Beyond the Sword Fact Sheet

[Solver]

First post updated with new info. Let me know if I missed something.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The new Gamespot preview says the Byzantium is in, and it says:

Finally, fans of the original Civilization may be happy to know that random events are back in the core game, and there are more than 100 of them, so natural disasters such as earthquakes can destroy buildings or diplomatic marriages might suddenly turn two rivals into friends.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/civilizationivbeyondthesword/news.html?sid=6171558

So, WOOOO, positive random events as well as negative ones (though this may be old news I just haven't seen yet) .

[Solver]

Updated with that too

[Solver]

GameSpot also confirms Byzantium as a new civ, and has a screenshot of yet another leaderhead up.

[onodera]

The new leaderhead looks Greek to me.

[LordShiva]

Is it Theodora?

[Solver]

Not unless she has a beard

[LordShiva]

[onodera]

I think it could be Leonidas. Or Themistocles.
The other Gamespot leaderhead is most likely Hammurabi.

[Thedrin]

Depicted upon the Acropolis and bearing a remarkable resemblance to the Pericles leader art that came with Vanilla CivIV. I'm thinking it's probably not either Leonidas or Themistocles.

[Ijuin]

Originally posted by Shrapnel12
Is there any specific info on High Powered Artillery? Is this just a beefed up version of Artillery? I'm hoping there will be something interesting about this. New units can be cool, but it will be a bit boring if all that's new is a higher strength rating.

Mobile Artillery will probably have a strength of 24-28 and move 2, plus the expected 25-35% damage to city defenses. Perhaps it is allowed to bombard adjacent terrain improvements as well (like air bombing missions)? In keeping with the pattern of existing siege units, Gunships should get a 50% combat bonus against them.

[Sirotnikov]

Any word about whether the hebrews will be in?

[Virdrago]

Suleiman? Magnificent!

Also: new unit, but obvious it would be in-game (saw it on an IGN screenshot):
Corporate missionary - probably called a businessman (or something to that effect). Probably spreads the corporation it works for into a city - exactly like a missionary.

[dregor]

I'd say it's Pericles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pericles

[Virdrago]

It probably is Pericles, but what about Agamemnon? Just throwing a name out there.

BTW, according to the screenshots I've seen, I think the Byzantine UU may not be the dromon, but the cataphract.