Pîhtokahanapiwiyin is the leader of the Cree in Civilization 6, where he is known by an English translation of his name, Poundmaker. Known for his attempts to negotiate peaceful relations between the Cree Nation and the Canadian government in the late 1800s, he is one of the game's ablest diplomats.
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PostsPlaying as Poundmaker in Civ 6 requires a firm grasp of the game's economy and diplomacy mechanics, and a strong setup in the early game is essential to laying the groundwork for victory. Here is everything you need to know to win a game as the Cree.
Poundmaker's Abilities
Poundmaker is billed as a Civ 6 leader whose playstyle is all-in on diplomacy, but that's not the whole story. His abilities are actually centered around building up a strong network of international trade, then leveraging those routes into powerful alliances as the game progresses.
Favorable Terms
Poundmaker's signature ability, Favorable Terms encourages you to have as many Alliance as possible at all times. He automatically has shared vision will all his allies, and trade routes to or from Cree cities grant Poundmaker additional yields for every Camp or Pasture at the destination; incoming trade routes produce Gold, while outgoing trade routes provide food.
Nihithaw
The Cree get a free Trader and a trade route to support them immediately upon researching Pottery. Additionally, if a Cree Trader enters a neutral tile within three spaces of a Cree city center, he automatically claims it for that city.
Okihtcitaw
The Okihtcitaw is the Cree unique unit, a Scout that has the same base Combat Strength as a Warrior. They also start with a free Promotion, allowing you to tailor them to your local geography.
Okihtcitaw are still Recon units rather than Melee, so they don't upgrade into Swordsmen or get access to key Promotions like Battlecry. They're great for supporting your main troops against Barbarians, and are much less likely to die if they get caught alone while exploring, but they shouldn't replace a proper army if you need one!
Mekewap
The Mekewap is the Cree Nation's unique tile improvement, and it's very similar to some of the better City-State Improvements like the Trading Dome or Alcazar. It provides Production, Food, Gold, and Housing based on the number of adjacent Bonus and/or Luxury Resources, making it extremely efficient when placed correctly.
The Mekewap's yields increase when you research Civil Service, Cartography, and Convservation.
Early Game Strategy For Poundmaker
Poundmaker's early game needs to focus on exploration and expansion, building prosperous cities while establishing trade routes. Start by recruiting two Okihtcitaw; they'll allow you to quickly get they lay of the land, pick new settlement sites, and meet the neighbors. Their fast movement and extra Combat Strength means they can also handle most Barbarian threats or team up to clear camps if necessary.
Get a second city settled as soon as possible and research Pottery straight away for the free Trader from Nihithaw. With early Traders, it's usually better to redeploy them to your second city then set your capital as the destination, since this will help the new city get on its feet faster. In the meantime, research Animal Husbandry and build Camps or Pastures in your capital if possible; this will let you double-dip for Food and Gold from Favorable Terms, since the trade route is both coming to and from a Cree city!
Continue settling new cities as much as you can, ideally near rivers to maximize the bonus from the Commercial Hubs you're about to start building. As your cities grow, build a Mekewap on any tile that's adjacent to at least three appropriate resources. Once peaceful expansion is no longer feasible, focus on growing the population in your cities as much as possible to support a large economy.
Every city should have a Commercial Hub with a Market or a Harbor with a Lighthouse to maximize the number of trade routes you can send out. Having two Harbors will also get the Eureka for Cartography, helping you enhance your Mekewaps faster.
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PostsMid-To-Late Game Strategy For Poundmaker
As you move into the Medieval Era, start building up Theater Squares so that you can rush down the Civics tree and unlock Civil Service. This is the most important step in the game for the Cree, as it allows you to start making Alliances with other players. Form an Alliance with everyone who will accept one, and send gifts to anyone who is on the fence to sway them toward your cause.
By now, your trade routes and districts should be providing a healthy Gold income; start reinvesting in expanding or modernizing your military. You need to be able to defend yourself or your allies and, more importantly, to be able to participate in Military and City-State Emergencies.
Keep an eye on City-State quests as each Era progresses. Getting extra Envoys means more vassals, which means more Diplomatic Favor, which means more votes!
Once the World Congress starts convening, take every opportunity to get Diplomatic Victory Points. Proposing Emergency Votes or Competitions are essential for this, but you need to make sure that you can reliably win them. Spend as much Gold as it takes to adapt your strategy and come in first place for as many Emergencies and Competitions as you can.
From here on out, Poundmaker pursues a standard Diplomacy Victory. Keep your Alliances in place over the long term to level them up, and keep your wars short with the specific goal of weakining enemies or liberating conquered cities for the Diplomatic Favor bonus.
Since you invested in Theater Squares earlier and should have a farily healthy Culture production, you can unlock Corps and Armies before your rivals. This is a great way to even the odds, since Poundmaker doesn't have any direct advantages to speak of in terms of warfare.
Best Wonders For Poundmaker
With the extra Production from trade routes and Mekewaps, Poundmaker can be surprisingly competitive in Wonder races. Here are some good Wonders to target when playing as the Cree:
Wonder
Era
Reason
Pyramids
Ancient
- Extra Builders and charges means more Mekewaps!
Temple of Artemis
Ancient
- The Cree already benefit from building Camps and Pastures, so the Temple of Artemis makes them even better.
Colossus
Classical
- Extra trade route.
Great Zimbabwe
Renaissance
- Extra trade route.
Potala Palace
Renaissance
- Get an extra Diplomatic Victory Point and Diplomatic Policy Slot.
Torre de Belem
Renaissance
- Further enhances international trade routes originating from its city.
Orszaghaz
Industrial
- Extra Diplomatic Favor and Culture per turn.
Statue of Liberty
Industrial
- Essential for an efficient Diplomatic Victory, grants 4 victory points.
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