Varu

"Excellent are well-trained mules, thoroughbred Sindhu horses and noble tusker elephants. But better still is the man who has subdued himself. Not by these mounts, however, would one go to the Untrodden Land (Nibbana), as one who is self-tamed goes by his own tamed and well-controlled mind."	"Excellent are well-trained mules, thoroughbred Sindhu horses and noble tusker elephants. But better still is the man who has subdued himself. Not by these mounts, however, would one go to the Untrodden Land (Nibbana), as one who is self-tamed goes by his own tamed and well-controlled mind."
 	
— Buddha, Dhammapada (cap 23, vv 322-3)
==In game==
Varu — Vital statistics	Varu — Vital statistics	Varu — Vital statistics	Varu — Vital statistics	Varu — Vital statistics	Varu — Vital statistics	Varu — Vital statistics	Varu — Vital statistics	Varu — Vital statistics
 	
Unique Indian super-heavy cavalry unit, capable of attacking both at melee and ranged.
*Strong versus cavalry, melee infantry
*Weak versus missile infantry, missile cavalry	
Unique Indian super-heavy cavalry unit, capable of attacking both at melee and ranged.
*Strong versus cavalry, melee infantry
*Weak versus missile infantry, missile cavalry	
Unique Indian super-heavy cavalry unit, capable of attacking both at melee and ranged.
*Strong versus cavalry, melee infantry
*Weak versus missile infantry, missile cavalry	
Unique Indian super-heavy cavalry unit, capable of attacking both at melee and ranged.
*Strong versus cavalry, melee infantry
*Weak versus missile infantry, missile cavalry	
Unique Indian super-heavy cavalry unit, capable of attacking both at melee and ranged.
*Strong versus cavalry, melee infantry
*Weak versus missile infantry, missile cavalry	
Unique Indian super-heavy cavalry unit, capable of attacking both at melee and ranged.
*Strong versus cavalry, melee infantry
*Weak versus missile infantry, missile cavalry	
Unique Indian super-heavy cavalry unit, capable of attacking both at melee and ranged.
*Strong versus cavalry, melee infantry
*Weak versus missile infantry, missile cavalry	
Unique Indian super-heavy cavalry unit, capable of attacking both at melee and ranged.
*Strong versus cavalry, melee infantry
*Weak versus missile infantry, missile cavalry
Prereq: 	Build time 	HP 	LOS 	Attack 	Attack speed 	Movementspeed 	 	
 	16.3s(245t) 	374 	12 	52 	12.9s(19t) 	26 	 	
Cost 	Cost 	Cost 	Created from 	Armour 	Weapon range 	Specialty 	Specialty 	Specialty
Base 	Ramp 	Pop 	Created from 	Armour 	Weapon range 	Specialty 	Specialty 	Specialty
:: 160: 100 	
:: 2: 1 	2 	 	4 	0–13 	
*Defensive bonus versus non-elephant cavalry.
*Defensive debuff against Scorpion, Springald, and units armed with crossbows, pikes,  and/or javelins.
*Can't attack units at the rear.	
*Defensive bonus versus non-elephant cavalry.
*Defensive debuff against Scorpion, Springald, and units armed with crossbows, pikes,  and/or javelins.
*Can't attack units at the rear.	
*Defensive bonus versus non-elephant cavalry.
*Defensive debuff against Scorpion, Springald, and units armed with crossbows, pikes,  and/or javelins.
*Can't attack units at the rear.
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===Overall strategy===
A living, breathing, killing machine, a Varu is in essence an elephant trained to main and kill, using its legs and its tusks. This elephant, the largest in the world, is owned and ridden by its owner, an aristocratic archer armed with the powerful Indian longbow, and is in effect capable of slightly outranging OTHER archer units. In fact, it can be said to possibly be the farthest-shooting archer unit in all of Alexander. In addition,a Varu has excellent LOS, thus making it highly ideal as a support unit for other ranged units with good range but low LOS, such as mercenaries.
Be it as it may, however, Varu are not invincible, as powerful as they are. While they can demolish a fair deal of units close up, they will forever be vulnerable to several units. Pike units, on account of the long reach of their weapons, are capable of resisting Varu. Equally, light infantry archers and skirmishers, although weak and outranged by the Varu's pasenger's own weapon, are sufficiently cheap and powerful enough to be used to swarm it at a distance. At the same time, the Greeks also have access to the Skorpio, a powerful mechanical bow whose weapon is more than capable of outranging any archer unit in the game.  A wise Indian player (using either Magadha or Gandhara) should take all this into account when planning to deploy Varu in the field.
Category:Alexander units
Category:Elephants
Category:Super units
Category:Magadha
Category:Gandhara