Cree
Poundmaker
Uniques and adjacency effects read from the game data.
Victory focusDiplomacyScience
Kit at a glance
Poundmaker's Cree are the friendliest civ on the map: early trade routes that claim land, mekewaps stacking housing and gold, and alliances that share visibility. Trade and diplomacy build a wide, informed, wealthy empire.
Opening: the first 60 turns
Build the Okihtcitaw first and send it far: it survives what kills a normal Scout, and every civilization met early is a future alliance and trade partner. Then queue Settler, Warrior, Settler and research Pottery immediately — the free Trader and extra route arrive with the tech, and the first route should pass through as many unclaimed tiles near your own cities as possible so the border grab pays. Animal Husbandry follows so the Pastures that feed Poundmaker's routes and the Mekewaps exist by turn 40. Settle cities four tiles apart on resource clusters rather than perfect district sites; Mekewaps next to cattle, sheep or furs give housing and gold before a Monument is even finished. Foreign Trade and then Early Empire are the civics; a Commercial Hub in the capital by turn 60 adds another route.
Unique to this civilization
Unit
Okihtcitaw
Replaces Scout
Adjacency effects
No adjacency bonus — standard district rules apply.
How to play it
Send your first trader early — routes claim nearby tiles for free. Build mekewaps on resource clusters, ally widely for the shared vision, and convert the gold-and-alliance web into whichever victory the map offers.
Victory paths
Diplomacy is the path the kit points at: alliances are already worth more because they share sight, the gold from Mekewaps and routes buys envoys and later Diplomatic Favor, and an empire that trades with everyone rarely gets voted against in the World Congress. Science is the natural partner, because the fast early border growth and housing let Cree cities grow large enough to carry Campuses without sacrificing anything, and research alliances stack on the same partners. Culture is feasible on a map with many city-states to suzerain, while religion and domination waste the kit — the Okihtcitaw is the only military unique and it stops mattering after the Ancient era. Commit to diplomacy once Diplomatic Service is in reach; before that, simply grow wide and stay friends.
Synergies: city-states, wonders, policies
The Cree hit their stride when Serfdom, Trade Confederation and Caravansaries all run at once; later, Wisselbanken makes routes to allies still richer. Magnus with Surplus Logistics belongs in the trade capital, and Amani should be rotated through city-states to keep suzerainty cheap. Colossus and Great Zimbabwe add routes and gold to the same coastal hub, while Mahabodhi Temple is worth grabbing only if a religion falls into your lap. Pantheon choice is Goddess of the Hunt or God of the Open Sky, both of which stack on the same Camps and Pastures that Poundmaker's routes reward. City-states to court are Venice for route yields, Kumasi for culture, and any militaristic one nearby, since its levied units cover the army you never built.
Weaknesses and counters
The whole plan depends on other players wanting to be friends, and a warmonger neighbor or a Deity AI with a grievance simply ignores it; the shared-vision alliance does not fire a single arrow. Trade routes are also the easiest thing on the map to pillage, so a rival navy or a pack of barbarians can cut Poundmaker's income and food at once. Opponents beat him by denying alliances, by parking units on the Camps and Pastures his routes depend on, and by attacking before Machinery when the Cree army is still Warriors. Common mistakes are stacking Mekewaps on tiles that should be Campuses, sending the first Trader on a domestic route for the tiles and forgetting to switch to international ones, and over-expanding into land that amenities cannot support.
Similar civilizations
Related guides
- Diplomatic Victory: Earning and Spending FavorA working plan for the Gathering Storm diplomatic victory: where Diplomatic Favor actually comes from, how World Congress sessions and votes turn into victory points, which emergencies, competitions and wonders matter, how to keep alliances alive, and when to spend favor versus hold it against a rival's lead.Last reviewed: 2026-10-03
- Which Civilization Should You Play? Picks by Victory TypeThree to four leader picks for each victory type — science, culture, domination, religion, and diplomacy — with the reason each one teaches that victory well, plus flexible all-rounders and a guide to matching a civilization to how you actually like to play.Last reviewed: 2026-10-03
- Early District Planning: The First 100 TurnsHow to read city sites for future adjacency, decide between settling for yields now or reserving tile clusters, and know when a planned layout should be abandoned.Last reviewed: 2026-10-03
- City-States and Envoys: Where Your Influence Should GoWhere envoys come from, how to spend the first handful, which city-state types match each victory plan, how to win and keep suzerainty against the AI, and when conquering a city-state is the right call.Last reviewed: 2026-10-03
Last reviewed: 2026-10-03