Civilization V Leader | Boudicca of the Celts

While difficult to judge a legendary figure such as Boudicca (Unknown - c. 61 AD), we can say for certain that the uprising she led against the Romans was rooted in a just cause, striking back at the occupation and the insufferable brutality the Romans inflicted upon the Celtic people. Although the rebels under Boudicca's leadership slaughtered Roman soldiers and citizens alike, history does not judge her actions as unscrupulous, having also seen the ways of the unmerciful Romans. While there are few details of Boudicca's life before the rebellion, her legacy as a noble warrior, who died to defend the freedoms of her people, will live on in history for ages to come.
- from Civilopedia

[@kytemode1401]

Me: *Gives her some gold. Boudicca: "Bitch, sure." Me: "...what?!" *Demands gold back. Boudicca: "Naaaw." Me: *DECLARES WAR!!"

[@rareblackmagic9217]

Oh dude, I'm in effing stitches. I love it when she says 'Naaaw' it just sounds so sly/cheeky. "Na mate, it's mine now"

[@caeopryce9561]

She says "bydd, siwr" not bitch sure. As a Welsh speaker myself it annoys me when people say "bitch,sure"

[@caeopryce9561]

fi'n cytuno

[@YesIamEccentric]

Holy sugar her reaction to war is scary! I'm a Welsh speaker and in case you don't know or can't guess by her actions, she says - 'You Dare! It is me who'll own your head!'

[@OsianLlew]

I never knew Welsh was in Civ V! I'm geeking out here, in a big way. :D As a Welsh speaker myself, she's using more formal Welsh than is used today. It's great to hear it in a video game - especially one as high-calibre as a Civ game. On top of that, it's clear that they got an acutal Welsh speaker in, rather than have someone approximate the language: they even have her say her name in Welsh (Buddug - pronounced "BITH-ig"). How I've never been told this exists has completely thrown me. My native tounge in a video game! This must be how the French, Spanish and Germans feel about localisations...

[@EikoHarvey]

It sounds so awesome. Like, probably the best sounding of all.

[@rareblackmagic9217]

I know right! Just hearing it is just music and done so, so well. I want to play as her so many times, but yet, if I do I never get to hear her. Another favourite of mine is Catherine of Russia. but every time I hear Welsh it makes me wish I was Welsh.

[@thomasmaddocks7586]

Always played as the Celts only found out today when I decided to play as the Japanese. I was amazed

[@datagonia]

I love the way she says her name in Civ5. Isabel speaks quite decent castillan spanish as well. They even added the different pronunciation of C, S, and Z that Spaniards use.

[@Sean_rooney]

OsianLlew I'm very surprised because boudicca is English she speaks Welsh their unique unit is Scottish and their unique building is irish

[@BarakAvinoam]

she has a cute voice and she is very attractive.

[@intergalacticchanel]

Is there an "are you single" option?

[@ArmyJames]

Nawww.

[@IapetusStag]

She just said, "Mil wife, nah" I assume it means "Be your wife? Nah"

[@ayesha36]

Is it just me or does she seem really tall in this view? According to some descriptions she was very tall...

[@emersonreid7455]

According to reports from Tacitus (i hope im not wrong) the Celtic women were taller than roman soldiers

[@jonathanvincent5348]

But most likely, she is considered average height (as of today), people have been growing taller and taller over time

[@elijahgreybosh7882]

Due to the growth hormones given to the farm animals that we eventually eat

[@user-hx7rb7up3g]

I love it when she says "yum" after a deal, like she straight up ate that barrel of oil I gave her right away

[@Scrinwaipwr]

The translation texts are not totally accurate. e.g. when you declare war, she actually says "You dare!? I shall be the owner of your head!" lol

[@CrabbyDarth]

They aren't translated correctly with the normal English as well. GUESS WHY EH?

[@WahrerKuroKiba]

IME the spoken stuff is almost never the same as the written

[@EmotionalGameress]

If i could go back in time I would go back for her. Like damn... she is beautiful.

[@Scrinwaipwr]

So good to see the Welsh language used in a computer game played all over the world. Like so much of Welsh culture, it gets so little representation outside of Wales. Deserved promotion! It's a wonderful, beautiful language! :)

[@Arbiter567]

Hey it's Ygritte.

[@nookiedrivein6153]

Great civ, one of my favorite AIs: great design, great voice acting, and she can be though opponent if provoked, especially in early game. Oh, and forget about your own religion if Celts are in play. You can't beat her missionary spam. :)

[@TomboTime]

technically she's only good early game if she spawns in a place with lots of forest tiles. I've had games where I spawn in jungle tiles by accident. not fun.

