TOTAL WAR WIKI

Culture (Shaman)

Call of the Wild

+10% wealth generated by farms

Enables building of:

Ancestral Grounds

Nations living in harmony with their lands are better able to exploit natural resources.

The earth is mother to all and no man can claim ownership. The tribes have lived by this rule for generations, and it serves them well. Although they control the land they occupy they do not own it. By respecting and living in harmony with the earth a tribe can obtain the maximum benefit, so improving the life of the people.

Forced migration out of traditional homelands claimed many lives: the Cherokee called this ‘the Trail of Tears’ with good reason. Some 17,000 Cherokee were forcibly transported across the Mississippi by soldiers under the command of General Winfield Scott in 1838. It is estimated that around 4000 of them died in the process, mostly from disease and starvation in the transit camps.

Spirit of the Forest

+20% wealth generated by farms

Enables building of:

Sweat Lodge

The Spirit improves any bonuses already gained from the Call of the Wild.

By making the correct offerings to the Spirit of the Forest, a tribe can establish a link with the Creator, and so gain access to more of the Earth’s bounty. Untouched woodlands and fields can yield just as much worth as worked farmland, because the spirits are at peace.

Animal spirits played a key role in tribal religious beliefs, and some were thought to have negative effects. The Apache believed that some animals contained the ghosts of witches and other restless spirits; owls, bears, snakes, and coyotes were the keepers of such ghosts. Coyotes also played the role of tricksters in Apache religion, and featured heavily in their beliefs about the world’s creation. Shamans who had power and control over coyotes were held in high regard as they had the ability to cure the illnesses that these malevolent spirits could cause.

Riding the Winds

Learn more about the content of enemy settlements and armies

Enables building of:

Spiritual Circle

Let the wind carry your spirit vision over all nearby settlements and look within, so seeing the plans of your enemies.

Walls and fortifications may keep out enemies and their prying eyes, but are little use against the forces of nature. Channelling the spirit force of the wind to move through the world and see everything is a powerful thing. No word or deed can escape the vision granted. The mind’s eye can see all information about an enemy.

The Native American belief in the spirit world was more than religious: it was central to their continued existence as a people. The spirits existed in everything and, therefore, everything was connected and had a purpose and place in the world. From the mightiest oak to the smallest insect, from the flow of the river to the swirl of the storm, all had spirits. It was believed that people should exist in harmony with the spirits of nature rather than see them as something to be tamed and controlled.

Spirit Medicine

+1 happiness (lower classes)

Enables building of:

Shamanic Gateway

Spirit medicine increases unit morale by protecting warriors from evil spirits.

Spirits are in everything: they affect the lives of men for both good and evil. A warrior needs constant protection from the ill will of evil spirits and enemies. This is provided by a shaman who communes with the spirits. The efforts of a shaman can increase individual unit morale by helping them discover their spirit medicine.

Each native tribe had its own system of beliefs, the common theme being a belief in the spirits of the earth. Many tribes sought knowledge and power by embarking on vision quests, presided over by shamans. They sought spirit medicine, and this usually took the form of birds and animals that presented themselves in times of need.

Dreamwalking

Increases the line of sight of all generals

The dream world not only reveals a man’s destiny, but also the location of hidden enemies.

Properly harnessed the power of dreams enables warriors to see through an enemy’s deceptions: hidden units can be hunted down before they can spring an ambush!

Native Americans believed strongly in prediction through dreams, and would make decisions guided by them, even abdicating leadership or turning back from a battle if a dream told them it was the right thing to do. Direction and purpose could be acquired by embarking on a vision quest. The vision seeker isolated himself, achieving a heightened condition through fasting, hallucinogens, or even self-mutilation, then waiting for the vision to appear. This often came in the form of a bird or animal, and once received would be followed without question; the seeker had to remain in harmony with the wishes of the Spirits.

Military (Warrior)

Ironworking

+5% wealth generated by industrial buildings

Enables building of:
Games Field	Iron Workshops

Being able to work metal well makes the manufacture of weapons a quicker, easier process.

As America becomes home to an increasing number of European settlers, gunpowder weapons have become widespread. It is therefore useful for native nations to manufacture and maintain guns for themselves, instead of relying on trade with foreigners for weapons. Ironworking is a new practice for many, but vital if the tribes are to survive.

Historically, the Navajo and Hopi peoples were famed for their ability to make jewellery; silversmithing was particularly advanced among the Navajo. Other metalworking skills could be added to these methods, as the scale might be different but the principles were the same.

Winter Clothes

Makes units resistant to cold in battle

Enables building of:

Warrior Lodge

Unforgiving weather is no threat to victory when warriors are clad in heavy winter clothing.

