Are Crows OP?

TierZoo
28 Mar 202412:30

Summary

TLDRThis video explores the unique intelligence and survival strategies of corvids, particularly crows, within the animal kingdom's game-like ecosystem. It highlights how these birds, despite lacking in stealth and physical power, leverage their exceptional intelligence for tool use, teamwork, and manipulation of other species to their advantage. This intelligence enables them to avoid direct combat and exploit more strategic methods for survival, making them one of the most adaptable and successful factions in urban environments. The script also touches on the comparative adaptability of other intelligent species, such as parrots and primates, and teases an upcoming focus on the urban prowess of centipedes, linking this all back to a broader discussion on the evolutionary advantages of intelligence in animals.

Takeaways

  • ๐Ÿพ Primates, cephalopods, and birds, especially corvids, have high intelligence stats, enabling them to use advanced techniques like tool use and team strategies.
  • ๐Ÿ Intelligence in animals allows for alternative progression paths in life that do not rely on combat, reducing risks associated with direct confrontations.
  • ๐Ÿฆ Corvids, which include crows, ravens, and magpies, have remarkable intelligence but average stealth and physical defense stats.
  • ๐ŸŒฒ Corvids' use of tools and teamwork exemplifies their high intelligence, allowing them to solve complex problems and gain advantages in their environment.
  • ๐Ÿง Stealth is not a crucial strategy for corvids due to their agility and ability to escape threats quickly, minimizing the need for camouflage.
  • ๐Ÿšฒ Mobility and agility are key strengths of corvids, enabling them to dodge attacks and maneuver effectively in three-dimensional space.
  • ๐Ÿ” Despite their low power stat, corvids can use strategic attacks to manipulate other animals and gain advantages, such as provoking enemies or stealing resources.
  • ๐Ÿ“Œ Tool use among corvids, such as utilizing hook-shaped sticks, showcases their ability to engage in complex problem-solving without needing specialized physical adaptations.
  • ๐Ÿป Team tactics and mobbing are critical strategies for corvids, allowing them to defend territory and overcome larger predators through collective efforts.
  • ๐Ÿ› High intelligence enables corvids to co-opt the strengths of other species, a strategy that mirrors human success in leveraging technology and social structures.
  • ๐Ÿ›  Corvids excel in urban environments by utilizing human-made structures and objects, demonstrating adaptability and the ability to exploit new niches.

Q & A

  • What are the primary benefits of high intelligence stats in the game described?

    -High intelligence stats grant access to advanced techniques like tool use, coordinated team strategies, and bartering and trade. This often results in a less risky playthrough as it opens up more options for progress without requiring combat.

  • Which factions besides primates have high intelligence stats?

    -Besides primates, cetacean (seapods), and birds, particularly the corvids (crows, ravens, and magpies), are factions with high intelligence stats.

  • Why is stealth not considered an important stat for corvids?

    -Stealth isn't crucial for corvids due to their agility and vigilance. Their dark or iridescent feathers do not offer significant stealth benefits, especially since they are not nocturnal and their main predators, raptors, have keen eyesight which makes high stealth stats less effective.

  • How do corvids compensate for their average defense and constitution stats?

    -Corvids compensate with excellent mobility and agility, allowing them to quickly reposition in 3D space and dodge attacks effectively. Their ability to avoid danger through mobility minimizes the impact of their average defense.

  • Why are corvids' attacks considered weak, and how do they make them effective?

    -Corvids' attacks are weak due to their simple pecking strike, which deals minimal damage. They make their attacks effective by being clever, using well-placed pecks to provoke attacks from others, thereby creating opportunities for themselves to escape or steal loot.

  • What unique abilities do corvids have due to their high intelligence?

    -Corvids' high intelligence enables them to use tools, engage in team tactics, and perform mobbing. These abilities allow them to bypass certain challenges, capture territory, and defend against predators effectively.

  • How does the mobbing technique benefit corvids?

    -Mobbing allows corvids to chase away predators several times their size by bombarding them with a barrage of physical and sonic attacks from all directions, inflicting heavy physical and psychic damage.

  • Why are corvids more successful in urban environments compared to parrots, despite parrots' potential advantages?

    -Corvids are more successful in urban environments because they excel at using other players or environmental factors to their advantage. This ability to co-opt the strengths of others covers for their own shortcomings and is a strong strategy for success.

