Cymanti

>
> The Cymanti are a breakout group of Polytopians who moved to the swampy forests and learned to live with the Ciru Bug, which attaches to their faces and merges with their brains.
> Led by their Shaman, the Cymanti train gigantic bugs, use their enemies to fertilize their fungi farms, and utilize crippling poisons to vanquish all who would threaten their marshy home!
>
>
>
> –Tribe description
>

**Cymanti** is the fourth special tribe and 16th tribe overall in Polytopia. It starts with the Farming technology, which unlocks the Fungi. It also starts with the Shaman unit, which can convert enemy units and boost friendly ones.

Cymanti is the most unique tribe to date. It has eight unique units, which have six unique skills, and four unique buildings. Cymanti can also spread Algae across water and poison enemy units.

Cymanti is one of the strongest tribes due to its military and economic strength.

## Special Features

As a special tribe, Cymanti has modified technologies that unlock unique units, buildings, and abilities.

* For a list of Cymanti's unique units, see List of Units.
* For a list of Cymanti's unique unit skills, see Unit Skills.
* For a list of Cymanti's unique buildings, see Buildings.

## Resources

Cymanti has +mountain and spores in place of crops. Spores have a forced spawn, meaning Cymanti is guaranteed at least two spores in their starting city.

## Lore

### Tribe Celebrations

* 2021 Tribe Week: No one could have expected what happened on that fateful day as a band of Polytopians ventured into the Cymantini Forest, forever to be changed by their encounter with the Ciru Bug. Normally parasites, the Ciru Bugs now live in mutualism with their new hosts, lending their enhanced senses for food and protection.
* 2022 Tribe Week: Lytheti Grubs serve as the pack animal for the Cymanti, as they're strong, docile, and as large as a horse. Of course, that changes when they pupate into the mighty Lytheti Beetle, which is far too dangerous to be used as a mount, so it's a good thing they're also tasty!

### Webshop

* Aphea Nectar may be nutritious to the many bugs that inhabit the Cymantini Forest, but is toxic to both Polytopians and humans unless it's been "processed" through a Hexapod first. Enjoy some of this delicious, yet revolting, Cymanti dish in [a] special BugMug!
* Want to live among the Cymanti hordes but not wear a Ciru Bug on your head? [A] shirt is the answer, letting you easily blend under the guise of being a simple Hexapod....or so we think, we haven't tried it. (We aren't liable for any injuries caused by wearing [a] shirt into Cymanti lands.)

## Strategy

*Main article: Cymanti/Strategy*
The general strategy is to buy fungi so you get level 2 city on T1. You can still make a second unit like T0 tribe on T1 (warrior). Get riding/archery for fast expansion, depending on terrain, and later on, Shock tactics and Centipedes are your powerhouse, while your support are Exidas and Shamans.

You can also get a Clathrus going in mid-to-late game, as you can’t spam expensive units and upgrades without them, unless you have a ton of high level cities.

To explore overseas, research archery. The unit that the tech provides, the Phychi, is able to fly over water, and it’s cheaper to do than researching Oceanology and training Raychi. As well as this, Raychi can’t move onto land, so it cannot capture inland villages.

## Design

The Cymanti are based on insects (larva-like creatures, hives). Their terrain resembles old-growth and redwood forests (reddish soil, tall coniferous trees, moss).

 Animal
 Field
 Forest
 City
 Helmet
 Naming Syllables

**City Buildings**

**Monuments**

## Music

Links to Cymanti's music are included below.

* Theme
* Nature Sounds
* Polytopia Music song: "Cymanticore" by The Central Hive

## Trivia

* In the ambience playing throughout Cymanti lands, the sounds of dripping water and insects are heard.
* The Cymanti tribe head is the only tribe head to have unique eyes. (the "normal eyes" are covered by the bug)
* Even though some of Cymanti's edited technologies could be better named, Midjiwan did not want to change too many technology names.
* Cymanti's units cannot move onto captured ports.
* Many aspects of Cymanti, including the Doomux, Phychi, and Raychi were inspired by the Studio Ghibli film *Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind*.
* Before their release, images of various Cymanti gameplay aspects (such as Fungi, Algae, or Hexapods) were teased on social media (and became somewhat of a meme), as well as in a video that revealed their release date.
* Cymanti is the only tribe to have an animated video instead of a static poster accompanying their Tribe Celebration lore.
* The Cymanti Halloween Cosplay Contest was held in the month of October 2021. Contestants created Cymanti-related Halloween costumes and emailed images of them to feedback@midjiwan.com to be judged by Midjiwan on October 30th. titanFive, who made a Shaman costume, was announced as the winner on November 4th, and received a fossilized "Ciru Bug" (trilobite) as a prize.

## References

1. ↑ Cymanti Bugmug
2. ↑ Cymanti Tee
3. ↑ Midjiwan on Instagram.