Sid Meier’s Civilization V FAQ
Content-
1. Intro
2. The Civilizations
3. Victory Conditions
4. City States
5. Social Policies
6. Units
7. Buildings
8. Wonders
9. Natural Wonders
10. Frequently Asked Questions
11. Odds and Ends
12. Credits and Legal
1. Intro-
Version History;
1.0- The original
1.1- Fixed some small errors here and there. Rewrote or altered the notes
for a few entries. Added the version history.
1.2- Added entries for the new DLC nations, Spain and Inca. Small edits
made elsewhere.
1.3- Added the new "Units" section.
1.4- Made sweeping changes across the FAQ to reflect alterations made in the
latest patch. Updated mainly the Social policies and Leader notes.
1.5- Added complete information for Inca and Spain. Added their uniques to
the Units section, as well.
1.6- Completed the Spain and Inca descriptions. Added upgrade info for all
units.
1.7- Huge update. Updated mounted units notes to reflect their penalty against
cities. Added more to the Q&A section. Added buildings and Wonders info.
Changed the unit production values from Quick to Normal.
1.8- Added the info for the February patch and made some small corrections
to errors and misspellings.
1.8.1- Made small fixes for some outdated entries. Added basic information
for newcomer civilization Polynesia.
1.9- Completed the Polynesia entry. Corrected some incorrect entries. Added
info for new Civ, Denmark!
1.10-Added information for Natural Wonders. More typos fixed.
1.11-Rewrote some entries just because. Corrected Montezuma's entry(I, not II)
Added info for the upcoming June/July Patch.
1.12-Replaced "Odds and Ends" section with an Abridged Patch notes. Filled in
some empty entries. Added Korea and the new Wonders of the World.
Civilization V is out and there is a lot of info to take in. This FAQ will
cover the Civilizations (and their leaders along with good play strategies),
the different means of winning, the various city states, social policies,
units, some commonly asked questions about the game, and some odds and ends
that don’t really fit any special place. Without any further ado…
2. The Civilizations-
>America
Leader- George Washington
Unique Trait- “Manifest Destiny”; Land units get +1 Sight, 50% discount
purchasing tiles.
Unique Unit 1- Minuteman; replaces the Musketman, all tiles cost one
move.
Unique Unit 2- B-17; replaces Bomber, city attack bonus and increased
defense against anti-air.
Victory Choice- Domination
Notes- A personal favorite, I tend to buy up land quite rapidly.
This means that cost ramps up quite rapidly as well. Thankfully,
Manifest destiny makes buying land much cheaper. Along with the sight
advantage, finding and acquiring land is a snap. To complement this
ability, go for Tradition and Angkor Wat to make culturally acquiring
land a breeze as well. The Minuteman is a trailblazer, as it moves like a
scout, ignoring terrain costs. B-17’s are ever bit as deadly as the
Minuteman. The city attack bonus stacked with its increased defense makes
them an absolute nightmare from the skies. And with upgraded Minutemen
filling your ranks, the world won't know what hit it when you strike! Though
America is pretty balanced for different victories,their trait and unique
units predisposition them for war.
>Arabia
Leader- Harun al-Rashid
Unique Trait- “Trade Caravan”- Trade routes produce +1 gold, Oil
resources produce double quantity.
Unique Unit- Camel Archer; replaces Knight, has ranged attack instead of
melee
Unique Building- Bazaar; replaces Market, gain an extra luxury resource for
each one in city’s radius.
Victory Choice- Science, Diplomatic
Notes- It’s a shame that there’s no economic victory in Civ V, but then
Arabia’s abilities would make it quite overpowered. In lieu of that, the
scientific victory is the best bet since it can be quite costly to
accomplish when you consider the infrastructure necessary to pull it off
quickly. Diplomatic victories are also possible for a similar reason.
Buying off the city states to quickly gain favor can be rather expensive,
especially on larger maps with more states. The Camel Archer is an
excellent open-field raider, but it’s extremely weak to straight on
attacks. Its best to stay to more peaceful means of conquest.
>Aztecs
Leader- Montezuma (I)
Unique Trait- “Sacrificial Captives”-Gain culture for each unit
killed equal to its strength.
Unique Unit- Jaguar; replaces Warrior, gains huge combat bonus in jungles
and heals after kills
Unique Building- Floating Gardens; replaces Water Mill, +15% food in the
city, +2 food for each lake tile worked.
Victory Choice- Domination, Cultural, Science
Notes- If you know the Aztecs, they are all about war. Their culture is one
of combat, so it’s no surprise that domination comes natural for the
Aztecs. Though their trait gives them a culture boost, you’ll find that
you’re too busy trashing other nations to notice your culture boost too
much; it just gives more incentive to kill a lot of people. However,
a culture victory is still very possible. Post patch, this boost has been
changed so that you gain culture equal to the opposing unit's strength,
adding a lot more incentive to go killing for a culture victory. Also,
because of the food boost from the Floating Gardens, Aztec cities will be
quite large. This can give you the infrastructure necessary to go for the
space race. Overall, the Aztecs are a fun nation to play as they can be
played many ways.
>Babylon
Leader- Nebuchadnezzar II
Unique Trait- “Ingenuity”- Receive a free Great Scientist upon discovering
Writing, earn Great Scientists at double the normal rate.
Unique Unit- Bowman; replaces archer, stronger in both melee and in ranged
combat.
Unique Building- Walls of Babylon; replaces walls, stronger city attack.
Victory Choice- Science, Domination
Notes- Babylon is an early game powerhouse. With the souped-up Bowman and
powerful walls, few can stand up to it on the field of battle. Along with
the free great scientist, Babylon quickly gets a leg-up on its competition
in science, as well. If you choose to go the route of war early on, few
can challenge Babylon. Later on, however, the Babylonians lose their edge
in battle, but their advantages in science remain constant. Using their
extra scientists, Babylon can quickly reach the end of the tech tree to
build the space ship faster than anyone else. This is one of the few truly
scientific nations in the game.
>China
Leader- Wu Zetian
Unique Trait- “Art of War”- Effectiveness and spawn rate of Great Generals
increased.
Unique Unit- Cho-ku-nu; replaces Crossbowman, slightly weaker attack but
can attack twice.
Unique Building- Paper Maker; replaces library, adds +2 gold per turn, no
maintenance.
Victory Choice-Domination, Science
Notes- China is well suited for war. Their Great Generals offer nearly half
again more strength to units within their range. Cho-ku-nu are also
killers, since they can attack twice per turn if they have the moves to do
so. Put them together and you have a pretty deadly combination as it is.
If peace is more your game, then science is a pretty safe bet with the
Chinese. The Paper Maker offers a significant monetary bonus along with
its normal science ability. This extra money can be used to fund your
foray into space. China is a fairly balanced nation in terms of ways to
win the game.
>Denmark
Leader- Harold Bluetooth
Unique Trait- "Viking Fury"- Embarked units have extra movement and less
movement cost to move from sea to land. No movement cost to pillage
improvements.
Unique Unit 1- Beserker; replaces Longswordsmen, +1 movement and starts with
Amphibious.