  • Which predators are crows primarily concerned with, and how do they handle these threats?

    -Crows are primarily concerned with feline builds and raptors. They handle felines by using the goading strike to provoke and redirect their aggression, and they use the mobbing technique against raptors, effectively defending against both threats.

  • What is the significance of tool use among corvids?

    -Tool use among corvids, like using hook-shaped sticks to extract grubs, demonstrates their high intelligence and adaptability. It allows them to achieve results comparable to highly specialized builds without the same investment, showcasing their ingenuity and versatility.

Outlines

00:00

๐Ÿง  The Intelligence of Corvids: An In-Depth Analysis

This section discusses the remarkable intelligence of corvids, such as crows, ravens, and magpies, which enables them to utilize advanced techniques like tool use, team strategies, and even bartering. Unlike other animal factions, corvids and certain others like cephalopods and birds prioritize intelligence over physical combat abilities. This strategic choice allows them to navigate their environment and survive in more versatile and less risky ways. Intelligence not only opens up alternative paths for advancement that don't involve direct combat but also proves particularly beneficial for birds, allowing them to escape most dangers due to their ability to fly. The video further delves into the specific attributes of corvids, including their mediocre stealth abilities, average defense, and constitution stats, but highlights their exceptional mobility and tactical use of intelligence in combat and survival strategies.

05:01

๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ Corvid Combat and Social Strategies: Mastering the Game

Paragraph 2 expands on the combat and social strategies that corvids, particularly crows, employ to thrive in their ecosystems. It highlights their reliance on intelligence-based tactics such as the 'goting strike' and 'mobbing' to outmaneuver predators and competitors. The video explains how corvids leverage their high intelligence for tool use, capturing territory, and executing team tactics that allow them to defend against or distract larger predators effectively. This section also discusses how corvids' intelligence enables them to interact with and manipulate their environment and other species to their advantage. Furthermore, it contrasts the success of corvids in urban settings with that of other intelligent bird species like parrots, attributing corvids' dominance to their adeptness at utilizing the urban landscape and the strengths of other species.

10:02

๐ŸŒ Exploring Urban Wildlife and the Future of Content on Nebula

The final paragraph shifts focus from the animal kingdom to discuss the creator's upcoming content and the platform hosting it, Nebula. It teases a future video about centipedes' adaptation to urban environments, showcasing their ability to navigate the complex landscapes of cities. The paragraph serves as a transition to promote Nebula, a creator-owned platform offering ad-free content, improved UI for easier content discovery, and exclusive series. It mentions 'Let's Play Outside', a series that explores unique animal lives, and other engaging content categories like news and archaeology-focused shows. The video script concludes by highlighting the value of knowledge, both in understanding animal behavior and in staying informed on current events through platforms like Nebula, linking the discussion back to the importance of intelligence in navigating complex environments.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กCorvids

Corvids refer to a family of birds that includes crows, ravens, and magpies, known for their exceptional intelligence and adaptability. In the video, corvids are discussed in the context of their high intelligence stat, which allows them to use tools, coordinate in teams, and employ complex strategies for survival and problem-solving. The focus on crows within this family illustrates their ability to thrive in various environments, especially in urban areas, due to their cleverness and resourcefulness.

๐Ÿ’กIntelligence stat

The 'intelligence stat' is a conceptual measure used in the video to describe the cognitive abilities of different animal species, especially in the context of a game-like analysis of their survival strategies. Corvids, primates, and certain marine animals are noted for their high intelligence stats, which grant them the ability to use tools, strategize, and adapt to challenges. This stat is crucial in determining how these animals interact with their environment and manage threats or opportunities.

๐Ÿ’กStealth

Stealth, in the context of the video, refers to the ability of an animal to remain unnoticed or hidden in its environment. It's discussed in relation to corvids, which are not particularly stealthy due to their dark or iridescent feathers. The video elaborates on how stealth plays a less critical role for birds like corvids, which rely more on their intelligence and mobility to avoid predators rather than remaining unseen.

๐Ÿ’กMobility

Mobility refers to an animal's ability to move quickly and easily through its environment. The video highlights the crow's mobility as a key attribute, allowing them to escape from predators and reposition themselves effectively in various situations. Their agility in the air and on the ground is described as a significant advantage that complements their strategic behaviors.