[@FUnazis]

Ahhh man, all this time later, this is still really great. Even for a "peace" theme, Boudicca's theme at first is really, really peaceful and soothing and whatnot, but when you declare war, it's like "Oh shit, now you fucked up!" It works well with some other leaders too, but I think this is one of the best in terms of how drastic the mood shifts!

[@OleandyrTheGreatDragonGod]

I've never played any of the Civilization games, but as someone who is partly English/Welsh and a practicing Wiccan, I LOVE Boudicca. The spirit of my Ancestral homeland runs in my veins, pulses through my heart, and listening to Boudicca's voice makes me feel that connection even stronger.

[@OleandyrTheGreatDragonGod]

***** If you are a Wiccan too, I have an online coven you can join, if you like D&D and/or fantasy RP I own a community that is strongly based off of the history of the Celts Vs. the Romans.

[@OleandyrTheGreatDragonGod]

***** plus.google.com/u/0/communities/102778666422989253061 plus.google.com/u/0/communities/102002380580681244998

[@OleandyrTheGreatDragonGod]

***** I wish you the best of luck with them, Wiccan blessings of good health and financial success. You need it to pay for college for all of them. LOL I'm an only child and I feel guilty for how much money my family has to spend on me.

[@OleandyrTheGreatDragonGod]

@Creator De Coatrack Ironically I'm also half-Italian, but yeah... XD

[@Gojoseon]

Her background looks scary, but the peace music is so peaceable....

[@CivUnitDialogue]

You should have gotten the animation she does when proposing an offer (through What will you give me for this?). It's great. By the way for anybody whose curious she speaks Welsh.

[@allwittynamestaken]

according to wikipedia, Boo-ae-Day-Ka capitalized segments are long syllables, so the K would be hard and the "ae" sound would be quick and barely noticeable.

[@Dradolan]

Damn that music... peace music is so beautiful, I swear I've heard it somewhere. Anyone know what the song is called?

[@victorzangiev5258]

When I play and ask her for something, I always expect her to reply: "You know nothing Jon Snow".

[@WalesGaming86]

I only ever play as her, so I never get to meet her. I cannot believe they chose Welsh as the language! Amazing.

[@JuicyCutie]

shes in all of my games

[@Highretrogamelord]

Lol at the CC. Meggie CD? WTF?! But "dead in the bill is still high" is awesome! :D

[@Longknife]

0:16 *offers gold* "BITCH, SURE!"

[@Dossrk]

The direct translation would translate to "we are ears all" Rydym=we, yn=are (although yn can mean many different things in the Welsh language here it means 'are') clystiau=ears, i gyd= all therefore the literal translation is "we are ears all" Which in Welsh implies that everyone is one huge ear. The closest Welsh phrase you can find and compare to the English phrase is probably "rydym i gyd yn gwrando arnoch" which means "we are all listening to you". Sorry about the delay in reply.

[@ldblokland463]

0:17 "Bitch hoer" Basically means "Bitch hoe" in Dutch by accident

[@SONGS5665]

Mind. Blown.

[@nicholasborrego1640]

I just realized she carries both a Celtic and Latin sword, the latter she probably got from a defeated foe :)

[@CivUnitDialogue]

Lass of Aughrim, which is based on another ballad whose name I forget.

[@Ninocka30]

I have a crush on this AI and it's fucking embarrassing.

[@ossamamostafa5139]

Wait... why is the part of her legs that is exposed more pale than the part that doesn't see the sun most of the time?

[@Choucheeeenn]

Because there is no sun in England ^^ (please Welsh cousins don't yell at me, she was living in actual England, Norfolk and Suffolk)

[@danobrien4890]

Choucheeeenn HOW DARE YOU INSULT THE WELSH!?!!!!! *proceeds to sing mae hen wlad fyn nhadau patrioticly*

[@zackdavies8646]

Choucheeeenn yeah as painful as it is where she was from is now modern Norfolk

[@JugglerBean]

Her animation when you kill a Celtic spy is the best.

[@CivUnitDialogue]

Adding further, there is a chance that Old Irish (ancestor of Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx) split from British soon after Boudicca's time and that a Gaelic language might be as 'authentic' as Welsh. However that's not as certain as the British->Welsh relationship, and it's still plausible Irish may be a sister language to British rather than a descendant.

[@shinjiikari5174]

Ah yes, The celtic warrior queen... For some fucking reason, the best civ for religion rush, behind which I genuinely don't see the logic. Nevertheless, she's one of my favs, 10/10, would conquer the world with again.

