Tribes

This article is about the NPC faction type. For the "Lost Tribe" starting scenario, see Lost Tribe. For the "New Tribe" colony type, see New Tribe. For Tribal backstories, see Backstories.

Tribes are nominally neolithic tech level factions, however in reality they field equipment from the medieval level as well. There are three types of tribes in the base game: the gentle tribe, which start out neutral, the fierce tribe, which start out hostile but can be befriended, and the savage tribe, which are permanently hostile. There are two additional tribe variants included with the Ideology DLC: the cannibal tribe, a permanently hostile tribe obsessed with eating human meat, and the nudist tribe, a tribe that starts out neutral and does not like to wear clothing. The Biotech DLC also adds a subtype to the fierce tribe, the fierce neanderthal tribe, and a subtype of the savage tribe, the savage impid tribe.

People from this faction are usually very hard to recruit (difficulty 80+) unless you are also a tribal faction, though it is possible to do so. They may not seem very strong due to their low level of technology, but they make up for it with sheer numbers. They can easily overwhelm your defenses. The advised way of dealing with them is using area of effect weapons such as the Doomsday rocket launcher or Frag grenades. Fast firing weapons such as the minigun and the heavy SMG are also suggested.

This faction is a formidable ally and foe alike, and may start off as either of them. They may not be as dangerous as pirates, but they are not insignificant.

Lore

"These people have been here a very long time. Maybe their ancestors crashed here a thousand years ago. Maybe they survived some cataclysm that destroyed a technological civilization here. In any case, the tribals are a mostly nomadic people who live off the land using primitive tools and weapons. Despite their apparent technological weakness, the tribals can be dangerous enemies and valuable friends because of their skill with low-tech warfare, their numbers, and their hardiness." - In-game description

Tribal faction leaders are called the "Chief".

Names

The name of the Tribal factions vary from game to game, but follows one of several patterns:

[Tribal Word] [Tribal Political Union]
The [Tribal Word] [Tribal Political Union]
The [Color] [Terrain Feature] [Tribal Political Union]
[Tribal Political Union] of [Tribal Word]
The [Color] [Animal] [Tribal Word]
The [Tribal Political Union] of the [Terrain Feature]

Where:

[Animal] and [Terrain Feature] are one of 179 and 48, respectively, different common nouns of that category. E.g. Condor or Valley. They are not listed due to length.
[Tribal Word] is one of 89 words which appear to be, in part or totally, of Galician origin - a Romance Language spoken predominantly in Galicia, Spain. E.g. Abeneiro, meaning a Black Alder tree, or Miñoca, meaning Earthworm. They are not listed due to length.
[Color] and [Tribal Political Union] are replaced by one of the following:

Part	Word
[Tribal Political Union]	Union	Nation	Confederacy	Confederation	Alliance	Kin league	Covenant	Treaty	Pact	Coalition	Kinship	People	Tribe
[Color]	Red	Blue	Green	Purple	Black	White	Gray	Orange

Examples:

Cambiar Kin League
The Black Mesa Commonwealth
The Blue Boomrat Tribe

Many players underestimate tech levels of Tribes. In practice, it seems to be closer to early Medieval - since Tribes were sometimes using weapons made of metal, can make Visage mask out of metal, and their chiefs are wearing Plate armor. Considering what metal things are rare among Tribesmen, it seems what metal things are rare and expensive.

Variants

There are three primary types of tribes, two additional variants added by the Ideology DLC and two variants added by the Biotech DLC . The primary tribes differ in their description and their relations with player and other factions, but are otherwise identical.

Gentle tribe

This particular tribe pursues a gentle way of life where they can. They are quite open to trade and alliances, even with strange peoples.

Gentle tribes always start off neutral. This type of faction has a natural goodwill range from -50 to 50. If goodwill is over 50, it will fall by 0.4 per day. If goodwill is under -50, it will rise by 0.2 per day.

Fierce tribe

This particular tribe values warlike dominance; it may be difficult to turn them into an ally.

Fierce tribes always start off hostile towards your colonists, as well as to all other factions. This type of faction has a natural goodwill range from -100 to -80. If goodwill is over -80, it will fall by 0.4 per day. If goodwill is under -100, it will rise by 0.2.

In 1.0 or earlier, they used to be known as savage tribes.