Unique Unit 2- Norwegian Ski Infantry; replaces riflemen, +1 movement and
combat bonuses on hills, tundra, and snow.
Victory Choice- Domination
Notes- Denmark seems to be representative of the much sought-after Norse. That
being said, the Danes are all about conquest at breakneck speeds. Both of
their uniques get a movement bonus, and ALL Danish units get reduced
movement costs when disembarking. If that weren't enough, the Beserker can
attack from the sea and across river without penalty, and Danish embarked
units get a movement bonus. Thus, the key to conquest as Denmark is to not
slow down. Push ahead and you can easily outmaneuver your adversaries. With
the amphibious capability of the Beserker and the cold-terrain power of the
Ski Infantry, there isn't a single type of terrain that is safe from the
Danish army!
>Egypt
Leader- Ramesses II
Unique Trait- “Monument Builders”- +25% production bonus when building
wonders.
Unique Unit- War Chariot; replaces Chariot Archer, vastly increased movement.
Unique Building- Burial Tomb; replaces Temple, +2 culture instead of +3, but
+2 happiness as well. If captured, produces double gold from pillaging.
Victory Choice- Cultural
Notes- Probably the most balanced nation in terms of winning choices, Egypt
can be played many ways. Their production bonus to wonders makes them
quite the wonder-hog. Combine this with marble's wonder production bonus
and no one can compare to your building ability. From there, you can focus
your efforts on whatever type of victory you’d like. Cultural is probably
easiest, since building tons of wonders will rack up a lot of excess
culture, though, having all those wonders can make winning by other means
quite easy. Egypt is a good nation for someone trying to learn the game.
>England
Leader- Elizabeth I
Unique Trait- “Sun Never Sets”- +2 movement to all naval units.
Unique Unit 1- Longbowman; replaces Crossbowman, increased range.
Unique Unit 2- Ship-of-the-Line; replaces Frigate, increased ranged attack
strength and increased sight.
Victory Choice- Domination
Notes- Elizabeth is a nightmare on high seas. Her super-fast ships can
outrun any of their contemporary counterparts. Strive to circumnavigate
the world (how to do so discussed later), get the Great Lighthouse, and get
the Naval Tradition policy. Do these things and no one can touch you at
sea. Undoubtedly the best time to attack with Elizabeth is in the
Renaissance era, since you have the Longbowman and the Ship-of-the-Line
at your disposal. The Longbowman is the first unit in the game with 3
range, long predating the artillery; the next unit with 3 range. Combined
with the naval presence of the Ship-of-the-Line, England is a powerful
mid-game attacker. Even when it’s unique units age out, their naval units
still represent a significant threat. England is perfect for archipelago-
style maps.
>France
Leader- Napoleon
Unique Trait- “Ancien Regime”- +2 Culture per city before the discovery of
Steam Engine.
Unique Unit 1- Musketeer; replaces Musketman, increased strength.
Unique Unit 2- Foreign Legion; replaces Infantry, combat bonus outside of
friendly territory.
Victory Choice- Domination, Culture
Notes- France is an unusual nation. Its trait says it’s a cultural
powerhouse, while its leader is one of history’s greatest generals and its
units are incredibly powerful; a perfect combination for a domination win.
Whichever route you choose, commit early; you’ll be in much better
position to win that way later in the game. If cultural, the key is to
hold off researching Steam Power so you can keep the culture bonus as long
as possible. The more cities you have, the more potent this effect,
as well. If you choose conquest, build up your military and strike when
you get Musketeers or the Foreign Legion. Offense is key, since you only
get FL’s combat bonus when you’re NOT in your own territory. This means
once you conquer a city, you have to move out as soon as possible. At any
rate, France represents an interesting balance between war and peace.
>Germany
Leader- Bismarck
Unique Trait- “Furor Teutonicus”- When capturing a barbarian encampment, 50%
chance of converting the barbarian and earning 33 gold. -25% land unit
maintenance.
Unique Unit 1- Landsknecht; replaces Pikemen, cheaper to build.
Unique Unit 2- Panzer; replaces Tank, stronger and faster than normal.
Victory Choice- Domination
Notes- Germany is a major military power. Conquering many barbarian camps
can give you a lot of warriors for your army early in the game. Though
not exceptionally powerful, you have strength in numbers with your warrior
army. Barbarian Brutes upgrade like normal, so you can have a massive
army for all eras. The Landsknecht is much the same, since it is half as
expensive to build as a normal pikeman, meaning you can crank out large
numbers in a short time. Though not cheap like the Landsknecht, Panzers
are faster and more powerful than normal, giving you an extra punch in
your attacks. Also, with the maintenance reduction, you won't have any
trouble building a grand army capable of crushing anyone in your path.
>Greece
Leader- Alexander
Unique Trait- “Hellenic League”- City State influence degrades half as
slowly, and regenerates twice as quickly.
Unique Unit 1- Hoplite; replaces Spearmen, has increased strength.
Unique Unit 2- Companion Cavalry; replaces Horsemen, has increased strength
and faster Great General spawn.
Victory Choice- Domination, Diplomatic
Notes- Alexander’s unique units come early and come hard. Both the Hoplite
and Companion Cavalry have a significant strength boost over their
contemporary counterparts, meaning you can easily take on the world very
early in the game. However, you will have to hurry if you want to win by
conquest. Greek uniques won't hang around long, and they also lack any
special promotions that carry over upon upgrading. If you choose a more
peaceable route to victory, then Greece’s trait becomes more important,
particularly towards a diplomatic victory. A lot of money is lost keeping
city states happy, so losing favor at half the normal rate is a huge
advantage for Greece. Utilizing the Patronage policy route makes city
states all the more valuable to you, as well.
>Inca
Leader- Pachacuti
Unique Trait- "Great Andean Road"- Units ignore terrain costs when entering
hills. Terrain improvements on hills are free, and are half price
everywhere else.
Unique Unit- Slinger; repalces Archer, weaker in melee but can withdraw to
rear before melee attack can take place.
Unique Improvement- Terrace Farm; does not need to be placed near a source
of fresh water and provides extra food if near a mountain.
Victory Choice- Cultural, Scientific, Diplomatic
Notes- Read the Inca descrption carefully. The terrace farm is a Unique
IMPROVEMENT. Now, the terrace farm does not replace the regular farm, so
you'll still build regular farms on flat land. However, you'll quickly
realize how powerful terrace farms are. The food bonus stacks with every
mountain that is in contact with the terrace farm, so you can get some
pretty ridiculous bonuses going. The Slinger is a pretty strong unit in
that it has a chance to retreat from combat if attacked by melee.
Although its VERY weak up close, build a lot of these units so once you
upgrade them, future units will keep this ability and will become very
difficult to kill. And with the Incan unique trait, they will be an utter
nightmare to conquer without some serious force. With this defensive
advantage, set your sights on peaceful conquests, like culture and diplomacy.
No one will be able to stop you.
>India
Leader- Gandhi
Unique Trait- “Population Growth”- Unhappiness from number of Cities is
doubled, and Unhappiness from total population is halved.