[@angrycelt1]

It was easy for me but... it was the first languge I learned as a toddler since my family are Welsh and have spoken it for centuries ;) I suppose it could depend if someone's native language has simuliar sounds and structure to it? Personally I think some sounds of a language like German sound closer than Italian does,but I think anyone can learn another language if they really try hard.I do wonder if there is a list detaling the easiest to hardest world languages a person can learn?

[@LordEsel88]

I don't know why, but I really like the sound of the old Gaelic language.

[@kevdavies12345]

Brythonic language

[@GBlazeMan]

Well, as someone who can speak welsh quite fluently, i did understand most of the dialogue, although some bits were out-dated

[@Sazilla]

Mae hi'n siarad cymraeg :D

[@Reggiland]

i never realized she spoke welsh until a friend mentioned it. i hadn't played against her as AI and hadn't thought about what language she spoke

[@caeopryce9561]

Fi'n gwybod! :D

[@ElSenorTobias]

Actually there using modern welsh, a close alternative, so its still useful in wales...

[@auggiepigeon]

cutie

[@Arbiter567]

Lel

[@auggiepigeon]

Arbiter567 What? She really is.

[@Arbiter567]

Very random friend. I would use the adjective cool.

[@shelbyhewitt6718]

I need to cosplay as her now

[@YrCofiWirionNa]

As a Cymro im glad they used the language for Buddug, considering the language didnt exist until around 500AD. South Walean accent though?? Bit of a stereotype :/ nontheless the game is brill as is the Civilization when it comes to forests :D

[@GoldenKaos]

The accent is honestly *fairly* neutral, and considering most of the population is concentrated in the south, having a Northern Welsh accent would have been frankly unrepresentative. Plus because of that population concentration you're more likely to get a voice actress from South Wales.

[@slothfromthegoonies8201]

Gold Snake Most Welsh speakers are situated in the North-West.

[@GoldenKaos]

Sloth from The Goonies Most? No. Higher concentration? Maybe. Are most voice actresses from the North West of Wales? Probably not.

[@GoldenKaos]

Sloth from The Goonies Not to mention some lines from here: www.comisiynyddygymraeg.org/English/Assistance/Pages/datastatistics.aspx "56% of all fluent Welsh speakers, in every age group, lived in the four traditional Welsh-speaking counties (Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire)" - so that's 2 in the North, 2 in the South, all in the West, there is a higher percentage of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd and Ynys Môn (Anglesey) but the higher populations of Ceredigion and Sir Gaerfyrddin (Carmarthenshire) mean a greater number of overall speakers. And that isn't even counting the Southeastern Counties, where there is a smaller concentration of Welsh speakers, but a higher overall population - "South east Wales: In 2011, more children aged 7 were assessed in Welsh first language in Rhondda Cynon Taf (523) and Cardiff (536) than in Anglesey (469) and Ceredigion (445)" And I'm fairly sure the voice actress came from Sir Gaerfyrddin in any case, which is the county with the highest number of Welsh speakers in Wales at the moment.

[@slothfromthegoonies8201]

Gold Snake I can't argue with that. Although the North-West whole towns speak Welsh, whereas it's mainly isolated pockets in the South who spend a great deal of time speaking English. I'd imagine someone from the North-West would be more skilled as they live their life primarily in Welsh. When you visit the area, Anglesey in particular. They seem to speak English only out of politeness to those who don't understand Welsh.

[@arhdtb]

why did the Welsh language has no vowel but full of y and w. How do they spell it anyway @__@?

[@chaosPneumatic]

Y and W are vowels in Welsh. W is pronounced "oo" and Y is usually pronounced like an "a" or "e". For example: Bus is "bws" (booss), and the word for Welsh, "Cymraeg" is pronounced something like "kum-rige"

[@huell938]

Y in Welsh is often pronounced the same as the u in the English word bus. Other times, depending on where it is in the word, it's said as the letter u as it is in Welsh

[@OleandyrTheGreatDragonGod]

I wish I could speak Welsh like this.

[@Dossrk]

No, it then makes it "we are ears all"

[@YesIamEccentric]

There are vowels in Welsh, Y is pronounced like 'uh' and W like 'oo'

[@jayc1139]

xjudasinfinitoit, no, it shouldn't be since it's Welsh. There are mutations with occur in the spelling but it shouldn't be hard to learn, and it's a language that's spelt as it sounds.

[@CivUnitDialogue]

It's neither old or a Gaelic language. It's Welsh as it is spoken today which is a Brythonic/British Celtic language unlike the Goidelic/Gaelic Celtic languages which originate in Ireland (and spread to Scotland and Mann).

