Summary of Unique Units across civ series

[Krajzen]

Hello there, I decided to list all unique units that ever appeared across civ series, and data involving them.

List of civs with multiple appearances across series, and their UUs, in order Civ3-4-5-6

Spoiler :

America: F-15, Navy SEAL, Minuteman+B17, P-51+Rough RIder
Arabia: Ansar Warrior, Camel Archer, Camel Archer, Mamluk
Aztec: Jaguar, Jaguar, Jaguar, Eagle Warrior
Babylon: Bowman, Bowman, Bowman
Brazil: Pracinha, Minas Gerais
Byzantium: Dromon, Cataphract, Cataphract+Dromon
Carthago: Numidian Mercenary, Numidian Cavalry, African Elephant+Quinquireme
Celts: Gallic Swordman, Gallic Warrior, Pictish Warrior
China: Rider, Chu-Ko-Nu, Chu-Ko-Nu, Crouching Tiger
Egypt: War Chariot, War Chariot, War Chariot, War Chariot*
England: Man o War, Redcoat, Longbowman+SOL, Redcoat+"Corsair"
Ethiopia: Oromo Warrior, Mehal Sefari
France: Musketeer, Musketeer, Musketeer, Garde Imperiale
Germany: Panzer, Panzer, Panzer, Uboot
Greece*: Hoplite, Phalanx, Hoplite+Hetairoi, Hoplite+Hetairoi+Hypaspist
Inca: Chasqui Scout, Quechua, Slinger
India: War Elephant, Fast Worker, War Elephant, War Elephant*
Indonesia: Kris Swordman, Jong
Iroquis: Mounted Warrior, Mohawk
Japan: Samurai, Samurai, Samurai+Zero, Samurai
Khmer: Ballista Elephant, Ballista Elephant*
Korea: Hwacha, Hwacha, Hwacha+Turtle Ship, Hwacha
Maya: Atl Atl*, Holkan, Atl Atl
Mongolia: Keshik, Keshik, Keshik+Khan, Keshik
Netherlands: Swiss Mercenary, East Indiaman, Sea Beggar, Zeven Provincien
Ottomans: Sipahi, Janissary, Sipahi+Janissary
Persia: Immortal, Immortal, Immortal, Immortal
Poland: Winged Hussar, Winged Hussar
Portugal: Carrack, Carrack, Carrack*
Rome: Legion, Praetorian, Legion+Ballista, Legion
Russia: Cossack, Cossack, Cossack, Cossack
Spain: Conquistador, Conquistador, Conquistador+Tercio, Conquistador
Sumer: Enkidu Warrior, Vulture, War Cart
Vikings*: Berserk, Berserk, Berserk+Norwegian Infantry, Berserk+Longship
Zulu: Impi, Impi, Impi, Impi

In the case of Vikings I decided to merge Vikings, Denmark and Norway. I also merged Greece and Macedon - in both cases I did it because of overlapping unique units.
Mayan "Javelin thrower" was AtlAtl by another name, same with Nau/Carrack, Domrey/Ballista Elephant, Companion Cavalry/Hetairoi, Maryannu/War Chariot, Varu/War Elephant,

List of unique units of civs that appeared only once

Spoiler :

Native Americans - Dog Soldier, Shoshone - Pathfinder, Comanche, Cree - Okihtcitaw, Mapuche - Malón Raider, Kongo - Ngao Mbeba, Nubia - Pítati Archer, Mali - Skirmisher, Morocco - Berber Cavalry, Assyria - Siege Tower, Venice - Great Galleas, Venetian Merchant, Sweden - Carolean, Hakkapeliita, Austria - Hussar, Huns - Horse Archer, Battering Ram, HRE - Landsknecht, Scythia - Saka Horse Archer, Siam - Naresuan's Elephant, Polynesia - Maori Warrior, Hittites - 3-manned Chariot, Songhai - Mandekalu Cavalry, Georgia - Khevsur, Australia - Digger, Scotland - Highlander

Units most often recurring in civ games:
4 - Immortal, Impi, Hwacha, Samurai, Keshik, Berserk, Conquistador, Cossack, "Egyptian Chariot"
3 - Panzer, Legion, Bowman, Musketeer, War Elephant, Carrack, Jaguar
2 - Camel Archer, Cataphract, Dromon, Winged Hussars, Janissary, Sipahi, Redcoat, Chu-Ko-Nu

Civilisations with most diverse set of units:
6 - America
5 - England
4 - Netherlands
3 - Arabia, Maya, Inca, Greece, China, Celts, Carthago

Civilisations which always had only one type of unique unit:
Zulu - Impi
Persia - Immortal
Russia - Cossack
Babylon - Bowman

Unique units by unit type type

Spoiler :