Unique Unit- War Elephant; replaces Chariot Archer, greater strength and
ranged attack.
Unique Building- Mughal Fort; replaces Castle, increased city strength, +2
culture, and once flight is discovered, bonus gold.
Victory Choice- Cultural
Notes- India’s trait encourages smaller empires in terms of cities. Smaller
empires means the culture cost for policies stays low, thus making new
policies come by much faster. Culture wins come very easily here, as a
result. True to Gandhi’s nature, India isn’t terribly warlike. War
Elephants are more powerful than the Chariot Archers that they replace,
but are still nothing to write home about. Horse Archers aren't all that
useful to begin with, not do they last very long, so its not worth your time
and resources to build many. Plus, going to war and adding a lot of cities
to your empire will cause serious happiness issues as well as drive up
culture costs, so it’s best to stay out of war with India. Focus on more
peaceful efforts, instead.
>Iroquois
Leader- Hiawatha
Unique Trait- “The Great Warpath”- Units move through jungle and forests in
friendly territory as if they were roads. They can also be used to connect
trade routes.
Unique Unit- Mohawk Warrior; replaces Swordsmen, gains huge combat bonus in
jungles and forests.
Unique Building- Longhouse; replaces workshop, instead of normal effect, +1
production for every worked forest tile.
Victory Choice- Science
Notes- The Iroquois are a very defensive nation; their bonus only applies to
forests and jungles in their own land. However, they don’t really have
any clear-cut victory path. You could take the science route, since
longhouses provide a massive production boost necessary to building the
spaceship parts. Culture could be an option since that production can be
put to building wonders. Domination is yet another option, since the
Mohawk warrior is the master of rough terrain. However you choose to play,
the Iroquois are not advantaged or disadvantaged significantly in any way.
>Japan
Leader- Oda Nobunaga
Unique Trait- “Bushido”- Wounded units fight as if at full strength.
Unique Unit 1- Samurai; replaces Longswordsmen, has increased Great General
spawn rate and has an open terrain combat bonus.
Unique Unit 2- Zero; replaces Fighter, receives a bonus against other
fighters.
Victory Choice- Domination
Notes- Bushido makes killing any Japanese unit an utter nightmare in any era
of the game. Warmongering leaders will love playing as Japan since being
wounded means nothing to your fighting ability. Though you can go to war
at virtually any time with Japan, it would be best when you have the
Samurai at your disposal, since they get an open terrain combat bonus from
the start. The Zero isn't anything special, and if your opponent doesn't
field many air units, then its not worth waiting for.
>Korea
Leader- Sejong
Unique Trait- "Scholars of the Jade Hall"- Specialists yield +2 science.
Improvements from Great People yield +2 science. A small tech boost is
earned whenever a science building or Wonder is completed at the capital.
Unique Unit 1- Hwach'a; replaces Trebuchet, significantly increased ranged
strength.
Unique Unit 2- Turtle Ship; replaces Caravel, cannot enter oceans, slower, and
loses extra sight, but is 2 times as powerful up close and at range.
Victory Choice- Science
Notes- Korea is truly a scientific nation to rival Babylon. Their unique trait
strongly encourages building a "tall" empire, as each specialist earns you
extra science. What's more; each great person tile improvement also nets you
science, which means you'll have to strongly consider what the best use of
of your Great People will be. Earlier on, it will be much more to your
advantage to settle your Great People for the long term benefit. Though the
Korean uniques sound great for conquest, use them to defend yourself and
prevent others from interrupting your research; the one-two punch of the
Hwach'a and Turtle Ship will ensure no one troubles you. Because of this
strong defense, a victory by culture is a definite possibility, despite not
having any real advantage to culture.
>Mongolia
Leader- Genghis Khan
Unique Trait- “Mongol Terror”- +30% combat bonus against city states and
their soldiers, +1 movement to mounted units.
Unique Unit 1- Keshik; replaces Knight, has ranged attack instead of melee,
spawns great generals faster and gains promotions faster.
Unique Unit 2- Khan; replaces Great General, moves much faster and confers
faster healing to units in range
Victory Choice- Domination
Notes- Offered as free DLC upon purcahse, Mongolia is 100% conquest oriented.
One victory to NOT go for with the Mongols is Diplomacy, since this
effectively renders most of their special abilities useless. Otherwise, let
loose on the civilized world! The Keshik is an unbelievable raider in all
terrains. Though they are quite a bit weaker at range and up close as
compared to the Arab Camel Archer, their quick Great General spawn, 5 moves
total, and faster promotions easily compensate for this. Since conquest is
probably going to be your primary means of winning, you won’t be spending
much time developing your cities, meaning that cultural and scientific
victories are likely out. The best way to take advantage of the Mongolian
trait is to train your forces by picking off City States. Since the Keshik
gains XP faster than normal, it won't be long before they are super-powered!
>Ottoman
Leader- Suleiman
Unique Trait- “Barbary Corsairs”- Naval units have a 50% chance to capture a
barbarian naval unit and earn 25 gold. -66% naval unit maintenance
Unique Unit 1- Janissary; replaces Musketman, receives a 25% combat bonus
and heals completely if it kills another unit.
Unique Unit 2- Sipahi; replaces Lancer, can pillage without using movement
points and has a sight bonus.
Victory Choice- Domination
Notes- Sadly, the Ottoman's Unique trait is probably one of the worst in the
game, having very few regular applications in any game, save for games on
archipelago maps. The trade-off is that the Ottoman unique units are
VERY powerful. The Janissary is probably the single biggest threat in
the Renaissance era, as it gets a huge offensive bonus as well as healing
COMPLETELY when it kills a unit. Build LOTS of these, as even when they
upgrade, future units will keep these promotions. The Sipahi is no slouch,
either, as it gets sight bonuses and can pillage without wasting movement.
Obviously, strike fast and strike hard when you get both so you can go
right to war, and maybe, just maybe, by then the Ottoman trait will have
netted you a small navy to give your army some supporting fire. Though
their trait indcates a naval powerhouse; the Ottomans are truly a land
power.
>Persia
Leader- Darius I
Unique Trait- “Achaemenid Legacy”- Golden Ages last 50% longer, +1 movement
and +10% strength for all units during a Golden Age.
Unique Unit- Immortal; replaces Spearmen, slightly increased strength and
heals at double the normal rate.
Unique Building- Satrap’s Court; replaces Bank, +2 happiness.
Victory Choice- Any
Notes- Clearly, Golden Ages are key to any victory as the Persians. To
maximize the effeciveness of your powers, get the Piety policy track and
the Chichen Itza wonder. Piety gives you enormous happiness bonuses and
Chichen Itza doubles your Golden Age length. Build lots of Satrap's
Courts, as well. Not only are they a large source of wealth, but they also
give a happiness bonus as well. Once you've established your super-Golden
Ages, pretty much any victory is open to you. Domination is easy since
your soldiers get a combat and movement bonus during Golden Ages.
