Which Native American faction?

[homefry]

I see that some of the native americans can use cavalry and gunpowder units against the other factions, but others (aztec?) cannot.

So do the aztecs get another boost somewhere else to balance the gameplay?

How do the non-cavalry, non-gunpowder factions play? More fun or just stick to the native american factions that can use cavalry and gunpowder?

I just don't have the time to play with all the factions in the mod.

[Ged]

I found that the the smaller Mesoamerican factions are quite fun to play, sinc I think some of their units have ever so slightly higher stats than the Native American ones. But if ypu played as the Apache's, the Chichimec's are good fun and similar, and vice versa.

[Surgeon]

I'm not sure, but all the Mesoamerican factions (Tlaxcalans, Tarascans, Aztecs, Mayans) apparently all have the exact same unit rosters, except Mayans also have those hornet thrower dudes. CA could've added a little bit of variety, IMO.

Anyhow, it's basically like this:
Mesoamerican peoples - most powerful infantry aside from the Europeans (they make up for it with numbers though). They can tear through the ranks of the northern tribes like nothing, and they come in huge numbers too. However, they obviously have no cavalry and woefully ineffective missile troops. Basically, their tactics consist of trampling the enemy with loads and loads of powerful foot soldiers. They can build large cities with big populations and income.
Apaches - rely very much on missile troops. Their highest-tier units are somewhat hard to get and require a lot of expansion and conflict. Their melee soldiers can stand up to the Chichimecs, but will easily fall to Mesoamerican or European soldiers in 1v1 battles, so their armies need to consist of a good mix of melee and missile troops to be effective. Because of this compromise they cannot stand up to large stacks of Mesoamerican warriors and will have to use guerilla tactics to wear them down (shoot them up, then retreat). They can only have villages unless they capture a city, so their populations tend to be small and income low, however their units are dirt cheap. Bottom line: rely a lot on missile troops, melee units are rather inadequate.
Chichimecs - sort of a compromise between Apaches and the Mesoamerican natives. Their archers are better than the Aztecs' but worse than the Apache's. Same goes for their melee infantry except vice versa. Their cavalry, unlike the Apache's, is melee only. They don't have to rely on missile troops as much, but until they unlock cavalry they have difficulty fighting the Mesoamericans. They can also build cities (though my experience with them is limited so I do not know if their cities can grow as big as Aztec ones).

[homefry]

I just played a custom battle as the Aztecs.... Those guys sure can run. They're almost as fast as heavy cavalry. In fact, I was able to run down and catch some heavy cavalry that was routing.

You also gotta love those coyote priests... chanting like that. I love it.

I just wish they had some cavalry unit or some stronger missile units. Ever since I've figured out how to mod, I've been getting spoiled, so I might throw in some cavalry for the aztecs.... unstoppable force.... if only I can figure out how to mod them into the vanilla game.... because in my role play campaign, they steal Spain's ships and invade Europe.

[Surgeon]

Every Native American tribe has a priest unit who can chant

Oh, and I think it's the Eagle Warriors who can sprint super fast. Only light cavalry can get away from them!

[Boz]

The Apacheans and Chichimecs always have full stack armies wondering about, their infantry is very cheap but very bad also. With the mayans vs. the chichimecs, I can beat them in 1:2 or worst average for me. Though in my campaign neither the chichimecs or the apacheans have captured european technology.

[pwijnands]

Pretty much all Mesoamerican troops can run like diarrhea, except for their missile troops. You'll just have to swamp the enemy with lots of troops, that's the only thing that Mesoamericans are good at.

[TWoxy]

Pretty much all Mesoamerican troops can run like diarrhea,

Well... That's one way of putting it I suppose...

[Salahiddin Ayoubi]

the larger mesoamerican factions (aztecs) have a major advantage over the other smaller ones (apaches) , they have amazing technology and infrastructural advantages over the rather lacking building browsers of the smaller ones

[Lamanz]

However, my entire stacks of gunpowder cavalry with the apaches absolutely murder mesoamerican foot troops. I've led full stacks of eagle warriors and the like on many a merry chase around the map. By the time I'm out of ammunition, there's hardly a force to slice through!

As for the infrastructural disadvantage, I just capture big cities, and rake in the tax money!

[Murfios]

but is that historical correct, I mean, did Apachees ever capture a city and occupied it?

[Lamanz]

I doubt it. They were mostly nomadic, and one of their most major conflicts was with the USA in the 19th century...

[renegade]

aztec=mayans=tlaxcalans=tarascans and chichimec=apacsean
same untis, different name

it sucks

[Surgeon]

Er, no. Chichimec =/= Apaches. However the other Native American factions are all the same. That was kind of disappointing.

[renegade]

Er, no. Chichimec =/= Apaches. However the other Native American factions are all the same. That was kind of disappointing.

They are just the same but the names are changed.
Even the make-up is the same.

[Pyrebound]

They are just the same but the names are changed.
Even the make-up is the same.

Have you even checked their rosters? They have different rosters, as example chims main infantry does not chuck spears. Stats vary. They also have no missile cav, they have a single melee cav unit. I think only the Chim gunners/thunder braves have exactly the same stats.

[RMSN NIKE]

Mayans has 4, well maybe 3, differences to the other identical 3 mesoamerican tribes.

1. Hornet Throwers.
2. Holkans, another archer unit instead of Arrow Warriors, a javelin unit.
3. no Eagle Warrior, the 2 handed weapon with 60 soldiers, but another crappy spear unit.
4. identical stats priests but not the same name for every factions, other then Tlaxcalans and Tarascans.

[roy34543]

Yeah but its not like anyone really likes them anyway

[Surgeon]

Their units rosters are pretty diverse.

[renegade]

Ok, but I'm not talking about the stats but how the units look like. In the G.C. maybe some nations have the same units but the have different colour then. But in the America c. they even have the same make-up which drives em crazy! Maybe the stats are not the same. I feel that they didn't have time to finish it, so just made 3 nations and split them up.
And yes, I looked at the roster.