Minor Natives Guide

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Basic overview

The Tupi produce Blackwood Archers, and their technologies give a variety of militaristic and economic benefits. They allow you to build cougars from their town center, increase all archer damage, and lower the cost of all buildings. You are allowed to have 15 Tupi Blackwood Archers for each Tupi trade post you control, but at the present time they appear on no standard maps.

The unit – Tupi Blackwood Archer

The Blackwood Archer is a ranged infantry unit; and like most Native American archer units, its properties more closely match that of a Skirmisher than a Crossbow.

Tupi Blackwood Archer

Cost: 50 Food, 50 wood (160 villager seconds)

HP: 80

Speed: 4

Resistance: Ranged 10%

Ranged attack: 19, ROF 1.5, Range 18 (Bonuses: Heavy Infantry x2, Ranged Cavalry x 1.5, Eagle Knight x2, Coyote Man x 0.75, Hand Cavalry x 0.75)

Hand attack: 16, 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: 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

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

Analysis

The term glass cannon comes to mind when talking about the Tupi archers. They have very high damage for their cost, and aside from the Longbowman, their range is longer than most standard archer units - which can make up for the set up time on these units. However, their HPs are very low in exchange. They can do a good job at replacing other ranged infantry units, but it is even more critical than usual that they are protected from anything getting too close to them. Although their melee attack is also unusually high, their lack of HPs won’t allow them to stay in battle for too long.

Technology

Tupi Poison Arrow Frogs

Cost: 150 wood, 150 coin

Effect: All archer damage is increased by 10%

Comments: Decent, but this technology is half the price of the Seminole equivalent, with less than half the effect. The difference is that the Tupi provide generally better technologies and much better units than the Seminole. Added to which, the Tupi also have high base damage to begin with, so this technology will have a larger effect then usual if you are using Tupi archers. Unlike most similar technologies, this one is more likely to be useful to more civilizations due to how good Tupi archers can be.

Tupi Forest Burning

Cost: 175 food, 175 coin

Effect: Buildings cost 20% less wood

Comments: Although this technology has a lesser effect than the Cree version, its research time is a lot faster. You therefore do not have to plan that far ahead when you decide to use it if you suddenly need a number of buildings in a hurry. Like the Cree technology, it is especially useful to civilizations that can use buildings to support an economy.

Tupi Animal Lore

Cost: 75 Wood, 75 coin

Effect: Can train Cougars from Town Centers

Comments: These train reasonably fast (16 seconds) at 100 food each, but they are rather fragile and aren’t very cost effective against standard military units. Probably only use these as a last resort.

Summary

The Tupi don’t even appear on any standard maps at the moment, so that alone will seriously limit their use. However, should you come across them on a non standard map then you may find them useful. Their units are particularly strong if left unchecked by an opponent and kept out of danger. That said, a key strength of the Tupi is their Forest Burning technology.

The Tupi Forest Burning technology researches very fast, which is very useful if you find yourself with a lot of wood stockpiled. You can begin a mass building of houses, town centers, trading posts, barracks, stables, banks, outposts or whatever it is you currently need much sooner - and the savings are very significant. There are a few worthwhile ways the Tupi can assist you; it is only a matter of deciding where and when the Tupi can help your civilization.