Amplitude Studios' take on historical 4X strategy, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Humankind, received its first DLC as part of the developers' anniversary celebration. The expansion, Cultures of Africa, introduces one new playable culture at 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:each of the game's six eras. They added exciting new gameplay options that we couldn't wait to try out.

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While all the added cultures have neat new mechanics, a few of them stand out as particularly powerful. We've ranked the newcomers based on their power and how much potential they have to shake up the metagame. Read on to see how your favorites stack up.

6 🤪 🐼 Ethiopians

Overview

Playable in the Industrial Era, the Ethiopians offer tons of flavor and powerful military options. Historically, the Ethiopian Empire maintained its sovereignty against European colonizers throughout the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth. In Humankind, they can easily replicate that feat as they have some of the game's most formidable defenses. Their unique Garrison, the Amba, slows the movement of nearby enemies, giving the fearsome Oromo Cavalry plenty of time to encircle and outflank them. Their Garrisons, whether standard or Emblematic☂, also gain a moderate Science output for the remainder of the game. By enacting the Public Security and War Slaves civics, they can get even more value out of their Garrisons and build them more quickly.

Despite some strong abilities, the Ethiopians aren't a game-winning selection. Generally, fighting a prolonged defensive war in Humankind will cause you to fall behind so ultimately this culture excels at doing something that is detrimental. If you do have to fend off an invasion in the Industrial Era, choosing the Ethiopians can help end the conflict quickly and rack up some Fame via their Militarist bonus. In any other situation, it's better to pick a culture that will move your people forward rather than hold the line.

Synergies

5 Bantu

Overview

The Bantu have a very different way of playing the Ancient Era. The ancestors of millions of modern Africans, the Bantu are represented in Humankind as explorers who still have connections to their nomadic roots. They're slow to expand, but their settlements quickly grow prosperous thanks to high starting populations and an abundance of food. Bantu outposts automatically transform into Mupia Fields, which provide food to adjacent cities at no cost. A single Mupia field can supply multiple cities simultaneously, so Bantu players will want to spread out and plan their expansion carefully.

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As good as they are at establishing an early population lead, the Bantu can get in their own way. The Nomadic trait on their Bagendi Pioneers makes it hard for them to quickly secure territories, and leaving Mupia Fields unannexed means they are disincentivized from taking advantage of the Fame bonus they get from Expansionist Stars. When the time does finally come to integrate the Mupia Fields into existing cities, the extra population coupled with the loss of the food bonus can lead to shortages and starvation. Playing t☂he Bantu carefully will yield great rewards, but mistakes can lead to problems down the road.

Synergies

4 Swahili

Overview

The Swahili play like a blend of the Ghanaians and the Norsemen, both of whom they might be competing against in the Medieval Era. Historically successful ocean traders, this culture can generate piles upon piles of money given enough coastline and trading partners. Their Bandari harbor earns money for each unique resource to which the Swahili have access. If you're planning to select them when the Medieval Era rolls around, be sure to buy up as many different luxuries and strategics as you can to hit the ground running. Swahili harbors also increase the Stability of their host cities, allowing for faster🍸 expansion and unpopular but necessary decisions.

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The Swahili are a very situational pick - they're either a great choice or a terrible one, and it depends entirely on the geography of your current game. The Ghanaians are probably still the merchant-lords of the Medieval Era, but in the right circumstances, the Swahili can surpass their West African brethren in income. Outside of having the perfect location, the Swahili don't have enough generalized advantages to keep up.

Synergies

3 Nigerians

Overview

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is home to 211 million people and the world's 25th-largest economy. The country's playable counterpart in-game rewards long-term planning with a potentially massive Industry boost and worthwhile new projects on which to use it. While they can't match the raw food production of their contemporaries the Brazilians, Nigerian Farmer pops also generate a small amount of Industry. If you've been building up a large agricultural economy with multiple Farmers Quarters per city, this can lead to big things in the Contemporary Era.

What really sets the Nigerians apart from every other culture in the game (not just in the Cultures of Africa pack) is their Oil Refinery. Each one they build creates an Oil deposit which is immediately added to the player's stockpile. No other culture can just go around creating its own resources. The only real drawback is that Refineries create significant 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pollution. With a Refinery in every territory, a Nigerian player should have no problem fueling a large military or making big bucks by selling vast quantities of Oil. The latter is great insurance against invasion since an aggressor who is dependent on Nigerian Oil will see their supply immediately cut off if they declare war. Just watch out for empires with the Globalism civic, as it allows them to continue trading with opponents they're at war with.

Synergies

2 ꧑ Garamantes

Overview

Through tenacity and ingenuity, the Garamantes learned to live in the Sahara desert and established the first overland trade routes across the Fezzan Corridors. These hardy people are playable in the Classical Era. Their Foggara irrigation allows them to grow food in Rocky Fields, Stone Fields, and even Sterile Terrain. While it's not as productive as a standard Farmer's Quarter, the Foggara can make uninhabitable territories useful, saving a bad start or letting you get use out of land that nobody else wants.

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While most of the military units introduced in Cultures of Africa don't impact the metagame too much, the Garamantes' Javelin Riders are powerful enough to be era-defining. While they can't be recruited in as vast numbers all at once as the Hunnic Hordes, they are faster, stronger, and have a longer range. That makes them a huge threat. Given eไnough flat terrain on which to maneuver, Javelin Riders are the new unit to watch out for in the ear🅷ly game.

Synergies

1 Maasai

Overview

The Maasai, speakers of the Maa language, join the Humankind lineup ready to dominate the Early Modern Era. Their Affinity Bonus, Pastoral Prowess, is quite possibly the most powerful in the entire game. It reduces the food consumption of all cities by one-fourth, allowing them to sport much higher populations - ဣand consequentially produce more Industry, Money, Science, and Influence. Massive populations are key to the late game in Humankind, and the Maas🌱ai have the ability to outgrow everybody.

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Those extra pops can also be recruited into your armies, and the Maasai Morans are among the best of their era. They're a Ranged unit that gets a bonus when attacking a target that isn't at full health. A few Morans can stand up to early gunpowder units, especially if they have terrain advantage. Unlike Arquebusiers and Musketeers, Morans can attack the same turn they move. This 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:flexible, dangerous unit combined with a jaw-dropping Affinity makes the Maasai the most powerful ﷽new culture in Humankind.

Synergies

Next: 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Humankind: City Management Guide