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. However, while they are almost undefeatable on land, they have very few oceanic capabilities. Therefore, Water Worlds are really effective against them. Cymanti are currently undergoing a balancing rework on the Polytopia beta to make them less powerful generally but more effective on water than they previously were.
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.
2-3
1.2
Lore[]
Tribe Celebrations[]
Polytopia - Lost in the woods
The 2021 Cymanti Tribe Week video
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.
The 2022 Cymanti Tribe Week poster
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!
Cymanti Tribe Week 2023
The 2023 Cymanti Tribe Week video
2023 Tribe Week: Hexapods usually feed on Fungi nectar, but if they find a trembling Polytopian lost in the woods it might be transformed into a afternoon snack..
The 2024 Cymanti Tribe Week poster
2024 Tribe Week: The giant bugs of the Cymantini Forest would be dangerous to everyone if it weren't for the diligent work of their handlers. Particular Cymanti are chosen to lead packs of Hexapods, Kitons, Phychi, and so forth, using the telepathic abilities of their Ciru Bug to issue their pack commands.
The 2025 Cymanti Tribe Week poster
2025 Tribe Moon: Commonly called Mycelium, the towering blue fungi, formally known as L’uzani Anu, serve as both logistical network and living organism. Their branching arms link Cymanti cities together, carrying food, weapons, and supplies to feed the swarm’s body - and its will.
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![1]
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.)[2]
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, but can capture inland villages if they end up vanquishing the troop on the inland village tile.
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).
Fruit
Aphea Nectar (droplets of nectar)
Animal
Lytheti (yellow caterpillar)
Field
Dark green moss-covered fields with reddish-brown soil
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.
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.[3]
During an early developmental phase, Cymanti had a different head design, access to ports and typical naval units, and different sprites for Centipedes, Segments, and Exida.