Savage tribe

This particular tribe has a blood-and-honor culture; you will not be able to ally with them!

Savage tribes always start off hostile towards your colonists and all other factions. Their goodwill is locked at -100, and will always remain hostile, similar to pirates. It replaced the second pirate faction.

Cannibal tribe

This particularly vicious tribe believes eating the flesh of their enemies is a great honor.

Cannibal tribes will always have the Cannibal Meme. Their goodwill is locked at -100, and will always remain hostile.

Ideoligion:

Cannibal required
Nudism disallowed
Blindsight disallowed
Animal personhood disallowed

Nudist tribe

This particular tribe believes that covering one's body is wrong.

Nudist tribes will always have the Nudism Meme. They always start off neutral, with a natural goodwill range from -50 to 50.

Nudist tribe faction bases will preferentially spawn in temperate areas, with them being all but absent in colder climates.^[Detail]

Ideoligion:

Nudism required

Fierce neanderthal tribe

An unfriendly, territorial tribe of Neanderthals. They are open to peaceful trade, but are otherwise unfriendly and territorial. Warriors from their tribe won't hesitate to bash in the skulls of anyone them deem dangerous. Their numbers, and the extreme amounts of damage they absorb before falling make them serious foes despite their lack of technology and analytical ability. Having been on the planet for countless generations, they have no memory how they got here. They might be the descendants of a neanderthal service caste from a dead civilization, or even the leftovers from some ancient science experiment.

With Biotech enabled, the Neanderthal Tribe is available as a subtype of the fierce tribe. Members of this faction will always be of the Xenotype "Neanderthaler".

Pawn Groups

Pawn Groups	Commonality	Options
Combat: Normal fights, ranged with melee mix-ins	100	22.7% Penitent 22.7% Warrior 4.5% Archer 4.5% Tribal hunter 4.5% Tribal heavy archer 22.7% Berserker 4.5% Berserker chief 13.6% Archer chief
Combat: Normal fights, melee only	150	28.6% Penitent 28.6% Warrior 28.6% Berserker 14.3% Archer chief
Combat: breach-capable fights, breachers plus ranged with melee mix-ins	5	15.6% Breacher 15.6% Penitent 15.6% Warrior 3.1% Archer 3.1% Tribal hunter 3.1% Tribal heavy archer 15.6% Berserker 3.1% Berserker chief 9.4% Archer chief
Peaceful	-	47.6% Warrior 23.8% Tribal child 2.4% Archer 2.4% Tribal hunter 2.4% Tribal heavy archer 11.9% Berserker 2.4% Berserker chief 7.1% Archer chief
Trader	-	3% Trader 17.9% Muffalo 14.9% Dromedary 7.5% Alpaca 6% Elephant 20.9% Warrior 3% Archer 3% Tribal hunter 3% Tribal heavy archer 20.9% Berserker
Settlement	-	33.3% Warrior 4.8% Archer 4.8% Tribal hunter 4.8% Tribal heavy archer 33.3% Berserker 4.8% Berserker chief 14.3% Archer chief
Settlement_RangedOnly	-	24.4% Archer 24.4% Tribal hunter 24.4% Tribal heavy archer 2.4% Berserker chief 24.4% Archer chief
Miners	1	100% Miner (Tribal)
Hunters	1	100% Tribal hunter
Loggers	1	100% Logger (Tribal)
Farmers	1	100% Farmer (Tribal)

Savage impid tribe

A vicious tribe of yellow-skinned, fire-spewing impids. This particular tribe has no intention of coexisting peacefully with anyone else. Their warriors are experts at using their natural speed and flame attacks to burn the towns and children of other peoples. Having been here for thousands of years, the origins of this tribe are lost in myth. They might descend from a group of settlers who lost their technology, or an impid community in some long-ruined civilization.

With Biotech enabled, the Impid Tribe is available as a subtype of the savage tribe. Members of this faction will always be of the Xenotype "Impid".

