Populous: The Beginning Tribe Guide
By Daniel Cowlishaw ([email protected])


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Contents
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You can navigate through the contents by selecting the
section code (e.g. [PTB-A]), copying it, pasting it into the
Find box (usually opened with Ctrl+F) and then pressing
enter. The section you wanted should appear before your
very eyes!

[PTB-0] - Version History
[PTB-A] - Introduction
[PTB-B] - Dakini
[PTB-C] - Matak
[PTB-D] - Chamara
[PTB-E] - Other information
[PTB-F] - Copyright Stuff
[PTB-G] - Thanks


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[PTB-0]  -  Version History
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-Version 1.00 (14/8/2006) - Probably the final version, but I
may add something

-Version 1.01 (14/8/2006) - Added more sites that can post
this guide and the Other Information section

-Version 1.02 (11/9/2006) - Fixed a few errors. Not much
really.

-Version 1.03 (26/10/2006) - Fixed a few more spelling
errors.

-Version 1.10 (13/3/2008) - Been a while. More spelling errors
fixed and some prettiness to make each section stand out a tad
more

-Version 1.11 (5/5/2009) - Another big block of inactivity. More
spelling errors sorted out and some extra information added
to certain sections.


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[PTB-A]  -  Introduction
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This is a guide to the different tribes of Populous: The
Beginning. Ok, so it's been quite a few years since P:TB was released,
but I still play it! This is quite a short guide and I forget why I
decided to create it, but one day someone may find a use
for it. It goes through the usual way that the tribes have acted
during my playthrough of P:TB, such as how and when they
attack, their settlement defenses and the order that I advise
you take them out. I have listed the tribes in the order that
you meet them. This guide is mainly for the later levels when
you have more powerful armies and spells and are facing
all three tribes at once. You may be able to use something
you read here in earlier levels, but the later levels are the
main focus.

This guide will follow a pattern. Each section will have a brief
description/introduction to each tribe. Following that there will
be two paragraphs; an offence paragraph and a defence
paragraph. These will contains details of that tribes attacks
and defenses respectively. I will also say when I personally
eradicate them from the planet.

If you have any questions regarding this guide, or any
suggestions to make it better, you're very welcome to e-mail
me. Just make sure that the subject mentions something
about Populous, or I may delete it without reading it.

###################################################################
WARNING - This guide may contain spoilers. This is the
only warning you will receive.
###################################################################


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[PTB-B]  -  Dakini
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The Dakini are my least favourite tribe in the whole of P:TB.
They are okay early in the game, but the later you get the
worse they are and harder to defeat they become. I have
failed more than one World because of these warmongers,
and have stopped playing out of sheer frustration because
of something they have done (might be a slight exaggeration).
Anyway, moving on...


Offence - The Dakini are fierce attackers. While the other
tribes may send five or so followers and cast one or two
spells, these guys will lob a full army your way and cast
whatever they have charged up. As with all three tribes, they
prefer to attack on land with a large force, but have no
objections to using boats. If there is a way into your base,
you can be sure the Dakini will be the first there to attack.
They usually send a large force combined of firewarriors
and warriors, maybe with a few preachers. Their main
attacker, though, is their Shaman. As soon as she arrives
she will begin casting, and you may have lost most/all of
your army and a few buildings before you have noticed they
are there. And when I say spells, I don't mean Blast and
Swarm. I mean Volcano, Tornado, Earthquake, the really
nasty spells you could do without. My advice is take out the
Shaman as soon as you can when they attack. The rest of
the attacking force will be easily taken care of once she is
dead. Watch out for boat attacks from these guys. They
attack anywhere they can land a boat, but aren't too keen on
using balloon attacks, even if that is the only way they can
attack you.

Defence - Apart from being horrible attackers, the Dakini
usually have a hard defense. On some of the later levels,
you will realise that the Dakini have a full settlement built
when the level begins. Their usual defense is comprised of
alot of Guard towers with firewarriors, patrols of all fighting
classes and the Shaman in or near a tower on top of a
hill or other high point. The Guard towers can usually be
taken down with a quick cast of Lightning, but be warned
when you enter their territory. They will send everything they
have at you. The patrols can be taken out by putting a
Swamp in the patrol path. As for the Shaman, she will stay in
her tower and not do anything unless you get too close, in
which case she will cast spells to split up your army or turn
them against you.

When I get rid of the Dakini depends on what they are doing.
If they are mercilessly slaughtering my enemies, I'll leave
them to it for a while and pick on some one else. If they are
mercilessly slaughtering me, I'll make sure I get rid of them
quite soon...


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[PTB-C]  -  Matak
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The Matak are my favourite tribe. Not only are they the
green tribe, they also tend to not do much apart from build
up. I have found it quite rare to be attacked by the Matak,
and even if I am the attacking force is usually small.