Diplomatic and Science victories are possible due to the production and
economic bonuses. Culture is even a possibility since the production can
be put to wonders and other cultural pursuits. In short, Persia is a very
powerful faction.
>Polynesia
Leader- Kamehameha
Unique Trait- "Wayfinding"- All units can embark and move over oceans
immedaitely. +1 sight when embarked. Units within 2 tiles of a Moai gain
+10% combat bonus.
Unique Unit- Maori Warrior; replces warrior, -10% combat bonus for all enemy
units in the surrounding tiles.
Unique Improvement- Moai; +1 culture, +1 culture for every surrounding Moai,
+1 gold after Flight. Does not replace anything. Made available at
Construction.
Victory Choice- Cultural, Domination
Notes- The DLC nation nation from February comes out strong as an exploration
and Culture powerhouse. The ability to embark and move through oceans from
the beginning of the game means that you can have much of the world explored
long before anyone else has the opportunity to start. This also means you
can quickly colonize the best lands for yourself, giving you a leg up on the
competition. Because of this and the Maori Warrior's special ability,
Domination IS a possibility as Polynesia. However, Polynesia's real charm is
in the Moai statue improvement. Each one gives you +1 culture, plus 1 more
for each surrounding Moai. If placed correctly, you can have culture yields
up to +6, far more than any monument! With this culture boost, you'll be on
a fast track to an easy cultural win! Moai also give you a combat boost to
nearby units, making a battle on your shores all the more difficult.
>Rome
Leader- Augustus Caesar
Unique Trait- “The Glory of Rome”- +25% production bonus towards buildings
already built in your capital.
Unique Unit 1- Ballista; replaces Catapult, has a much stronger ranged attack
Unique Unit 2- Legion; replaces Swordsmen, has increased strength, can build
roads and forts
Victory Choice- Domination, Science
Notes- Rome can support sprawling empires. New cities have a huge production
bonus towards buildings that are already in the capital, greatly speeding
their growth and development. This alone is a major advantage. Adding in
the Liberty policy track means cities can grow at a lightning fast pace.
The Roman unique units set Rome up for conquest early on. Like the Greeks,
their uniques have significant strength upgrades, allowing them to do
significant damage even in the classical era. However, also like the Greek
uniques, they carry no special promotions when they upgrade, meaning Rome is
nothing special in combat after their units go out. Should you opt for peace,
then Rome’s production bonus means setting up a massive infrastructure is
a breeze. Going for a science win is definitely possible here since you’ll
likely have massive cities to support this development.
>Russia
Leader- Catherine
Unique Trait- “Mother Russia”- Resources provide +1 Production, and Horses,
Iron and Uranium deposits are doubled.
Unique Unit- Cossack; replaces Cavalry, has combat bonus against wounded
units.
Unique Building- Krepost; replaces Barracks, increases border growth by 50%.
Victory Choice- Domination
Notes- Russia’s boost in strategic resources in number and productivity makes
them an early powerhouse. You can field a large army because there are
more strategic resources to mess around with. The Krepost also drastically
speeds up how fast your borders expand, making domination all the easier.
However, you’ll find you won’t really need the iron and the horses later
in the game, so building large numbers of horse and iron-based units will
be unnecessary. Thankfully, the Russians get double uranium (which is
extremely rare) allowing you to build a lot of nukes or a lot of Giant
Death Robots, thus keeping them a relevant military power far into the
future. Angkor Wat is a very helpful wonder, as it has the exact same effect
as the Krepost, except its applied to every city in your country. Use this
extra bonus to grab land and completely swamp out your enemies.
>Siam
Leader- Ramkhamhaeng
Unique Trait- “Father Governs Children”- Food and Culture gifts from City
States increased by 50%.
Unique Unit- Naresuan’s Elephant; replaces Knight, increased strength, 50%
combat bonus against mounted units, and does not require horses to build.
Unique Building- Wat; replaces University, +3 culture in addition to normal
science output.
Victory Choice- Diplomatic, Cultural
Notes- Siam’s trait makes them one of the best nations for a diplomatic
victory. Their bonuses make the already valuable contributions from City
States all the more worthwhile. Going for the Patronage policy route makes
city states even more precious to Siam. The culture contributions in
particular make going for a cultural win much easier, as well. Befriending
just a few Cultural states makes a huge impact on your overall culture.
And with the Wat adding even more culture, a cultural victory is all the
more in reach. Note that there is no bonus for Militaristic states, so go
for them only if you need a little boost in your military. Though
Naresuan’s Elephant is extremely powerful for its era, Siam doesn’t have
much else in the way of military power. Even with Militaristic City State
help, Siam should stick to more peaceful pursuits.
>Songhai
Leader- Askia
Unique Trait- “River Warlord”- Receive double the standard amount of Gold
when deoying Barbarian encampments and when pillaging Cities. Embarked
units can defend themselves.
Unique Unit- Mandekalu Cavalry; replaces Knight, +30% combat bonus against
cities.
Unique Building- Mud Pyramid Mosque; replaces Temple, +5 culture instead of
+3.
Victory Choice- Domination, Culture
Notes- One of the biggest issues that you face in crossing the ocean is
protecting your transports. Often times, barbarians gather in large
numbers on distant, unsettled continents, making the trip quite dangerous.
A similar problem exists when trying to invade a neighbor from across the
seas. The Songhai don’t have to worry about this, since they can defend
themselves at sea. Their Mandekalu Cavalry may be their biggest asset, as
it gets a huge combat bonus against cities. Ideally, you should declare
war once you get a fair number of these units so you can quickly storm
cities and take land quickly. The huge bonus in gold pillaged helps
finance the sometimes costly wars. Culture is also a distinct possibility,
as the Mud Pyramid Mosque offers a huge culture bonus over the normal
temple.
>Spain
Leader- Isabella
Unique Trait- "Seven Cities of Gold"- Gold bonus for discovering Natural
Wonders. Culture, happiness, and tile yields from Natural Wonders doubled.
Unique Unit 1- Tercio; replaces Musketmen, more expensive than normal but
stronger and has combat bonuses against mounted units.
Unique Unit 2- Conquistador; replaces Knight, can settle cities on other
continents.
Victory Choice- Domination
Notes- Though Spain's ability is slightly underpowered, its units make it
easy to take advantage of. To maximize the bonus gold (as you get more
if you are the first to discover any Natural Wonder) build lots of scouts
and caravels to explore as much as possible. Once you find all the Natural
Wonders, use the Conquistador to settle distant lands. It can settle new
any continent that doesn't have your capital on it. Settling near those
Natural Wonders is key, since doubling the bonuses from them has a very
significant impact. And to protect your investment, build lots of Tercios.
Their increased strength along with huge bonuses against mounted units
makes them the new biggest Renaissance threat on the battlefield. Although
slightly more expensive than normal musketmen, it completely eliminates the
need to build Pikemen because the Tercio represents a combination of Pikemen
and musketmen. Exploration is absolutely critical to excel as the Spanish.