Pawn Groups

Pawn Groups	Commonality	Options
Combat:	100	7.9% Impid tribal penitent 7.9% Impid tribal warrior 12.6% Archer 15.7% Impid tribal archer 12.6% Tribal hunter 15.7% Impid tribal hunter 12.6% Tribal heavy archer 7.9% Berserker 4.7% Berserker chief 2.4% Archer chief
Combat:	60	16.3% Archer 20.4% Impid tribal archer 16.3% Tribal hunter 20.4% Impid tribal hunter 16.3% Tribal heavy archer 10.2% Berserker chief
Combat:	60	28.6% Impid tribal penitent 28.6% Impid tribal warrior 28.6% Berserker 14.3% Archer chief
Combat:	5	8.4% Breacher 8.4% Impid tribal penitent 8.4% Impid tribal warrior 6.7% Archer 8.4% Impid tribal archer 13.4% Tribal hunter 16.8% Impid tribal hunter 13.4% Tribal heavy archer 8.4% Berserker 5% Berserker chief 2.5% Archer chief
Peaceful	-	19.7% Impid tribal child 7.9% Tribal child 19.7% Impid tribal warrior 7.9% Archer 9.9% Impid tribal archer 7.9% Tribal hunter 9.9% Impid tribal hunter 7.9% Tribal heavy archer 4.9% Berserker 3% Berserker chief 1.5% Archer chief
Trader	-	1.3% Trader 8.1% Muffalo 6.7% Dromedary 3.4% Alpaca 2.7% Elephant 9.4% Impid tribal warrior 10.7% Archer 13.4% Impid tribal archer 10.7% Tribal hunter 13.4% Impid tribal hunter 10.7% Tribal heavy archer 9.4% Berserker
Settlement	-	10.3% Impid tribal warrior 11.8% Archer 14.7% Impid tribal archer 11.8% Tribal hunter 14.7% Impid tribal hunter 11.8% Tribal heavy archer 10.3% Berserker 14.7% Berserker chief
Settlement_RangedOnly	-	14.8% Archer 18.5% Impid tribal archer 14.8% Tribal hunter 18.5% Impid tribal hunter 14.8% Tribal heavy archer 18.5% Berserker chief
Miners	1	100% Miner (Tribal)
Hunters	1	50% Tribal hunter 50% Impid tribal hunter
Loggers	1	100% Logger (Tribal)
Farmers	1	100% Farmer (Tribal)

Pawn Kinds

Pawn Type	Combat Power	Gear	Apparel	Weapons	Tech	Inventory	Additional Info [edit]
Archer	75	HP: 50~180% Avg. Quality: Poor	Budget: 180~350 Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 80~80 Available: Flamebow	Budget: 50~50 3% chance to have one of the following: Denture, Wooden foot, Peg leg, Wooden hand	51x	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Savage Impid Tribe Disallowed Traits: Brawler Required Work Tags: Violent Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 1~3 Initial Resistance Range: 17~27
Hunter	80	HP: 50~180%	Budget: 200~300 Required: Veil Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 100~100 Available: Flamebow , Recurve bow	-	51x	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Savage Impid Tribe Backstories: Tribal (Childhood) and Tribal Hunter (Adulthood) Disallowed Traits: Brawler Required Work Types: Violent Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 2~4 Initial Resistance Range: 10~16
Warrior	75	HP: 50~180% Avg. Quality: Poor	Budget: 200~300 Required: Veil Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 150~150 Available: Ikwa	-	51x	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Savage Impid Tribe canBeSapper Required Work Tags: Violent Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 1~3 Initial Resistance Range: 5~9
Penitent	70	HP: 20~110% Avg. Quality: Poor	Budget: 50~100 Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 90~150 Available: Knife, Club	Budget: 50~50 15% chance to have one of the following: Denture, Wooden foot, Peg leg, Wooden hand	0 Nutrition	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Savage Impid Tribe Chemical Addiction Chance: 10% Initial Will Range: 0~1 Initial Resistance Range: 10~17
Villager	30	HP: 50~180% Avg. Quality: Poor	Budget: 180~350 Available: Broadwrap , Headwrap , Kid parka , Kid tribalwear	Budget: 0 Available: None	Budget: 50~50 3% chance to have one of the following: Denture, Wooden foot, Peg leg, Wooden hand	51x	Pawn Group Development Stage: Child Race: Human Default Faction Type: Savage Impid Tribe Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 1~3 Initial Resistance Range: 17~27

Pawns

Tribal pawns will always have backstories from the "Tribal" category. Tribal fighters are typically weak but expendable. They never carry silver or medicine. They carry pemmican as food.