- Melee infantry: 47 (Holkan, Vulture, Gallic Swordman, Gallic Warrior, Pictish Warrior, Mohawk, Jaguar x3, Eagle Warrior, Minuteman, Pracinha, Navy SEAL, Ngao Mbeba, Impi x4, Oromo Warrior, Janissary, Immortalx4, Samuraix4, Kris Swordman, Redcoat x2, Maori, Tercio, Berserk x3, Norwegian Ski Infantry, Gardee Imperiale, Hoplite x3, Legion x3, Phalanx, Praetorian, Numidian Mercenary)
- Ranged infantry: 11 (Atl Atl, Slinger, Skirmisher, Chu-Ko-Nu x2, Longbowman, Crouching Tiger, Bowman x3, Pítati Archer)
- Melee cavalry: 20 (Mandekalu, Berber, War Chariot x2, Comanche, Mounted Warrior, Hetairoi x2, Hakkapeliita, Mamluk, Ansar Warrior, Cataphract, Hussar, Winged Hussar x2, Sipahi x2, Rider, Rough Rider, Malón Raider)
- Ranged cavalry: 11 (Numidian Cavalry, War Chariot x2, Saka Horse Archer, Horse Archer, Keshik x4, Camel Archer x2)
- Elephants: 7 (War Elephant x3, African Forest Elephant, Ballista Elephant x2, Naresuan's Elephant)
- Artillery: 6 (Hwacha x3, Battering Ram, Siege Tower, Ballista)
- Planes, tanks, submarines: 5 (B17, P51, Zero, Panzer, Uboot)
- Recon: 4 (Chasqui Scout, Pathfinder, Okihtcitaw, Highlander)
- Navy: 16 (Jong, Turtle Ship, Quinquireme, Carrack x3, Sea Beggar, Sea Dog, Zeven Provincien, East Indiaman, Man o War, Ship of the Line, Longship, Dromon, Minas Gerais, Great Galleas)

Honorable mention: dumbest unique unit of civ series (civ4), and its civilopedia text

Spoiler :

Fast Worker - The Indian people are remarkably sturdy and hard-working. Their compact, wiry frames can stand up to the most difficult labor in some of the world's most difficult climates - of which there is a remarkable abundance on the Indian subcontinent, including desert, jungle, and perilously high mountains. Yet across all of this terrain can be found temples, shrines, and fortresses - monuments to the strength and determination of the hardy Indian people.

 

[Morningcalm]

Nice list. It's clear some iconic unique units like samurai and conquistadors are likely here to stay, which I guess makes sense given how iconic they are.

Agreed on the Indian fast worker being a dumb unique unit choice, haha.

 

[blackcatatonic]

I never played as India in Civ IV so I had forgotten all about that I'm not sure 1 billion or so people would take kindly to being categorised as having compact, wiry frames!

The list is interesting reading. Think you forgot Scotland though?

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I actually liked the fast worker, although it is thematically problematic.

Nice list though.

 

[salty mud]

Why is the Fast Worker dumb? It's generally regarded as one of the best UUs in Civ IV.

 

[stealth_nsk]

I really don't understand why it's only Cossack for Russia. Is it really the only Russian military known for the foreign countries? I mean there are Streltsy, T-34, etc.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I really don't understand why it's only Cossack for Russia. Is it really the only Russian military known for the foreign countries? I mean there are Streltsy, T-34, etc.

I had been hoping they would give Russia the T-34 since Germany didn't have the Panzer this time (which is refreshing). Alternatively, they could have a Troika (sleigh pulled by 3 horses abreast) as a unique mounted unit. In the Bolshevik Revolution machine guns were mounted to the sleigh, but it could easily be de-modernized as a chariot that gets extra movement on tundra and snow.

 

[Krajzen]

I never played as India in Civ IV so I had forgotten all about that I'm not sure 1 billion or so people would take kindly to being categorised as having compact, wiry frames!

The list is interesting reading. Think you forgot Scotland though?

Yeah, I forgot Scotland. Thanks for reminder.

Why is the Fast Worker dumb? It's generally regarded as one of the best UUs in Civ IV.

Mechanically it may be nice, I'm looking at its... thematic problems. Would you really like if your nation got "fast worker" as a unique unit, a "generic +1" unit with description stereotyping all of your people, as if your nation had no decent military formations across its entire history and needed some prosthesis like this?

I really don't understand why it's only Cossack for Russia. Is it really the only Russian military known for the foreign countries? I mean there are Streltsy, T-34, etc.

It's also really puzzling to me. I can name Streltsy, T-34 and Katyusha immediately, and I'm sure there are a lot of other ones. It's made even weirder by the fact Cossack relation to Russian state and ethnicity is kind of problematic and they could be argued to be Ukrainian unit

And don't even get me started on Firaxis (and all strategy video game developers) tunnel vision of Persia and seeing it only as "that evil empire that fought ancient Greece" - case in point: Firaxis incapability to give civ of 2600 years another unit than Immortal.

Fun fact: Cataphract is of Iranian origin, yet it is Byzantine unique unit in civ series.