[@angrycelt1]

but her Welsh(Brythonic) name was(very likely)/is Buddug. Boudicca is the name given to her by the Romans...

[@CivUnitDialogue]

Irish appears to predate Welsh but these classifications are a bit wishy-washy as it's not clear why Old Irish and Old Welsh are not considered distinct from their modern descendants while Latin and Italian are, and sometimes, Ancient Greek and modern Greek. Though Latin definitely predates the first signs of a distinct 'Welsh' (and Irish) language. I would say Greek is older than both. The reason they picked Welsh is because Boudica spoke 'British', which Welsh is definitely descended from.

[@FranTizUndici]

I love this language, its hard to learn? (i'm Italian)

[@kasikasivendjinn5345]

It’s Welsh, and yeh it’s kinda hard to read

[@iSyriux]

Italian and celtic languages come from the same family (Italo-Celtic)

[@ajmacriada]

Because all of what is now England was then the territory of the Brythons or, as the Anglo-Saxon invaders of Britain came to them, Welsh. Their language of Brythonic/British has evolved into the modern languages of Welsh, Cornish and Breton.

[@orasis]

I always find it funny when the Celts have zero mountains on their map, mountains always show up in the leader screen. Now, what about the Songhai? Where is that fire on the map? lol :P

[@larkiess]

Those are more like hills than mountains. The background in Askia`s screen is a city he just pillaged and razed

[@Longknife]

Askia burned all the fire down

[@LordEsel88]

My bad then. I still like the sound of this language. They sound very similar to someone that is not from the British Isles.

[@OleandyrTheGreatDragonGod]

I wish I was fluent in Welsh.

[@zanzariy]

It seems to me that the Na'vi people from Avatar speak the same language.

[@BountyFlamor]

I wish Celts had Mel Gibson in his 'Braveheart' face painting as a leader. That would be kinda insulting though.

[@CavemanBearPig]

William Wallace? That'd be more suited for a Scottish faction... But Wallace wasn't such a great man, historically.

[@rareblackmagic9217]

PorkNotBeef Although that's true, I think for games, Wallace really kinda suits the role with all the already settled in thoughts about him. I personally think BoudiCa (boudi-cia, not fecking ka) does the Celts justice in this. The city names do annoy me a bit though since Boudicca was Iceni and mainly East Anglia. But what do I know, I'm no scholar. heh. But I do know that's Welsh she's speaking.

[@Razovllay]

You've clearly been watching too many films.

[@moviefan005]

BountyFlamor well... look who is in civ 6

[@YesIamEccentric]

Not quite, Y is more like 'uh' and I'd say Welsh for Welsh is more like 'Kum-r-aeeg'

[@EnforcerX71]

I'm not sure why they chose her as leader of the Celtic Empire, her tribe was from what's now Norfolk, in the East of England, nor why she speaks Welsh in the game, she was from nowhere near Wales, or the Celts of what is now Scotland & Ireland either.

[@meredyddakamere4244]

Thats because you lack knowledge of history sir.

[@CivUnitDialogue]

It's perfectly understandable, the Celtic languages are pretty similar to each other. I think you have to be a bit familiar with one before you start to think they sound distinct. Hearing the difference between Gaelic languages can be a bit harder though as there's some intelligibility between them.

[@asadar6332]

0:16 Bitch hur!

[@gazzmilsom]

welsh is the oldest language spoken in Europe today I think. Its pre Latin so that's probably why they picked it.

[@rareblackmagic9217]

@Ossama Mostafa Because England is wet and muddy with lush green lands my man. I didn't even notice her exposed flesh until you pointed it out you naughty naughty boy lmfao

[@Moistcraictical]

Celts do leadership better. Celtic WOMEN, for that matter. ;)

[@Moistcraictical]

I'll take you to where I live in Ireland and show you what a mess Celtic Men have made my country and perhaps you'll know what I mean. Or at least you'll understand that I'm joking. :)

[@Moistcraictical]

***** Uh, beg to differ: Grannuaile, Queen Meadhbh, Constance Markievizch, and also the female figures in Celtic mythology who had a high degree of power and influence, as was tradition in Celtic society.

[@zeedo666]

Is it Welsh or Irish?

[@rareblackmagic9217]

Alex Ogonovsky Yup, pure Welsh. On one hand it annoys me but any woman speaking Welsh is a wet dream.

[@zeedo666]

Rare Black Magic I want to become somebody´s wet dream. Is there anyone who could teach me the basics and pronunciation? In exchange, I could help with Spanish/Polish/intermediate French or Italian

[@Kardia_of_Rhodes]

Alex Ogonovsky damn I thought it was Gaelic this whole time.

