Quote Originally Posted by Nelson
The Meso-Americans were bound to be problematic in Total War.

What do we know for sure?

Well, the Spanish were way outnumbered. They used guile where possible but when capturing the local boss couldn’t fill rooms with gold they needed allies to help in a fight. These they could seemingly always find.

Regarding technology, it is difficult to know how often the Spanish wore their armor. Certainly sometimes; quite likely not always. There is evidence both ways. Gunfire and horses were big plusses at first but these advantages disappeared over a period of years as their shock value wore off. Unfortunately for the natives though, it was disease and their own particularly fatalistic worldview that went on to make European domination a certainty, neither of which is a particularly fun circumstance to model in the game.

I would like the game to severely limit the number of European troops that can be sent to the New World while at the same time making local allied mercenaries plentiful. A large European army would have been invincible IF one could have ever arrived and been maintained. I’m not sure feeding and equipping such a large force from across the Atlantic was practical in the early 16th century.
I think you're remarks are right on, Nelson. Cortez had small numbers, but the Aztec system of oppressing their client tribes made them ripe for joining a 'liberator.' That, and small pox sealed the victory.

I'm curious if wardogs weren't used in this early period. DeSoto brought them with him on his expedition, and he was present during the Inca conquests. But I don't know if the Spanish used thm in the Andes campaign. Apparently CA hasn't put them in the game. I'm assuming that since I don't have the game yet and I haven't read any remarks in the Guild that says otherwise.

When DeSoto was exploring in the American South he lived off the land and raided the food supplies of Indian settlements to secure his food. Stored corn was very important. He also used wardogs in some of the small skirmishes he had with the natives. But most of the dogs died during the course of the expedition.