Minor Natives Guide

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Basic overview

The Mayans give access to Holcan Spearman units as well as two technologies. The first of these technologies improves the HPs of melee infantry units, and the second improves food gather rates. You can have 15 Maya Holcan Spearman for each Mayan trade post that you control. They appear on two standard maps, Sonora and Yucatan.

The unit – Maya Holcan Spearman

The Holcan Spearman is a melee heavy infantry unit with a priority on siege, and with a low base attack. These qualities make it very similar to the Pikeman, but its lack of base damage makes it much too different from the Halberdier.

Maya Holcan Spearman

Cost: 75 Food, 25 Wood (139 Villager seconds)

HP: 180

Speed: 5

Resistance: Hand 10%

Hand attack: 8 ROF 1.5 (Bonuses: Cavalry 3x, Light Infantry x2.25)

Siege attack: 45, ROF 4

Cover hand attack: 4, ROF 1.5 (Bonuses: Cavalry 3x, Light Infantry x2.25)

Cover siege attack: 23, ROF 4

Train time: 20

Pikeman

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

HP: 120

Speed: 5

Resistance: Hand 10%

Hand attack: 8 ROF 1.5 (Bonuses: Cavalry 5x, Light Infantry x3.5)

Siege attack: 32, ROF 3

Cover hand attack: 4, ROF 1.5 (Bonuses: Cavalry 5x, Light Infantry x3.5)

Cover siege attack: 16, ROF 3

Train time: 27

Analysis

The Holcan is more expensive and has lower multipliers against cavalry and light infantry, but it’s HPs is rather high. Like the Incan Huaminca, the Maya Holcan has a rate of fire of 4 while using its siege attack, so in 12 seconds a single Maya will do 135 damage to a building, and a Pikeman will do 128.

Long gone are the days where the Maya dominated the battlefield and won the game very early with their much higher siege. In short, Holcan Spearmen are next to useless now. They may have a lot more HPs compared to the Pikeman, but the Holcan does significantly less damage against cavalry, and its siege capabilities while good are no longer anything special. There is little reason to train this unit; perhaps only if you have cards invested in other minor natives, and even there it is doubtful whether it is a worthwhile investment.

Technology

Maya Cotton Armor

Cost: 300 wood, 300 coin

Effect: Hand Infantry gain 20%+ HP

Comments: Very civilization- specific. Amazingly strong for some (Aztec), near worthless for others (Ottomans). Basically, if you are using a unit on two legs that can only hurt people up close, this technology is usually worth your resources at some stage.

Maya Calendar

Cost: 120 wood, 120 coin

Effect: Villager food gather rates are increased by 10%

Comments: Not bad, but not great either in all honesty. It does improve both hunt and farm gather rates, but the hunting dogs technology for instance improves by 10% as well - and it is less than half the price of this one. Research it only if you have researched all other alternatives for this period in the game.

Summary

How the mighty have fallen. The Maya are really very poor now since they have been weakened in patches numerous times. Their only saving grace is the Maya Cotton Armor technology, and that is only if you have a few melee infantry units. Otherwise don’t bother spending your resources on a trade post here.