๐Ÿ’กTool use

Tool use is the ability to manipulate objects in the environment to achieve a goal. The video notes that corvids, particularly crows, are adept at using tools, like hook-shaped sticks, to access food sources otherwise unavailable to them, illustrating their high intelligence and problem-solving capabilities.

๐Ÿ’กTeam tactics

Team tactics refer to the strategies employed by groups of animals to achieve a common goal, such as defending territory or hunting. In the video, corvids' use of team tactics is emphasized as a strength, showing how collective efforts, like mobbing predators, can enhance their survival and effectiveness in controlling their environment.

๐Ÿ’กMobbing

Mobbing is a defensive behavior where multiple individuals of a species, like corvids, aggressively confront a predator to drive it away. The video describes this as a tactic used by crows and other corvids to protect their territory and each other, demonstrating their strategic intelligence and collaborative skills.

๐Ÿ’กGoading strike

A 'goading strike' is a strategic attack used by corvids to provoke a reaction from a predator or competitor. The video describes this as a clever way for crows to manipulate other animals' behavior, creating opportunities for escape or advantage. This tactic relies heavily on the corvids' intelligence and agility.

๐Ÿ’กUrban environments

Urban environments refer to city settings, which present unique challenges and opportunities for wildlife. The video discusses how corvids, particularly crows, excel in urban areas due to their adaptability, intelligence, and ability to use the resources and conditions of these environments to their advantage.

๐Ÿ’กNebula

Nebula is mentioned in the video as a creator-owned platform for hosting content, indicating the video's sponsorship and promotion of the platform. It is presented as a place where viewers can access the creator's content early, signifying a partnership between the content creator and the platform to provide ad-free, quality videos.

Highlights

Primates' advanced intelligence grants them tool use, team strategies, and trade abilities.

Cephalopods, seapods, and birds also prioritize intelligence over physical damage abilities.

Intelligence opens more progression options that don't require combat.

Corvids, including crows, ravens, and magpies, excel in intelligence among birds.

Corvids' stealth is not enhanced by their black or iridescent feathers.

Birds' agility and vigilance reduce the need for stealth.

Crows' mobility and ability to dodge attacks are exceptional.

Corvids' intelligence enables complex strategies like provoking enemies.

Tool use allows crows to access food sources otherwise unreachable.

Team tactics greatly enhance corvids' survival and dominance.

Mobbing technique enables corvids to fend off larger predators.

Corvids utilize their intelligence for adaptive and creative problem solving.

Goting strike and mobbing techniques are key to corvids' survival strategies.

Corvids excel in urban environments by leveraging other species and environmental factors.

Centipedes also thrive in cities, using their agility to navigate complex terrains.

