This is an excellent compilation. Unfortunately, you’re probably right that most are too overshadowed by their neighbours. Ideally, I’d like to see 9 civilizations from the Americas.
South America:
- Inca
- Muisca
- Chimu
Mesoamerica:
- Maya
- Aztec
- Purépecha
North America:
- Puebloans
- Mississippians
- Algonquins (essentially the “Skraelings”)
SHARED AMERICAN CIVILIZATIONS UNITS
There’s a pretty good range of units that could be shared among the Native Americans in addition to those you mentioned:
- Atlatlist - basically your Javelin Thrower (would avoid confusion with the nonsense Malian one)
- Canoes - Several types of canoes could be available to the various civs.
- Battlefield Constructions - to make up for the lack of siege units (other than maybe Inca), the American factions could have additional constructions that their infantry could build.
- Pyre - Provides a smokescreen that acts like a stealth forest and slowly damages nearby buildings
- Mantlet - A mobile shield that infantry can attack from behind
- Pathfinder - A scout unit that acts somewhat like light cavalry (could maybe be accompanied by a dog)
- Macuahuitl - Man at Arms replacement for Mesoamericans
- Maceman (or Axeman) - Man at Arms replacement for South Americans (and maybe Purépecha)
- Tomahawk - Man at Arms replacement for North Americans
- Slinger - Ranged unit shared among Mesoamericans and South Americans
- Eagle Warrior - Fast moving cavalry analog for the Mesoamericans
- Bolas Thrower - South American ranged unit that does area damage and snares cavalry
- Staff Sling (or maybe even Traction Trebuchet) - A siege unit for the North Americans. Based on the Skraeling ballista described by the Norse. I’ve also made a suggestion for an equivalent unit in AoE3.
There are also existing units they could get with some additional flavour:
- Trader - A pack llama for the South Americans, and a travois pulled by a dog for the others
- Archer - Several factions could have poisoned arrows
- Spearmen - more or less generic
- Rams and Siege Towers - could be carried instead of rolled (probably need siege crews for this)