Conquistador

[nationalist]

I think that the perfect Spanish unit would be the Conquistador. The unit could be a modified musket man, given a higher movement rate to reflect their exploration aspects and the speed that they conquered the Aztecs. After all, who doesn't picture a conquistador when thinking of Imperial Spain?

[pithorr]

Absolutely!!!
Fine idea. First we must have Spaniards. I cannot understand how could they miss them in the basic set...

[Martinus]

Guys,

Go to this thread and hear it from the Spaniards themselves while a conquistador would NOT probably be the best possible CSU for Spanish (although the "general public" seems to be preferring it that way )

[History Guy]

Yes, the Conquistadors are definantly the best choice as Spanish Special Unit. I too was rather saddened by the lack of Spain in the game. However, perhaps Firaxis will make an expansion pack with Spain in it. I'd want Isabella as leader as well.

[molly bloom]

I can't help but disagree violently with the idea of the conquistador as a special unit. What special features will they have? The ability to spread smallpox thus causing a succession battle and a civil war (the Incan Empire) or a compete lack of morality and the ability to take advantage of a recent war : Cortes and the Tlaxcalans versus Mexica/Aztecs?

https://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/dpalfrey/dpconquest.html

library.thinkquest.org/16325/y-conq.html

https://www.isis.csuhayward.edu/alss/anth/miller/3250/10inca/ainca3.html

Disease the greatest conqueror:

smallpox epidemic contributed significantly to Spanish victories in Mexico and Peru:
Mexico: Aztecs suffered from the first smallpox epidemic just as the Spanish were investing Tenochitlán; leader of the Aztec counter-assault and many followers died of smallpox
Peru: smallpox epidemic preceded Pizarro to Peru-no serious resistance to Spanish because of the epidemic

Interpretations :
both sides agreed that the pestilence was a form of divine punishment ;
the Spanish were immune-what could this possibly mean? -
other diseases traveled to North America and South America:
measles, smallpox, influenza

from:www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/PSci/Inst21/demography.htm

The Spanish UU should be the tercio, the shock troop of the day; their defeat at the Battle of Rocroi was the marker of the true end of Spanish hegemony in Europe and the beginning of the rise to Western European hegemony of the French.

The tercio: sites.netscape.net/tercios1/TercioUk/TercioUK.html

Weapons of the Thirty Years' War:

users.erols.com/lnorberg/Weapon.html

[TLG]

My vote goes for the Spanish galleon

Conquistadors made their way to the Spanish Main on galleons

Besides I am pretty sure that Sid Meier would have chosen the Spanish galleon if the Spanish were included as a default civilization

--
TLG webmaster of http://frigate.free.fr

[Dr. Nick]

While conquistadors are associated with Spain they are not a mass unit! The Conquistadors were the leaders of the armies: Pizarron, Cortes, Coronado, Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca... they did the commanding.

Also, remember that the conquistadors should not be associated with America alone, technically they were in existance during the conquest of Granada and the Reconquista wars.

Go Tercios!