Transcripts

00:00

they've already lost they just don't

00:02

know it get him from

00:07

behind stop looking at me attack save it

00:12

for the enemy we've lost control of the

00:14

command

00:19

post primates are notorious for their

00:22

incredibly broken intelligent sta which

00:25

grants them access to incredible

00:26

Advanced Techniques such as tool use

00:28

coordinated team strateg IES and even

00:31

bartering and trade but primates are not

00:33

the only faction in the game with a high

00:35

intelligence stat satation seapod and

00:38

bird Mains also commonly opt not to spec

00:41

into powerful damage dealing abilities

00:43

and instead invest into leveling up

00:45

their brain power skill tree while this

00:47

does seem like a risky choice leaving

00:49

the player more vulnerable in direct 1v1

00:52

combat in actuality this often results

00:54

in a much less risky playthrough as the

00:57

player's intelligence opens up more

00:58

options for them to progress that don't

01:00

require winning in combat this is

01:02

especially true of the bird faction as

01:05

their ability to fly already allows them

01:07

to quickly Escape most unfavorable

01:09

combat encounters today we're going to

01:11

discuss one of the two main intelligence

01:13

centered bird builds the faction that

01:16

contains crows Ravens and magpies the

01:19

corvid this video is going to focus

01:21

mostly on Crows as an example but

01:23

generally what I say in this video

01:25

should apply to most

01:28

corbetts first let's discuss their stats

01:31

as well as the abilities and strategies

01:33

that exemplify them we'll begin with

01:36

their stealth stat which corvids aren't

01:38

particularly excellent in the most

01:40

popular corvid Skins are either jet

01:42

black or pyal neither of which Grant the

01:44

user that strong of a stealth bonus in

01:46

fact in snowy areas jet black feathers

01:49

are actually one of the least effective

01:50

choices when trying to remain hidden a

01:53

dark appearance is most effective as

01:55

camouflage at night but crows and other

01:57

corvids are not nocturnal pills so they

02:00

aren't really gaining this benefit from

02:02

it now granted stealth typically isn't

02:04

all that important for Birds given how

02:07

agile and Vigilant they are plenty of

02:09

other high tier Aven builds like for

02:11

example parrots are arguably some of the

02:13

least stealthy birds in the game and

02:15

they do just fine you could even argue

02:17

that corvids are even less stealthy than

02:19

their black feathers initially appear as

02:21

their iridescence actually makes them

02:23

even easier to see for certain other

02:25

players typically other birds ultimately

02:27

I think it's safe to say stealth is not

02:29

an important part of their game plan at

02:31

least nowhere near as important as it is

02:33

for Ambush Predator builds like the owl

02:35

the main Predators a crow needs to worry

02:37

about are raptors and because with a

02:39

Raptor's Keen eyesight ability it's

02:41

unlikely having a higher stealth stat

02:43

would make much of a difference anyway

02:45

the Crow's defense and Constitution

02:47

stats are fairly average for a bird

02:49

which is to say not great birds have

02:52

hollow bones and their feathers offer

02:54

fairly little in terms of Defense

02:56

feathers do absorb some blunt force

02:58

damage but when it comes to slashing and

02:59

piercing damage it's nearly useless and

03:02

because of their hollow bones which make

03:04

them more vulnerable to blunt force

03:05

damage the benefit there kind of cancels

03:07

out as well snakes cats raccoons Raptors

03:11

and dogs all have a high chance of

03:13

taking a crow out in one hit so they

03:15

cannot let their guard down when

03:16

interacting with any damage dealer

03:18

builds given that their play style

03:20

necessitates taking some risk Pro

03:23

players definitely wish they had more

03:24

room for error thankfully their next

03:26

stat makes it pretty easy to avoid

03:28

damage the Crow's Mobility is a little

03:31

above average for a midsized bird which

03:33

is to say excellent birds in general are

03:37

just extremely agile both on the ground

03:39

and in the air making them extremely

03:41

hard to land and attack on if they see

03:43

you coming some bird builds like geese

03:46

and jungle foul require significant

03:48

startup in order to get airborne meaning

03:50

that they can't rely on their flight to

03:52

escape danger if the danger is already

03:54

right in front of them crows are not one

03:57

of these bird builds and in contrast the

03:59

startup on their flight move has some

04:00

shockingly broken Frame data and allows

04:03

them to quickly and easily reposition

04:05

themselves in basically any direction in

04:07

3D space almost instantly this makes

04:09

their ability to dodge attacks one of

04:11

the best in the entire game and makes

04:13

what would normally be fairly dangerous

04:15

positions such as right next to a

04:16

powerful Predator quite safe as long as

04:19

the corvid doesn't use any laggy moves

04:21

this synergizes well with the Corvette's

04:23

combat move set as we'll discuss in a

