can then use them to mow down enemies such as Western grenadier-type infantry, kicking the door open for a Pindari/Sillatar charge to mop up the remnants while keeping the heavier Sowar line in place to protect against enemy cavalry. 
category:spoiler
category:Rise of the Moderns factions