Kamayuk

Kamayuks are most effective in large groups, as they have a range of one, enabling them to attack from behind one another. Due to this, they can engage melee units effectively, as they do not have to run around each other to attack. Their range allows them to attack through walls, making them good at defending or attacking in walled areas. This also means they can be a great defense against enemy rams. Their fast training speed and cheaper Castles for Incas means they are easy to mass. They have a good attack bonus against mounted units. Much like Pikemen, Kamayuks get an additional attack bonus against elephant type units such as the Battle Elephant. Unlike Pikemen, Kamayuks trade decently against other infantry in large enough groups due to their higher Rate of Fire and considerably higher base attack. Additionally, their 1 range means that in large numbers they can inflict surprising casualties on enemy infantry. Still, they should be used with Slingers, which can deal with specialized infantry like the Jaguar Warrior or Teutonic Knight, while Kamayuks can mow down hordes of cavalry while still being reasonably good against generic infantry such as Champions. Eagle Warriors can also be included to protect the Kamayuks from archers and siege weapons, which can deal heavy damage to them despite their pierce armor from Fabric Shields. Hand Cannoneers will decimate Kamayuks and can also deal with the Incas' Eagle Warriors as well. Siege units such as the Siege Onager and Heavy Scorpion will also prove highly effective against Kamayuks due to their tendency to cluster together. Lastly, Cataphracts will dominate Kamayuks due to their resistance to anti-cavalry attacks, their bonus damage against infantry, and their trample damage. A common dilemma for Inca players is whether to use Halberdiers or Kamayuks, this will depend on resource availability. If there is gold to spend, the Kamayuk should always be the cavalry counter unit of choice; if there is not enough gold, the player can mix in some Halberdiers that are cheaper than the more expensive and effective Kamayuk. Despite the official description stating that the unit is weak to archers, it has +1p armor and +10 hit points over Champions, and slightly more speed, which makes foot archers much less of a threat. For comparison, Elite Kamayuks with Fabric Shields have the same survivability as Obuchs (which are considered foot archer resistant) but move 11.1% faster, with all other upgrades being equal. Nonetheless, mounted archers still work against Kamayuks, despite the latter having an attack bonus against the former.