A Zulu spearman or impi that earns Buffalo Horns and Chest becomes a hybrid tank-skirmisher. But the true terror is Buffalo Loins , which grants +1 movement. For melee units, movement is the currency of warfare. A standard swordsman has two moves—enough to step into rough terrain or attack once. A Zulu Impi with Buffalo Loins has three moves, allowing it to move into a hill, across a river, and still attack. The Ikanda effectively turns every Zulu melee unit into a more mobile, more durable, and more lethal version of its generic counterpart. This promotion line carries forward through upgrades: a Zulu Rifleman who started as an Ikanda-trained spearman retains those extra movement and combat bonuses, making Shaka’s army terrifying from the Ancient era to the Information era.
What makes the best warmonger? Not the highest single-unit strength, nor the fastest rush, nor the prettiest unique graphic. The best warmonger is the civilization that can wage war earliest, longest, and with the most efficient conversion of production into dead enemies. Shaka’s Zulus begin building their death machine from Turn 1: researching Bronze Working for Ikanda, training promoted units, paying half-price to keep them, then unleashing Impi that remain relevant for two full eras. They do not merely win wars; they make war a profitable, sustainable, and inevitable condition of the game. best warmonger civ 5
Contrast this with other candidates. rely on Keshiks, which are fragile and require careful micro; one mistake loses a unit, and they struggle against cities. The Huns peak too early; if their Battering Ram rush fails, they have no late-game plan. Germany is RNG-dependent on converting barbarians. England has fantastic Ships of the Line but is map-dependent. Shaka is consistent on any map, any difficulty, any speed. His bonuses are always relevant: early game for barbarians, Medieval for the Impi push, Renaissance-to-Industrial as Impi upgrade to double-attack Riflemen, and Modern where Airports allow him to airlift his veteran army anywhere. A Zulu spearman or impi that earns Buffalo