Warriors cannot fight well in extreme weather conditions, and thick furs are the surest way to protect against the biting cold. Hunting skills directly aid the business of war, as plundered pelts will protect against unfriendly weather, much like they did for their original owners.

For the tribes of the Great Plains, buffalo were crucial to sustaining their way of life. Once a beast was killed, nothing was wasted: the bones made farming tools; the horns, cooking utensils; the bladder made a food bag; sinews could be used to string bows; even the poor creature’s scrotum could be turned into a rattle! Buffalo hide was used for clothes, and the beard and hair for decoration. The buffalo was not only a feast, but provided the cutlery, storage facilities for leftovers and a new cloak for the cooks!

Gun Dealing

Enables building of:

Warrior Society

Trading with outsiders means you can give your warriors firearms, when you cannot make them.

A tribe that fails to keep pace with an enemy risks leaving itself vulnerable to attack. However, sometimes the best course of action is to trade, rather than to try to make everything. The Europeans are greedy for furs, and there is no shortage of hunters who can get them. Hard bargaining can bring many guns, until the tribe’s smiths can learn the necessary skills.

In the 1600s, European settlers supplied guns to the native tribes , through trade or as gifts to secure alliances. As tribes adopted firearms, they quickly became a necessity. A people without guns ran the risk of destruction by enemies armed with the new weapons. Though the tribes did gain some independence from European suppliers by learning metalworking and gun maintenance, making gunpowder remained a slow and difficult process. The natives still had to rely on foreigners for powder, putting them at a distinct disadvantage.

Sharp Shooting

Requires the Hunting Techniques technology.

Increases the marksmanship of units in battle by +5

A steady hand, a sharp eye and training improve marksmanship, a useful skill to impart to warriors.

Although sharpshooting involves bullets rather than arrows, the idea is the same: pick your target, aim carefully, and let fly. When outmatched, any tactical advantage that can be gained through the use of carefully positioned marksmen is welcome. A tribe that can pass skills from warrior to warrior makes the best use of its people too.

Early firearms used by the Native Americans were single-shot, muzzle-loading flintlock pistols. These guns inspired awe and fear, but were, in fact, primitive, inaccurate and unwieldy. It was only after the arrival of repeating breech-loaders that the bow became largely obsolete, and by then the natives had become masters of firearms in both hunting and warfare.

Ambush Tactics

Allows all units to fire while hidden

Used correctly, surprise is an effective weapon: ambushes can give an edge over larger enemy forces.

Understanding of the land and centuries of hunting experience have taught Native Americans many techniques they can adapt for warfare. Europeans may frown upon these ambushes and see them as cowardly and skulking, but this is probably because they work! And what general likes to admit that he has been outwitted and outclassed by mere savages?

In 1755 the British general Edward Braddock fell foul of one of the most devastating ambushes of the French and Indian War. Sent to attack the French at Fort Duquesne, Braddock made a fatal error when he took his men through a narrow valley, and was ambushed by tribesmen and their French allies. A massacre ensued, Braddock was killed, and his force lost 900 men, along with many horses and provisions.

Powder Making

-6% recruitment cost for native gunpowder units

Enables building of:

Gunsmith

Learning to make gunpowder cuts the cost of recruiting gun-armed units.

The ability to create gunpowder means that a tribe no longer depends on supplies from fickle European traders. The tribe can therefore give muskets to more of its warriors, because they can be used, not just carried as clubs. Bullets are less of a problem, as they can be cast by any competent smith, and many gunpowder weapons come with bullet moulds as part of their accoutrements. But the availability of powder remains key: make that, and there are few limits to your power.

Gunpowder is actually a relatively simple compound, but one that takes time and skill to manufacture. Making the ideal mix is a matter of trial and error once the ingredients are understood, but grinding the powder to the right size takes steady nerves and real care. Powder for a handgun needs to have the right size grains if it is not to be too weak to fire a bullet or, worse still, burn too quickly and shatter the gun barrel. The user does not often survive such a disaster.

Improved Ironworking

-3% recruitment cost for native gunpowder units

Enables building of:

Foundry

New ironworking allows the manufacture of small arms, reducing upkeep costs of gunpowder-armed units.

Mastering the craft not only frees a tribe from relying on Europeans for iron goods, but also ensures a guaranteed supply of metal and weapons in times of trouble. The introduction of guns has dramatically altered warfare: the best way to keep pace is for a nation to own and control their own means of making firearms.

During the seventeenth century, many Native Americans became proficient gunsmiths, as metalworking skills became increasingly important, for both hunting and warfare. Owning a firearm was a mark of prestige for a warrior, and he would personalise his weapons with decorative beaded buckskin and brass studs. Damaged firearms could also be repaired, and barrels shortened to make them less cumbersome for use on horseback. It is a short step from such work to creating entire original arms.