04:25

moment corvids are blessed with many

04:27

High stats but power is not one of them

04:29

them their ability to deal damage is one

04:31

of the weakest in their weight class as

04:33

their only attack option is a simple

04:35

pecking strike this move has quick

04:38

startup and very little end leg but its

04:40

damage is egregiously low simply

04:42

attacking with this move will deal

04:44

minimal damage to anything larger than

04:45

an insect most players will be able to

04:48

ignore this attack's damage however this

04:50

doesn't mean a crow's attacks are

04:51

useless it just means they've got to be

04:53

clever about how they use them a

04:56

well-placed PEC can provoke an attack

04:58

and if you're able to move out of the

04:59

way quick enough enough the enraged

05:00

player will end up being forced to lash

05:02

out at whoever just happens to be nearby

05:05

and create an opening for the corvid

05:06

player to capture an objective steal

05:08

some loot or Escape

05:09

trouble it might seem like a Jank

05:11

strategy but really this is the bread

05:13

and butter of corvid gaml and can lead

05:15

to massive swings and Advantage the

05:17

chance to afflict the enraged status

05:19

effect scales with the user's

05:21

intelligence stat so the reason this

05:22

strategy works so well is that the

05:24

Corvette's intelligence stat is

05:26

ridiculously high for a non- primate

05:28

build corvids are t with parrots for the

05:30

highest intelligence stat in the entire

05:32

Aven faction and in addition to enabling

05:35

the goting strike move set having high

05:37

intelligence grants corvids access to a

05:39

lot of other powerful techniques too

05:42

including the ability to use tools tool

05:44

use is one of the most notoriously

05:46

powerful abilities in the entire game

05:48

and in Crows this is no less True by

05:51

using hook-shaped wooden sticks crows

05:53

can score kills on grubs that are

05:54

normally safe from everything except for

05:56

woodpecker attacks and given how many

05:59

expensive Niche perks woodpeckers need

06:01

to spec into in order to perform these

06:02

sorts of drilling attacks the ability to

06:04

bypass all of that investment while

06:06

still gaining the same rewards is a huge

06:08

Boon to the crows but High Intelligence

06:10

has far more benefits than just allowing

06:12

crows to copy the success of hypers

06:14

specialized builds arguably the most

06:16

important benefit is team tactics this

06:18

is what allows baboons to fight off

06:20

Lions what allows ants to bring down

06:22

tarantulas and what allows wolves to pre

06:24

upon bis when crows work together they

06:27

can capture territory and control points

06:29

of interest that they'd otherwise be

06:30

helpless to defend they can even rescue

06:33

each other from what would otherwise be

06:34

guaranteed lethal attacks using a tactic

06:37

called mobbing mobbing is a strategy

06:39

most commonly seen in Birds consisting

06:41

of bombarding a single Target with a

06:43

barrage of both physical and Sonic

06:45

attacks on their own these would be easy

06:47

to shrug off but when you're getting

06:49

pecked at and screeched at from all

06:51

directions at once it inflicts heavy

06:53

physical and psychic damage this is what

06:55

allows social corvids like magpies and

06:57

crows to successfully chase away prors

06:59

several times their size Ravens on the

07:02

other hand tend not to really need the

07:04

help as they're large enough to handle

07:05

most opponents oneon-one but can still

07:07

team up in order to lock down a good

07:09

source of

07:10

carryon alternatively they may even Ally

07:13

themselves with wolf players leading

07:15

them to a carcass and letting them do

07:16

the work fighting off their competition

07:18

before sharing in the rewards anyway

07:20

that's a basic overview of the Corvette

07:22

build now let's talk about their

07:24

matchups the Corvette matchup chart is

07:26

heavily dependent on how effective their

07:28

goating strike and mobbing Tech

07:29

techniques are against a given Target

07:31

luckily because of how high the

07:33

Corvette's intelligence stat is the list

07:35

of targets goating strike works against

07:37

is quite long it is best against builds

07:39

with lower intelligence stats things

07:41

like vultures things like reptiles and

07:43

things like rodents what's more this

07:46

technique even works on one of the

07:47

corvids two primary threats feline

07:50

builds deadly as cats are they're often

07:53

quite reactive and easily aggroed so

07:55

goting strike is the perfect tool to

07:57

redirect their ferocity this move is

08:00

admittedly less effective against the

08:01

Corvette's other main concern Raptors

08:04

however thankfully the mobbing technique

08:06

is quite effective against Raptors so

08:08

for both of their main threats the crow

08:10

players have options the only builds

08:12

these techniques aren't that effective

08:14

against are other high intelligence

08:16

builds such as monkeys and parrots

08:18

because of their extremely strong social

08:20

bonding and top tier intelligence stat

08:22

parrots are highly resistant to psychic