3. Victory Conditions-
Time- Winning by time simply means that the max number of turns for the game
has been reached and the winner is simply whoever can rack up the greatest
score in that time. There is no bonus associated with winning by time, so
really try for a victory by other means. However, if you must bide your
time, there are plenty of ways to stall out someone’s win. If you need to
stop a conquest, get ahold of the Nationalism social policy as well as
Himeji Samurai Castle (if you can build it). This gives you a grand total
of 58% (33% without Himeji) combat bonus simply for being in your own
territory. It will take a seriously concerted effort to oust you from your
own land should you two be using comparable units. If they manage to get
to your cities, make sure they are maxed out with all of the best defenses
to further slow ther advance. Having the Kremlin on hand to increase city
defensiveness by 50% also helps. To stop a Diplomatic victory; buy out as
many city states as you can afford. Allied states will always vote for
you in an election. If you can’t afford to buy out enough city states,
conquer ones closer to you. This way, there will be fewer votes for the
other leader to get. Though this may anger some, it’s the only other way
to stop a diplomat. If you're thinking more long term, get the Patronage
policy track and United Front from the Order policy track. Patronage gives
you more bang for your buck with City-States, and United Front makes it
harder for others to maintain relationships with their City States. For
science, simply capturing the enemy's capital will undo any progress that
they have made thus far on their space ship. The space race takes a
significant production investment so they likely won’t be investing too
heavily in military to stop an invasion. Culture is probably the hardest
to stop, since you don’t really lose progress on social policies earned.
You can slow them, but stopping them will be a challenge without outright
killing them. Of course, killing them is the most effective means of
shutting anyone down, regardless of their mode of victory.
Domination- A good place to start with a domination victory is with Honor, and
later, Autocracy. Both offer significant combat bonuses that can give you
a serious edge in combat. Beyond that, building Barracks and the other
military buildings are essential. A trained but obsolete unit can always
take on a newer but green unit. Though you want a large army, you need an
infrastructure to back it up, or else you’ll be forced to sell off some of
your soldiers. In other words, you still need to balance domestic
development with military development. Be sure to exploit an opponent’s
weaknesses. If their special unit is a mounted unit, build spearmen or go
for promotions to increase power against horses and etc. Also, have a
good look at the lay of the land so you know what kind of promotions to go
for as well. Due to recent patches, you are forced to select all
promotions as soon as you get them, rather than waiting for the perfect
moment to apply them, but keep a sharp eye out for situations that require
certain promotions to maximize their effectiveness.
Science- Rationalism is key if you want to really get ahead in the science
game. Any advantage you can get with science to speed the process along
is essential, since it will take a long time to pull this one off. If you
can spare the aluminum, build Spaceship Factories in your most productive
cities. Building a spaceship requires a major investment in production
and gold. Production bonuses are a big help here as well. Once your
space ship parts are built, they have to be shipped to your capital.
Make sure you have a railroad connection between all cities that are
building parts for your spaceship. This is probably the hardest victory
to achieve simply because of its complicated nature.
Diplomacy- The most sure-fire way of winning by diplomacy is by buying out
city states. Don’t do this until late in the game, though, as trying to
maintain relationships with a lot of city states at once can be costly,
and interfering with other great powers can cause serious trouble. At least
later in the game, you won't have to deal with meddlesome Civilizations for
very long before you win. However, Patronage does make being friendly with
city states much easier and more worthwhile. It also helps to actually
build the UN yourself, as the builder gets an extra UN vote. All in all,
a somewhat easy way to win if you have the money to do so.
Culture- Key to winning a cultural victory is the Freedom and Piety policy
tracks. These offer culture boosts that would make winning by culture
nearly impossible, otherwise. Also, you need to keep the number of cities
you have low. Depending on the map size, cities can cause culture costs to
increase anywhere from 15% to 30% per city. This includes captured cities
as well, so if you go to war, burn burn burn! Otherwise, spread out your
cities to ensure you maximize your land for the number of cities you have.
A few good wonders to help aid your win is the Sistine Chapel (+33% culture
in all cities) and Cristo Redentor (25% discount on social policies).
4. City States-
Militaristic- Militaristic states generally field the largest army of the
three city state types. If you befriend them, they will grant you a
military unit every few turns. Allying with them speeds up how often they
grant you units. The type of unit depends upon what resources they have
locally. They will not grant you unique units, though (i.e. no Minutemen if
you’re America). You can request that they stop granting you soldiers.
Generally, these states will request you take out barbarian encampments or
other city states.
• Almaty
• Belgrade
• Budapest
• Dublin
• Edinburgh
• Hanoi
• Sidon
• Tyre
Maritime- Maritime city states are typically placed near the ocean.
Befriending them will grant you a little food for your capital, and an
alliance nets you more food for your capital and some for your other
cities, too. This bonus can go up to +3 food for capitals, +1 for other
cities. Often, Maritime states will ask that you connect their city up to
your trade network, or that you acquire a rare resource of some kind.
• Cape Town
• Quebec City
• Genoa
• Sydney
• Oslo
• Ragusa
• Rio de Janero
• Singapore
• Stockholm
• Venice
Cultured- As their name implies, a Cultured City state's benefits come in the
form of culture. Becoming friends with any cultured city state nets you
some culture, and allying with them grants you even more. Up to +20
culture per city state can be earned in this fashion. Usually, cultured
states ask you to build a certain wonder to awe their elite, or to gain
the talents of a particular type of Great Person.
• Bucharest
• Brussels
• Florence
• Geneva
• Lhasa
• Monaco
• Kuala Lumpur
• Seoul
• Vienna
• Warsaw
5. Social Policies-
Tradition-
• Adopting Tradition will reduce the culture cost of acquiring tiles.
This bonus increases over time. +3 culture in the capital.
• Aristocracy- +15% production bonus for Wonders.
• Oligarchy- Garrisoned units cost no maintenance, and cities with a
garrison have +100% ranged strength.
• Legalism- Free culture building in your first 4 cities.
• Monarchy- +1 gold and -1 unhappiness per 2 population in the capital.
(requires Legalism)
• Landed Elite- +1 happiness for every 10 citizens (requires Legalism)
• Finisher- +15% growth and +2 food in every city
Tradition has been seriously reworked as of the February patch. Tradition no
longer gives the huge growth boost to the capital, but instead reduces the
culture cost on tiles and gives a small culture bonus to the capital.
Oligarchy has also been changed, as it removes maintenance costs for
garrisoned units and give the city double ranged strength. Monarchy has been
improved upon, reducing unhappiness as well as increasing the gold in the
capital. Everything has been redone from the ground up here. All around,
Tradition is best for empires with very focused and well developed cities.
Liberty-
• Adopting Liberty will give +1 culture per turn in every city.
• Collective Rule- Settler production increased by 50%, and a free
settler appears near the capital.
• Citizenship- +25% conuction rate of Workers, and a free worker appears
near the capital.
• Meritocracy- +1 Happiness for each city connected to the Capital, and
-5% unhappiness from citizens in unoccupied cities. (requires
Citizenship)
• Representation- each city you found increases the culture cost of
policies 33% less. Also starts a Golden Age. (requires Citizenship)
• Republic- +1 Production bonus in every city, +5% production towards
buildings. (requires Collective Rule)
• Finisher- Free Great Person.
