Humankind: Diplomatic Affinity cultures and civs guide

Humankind: Together We Rule adds six new nations that you can try out during your playthrough. While all of them have specific boons, they tend to have a clear emphasis on the diplo game. Here’s our Humankind: Together We Rule Diplomatic Affinity cultures guide to help you with civs like the Sumerians, Han Chinese, Singaporeans, Bulgarians, and more.

Note: For more information, check out our Humankind guides and features hub.

Humankind: Together We Rule Diplomatic Affinity cultures and civs guide – Sumerians, Han, Bulgarians, Swiss, Scots, and Singaporeans

Diplomatic Affinity bonus perk and action

The Diplomatic Affinity cultures or civs in Humankind: Together We Rule have a couple of clear similarities:

• Perk: Big Brother – All units can collect Leverage on the map; +1 to the maximum number of agents.
• Affinity action: Demilitarization – Select a territory and turn it into a DMZ; lasts 10 turns. Only you or other nations you’ve allowed via treaties may pass safely. Foreign military units within that area will lose HP and generate Leverage each turn.
  • If used on a territory owned by another empire, then that empire’s military units will be immune to its effects. You can still gain Leverage if another empire has military units there.
  • Does not work on independent/free peoples or agents.

These concepts sound good, at least on paper. However, there are some notable issues. First, it’s possible for Leverage to spawn within the borders of a foreign empire. If you don’t have open borders or an alliance, then your military units can’t pass through. That means you’d rely on agents, just like the non-Diplo civs.

Second, the AI tends to avoid DMZs when they’re active. They’d move away from that area, so you’ll only obtain Leverage points during the turn that it was activated. Worse, the lay of the land might mean that a territory is easily traversed. As such, this action is better used if your city is about to get besieged, when numerous units are surrounding it. If you’re only using it as a deterrent in a random stretch of land, then it gets wasted.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Sumerians

• Era: Ancient
• Trait: Learned Addition — -10% attach territory cost per city cap; -25% treaty cost with independent peoples.
• District: Eduba — -10 stability, +2 science, +1 science per adjacent Farmer’s Quarter, +6 science per Main Plaza/Administrative Center, and +3 influence when Leverage is collected; counts as a Research Quarter.
• Unit: Aga-Ush — Anti-cavalry unit; extra combat strength from each Aga-Ush unit in the army.

The Eduba is quite good for the science, especially when you get the adjacency bonuses, making the Sumerians a fairly decent option among Diplomatic Affinity cultures in Humankind: Together We Rule. However, you might have issues when recruiting a lot of Aga-Ush in case you face very few cavalry units. Hopefully, the additional combat strength would suffice.

Han

• Era: Classical
• Trait: Fruitful Negotiation — -20% Leverage action cost.
• District: Paper Mill — -10 stability, +3 industry, creates a Paper deposit that’s automatically exploited, and +3 science per Paper when you collect Leverage; counts as a Makers’ Quarter.
• Unit: Lian Nu Bing — Ranged unit; has stronger attack stat if it spends a round defending.

We’re not really sure how to feel about this. On one hand, the extra science from Paper Mills is decent, though it’s highly dependent on how much Leverage you can earn and the number of Paper Mills you’ve built. The unique unit is also somewhat cumbersome since you need to defend first to maximize its attack.

Bulgarians

• Era: Medieval
• Trait: Victors’ Honor — +5 Leverage when defeating another empire in battle without losing a unit.
• District: +3 influence, +3 stability per territory with your religion, and +2 turns before being converted to another religion; counts as a Commons Quarter.
• Unit: Bagaturi — Ranged cavalry unit; bonus combat strength after ransacking.

Make sure you’ve already got an ideal army composition once you hit the Medieval Era. Try to make the most out of the unique trait by taking out hostiles without losing any of your troops.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Swiss

• Era: Early Modern
• Trait: Inhospitable Terrain – +100% army upkeep on non-allied units in your territories; +100% Leverage from units in demilitarized territories.
• District: Watchmakers Guild – -10 stability, +3 money, +1 specialist slot per adjacent Farmers/Makers/Research Quarter; counts as a Market Quarter.
• Unit: Reislaufer – Anti-cavalry unit; is cheaper to build and generates more income for the Swiss player if provided to another empire via an Arms Deal; is stronger when defending.

If the Medieval Era is all about going on the offensive, then the Early Modern Era as the Swiss will have you playing defense. The trait and unit are ideal for turtling within your domains. However, the AI does have advantages on higher difficulties, so the impact on upkeep tends to be lessened.

Scots

• Era: Industrial
• Trait: Intellectual Ferment – +10% science cost reduction on techs that have already been researched by another empire; +3 science per active agreement.
• District: College – -10 stability, +3 science, +2 science on Research Quarters, +2 influence on Religious Districts; counts as a Research Quarter.
• Unit: Highlanders – Gunner unit; bonus combat strength when moving next to a target before attacking; ignores all terrain movement penalties during a charge.

The Scots gain more benefits if you have more agreements with other empires. Likewise, your Swordsmen, Pikemen, and Crossbowmen can all be upgraded into Highlanders.

Singaporeans

• Era: Contemporary
• Trait: Center of Attraction – +10 stability per number of attached territories on capital; +100% militia units spawned when a city is under siege; -25% absorb city cost.
• District: Communal Housing – -10 stability; +4 food/industry/money/sciences per adjacent Farmers/Makers/Market/Research Quarter; counts as a Farmers Quarter.
• Unit: Reservists – Gunner unit; appears automatically to defend your cities when they’re under attack.

Singapore is a great Diplomatic Affinity civ in Humankind: Together We Rule if you plan on switching to the “tall” game down the line, or if you want to consolidate your remaining territories. The Reservists can aid you if your cities are besieged. If you’re up against an opponent of equal or lower strength, then you won’t need to defend your lands that often.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Humankind: Together We Rule is available via Steam. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.