Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-6876762-20130303211712/@comment-3398633-20130402014128

Hmm...an interesting subject nonetheless. Here is my twist on the matter. The ship sinks, but some of the crew survive. Given the fact that the Spainards had a history of intermarrying with the native population, one could use this as a catalyst for the Aztec's survival. A few dozen Europeans wouldn't cause much damage smallpox-wise. In fact, enough exposure to these Europeans would provide some early development of the native immune systems as intermarriage and long-time trade with them increased (going on theory here now).

Some of the survivors, now attached to their new families, would fear the eventual arrival of their Spanish brethren, who they know would devestate their new home and people. Thus, you could play on that fear and have it so that the survivors train the natives new forms of warfare and weapon-smithing. Such a thing would not be impossible as you have had many men instructing those without knowledge of the technology how to use it (case in point, US instructors in Afghanistan).

Since Spain brought the horses to America (there were no horse there until they came), the hose-bit would be impossible, though mabye some of the horse survived the shipwreck? However, as anything goes, the Aztecs would still be superstitious and have to be drilled in a way that permits them to get around their beliefs and understand that the guy on the back of an animal ain't a god. One funny story is that during the Zulu Wars, the Zulu had modern guns, but shot too high believing their gods would bless the bullet and lead it to its target. As history has shown, their gods didn't really feel like it.