Pawn Groups

Pawn Groups	Commonality	Options
Combat: Normal fights, ranged with melee mix-ins	100	10.1% Penitent 10.1% Warrior 20.2% Archer 20.2% Tribal hunter 20.2% Tribal heavy archer 10.1% Berserker 6.1% Berserker chief 3% Archer chief
Combat: Normal fights, ranged only	60	28.6% Archer 28.6% Tribal hunter 28.6% Tribal heavy archer 14.3% Berserker chief
Combat: Normal fights, melee only	60	28.6% Penitent 28.6% Warrior 28.6% Berserker 14.3% Archer chief
Combat: breach-capable fights, breachers plus ranged with melee mix-ins	5	9.2% Breacher 9.2% Penitent 9.2% Warrior 18.3% Archer 18.3% Tribal hunter 18.3% Tribal heavy archer 9.2% Berserker 5.5% Berserker chief 2.8% Archer chief
Peaceful	-	28.8% Warrior 14.4% Tribal child 14.4% Archer 14.4% Tribal hunter 14.4% Tribal heavy archer 7.2% Berserker 4.3% Berserker chief 2.2% Archer chief
Trader	-	1.7% Trader 9.9% Muffalo 8.3% Dromedary 4.1% Alpaca 3.3% Elephant 11.6% Warrior 16.5% Archer 16.5% Tribal hunter 16.5% Tribal heavy archer 11.6% Berserker
Settlement	-	13% Warrior 18.5% Archer 18.5% Tribal hunter 18.5% Tribal heavy archer 13% Berserker 18.5% Berserker chief
Settlement_RangedOnly	-	25% Archer 25% Tribal hunter 25% Tribal heavy archer 25% Berserker chief
Miners	1	100% Miner (Tribal)
Hunters	1	100% Tribal hunter
Loggers	1	100% Logger (Tribal)
Farmers	1	100% Farmer (Tribal)

Pawn Kinds

Pawn Kind	Combat Power	Gear	Apparel	Weapons	Tech	Inventory	Additional Info [edit]
Villager	30	HP: 50~180% Avg. Quality: Poor	Budget: 180~350 Available: Broadwrap , Headwrap , Kid parka , Kid tribalwear	Budget: 0	Budget: 50~50 3% chance to have one of the following: Denture, Wooden foot, Peg leg, Wooden hand	51x	Pawn Group Development Stage: Child Race: Human Default Faction Type: Civil Tribe Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 1~3 Initial Resistance Range: 17~27
Penitent	40	HP: 20~110% Avg. Quality: Poor	Budget: 50~100 Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 90~150 Available: Knife, Club	Budget: 50~50 15% chance to have one of the following: Denture, Wooden foot, Peg leg, Wooden hand	0 Nutrition	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Civil Tribe Chemical Addiction Chance: 10% Initial Will Range: 0~1 Initial Resistance Range: 10~17
Archer	45	HP: 50~180% Avg. Quality: Poor	Budget: 180~350 Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 80~80 Available: Short bow	Budget: 50~50 3% chance to have one of the following: Denture, Wooden foot, Peg leg, Wooden hand	51x	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Civil Tribe Disallowed Traits: Brawler Required Work Tags: Violent Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 1~3 Initial Resistance Range: 17~27
Warrior	50	HP: 50~180% Avg. Quality: Poor	Budget: 200~300 Required: Veil Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 150~150 Available: Ikwa	-	51x	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Civil Tribe canBeSapper Required Work Tags: Violent Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 1~3 Initial Resistance Range: 5~9
Breacher	55	HP: 50~180% Avg. Quality: Poor	Budget 200~300 Required: Veil Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 150~150 Available: Breach axe	-	51x	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Civil Tribe Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 1~3 Initial Resistance Range: 12~19 Can Be Sapper: true Is Good Breacher: true
Hunter	60	HP: 50~180%	Budget: 200~300 Required: Veil Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 100~100 Available: Recurve bow	-	51x	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Civil Tribe Backstories: Tribal (Childhood) and Tribal Hunter (Adulthood) Disallowed Traits: Brawler Required Work Types: Violent Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 2~4 Initial Resistance Range: 10~16
Trader	60	HP: 50~180%	Budget: 200~300 Required: Tribal headdress Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 100~100 Available: Recurve bow	-	51x	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Civil Tribe Backstories: Tribal (Childhood) and Tribal Hunter (Adulthood) Disallowed Traits: Brawler Required Work Types: Violent Trader Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 2~4 Initial Resistance Range: 9~15
Berserker	65	-	Budget: 200~550 Required: War mask Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 300~300 Available: Spear	-	51x	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Civil Tribe canBeSapper Required Work Tags: Violent Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 2~4 Initial Resistance Range: 13~20
Heavy archer	75	-	Budget: 200~550 Required: War mask Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 250~250 Available: Greatbow, Pila	-	51x	Age Range: Up to 60 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Civil Tribe Disallowed Traits: Brawler Required Work Tags: Violent Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 2~4 Initial Resistance Range: 14~22
Berserker chief	85	Avg. Quality: Normal	Budget: 450~750 Required: Tribal headdress, Plate armor Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 500~1000 Available: Longsword, Spear	-	51x	Age Range: 30~999 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Civil Tribe Faction Leader canBeSapper Required Work Tags: Violent Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 3~5 Initial Resistance Range: 38~58
Archer chief	85	Avg. Quality: Normal	Budget: 450~750 Required: Tribal headdress, Plate armor Available: Headwrap , Visage mask , Broadwrap , Parka, Tribalwear	Budget: 500~1000 Available: Greatbow	-	51x	Age Range: 30~999 Race: Human Default Faction Type: Civil Tribe Faction Leader canBeSapper Required Work Tags: Violent Disallowed Traits: Brawler Chemical Addiction Chance: 5% Initial Will Range: 3~5 Initial Resistance Range: 16~26