Like Tradition, Liberty has been given a lot of significant changes. Its
usefulness has been greatly expanded due to the February patch, as Collective
Rule and Citizenship now give a free settler and worker, respectively. Also,
Meritocracy and Representation have some added bonuses, making Liberty a lot
more useful in the short term and in the long term. If you need to expand very
quickly, Liberty is the best way to go about doing so.
Honor-
• Adopting Honor gives a +25% combat bonus VS Barbarians and
notifications will be provided when new Barbarian Camps spawn in
revealed territory. Free culture for every barbarian killed.
• Warrior Code- Great General appears outside the Capital, +15% melee
unit production.
• Discipline- +15% Combat strength bonus for units in a tile next to
other friendly military units.
• Military Caste- Each City with a garrison reduces empire Unhappiness
by 1 and gives +2 culture. (requires Discipline)
• Military Tradition- Military Units gain x1.5 experience from combat.
(requires Warrior Code)
• Professional Army- Upgrading units requires 33% less Gold, all
defensive structures provide +1 happiness. (requires Military Caste)
• Finisher- Free gold for every enemy unit killed.
Honor gives some substantial combat advantages, and is great for the aspiring
warmongering leader. The boost against barbarians will help you ward them
off early in the game to aid expansion. Key to this social policy are the
last two policies on each branch; Military Tradition and Professional Army.
Extra experience and half-cost upgrades help make your soldiers the most
well trained and advanced soldiers in the world. This one is a MUST for
domination victory and also works well with Autocracy.
Piety- Unlocks at Classical Era.-
• Adopting Piety gives a 15% production bonus to cultural buildigns.
This branch cannot be active at the same time as Rationalism.
• Organized Religion- Amount of Happiness required to start a Golden Age
reduced by 25%.
• Reformation- The empire immediately enters a 10-turn Golden Age.
(requires Organized Religion)
• Theocracy- -25% Unhappiness from population in non-captured cities.
(requires Organized Religion)
• Mandate of Heaven- 50% of excess Happiness added each turn to the
amount of Culture that may be spent on Policies.
• Free Religion- 1 Free Social Policy, +1 culture to all culture
buildings. (requires Mandate of Heaven, Reformation)
• Finisher- -10% cost to future policies.
If you want to win by culture, Piety is step in the right direction. Free
Religion’s two free policies are a huge step forward. If you’re people are
a happy one, then Mandate of Heaven offers a significant culture boost, as
well. Fully exploiting this social policy will make your empire a happy and
a cultured one. This works amazingly well with Freedom if you’re going for
a cultural victory. After the latest patch, Theocracy and Reformation had
effects significantly boosted, making Piety all the more effective in making
your people happy and prosperous.
Patronage- Unlocks at Medieval Era.-
• Influence with City-States degrades 25% slower than normal.
• Aesthetics- Influence with all City-States cannot drop below 20.
• Philanthropy- Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% extra
Influence.
• Scholasticism- All Allied City-States grant you a research bonus
equal to 25% of their own research. (requires Philanthropy)
• Cultural Diplomacy- Quantity of resources offered by City-States
increases 100%; Happiness from gifted luxury resources increased by
50%. (requires Scholasticism)
• Educated Elite- Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great
People. (requires Aesthetics, Scholasticism)
• Finisher- Other players' influence with City States decreases 33%
faster
If you choose to deal with many city-states, Patronage will be a huge asset
to you both in forging relationships and reaping their benefits. Maintaining
a relationship can be costly, so Patronage, Aesthetics, and Philanthropy all
help keep your friendships and alliances intact for much longer. The latter
three; Scholasticism, Cultural Diplomacy, and Educated Elite, significantly
increase the benefits of being an ally to a city state. A very powerful
social policy should you deal frequently with city-states.
Commerce-Unlocks at Medieval Era.-
• Adopting Commerce will boost Gold output in capital city by 25%.
• Naval Tradition- +1 Movement and +1 sight range for naval combat
units. +1 movement to embarked units.
• Trade Unions- -20% maintenance cost for Roads and Railroads.
• Mercantilism- -25% cost to purchase items in Cities (requires Trade
Unions)
• Merchant Navy- +3 Production in coastal Cities (requires Naval
Tradition)
• Protectionism- +1 Happiness from each Luxury Resource (requires
Mercantilism)
• Finisher- +1 gold per specialist.
Commerce has some pretty spread out effects. Some of its policies affect
money, like increasing gold output, reducing maintenance costs, or decreasing
purchasing costs. Others increase your naval power, while others still
increase your production and happiness empire-wide. It’s a mixed bag and
may not all necessarily be useful, but something out of it will be. Maybe
it’s the production boost for all of your coastal cities, or the extra
happiness for extra luxuries. Whatever the case, Commerce can be used in a
variety of ways to aid your empire.
Rationalism-Unlocks at Renaissance Era.-
• Adopting Rationalism gives +50% science from research agreements. This
branch cannot be active at the same time as Piety.
• Secularism- +2 Science from each specialist.
• Free Thought- Adds +2 Science points for each Trading Post. +17%
science from universities. (requires Secularism)
• Humanism- +1 Happiness from each University, Public School, and
Observatory.
• Scientific Revolution- Gives 2 free technologies (requires Free
Thought)
• Sovereignty- +15% Science while your empire is Happy (requires
Humanism)
• Finisher- +1 gold from science buildings.
Rationalism is a real science-booster, but at the cost of culture. Almost
every policy is geared towards an increase in science in some fashion.
Sovereignty is probably the most valuable here, offering a 155 boost in
science so long as your people are happy with you. Though it doesn’t offer
as much happiness as Piety, Rationalism still offers some through the
Humanism policy, so it shouldn’t be a serious issue. If a Science victory
is your gameplan, Rationalism is a huge help.
Freedom-Unlocks at Renaissance Era.-
• Upon Adopting Freedom, +25% great person points in every city. This
branch cannot be active at the same time as Autocracy or Order.
• Civil Society- Specialists consume only half the normal amount of
Food.
• Constitution- +2 culture per wonder.
• Democracy- -50% unhappiness from specialists. (Requires Civil Society)
• Free Speech- Allows free maintenance for 8 units. (Requires
Constitution)
• Universal Suffrage- +33% City Combat
• Finisher- +100% yield from Great Person tile improvements and increases
the length of Golden Ages by 50%.
Freedom is the key to winning a cultural victory. Spread out your wonders,
because Constitution doubles the culture of all cities with at least one
wonder in them. This, combined with Free Speech’s reduction in policy cost,
means that policies will come extremely quickly to you. Don’t ignore the
other policies, though. +50% great person production is nothing to turn
your nose up at. If you aren’t going for all-out war, Freedom is
undoubtedly a must for most any strategy.
Autocracy-Unlocks at Industrial Era.-
• Adopting Autocracy reduces Unit Gold Maintenance costs by 33%,
allowing an empire to field a larger military. This branch cannot be
active at the same time as Freedom or Order.