Offence - As mentioned above, the Matak are much more
peaceful than the other two tribes. But if you let them, they will
attack and do damage. When they do attack, the force
is usually comprised of quite a balanced number of each
class, with maybe a few more preachers than any other.
They don't use too many spells either, maybe one or two
quite damaging ones, but nothing on the same scale as the
Dakini.

Defence - Defence is the area in which the Matak seem to
excel. I have been quite severly taught a lesson when
underestimating the Matak defenses. They seem to like
guard towers and placing firewarriors in them. This defence
is their best way of blowing your Shaman out of a balloon.
They also have a few preachers hanging around in
strategic points to stop any preacher-less army in its tracks.
The best thing the Matak seem to have is numbers.
Because they rarely attack they breed a fantastic amount
of braves and train them. This provides a large army and
plenty of mana for the Shaman.

I usually get rid of the Matak last. They don't usually do
anything to provoke me, and they don't do anything to
anyone else either, so there is never a hurry to finish them for
me. You may think this a reason to take them down first. If so,
do that. I am only going on my personal experience.


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[PTB-D]  -  Chumara
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The Chumara appear to be a neutral tribe, by which I mean
they concentrate on both attack and defence. I have a
grudge against them for what they did to me on 'Fire in the
Mist', but apart from that I don't mind them that much.

Offence - The Chumara do attack, but it's not very regular
and not a huge assault when it does happen. Once the
ballon hut is unlocked you may notice that all they build are
balloons after they have done everything else. Watch out for
that. They always attack when you aren't expecting them to,
and they always send their Shaman. Her usual tactic
is to Lightning a building or two and retreat, but sometimes
she does more (such as during my 'Fire in the Mist'
experience). Another thing the Chumara seem to be fans of
are spies. Every single spy that has set foot into my territory,
that has burned one of my buildings, that has been
bludgeoned to death by braves, every single one from the
Chumara. They love sending in boat loads of spies. By that I
don't mean a boat full of spies, just lots of boats with one
spy. Luckily they only get one or two buildings before
the braves get annoyed and kill them. Still, rebuilding
something could be a hinderance that costs you a World.

Defence - From what I have noticed, the Chumara don't
seem to intend to have any defence, it just happens. They
have the occasional patrol and tower, but nothing more.
The armies they build are often in the right place at the right
time, but have no set location. They do always have at least
10 firewarriors though (after the firewarrior training hut is
acquired, of course), which are either in a large group
around the Shaman, in towers, or patrolling an area.


I usually get rid of the Chumara second, because they aren't
as aggressive as the Dakini, but do much more than the
Matak. When I do get rid of them though, I don't do it quickly. I
let them stew in their own failure for a little while before
making the final, swift blow...


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[PTB-E]  -  Other Information
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Whilst playing the levels following 'An Easy Target', I have
noticed a preference in the spells or buildings that each tribe
uses. On the world 'An Easy Target' the Dakini guard
the Vault of Knowledge for Tornado, the Matak hold the Vault
for Erode and the Chumara guard the Vault for the Spy
Training Hut. For most of the levels after this world, the Dakini
Shaman uses Tornado more than any other spell, the Matak
Shaman uses Erode alot and the Chumara use spies more
than anyone else. This is only a theory, but I think that
each tribe prefers to use the knowledge they hold in a Vault
on certain levels. This is based on my experience though,
so you may notice something different.

One other thing I'd like to point out is the 'relationship'
between the Dakini and Chumara. You may notice that all
these two tribes do when on the same world is fight. They
seem to prefer to kill each other more than focus on the
player or the Matak. You may be able to use this against
them on some worlds to make them easier. Of course, it may
not play out to your advantage if they use your settlement
as a battleground. Just a thought...


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[PTB-F]  -  Copyright Stuff
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This section just contains all of the copyright information. All
the interesting stuff is up there.

Copyright 2009 Daniel Cowlishaw

This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances
except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on
any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without
advance written permission. Use of this guide on any
other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly
prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
If you wish to put this on your site, e-mail me first.
My e-mail address is [email protected]. Make
sure the subject is relevant or I may disregard it as being
spam.
Sites that have permission to post this guide are:
- http://www.gamefaqs.com.
- http://www.random-gubbings.co.uk

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document
are owned by their respective trademark and copyright
holders.


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[PTB-G]  -  Thanks
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I would like to thank 3 different people in this section.

Firstly I would like to thank Bullfrog for such a fantastic game,
a game that showed me that being a God would be as much
fun as I originally supected.

Secondly, I would like to thank Danny for joining me in a
good evil laugh as we both watched the other Tribes burn on
the worlds 'Bloodlust' and 'The Middle Ground'

Finally I would like to thank you for wasting your time reading
this guide (which is my first), particularly if it helped you in any
way whatsoever. Even if it just helped you remember where
you put you car keys or that you had to feed the dog.

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