Xenotypes

The table below describes the chance for a given pawn from each faction being one of the xenotypes added by the Biotech DLC. Note that this value does not account for chances in xenotype chance from ideoligion or from pawn kind, it only shows the base value before those factors.

Gentle tribe
Xenotype		Chance
	Dirtmole	0%
	Genie	0%
	Highmate	0%
	Hussar	0%
	Impid	0%
	Neanderthal	0%
	Pigskin	0%
	Sanguophage	0%
	Waster	0%
	Yttakin	0%
	Baseliner	100%

Fierce tribe
Xenotype		Chance
	Dirtmole	0%
	Genie	0%
	Highmate	0%
	Hussar	0%
	Impid	0%
	Neanderthal	0%
	Pigskin	0%
	Sanguophage	0%
	Waster	0%
	Yttakin	0%
	Baseliner	100%

Savage tribe
Xenotype		Chance
	Dirtmole	0%
	Genie	0%
	Highmate	0%
	Hussar	0%
	Impid	0%
	Neanderthal	0%
	Pigskin	0%
	Sanguophage	0%
	Waster	0%
	Yttakin	0%
	Baseliner	100%

Cannibal tribe
Xenotype		Chance
	Dirtmole	0%
	Genie	0%
	Highmate	0%
	Hussar	0%
	Impid	0%
	Neanderthal	0%
	Pigskin	0%
	Sanguophage	0%
	Waster	0%
	Yttakin	0%
	Baseliner	100%

Nudist tribe
Xenotype		Chance
	Dirtmole	0%
	Genie	0%
	Highmate	0%
	Hussar	0%
	Impid	0%
	Neanderthal	0%
	Pigskin	0%
	Sanguophage	0%
	Waster	0%
	Yttakin	0%
	Baseliner	100%

Fierce neanderthal tribe
Xenotype		Chance
	Dirtmole	0%
	Genie	0%
	Highmate	0%
	Hussar	0%
	Impid	0%
	Neanderthal	100%
	Pigskin	0%
	Sanguophage	0%
	Waster	0%
	Yttakin	0%
	Baseliner	0%

Savage impid tribe
Xenotype		Chance
	Dirtmole	0%
	Genie	0%
	Highmate	0%
	Hussar	0%
	Impid	100%
	Neanderthal	0%
	Pigskin	0%
	Sanguophage	0%
	Waster	0%
	Yttakin	0%
	Baseliner	0%

Raids

Faction bases

Version history

0.18.1722 - Hunter, Heavy archer, and Berserker pawn kinds added. Integrated new tribal equipment into existing pawn kinds.
1.1 - Split tribe into two factions, the gentle tribe (naturally neutral) and fierce tribe (naturally hostile).
1.3.3069 - Fix: Cannibal tribes can sometimes generate without cannibal precept.

Factions