• Militarism- -33% cost for purchasing units.
• Police State- +3 happiness per courthouse and courthouses are cheaper.
(requires Militarism)
• Populism- Damaged military units deal +25% damage.
• Fascism- Quantity of Strategic Resources produced by the empire
increased by 100%. (requires Populism, Militarism)
• Total War- +15% production bonus to units and +15 exp. (requires Police
State, Fascism)
• Finisher- +25% combat bonus for 30 turns.
An excellent complement to Honor, Autocracy is another major boost to
military powers. Militarism, combined with Professional Army from Honor
gives you a whopping 83% discount on troop upgrades. Total War has a limited
duration, but by that stage of the game, things won’t be lasting much longer.
However, Autocracy isn’t all about war. If you find yourself with thin
supplies of Strategic resources, Fascism doubles the amount of all Strategic
resources you have. Autocracy is definitely the coup-de-grace for securing
a domination victory.
Order-Unlocks at Industrial Era.-
• Adopting Order gives +1 happiness per city. This branch cannot be
active at the same time as Freedom or Autocracy.
• Communism- +2 Production in each City, +10% production bonus to
buildings. (Requires Socialism)
• Nationalism- +25% attack bonus to your units in friendly territory.
• Planned Economy- +25% science yield for every city with a Factory.
• Socialism- Gold maintenance costs of Buildings reduced by 15%.
(Requires Planned Economy).
• United Front- Causes other civilizations' city-state influence points
to decay 33% faster.
• Finisher- +1 Food, Production, Science, Gold, and Culture per city.
Like Commerce, Order is a bit of a mixed bag of upgrades. Nationalism has
military applications, United Front has diplomatic uses, and the rest has
more production and efficiency uses. Communism is probably the most valuable
since it gives a massive production boost to every city in your empire.
The production boost to all buildings is also a very welcome addition.
Though mostly a production-oriented policy, Order has a wide range of
applications in many strategies.
6. Units-
All the units listed here are categorized by their era (i.e. ancient to
future) and then alphabetically.
>>>>>>>>>Ancient Era<<<<<<<<<
-Archer
Cost -70
Type -Ranged
Combat -4
Ranged -6
Range -2
Move -2
Resource-None
Upgrade -Crossbowmen
Tech -Archery
Notes -Can perform ranged attacks
-Bowman
Cost -70
Type -Ranged
Combat -6
Ranged -8
Range -2
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Archery
Upgrade -Crossbowmen
Notes -Babylonian unique, replaces Archer; can perform ranged attacks
-Brute
Cost -20
Type -Melee
Combat -6
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -n/a
Upgrade -Swordsmen
Notes -Barbarian unique
-Chariot Archer
Cost -60
Type -Mounted
Combat -4
Ranged -7
Range -2
Move -4
Resource-Horse
Tech -The Wheel
Upgrade -Knight
Notes -Cannot melee attack; does not get defensive bonuses; can perform
ranged attacks
-Galley
Cost -50
Type -Naval
Combat -5
Ranged -3
Range -2
Move -3
Resource-None
Tech -n/a
Upgrade -Frigate
Notes -Barbarian unique; cannot enter ocean tiles
-Hoplite
Cost -60
Type -Melee
Combat -9
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Bronze Working
Upgrade -Pikemen
Notes -Greek Unique, replaces Spearmen; 100% combat bonus against mounted
units
-Immortal
Cost -60
Type -Melee
Combat -8
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Bronze Working
Upgrade -Pikemen
Notes -Persian Unique, replaces Spearmen; 100% combat bonus against mounted
units; Heals at 2x the normal rate
-Jaguar
Cost -40
Type -Melee
Combat -6
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -n/a
Upgrade -Swordsmen
Notes -Aztec Unique, replaces Warriors; Heals 2 damage if it kills a unit;
+50% cobat bonus in Jungles, has Woodsman promotion.
-Maori Warrior
Cost -40
Type -Melee
Combat -6
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -n/a
Upgrade -Swordsmen
Notes -Polynesian Unique, replaces Warriors; -10% combat bonus to all enemy
units in the surrounding tiles.
-Scout
Cost -25
Type -Recon
Combat -4
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -n/a
Upgrade -None
Notes -Ignores terrain costs
-Settler
Cost -112
Type -Civilian
Combat -n/a
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -n/a
Upgrade -None
Notes -Can build new cities
-Slinger
Cost -70
Type -Ranged
Combat -2
Ranged -6
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Archery
Upgrade -Crossbowmen
Notes -Incan Unique, replaces Archer; can withdraw to rear before enemy
melee attack can occur
-Spearmen
Cost -60
Type -Melee
Combat -7
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Bronze Working
Upgrade -Pikemen
Notes -100% Combat bonus against mounted units
-Trireme
Cost -60
Type -Naval
Combat -6
Ranged -4
Range -2
Move -4
Resource-None
Tech -Sailing
Upgrade -Frigate
Notes -Cannot attack using melee; cannot enter ocean tiles, can perform
ranged attacks
-War Chariot
Cost -60
Type -Mounted
Combat -4
Ranged -7
Range -2
Move -5
Resource-None
Tech -The Wheel
Upgrade -Knight
Notes -Egyptian Unique; Cannot attack using melee; No defense bonuses; can
perform ranged attacks
-War Elephant
Cost -80
Type -Mounted
Combat -6
Ranged -8
Range -2
Move -3
Resource-None
Tech -The Wheel
Upgrade -Knight
Notes -Indian Unique; Cannot attack using Melee; no defensive bonuses; Can
perform ranged attacks
-Warrior
Cost -40
Type -Melee
Combat -6
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -n/a
Upgrade -Swordsmen
Notes -First combat unit
-Work Boat
Cost -30 (Will be increased at the next patch)
Type -Civilian
Combat -n/a
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -4
Resource-None
Tech -Sailing
Upgrade -None
Notes -Builds fishing boats and Offshore platforms
-Worker
Cost -70
Type -Civilian
Combat -n/a
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -n/a
Upgrade -None
Notes -Creates tile improvements
>>>>>>>>>Classical Era<<<<<<<<<
-Ballista
Cost -100
Type -Siege
Combat -4
Ranged -18
Range -2
Move -2
Resource-Iron
Tech -Mathematics
Upgrade -Trebuchet
Notes -Roman Unique, replaces Catapult; +10% combat bonus against cities;
must set up before attacking; No defensive bonuses; can perform
ranged attacks
-Catapult
Cost -100
Type -Siege
Combat -7
Ranged -14
Range -2
Move -2
Resource-Iron
Tech -Mathematics
Upgrade -Trebuchet
Notes -+20% combat bonus against cities, no defensive bonuses, must set up
before attacking; Can perform ranged attacks.
-Companion Cavalry
Cost -80
Type -Mounted
Combat -14
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -5
Resource-Horse
Tech -Horseback Riding
Upgrade -Knight
Notes -Greek Unique, replaces Horsemen; No defensive bonuses; Can move after
attacking; More likely to produce Great General after combat; Combat
penalty against cities
-Horsemen
Cost -80
Type -Mounted
Combat -12
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -4
Resource-Horse
Tech -Horseback Riding
Upgrade -Knight
Notes -No defensive bonuses; Can move after attacking; COmbat penalty
against cities.
