Minor Natives Guide

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Basic overview

The Carib produce blow gunners and provide upgrades to archer-like ranged infantry and hand infantry. You are allowed to have 15 of them for each Carib trade post you hold. They only appear on one standard map currently, Hispaniola.

The unit – Carib Blowgunner

Carib blowgunners are ranged infantry units. As you will see below they are rather difficult to compare to anything, as they are rather unusual for their class. They are classed as archer units, but do not have a set up and a rate of fire of 3. The only other standard unit that has these qualities is the Crossbowman, but the blow gunner has Skirmisher like bonuses.

Carib Blowgunner

Cost: 65 Food, 35 wood (147 Villager seconds)

HP: 160

Speed: 4.5

Resistance: Ranged 10%

Ranged attack: 19, ROF 3, Range 10, (Bonuses: Heavy Infantry x2, Ranged Cavalry x 1.5, Eagle Knight x2, Coyote Man x 0.75, Hand Cavalry x 0.75)

Hand attack: 9, ROF 1.5 (Bonuses: Heavy Infantry x2, Ranged Cavalry 1.5x, Eagle Knight x2,

Coyote Man x 0.75, Hand Cavalry x 0.75)

Siege attack: 10, ROF 3

Train time: 20

Crossbowman

Cost: 40 Food, 40 Wood (128 Villager seconds)

HP: 100

Speed: 4

Resistance: Ranged 20%

Ranged attack: 16, ROF 3, Range 16 (Bonuses Heavy Infantry 1.25x, Ranged Cavalry 1.5x Eagle Knight x2, Coyote Man x 0.75, Hand Cavalry x 0.75)

Hand attack: 7, ROF 1.5 (Bonuses Heavy Infantry x 2, Ranged Cavalry 1.5x Eagle Knight x 2, Coyote Man x 0.75, Hand Cavalry x 0.75)

Siege attack: 10, ROF 3

Train time: 20

Skirmisher

Cost: 50 Food, 65 coin (168 villager seconds)

HP: 120

Speed: 4

Resistance: Ranged 30%

Ranged attack: 15, ROF 3, Range 20 (Bonuses: Heavy Infantry x2, Ranged Cavalry x 1.5, Eagle Knight x2, Coyote Man x 0.75, Hand Cavalry x 0.75)

Hand attack: 6, ROF 1.5 (Bonuses: Heavy Infantry x2, Ranged Cavalry x 1.5, Eagle Knight x2, Coyote Man x 0.75, Hand Cavalry x 0.75)

Siege attack: 12, ROF 3

Train time: 24

Analysis

The first thing you will notice when using Carib Blowgunners is their horrible lack of range. However, it does have 4.5 speed and a lot more HP than a standard infantry unit, and it does deal a fair bit of damage too. The Carib Blowgunner does a lot more damage to heavy infantry units than what Crossbowmen do, but the lack of range which is uncharacteristic of ranged infantry units may be too steep a price to pay.

Technology

Carib Garifuna Drums

Cost: 150 food, 150 coin

Effect: Archers do 100% more damage to villagers

Comments: Again, if you plan to use archer- type units (e.g. Longbows, Yumi Archers, Crossbows, Aennas, Macehualtin or the Blowgunners) this can be devastating. However, it will only help the blow gunners for some civilizations.

Carib Kasiri Beer

Cost: 250 Food, 250 coin

Effect: Archers and Melee infantry do +10% damage

Comments: As a civilization dependant on these types of units, this technology would be a good investment. Civilizations who use Musketeer and Skirmisher- like units will probably want to give it a miss. For some civilizations the only unit this technology actually helps is the blow gunners themselves.

Carib Ambush Party

Cost: 200 wood, 200 coin

Effect: Hero unit can train up to 12 Blowgun ambushers

Comments: The blowgun ambushers only upgrade to the Elite level, but can offer quite a surprise to an unsuspecting opponent, particularly if your hero is delivered behind enemy walls through using a canoe. Simply use the superior line of sight of your hero to find a good amount of villagers, train your blow gunners and time your attack. They train fast (10 seconds) and aside from the technology itself, they do not cost more than the standard Blowgunner. They also do not count towards the standard Carib Blowgunner limit.

Summary

The Carib are difficult to utilize well for a large percentage of the civilizations, due to the fact that archer units largely become obsolete for most of the civilizations by the time the Fortress Age comes around. It should be noted however that in the late game, the Carib really do come into their own where that lack of range matters less, and they have an additional age 4 upgrade (on top of the standard one), which gives them even more HP. Combined with the huge amount of Carib trade posts available on Hispaniola, it can free up a lot of population slots to go elsewhere.

Unfortunately in the early game the Carib are rather poor compared to other ranged infantry types; largely due to the lack of range. Only pursue them in age 2 if you want the archer bonus technology against villagers, or the ability to train canoes.