Polynesian (Civ5)

The Polynesian people represent a DLC civilization for Civilization V that was released in March 2011 along with the Paradise Found scenario. Like the Danes, they have a unique sprite for their embarked units.
* Symbol: Koru
* Musical Theme: Hole Waimea* (composed by Geoff Knorr; pedal steel guitar performed by Dave Hadley, ukulele performed by Knorr)
* Music Set: Native American
* Architecture: Polynesian (similar to Asian but colored yellow)
* Spy Names: Tiki, Hotu Matua, Rongo-ma-tane, Kupe, Haloti, Degei, Babamik, Kulu Lau, Nangananga, Turua
* Preferred Religion: Christianity () or Catholicism ()
* Preferred Ideology: Freedom
* This theme was originally composed for Kamehameha. The chanting in the war version includes the line "i ku wa," meaning "stand and shout," from "I Ku Mau Mau."
== Strategy ==
The Polynesians are a very interesting civilization, with a unique ability and improvement that allow them to be culturally dominant without necessarily having a small empire. Polynesian units can move through open seas from the very start of the game, permitting them to start settling foreign lands much earlier than any other civilization. One way to capitalize on this advantage is to build some reconnaissance units as soon as possible and start exploring the seas - they are able to find all these interesting places in the middle of the ocean while the other nations are still fighting Barbarians. Then send task forces of some of their fierce Maori Warriors (conveniently available right from the start of the game) followed by Settlers, clear out the Barbarians, and start creating colonies in the best spots.
Since Polynesia can embark before any other civilization, using three or four Scouts to clear the map of Ancient Ruins can be extremely profitable. It is often possible to pick up several free technologies, expand the with survivors and pick up enough and/or to obtain an early advantage, along with scouting prime settlement locations. Be on the lookout for both luxury resources and settlement locations that can choke off opponents' progress. There is also a good chance of discovering one or more natural wonders, generating that will expedite early expansion.
While it is prudent to be careful with Scouts initially to prevent them from dying at the hands of Barbarians, in all likelihood they will eventually pick up advanced weapons in one of the ruins and become Archers, which can form the backbone of an army. Consider adopting Honor even if not planning on adopting all the policies in the tree, since Barbarians are then more easily killed and also yield .
The Moai are very important. These improvements allow the Polynesians not only to speed up cultural development, but also to defend their lands if built along the borders of new colonies. The cultural bonus stacks, so that Moai generate +1 for each adjacent Moai. A focus on settling coasts (which is highly recommended with Polynesia) will make it feasible to strategically build Moai that are each generating 2-4 per turn. Coastal deserts and tundra become more desirable due to this, since Moai open the option of turning remote cities into culture engines. Similarly, inner cities can use the -generating potential of Moai to become absolute cultural powerhouses.
These special advantages are most useful in the early and middle game, so it's advisable to expand an empire as fast as possible. This is doubly important on island maps, on which they will be able to reach faraway islands long before the other civilizations have researched Astronomy. Adopt the Liberty policy tree to help with that. Use the fierce Maori Warriors to deal with any Barbarian dangers and to defend early settlements, then upgrade them along the chain to preserve their special ability.
A special advantage is that all naval vessels Polynesia controls can cross open ocean. This includes Triremes, Galleasses, and even captured Turtle Ships.
== Civilopedia entry ==
== Trivia ==
* Polynesia's unique ability is a reference to Polynesian navigation.
* Polynesian embarked units are seen on proas.
== Cities ==
== Gallery ==
File:Polynesianempire.jpg|Polynesia in-game
File:Polynesia map (Civ5).png|Map of Polynesian Empire
== Related achievements ==
== See also ==
* Polynesian in other games
es:Polinesia
fi:Polynesialaiset (Civ5)
ru:Полинезия (Civ5)
Category:Polynesian