Aztec Elite Warriors (speed draw)

Описание: Support more videos like this   / foojer  
Made with iOS IbisPaint. Tracks used are the Age of Empires 2 Aztec opening theme, the Civilization VI Aztec (Atomic) themes, and the Civilization V Aztec War theme.
I do not own the rights to the tracks used.

Six elite warriors and a warrior priest from the Aztec Empire, around the 15th century: a cuextecatl (0:22); a papalotl (butterfly) (0:47); an ocelotl (jaguar warrior) (1:18); cuauhtli (eagle warrior) (1:46); an otomitl (2:21); a cuachic (Shorn One) (2:48); and a coyote warrior priest (3:21).
Lots of different sources used, but the Codex Mendoza was invaluable as a primary source, go check it out for many gorgeous old-school illustrations on Aztec life.

Aztec weaponry notably made little use of metal, lots of wood and flecks of obsidian used instead - obsidian could inflict very horrible wounds but overall was probably not as lethal as steel - but it fit the Aztec focus on capturing enemies (presumably for human sacrifice, or at least slavery) rather than killing them all - and in fact that's how you rose through the ranks, by capturing lots of enemies rather than killing them.
(And yes there is that account of a macuahuitl beheading a horse, but i could only really see that working in a sawblade fashion, not as one fell blow)

I've chosen to make the loin cloth into a kind of sash or belt around each figure's war suit, contrary to pretty much all depictions (including the primary sources), but I just don't see how it would work any other way (unless the war suit had some kind of crotch hole for the loin cloth tie to stick out of).
The papalotl's warpaint was meant to reference Itzpapalotl, the butterfly goddess, but this is artistic license since there's no clear connection between papalotl warriors and Itzpapalotl; we're not even sure if the back banner is supposed to be a butterfly. My otomitl's colour scheme and face paint looks disconcertingly like Kick-Ass - not consciously done but I guess it fits.