Ashoka (c. 304–232 BCE) was the third ruler of the Mauryan dynasty and grandson of Chandragupta, who had forged the realm a generation before. He came to power as an iron-fisted expansionist, and in 261 BCE his conquest of Kalinga left the field heaped with the dead and the rivers running red. Witnessing the horror of that slaughter, he turned to the Buddhist path and renounced war as policy. He inscribed his famous edicts upon stone pillars and rock faces across the land, raising dharma — righteous law — into the principle of governance. He sent emissaries to carry the teaching to Sri Lanka, the Hellenistic kingdoms, and Southeast Asia. By his death he had bound together the broadest empire South Asia had yet seen, and stood as one of history's first great patrons of a faith spread beyond its own borders.
Back to Heroes
InfantrySouth & Southeast Asia
Ashoka
The Dharma King
The conqueror who drowned Kalinga in blood, then laid down the sword for the law — a shield-bearing vanguard who turns a brutal opening into a decisive strike.
History
On the Battlefield
Ashoka commands the Infantry, planting himself at the head of the front line. He fights as a tank built around a sudden burst — a frontline captain who roars a war-cry and levels his staff to steady the ranks while soaking the enemy's heaviest blows. His signature gear sharpens his strikes to a killing edge, rewarding the Lord who anchors the wall with him and watches for the moment to break through. His exclusive arsenal runs against the system carried by Qin Shi Huang, so a commander must choose between the two when shaping a roster.
Hero Bonds
Bonds this commander belongs to — activate by fielding all listed heroes together:
- Divine Right (王权神授) — with King David · Seondeok → +6% Crit Rate