[@ieuan5033]

Kimasxi proud to be welsh :)

[@Razovllay]

+Rare Black Magic Why does it annoy you?

[@RollOnToVictory]

I've been told Spanish is relatively easy if you have a grasp of any romantic (latin) language, simple rules, tenses and few exceptions. On the other hand, Navajo and various other native American languages are regarded as ridiculously difficult.

[@Parasmunt]

The whole concept of Celtic unity is a complete fabrication. It only exists in Mel Gibson movies and games like this. The word itself is probably a fabrication.

[@CavemanBearPig]

The game's based on a 'what-if' scenario. The word 'Celt' is from a Greek term, and who gives a crap about Mel Gibson movies? And there actually have been a few events in history where certain Celtic tribes/confederations united under a single cause.

[@Tlevids]

Parasmunt Yes and no. There was never any unified political celtic empire (in the same way that there was never a germanic empire) but there nevertheless were close linguistic and cultural relationships between the people of western Europe during the Iron Age and beyond. For instance, the people of Britain and Gaul spoke similar languages and their civilisations were centred around large oppida. Later in history (after the collapse of the Roman Empire) the church in western Britain and Ireland was also culturally distinct from the Latin and Orthodox church and the people of these areas continued to have similar languages and traditions.

[@princenaemon]

she scares me tbh

[@rareblackmagic9217]

She's scary when she's angry. Just as scary as Attila, except she looks like she's about to lob my head off! Can't we just do some other sport instead? ;)

[@nexusanx]

those hands :\

[@quinlan3105]

Avatar?

[@Yamamanama]

Nobody even speaks British anymore. That's why she's speaking Welsh.

[@mushroomhead3619]

Why is she Welsh?! Iceni is where Norfolk now is.

[@Imhornydadcomeinside]

Yeah, they have red hair! *Trolloface*

[@HillBillyNanners]

Why did I get 167 likes for cursing?

[@CoreyStudios2000]

Better being Bismarck and Napoleon than the ginger.

[@GBlazeMan]

guessing on one else here is welsh?

[@Finwaell]

She is hot^^ But so hard to befriend...and so headstrong! So far every time I met her in the game I had to wipe her out :( She then stabs that cart with her sword :))

[@springboy813]

I wonder if anyone would declare war just for seeing her thigh...

[@superacer1]

dido's hotter

[@subsc691]

So British use to be Celts?

[@MH-up1xe]

Yes and most of their DNA is celtic. They were ran over by 3 other civilizations though.

[@CaptainC0bra]

Lesson 1: Never declare war in front of a woman on her period wielding a sword. Lesson 2: Refer to lesson 1

[@orasis]

MILF wife? Naw!

[@Scrinwaipwr]

"mil waith, na!" basically, she said "a thousand times: no"

[@huell938]

I'm Welsh first language from the north and this woman sounds like she's reading it from English phonetically and some of the phrases are way off, not very well translated or localised. Wasn't impressed with this one

[@sophiehart2874]

I wuv her, knobbly knees and all.

[@0miaumiau]

loool

[@brokensilence3268]

waifu

[@OleandyrTheGreatDragonGod]

MILWIFE NAH!

[@juresaiyan]

Talk about femminism :D She's more badass than all the male leaders combined :D Except for maybe Askia.

[@johanngaiusisinwingazuluah2116]

Bitch sure!

[@xijinping4418]

+juresaiyan > Askia

[@thewafflefriends]

ummm... pedro ii and george washington

[@brahwhoa188]

Askia and Boudicca should've fucked.

[@ajmacriada]

Far from it.

[@Parasmunt]

The British get TWO civilisations.... Of course. Rule Brittania or whatever... Yawn.

[@Scrinwaipwr]

Seeing as Britain is a union of 4 countries plus various vassel islands, crudely splitting them into English and Celts is the least you can do to adequately represent the British.

[@Parasmunt]

***** One of their civilisations uses Irish cities (and probably other aspects as well). One of their civilisations is completely made up out of fantasy, combining different language grouped peoples who were never allied in history.. I suppose we should not take it seriously, it's just one Middle aged Canadian dude's view of history.

[@Parasmunt]

Scrinwaipwr You could just use one instead - the British Civilisation. Britain is an island btw - and it was united under one monarch for the last 400 years.

[@mafiablokes]

You do realise that the celts and the English are two completely different ethnic groups... :L

[@GoldenKaos]

I finally get to play my people's Civ. Britishness is a synonym for Englishness and I'm a Celt. So *finally*.

[@wendyanderson6462]

The electric loss inherently visit because tv internationally support athwart a kind pillow. dashing, cumbersome territory