Axeman Speculation

Okay, let's bump this thread.

I am now going to speculate that that Axeman is in fact from the same new civ that will have a special resource. That resource is tobacco. The leader is Powhatan, not Tecumseh, or maybe Opchanacanough. I am going to say they will label the civ Algonquins. There will be a few token Lenape scouts in the Civil War scenario.



Have at it.
 
No axeman icon on the tech tree. I'd say at this point the axeman is almost guaranteed to be a UU for a Native American civ.

& We know that the NA civ isn't the new resource one. Probably wont be trade based. Maybe it's got something to do with Culture/World Congress/Ideologies?

Spoiler :
 
Well just gonna throw this here and carefully back away... People are probably reading way too much into the new axemen.

While I won't completely discount the possibility that it's a UU for a new Native American civ... I find it unlikely.

For one, we've known about this possibly unit for a while now, and while we've been guessing at new civs from achievements, screenshots of CS that are missing... etc... We haven't seen much in terms of straight up leaked units which means it's more likely to be a base unit or a Barb unit.

For two, while it is likely (very very very likely) we will get a new Native American civ, because of the time placement of the new scenario and because we already have the Iroquois, it's likely (much like the pictures people have pulled out) that the new civ will be some early gunpowder unit. An Axe to represent it seems more than a bit out of place.

Lastly, the game kinda needs a new barb unit to fill in the gap in the present units barb get. Currently they start with Warrior and Archers. Then when you hit medieval they start getting pikes, which don't make much sense historically, but there isn't really any other good option because the only other melee units presently in the game require Iron.

My guess is that the new axemen is just a new medieval barb unit, it will replace the Pikes the barbs presently get, probably have around the same combat strength but without the bonus vs mounted units. Keeping it simple.
 
For two, while it is likely (very very very likely) we will get a new Native American civ, because of the time placement of the new scenario and because we already have the Iroquois, it's likely (much like the pictures people have pulled out) that the new civ will be some early gunpowder unit.

Doesnt look like and Native Americans are in the scenario.

 
For one, we've known about this possibly unit for a while now, and while we've been guessing at new civs from achievements, screenshots of CS that are missing... etc... We haven't seen much in terms of straight up leaked units which means it's more likely to be a base unit or a Barb unit.

No new "axe unit" in the tech tree.
 
But it'd be extremely odd that a barbarian unit would be so specific to a certain culture. The tomahawk, mohawk hair style, and general appearance of the unit cannot be from anywhere but the eastern native american tribes. Maybe I'm grasping at strwas here, but barbarian units - and generic units in the game in general - always have a Near Eastern or European look.
 
But it'd be extremely odd that a barbarian unit would be so specific to a certain culture. The tomahawk, mohawk hair style, and general appearance of the unit cannot be from anywhere but the eastern native american tribes. Maybe I'm grasping at strwas here, but barbarian units - and generic units in the game in general - always have a Near Eastern or European look.
I'm not so sure about that -- there were Western tribes that had that kind of look and mohawk hair (Pawnee for one). I agree that the tomahawk icon looks very East Coast, but I wouldn't bet money that the icon maker knew that.

I'm not suggesting a conclusion; I don't have one. None of the possible explanations makes any sense to me.
 
But a barbarian unit would make the least sense for a unit that is specifically designed to look native american.

They went through all the trouble with the pueblo to appease them and respect their values, only to then through in a unit so explicitly native american that it suggests they, above and beyond any other group of people, are barbarians?

This unit is not a barbarian.
 
But a barbarian unit would make the least sense for a unit that is specifically designed to look native american.

They went through all the trouble with the pueblo to appease them and respect their values, only to then through in a unit so explicitly native american that it suggests they, above and beyond any other group of people, are barbarians?

This unit is not a barbarian.

:agree:

I can't imagine Firaxis making a barbarian UU and clearly modelling it after a Native American warrior as well. If they wanted to make a barbarian axeman they'd have modelled it after a generic Germanic warrior and not after Native Americans.
 
I'm hoping it means we'll get localized barbarians, though that's unlikely to happen. Could be also from some earlier build and the axemen won't make it in game.
 
But a barbarian unit would make the least sense for a unit that is specifically designed to look native american.

They went through all the trouble with the pueblo to appease them and respect their values, only to then through in a unit so explicitly native american that it suggests they, above and beyond any other group of people, are barbarians?

This unit is not a barbarian.
Except that it clearly is a barbarian unit. Though I absolutely agree that it makes no sense, for the reasons you mention.

The only alternative is that it's a mistake or is deliberately misleading, and that's just as hard to believe.
 
Except that it clearly is a barbarian unit. Though I absolutely agree that it makes no sense, for the reasons you mention.

The only alternative is that it's a mistake or is deliberately misleading, and that's just as hard to believe.

Why is that hard to believe? Firaxis love chucking us hints in plain sight.

Look at the new purple and white civ revealed in a tiny corner of one screenshot on a minimap. Look at the shadows of leaders that they tease us with. Look at the Kasbah on the poster that we didn't see. They then told us they had deliberately hidden information on the poster for us to speculate about.

To me, this fits exactly with their kind of information dropping.
 
Why is that hard to believe? Firaxis love chucking us hints in plain sight.

Look at the new purple and white civ revealed in a tiny corner of one screenshot on a minimap. Look at the shadows of leaders that they tease us with. Look at the Kasbah on the poster that we didn't see. They then told us they had deliberately hidden information on the poster for us to speculate about.

To me, this fits exactly with their kind of information dropping.
They drop hints, but they've never before (to my knowledge) shown something that was deliberately misleading.
 
They drop hints, but they've never before (to my knowledge) shown something that was deliberately misleading.

If we don't consider Firaxis mistake, the possible explanations are:

1. We have native american civ, which has some relations with barbarians. I.e. they could give their UU to Barbarians and probably have some peace with them (after they give the unit?).

2. Barbarians have access to UU now in some situations, i.e. if they pillage a city.

3. Regionally themed barbarian appearance.

None of them looks good, but still possible.
 
Is it not possible that the Iroquois have had a France style re-fit? That they now have a UA or UU that allows a barbarian disguise for pillaging foreign tiles and attacking trade routes? That seems much more reasonable to me that an explicitly Native American styled barbarian unit, which is more than unPC, it's hideously racist.
 
The thing is, that if it wasn't for how units work in Civ 5, the fact that Native's UU could mask itself as a Barbarian Unit wouldn't be a bad idea, problem is you'd KNOW that it is that Civ, because their icon would appear above them. UNLESS... Barbarian Units have acess to this unit, and so do Native Americans (I'm saying in general sense as not to point towards one tribe).
 
Is it not possible that the Iroquois have had a France style re-fit? That they now have a UA or UU that allows a barbarian disguise for pillaging foreign tiles and attacking trade routes?

Having UU in barbarian colors is hardly a disguise.
 
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