Medieval Era
Let’s talk about the civilizations and cultures that you can choose during the Medieval Era in Humankind.
This is like Classical Era 2.0. Here are your options:
| Type | Culture | Trait | Emblematic District | Emblematic Unit |
| Aesthete | Franks | Crown Lands +10% influence | Scriptorum +3 faith; -10 stability; +5 science; +2 influence per adjacent district; +1 researchers slot; counts as a Research Quarter | Franci Milites (heavy cavalry) Heavier Charge – Receives a higher combat strength bonus when charging; requires 2x horses and 2x iron. |
| Agrarian | English | Serfs’ Labor +7 food per attached territory on cities/outposts | Stronghold +2 range for ranged units standing in this fortification; +5 stability; +20 district fortification; fortified land unit spawn; counts as a Farmers Quarter | Longbowmen (ranged) Indirect Fire – Can attack units without a clear line of sight. |
| Builder | Khmer | Servants of Magnificence +2 industry per worker in cities or outposts | Baray +5 food; +1 industry per population; -10 stability; +2 industry per adjacent river tile; +1 workers slot; counts as a Makers Quarter and Farmers Quarter | Dhanvi-Gaja (ranged gunner) Move and Fire – Can move after attacking; requires 2x copper and 2x iron. |
| Expansionist | Teutons | Spurred By Faith +1 money and +1 science per state religion follower | Kaiserdom +1 faith per district; +3 influence; -10 stability; +3 faith per adjacent district; counts as a Makers Quarter | Teutonic Knights (heavy cavalry) Proselyte – Bonus combat strength vs. enemies following a different religion; requires 2x horses and 2x iron. |
| Merchant | Byzantines | Master of Whispers +5% money on all cities per alliance | Hippodrome +5 money per horse resource; +3 money; +25 money per adjacent horse deposit; -10 stability; +1 traders slot; counts as a Market Quarter | Varangian Guards (melee) Honor Code – Prevents army from retreating; requires 2x iron. |
| Ghanaians | Life of Luxury +5 money per luxury resource and +5 money per strategic resource that you have access to | Luxuries Market +1 money per trade route; +5 money; -10 stability; +3 money per adjacent Market Quarter; +1 traders slot; counts as a Market Quarter | Meharists (cavalry) Anti-Cavalry – Bonus combat strength when fighting mounted units. (Yes, it’s an anti-cav cavalry unit.) | |
| Militarist | Aztecs | Huitzilopochtli’s Glory +2 land movement speed; -20% unit industry cost | Sacrificial Altar +5 faith; +5 stability; +2 influence per adjacent district; unlocks the “Sacrifice Population” action for the city; using this action applies the “celebrating” effect in the city | Jaguar Warriors (melee) Fervor – No combat strength penalty even if the unit has taken damage. |
| Mongols | Mounted Mayhem +100% ransack gains on army | Orda Automatically upgrades outpost; cannot be attached to cities | Mongol Horde (nomadic cavalry) Multi-Move – Can move and attack after attacking. | |
| Norsemen | Stormborn +3 naval movement speed and +2 combat strength for naval units | Naust -10 stability; +5 food per adjacent coastal water tile and lake tile; +50 money when ransacking; +1 farmers slot; replaces harbor; naval unit spawn; allows embarkation without movement cost; counts as a Farmers Quarter and Market Quarter | Langskip (naval transport) High Sea – Ignores deep water penalties. | |
| Scientist | Umayyads | Learned Friends +5% science on all cities per alliance | Grand Mosque +3 science per number of attached territories; +5 faith; -10 stability; +1 researchers slot; counts as a Research Quarter | Haras (cavalry) Enforcers – Drains additional stability during sieges; requires 3x horses. |
What we’ve learned from the Classical Era still applies during the Medieval Era. It’s all about conquests and open warfare. The Mongols are viable here if you picked the Huns earlier. You can still use the same old tricks (raising a rabble army, bringing it to an outpost, disbanding, and raising Mongol Hordes). Even better, if you picked the Huns prior to swapping to the Mongols, you’ll retain the “Formidable Steeds” trait (+3 combat strength for cavalry units; +3 combat strength for mounted nomads/nomadic cavalry) which applies to the Mongols’ unique unit. The only major downside is that opponents in the Medieval Era can churn out pikemen often, effectively countering your cavalry.
Alternatively, the Franks are a great choice here, too. It’s due to the bonus influence, science, and faith, which will be important as you swap from pure conquest to domestic policies. Another great option are the Khmer (+industry and food), and the Baray is an amazing emblematic district. Lastly, the Byzantines and Ghanaians can snowball with lots of gold, but it’s very situational. Just be sure to spawn all possible Hunnic Hordes from your outposts before making the switch or you’ll lose this capability.
Anyway, the next part of our Humankind guide talks about the Early Modern Era civilizations and cultures.