08:24

damage and do not turn on each other

08:26

easily in fact when pestered by a corvid

08:29

they are likely to defend each other

08:30

fiercely using their own more powerful

08:32

beaks and louder shrieks oneon-one

08:35

they're fairly evenly matched so it

08:37

tends to just come down to size but in

08:39

groups corvids tend to have difficulty

08:41

forcing parrots away from an objective

08:43

as for monkeys their higher HP allows

08:45

them to more easily ignore the pecking

08:47

attacks of a crow and they're used to

08:49

getting their tails tugged all the time

08:50

by their own party members so a crow

08:52

doing it is unlikely to provoke

08:53

punishable response crows and parrots

08:56

have an interesting Dynamic I've said in

08:58

previous videos that I believe parrots

08:59

to be the more viable build they have

09:01

higher dexterity with their beaks their

09:03

sonic streak attack is incredibly

09:05

effective they're more social and

09:07

arguably more intelligent even and yet

09:10

of the two most intelligent bird builds

09:12

there's no denying that in the city

09:13

biome corvids are much more successful I

09:16

think the reason for this is that even

09:17

though parrots are indeed more powerful

09:19

on their own and are better at using

09:21

most tools than crows are crows are

09:24

better at using the most important tool

09:26

other players from provoking attacks and

09:28

redirect aggression to using passing

09:31

vehicles to deal damage for them and

09:33

unlock high value loot corvids are the

09:35

best of the best when it comes to using

09:37

other build strengths to cover for their

09:38

own

09:39

shortcomings and if the human build's

09:41

dominance is any indication co-opting

09:44

the strengths of less intelligent builds

09:46

is one of the strongest strategies you

09:48

can possibly execute in the game and

09:49

it's for this reason that corvids sit

09:51

proudly in s tier speaking of builds

09:54

with a high success rate within the city

09:56

biome another creature that thrives in

09:58

cities is the centipede

09:59

with their quick Twitchy movement and

10:01

flat shape they have no trouble weaving

10:03

through all of the nooks and crannies

10:05

common in urban environments this is the

10:07

subject of my next video which will be

10:09

out on YouTube in a month or so however

10:12

if you like to watch that video right

10:13

now you can access it a month in advance

10:15

on nebula the sponsor of today's video

10:19

now many of you have heard me talk about

10:20

nebula before it's the creator-owned

10:22

platform with no ads no algorithm no

10:24

clickbait and phenomenal content but

10:27

this time is different nebula just under

10:29

underwent a massive overhaul to

10:30

dramatically improve its UI to make

10:33

nebula's premium content easier to find

10:35

and its creator list easier to sort

10:37

through we've now got categories you can

10:39

quickly swipe through to get to the

10:40

sorts of things you're interested in Hey

10:42

look it's the science category and who's

10:44

on top that's right it's my original

10:46

series let's play outside an educational

10:49

show spotlighting the individual lives

10:51

of interesting animals done in the style

10:53

of a let's play live stream one of the

10:55

episodes I'm most proud of features the

10:57

mantispid a fascinating insect that has

10:59

the characteristics of both a wasp and a

11:01

mantis how does it Faire against other

11:04

common garden insects well you'll just

11:06

have to check it out to see I doubt many

11:08

of you know this exists it has been sort

11:10

of hard to find on nebula before despite

11:12

being exclusive to the platform but now

11:14

I really hope you give it a watch one of

11:16

the other new categories on nebula is

11:18

news which I find really helpful given

11:21

how complicated geopolitics tends to be

11:23

lately specifically they have this new

11:24

current events show called the War Room

11:27

which is made by the same talented

11:28

people behind real life floor and modern

11:30

conflicts much like how the monkey's

11:32

intelligence helps it avoid being used

11:34

as a pawn in the Crow's plan knowledge

11:36

about the defining geopolitics of our

11:38

time is important to know about so that

11:40

you are not provoked into a battle that

11:42

you don't understand but on a more fun

11:44

Note One show I've been really enjoying

11:46

is archaeology Quest a show where

11:48

scientists compete to see who can Master

11:50

the art of Paleolithic survival first if

11:53

this all sounds good to you you can sign

11:54

up to nebula using my Link at

11:59

below which supports me directly and

12:01

gets you all this amazing content for

12:03

40% off if you choose the annual plan

12:05

which adds up to as little as $25 a

12:08

month thank you all so much for watching

12:10

thanks again to nebula for sponsoring

12:11

this video and as always good luck out

12:28

there

Rate This
โ˜…
โ˜…
โ˜…
โ˜…
โ˜…

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

Related Tags
Animal IntelligenceUrban WildlifeCorvidsSurvival TacticsBird BehaviorTeamworkTool UsePredator AvoidanceCity BiomeEducational Content