Cannon Casting

Enables building of:

Foundry

This technology allows the small-scale production of artillery, and reduces the upkeep costs of firearm-equipped units.

Cannons are a most destructive force indeed, but not a brave or noble way of fighting! But, as enemies have cannons, only a foolish tribe would not seek to protect their land and people. The strength of the tribes may be in stealth and surprise, but a new weapon of such power demands new ways.

Historically, the use of cannon by Native Americans was rare, as the European settlers carefully controlled their artillery pieces. They were given away rarely, for a tribe with heavy guns would be a threat indeed. In 1661, the Maryland colonists, supplied their allies, the Susquehannocks, with men, ammunition and a cannon with which to defend their village against Iroquois attack.

Government (Elder)

Improved Fishing

+10% wealth generated by fisheries

Enables building of:

Fishing Fleet

New fishing methods increase food supplies.

The rivers, lakes, and seas around America contain an abundance of fish. By refining age-old skills, the amount of fish a tribe can catch through their fisheries is greatly increased.

Native Americans employed a variety of fishing techniques, the most successful being fishing weirs. These underwater cages could be used to trap large numbers of fish with minimum effort, and often spanned the entire width of a river.

Hunting Techniques

Requires the Call of the Wild technology.

+25% bonus to fur production

Enables building of:
Chief's Lodge	Fur Trading Post	Warrior Society

Better hunting and care of the land increases income from fur trapping.

Men hunt to feed their families, their tribe. These skills are valuable, too, for the trade goods that they provide. Europeans will barter anything for furs. Therefore, any small improvement in the way the tribe conducts its hunts is welcome, and profitable.

Each tribe had tactics tuned to the surroundings and the animals they hunted. The Plains peoples perfected techniques for hunting bison: a band of warriors would scare the herd into a stampede towards a cliff. The animals would fall over the edge, being pushed over by their stampeding herd-mates. As a way of hunting, this was very effective, and very dangerous: warriors could be gouged to death if the stampede did not go as planned.

Improved Farming

Requires the Ironworking technology.

+0.5% to the population growth impact of farms

Enables building of:

High Chief's Lodge

Applying European agricultural techniques to existing native farming knowledge produces a bountiful and varied harvest.

European settlers have brought new crops of coffee, sugar cane, spices and wheat to cultivate; cattle, pigs, and sheep; and new iron tools. When combined with the native knowledge of the land, these new agricultural ideas can provide plentiful harvests to feed future generations, as long as the farmer maintains a healthy respect for the nature spirits, and does not try to exploit them.

Long before Europeans arrived, the Native Americans already had a long history of farming, including crops such as potatoes, tobacco, squash, cocoa, and beans. Slash-and-burn techniques were used to clear large areas, and crop locations were regularly moved to prevent over-farming. The Europeans introduced improved tools, new crops and a heavier emphasis on livestock. In parts of the New World the natives reared alpacas for wool and guinea pigs for food, but most of their meat came from hunting rather than rearing domesticated animals. Incidentally, the turkey is the only domesticated North American farm animal.

Written Language

+20 to diplomatic relations

Enables building of:

Council of Tribes

The adoption of the written word improves diplomacy; treaties can be recorded clearly for posterity.

Increased contact with other cultures brings with it knowledge of written language: in trade and treaties, bargains struck with Europeans and others can be enforced. Not every man’s word can be trusted, and the ability to keep written contracts reveals any later trickery.

During the 18th century the Iroquois Confederacy was an ally to the British, fighting alongside them against the French and Huron tribes. The Mohawks created a system of writing for the Mohawk language, and provided education for their children. The Mohawk chief Joseph Brant was one of these students, and in 1772 he even translated the Gospel of Mark into the Mohawk language.

Money Economy

Requires the Improved Ironworking technology.

+10 per turn to town wealth in the region

+20% wealth generated by all buildings

Money in the form of coinage helps a tribal economy, and simplifies trade and taxation.

Bartering has been the only form of trade in tribal society for generations, with beads and pelts acting as easily understandable currencies. The introduction of a system of money makes buying and selling goods a much less complicated affair, allowing the tribe to create wealth without just accumulating goods. It also makes collecting taxes much easier because, for any government, money is easier to use than a stack of animal pelts!

Historically, Native Americans used a currency known as wampum, which consisted of a variety of small shell beads. Once Europeans arrived in America they adopted the use of wampum, as the easiest way to trade with the natives. Just like any other form of currency, wampum could be affected by inflation. The beads had originally been hand crafted by skilled tribesmen. However, factories were developed for making wampum, making it virtually valueless.