-Legion
Cost -90
Type -Melee
Combat -13
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-Iron
Tech -Iron Working
Upgrade -Longswordsmen
Notes -Roman Unique, replaces Swordsmen; Can build roads and forts.
-Mohawk Warrior
Cost -80
Type -Melee
Combat -11
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Iron Working
Upgrade -Longswordsmen
Notes -Iroquois unique, replaces Swordsmen; +25% combat bonus in jungles
and forests
-Swordsmen
Cost -80
Type -Melee
Combat -11
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-Iron
Tech -Iron Working
Upgrade -Longswordsmen
Notes -n/a
>>>>>>>>>Medieval Era<<<<<<<<<
-Beserker
Cost -Unknown
Type -Melee
Combat -18
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -3
Resource-Iron
Tech -Steel
Upgrade -Norwegian Ski Infantry (Rifleman)
Notes -Danish Unique, replaces Longswordsmen; Starts with Amphibious, +1
movement
-Camel Archer
Cost -150
Type -Mounted
Combat -10
Ranged -15
Range -2
Move -3
Resource-Horse
Tech -Chivalry
Upgrade -Cavalry
Notes -Arabian Unique, replaces Knight; No defensive bonuses; Can move
after attacking; Cannot attack using melee; Can perform ranged
attacks; Combat penalty against cities
-Cho-Ko-Nu
Cost -120
Type -Range
Combat -6
Ranged -9
Range -2
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Machinery
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -Chinese Unique, replaces Crossbowmen; Cannot attack using melee; Can
perform ranged attacks; Can attack twice per turn
-Conquistador
Cost -150
Type -Mounted
Combat -18
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -4
Resource-Horse
Tech -Chivalry
Upgrade -Cavalry
Notes -Spanish Unique, replaces Knight; Can settle cities on other
continents; +2 to sight; Can defend itself while embarked
-Crossbowmen
Cost -120
Type -Ranged
Combat -6
Ranged -12
Range -2
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Machinery
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -Cannot attack using melee; Can perform ranged attacks
-Hwach'a
Cost -170
Type -Ranged
Combat -8
Ranged -25
Range -2
Move -2
Resource-Iron
Tech -Physics
Upgrade -Cannon
Notes -Korean Unique, replaces Trebuchet; must set up before attacking
-Keshik
Cost -150
Type -Mounted
Combat -8
Ranged -13
Range -2
Move -5
Resource-Horse
Tech -Chivalry
Upgrade -Cavalry
Notes -Mongolian Unique, replaces Knight; Earns promotions 2x the normal
rate; Increased Great General spawn; Cannot attack using Melee; Can
perform ranged attacks; No defensive bonuses; Can move after
attacking; Combat penalty against cities
-Knight
Cost -150
Type -Mounted
Combat -18
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -3
Resource-Horse
Tech -Chivalry
Upgrade -Cavalry
Notes -No defensive bonuses; Can move after attacking; Combat penalty
against cities
-Landsknecht
Cost -50
Type -Melee
Combat -10
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-n/a
Tech -Civil Service
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -German Unique, replaces Pikemen; +100% combat bonus against mounted
units
-Longbowman
Cost -120
Type -Ranged
Combat -6
Ranged -12
Range -3
Move -2
Resource-n/a
Tech -Machinery
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -English Unique, replaces Crosbowmen; Cannot attack using melee; Can
perform ranged attacks
-Longswordsman
Cost -150
Type -Melee
Combat -18
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-Iron
Tech -Steel
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -None
-Mandekalu Cavalry
Cost -150
Type -Mounted
Combat -18
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -3
Resource-Horses
Tech -Chivalry
Upgrade -Cavalry
Notes -Songhai Unique, replaces Knight; No defensive bonuses; Can move after
attacking
-Naresuan's Elephant
Cost -150
Type -Mounted
Combat -22
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Chivalry
Upgrade -Cavalry
Notes -Siamese Unique, replaces Knight; +50% combat bonus against mounted
units; Can move after attacking; No defensive bonuses; Combat
penalty against cities
-Pikeman
Cost -100
Type -Melee
Combat -10
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Civil Service
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -+100% combat bonus against mounted units
-Samurai
Cost -150
Type -Melee
Combat -18
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Movement-2
Resource-Iron
Tech -Steel
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -Japanese Unique, replaces Longswordsmen; +20% combat bonus in open
terrain; Higher Great General spawn rate
-Trebuchet
Cost -170
Type -Siege
Combat -10
Ranged -20
Range -2
Move -2
Resource-Iron
Tech -Physics
Upgrade -Cannon
Notes -+20% combat bonus against cities; Cannot attack using melee; No
defensive bonuses; ust set up before attacking
>>>>>>>>>Renaissance Era<<<<<<<<<
-Cannon
Cost -250
Type -Siege
Combat -13
Ranged -26
Range -2
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Chemistry
Upgrade -Artillery
Notes -+20% combat bonus against cities; Cannot attack using melee; No
defensive bonuses; must set up before attacking
-Caravel
Cost -100
Type -Naval
Combat -15
Ranged -7
Range -2
Move -6
Resource-None
Tech -Astronomy
Upgrade -Destroyer
Notes -+2 to Sight; Cannot attack using melee
-Cavalry
Cost -260
Type -Mounted
Combat -25
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -3
Resource-Horse
Tech -Military Science
Upgrade -Tank
Notes -No defensive bonuses; Combat penalty against mounted units; Combat
penalty against cities
-Cossack
Cost -260
Type -Mounted
Combat -25
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Movet -3
Resource-Horse
Tech -Military Science
Upgrade -Tank
Notes -Russian Unique, replaces Cavalry; COmbat bonus against wounded units;
No defensive bonuses; Combat penalty against mounted units; Combat
penalty against cities
-Frigate
Cost -160
Type -Naval
Combat -30
Ranged -15
Range -2
Move -5
Resource-Iron
Tech -Navigation
Upgrade -Destroyer
Notes -Cannot attack using melee; Can perform ranged attacks
-Janissary
Cost -120
Type -Melee
Combat -16
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Gunpowder
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -Ottoman Unique, replaces Musketmen; Completely heals if it kills an
enemy unit; +25% combat bonus when attacking
-Lancer
Cost -220
Type -Mounted
Combat -22
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -4
Resource-Horse
Tech -Metallurgy
Upgrade -Helicopter Gunship
Notes -Combat penalty of defense; No defensive bonuses; Can move after
attacking; Combat penalty against cities
-Minuteman
Cost -120
Type -Melee
Combat -16
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Gunpowder
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -American Unique, replaces Musketmen; Ignores all terrain costs, has
Drill I promotion
-Musketeer
Cost -120
Type -Melee
Combat -20
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Gunpowder
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -French Unique, replaces Musketmen
-Musketman
Cost -120
Type -Melee
Combat -16
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Gunpowder
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -None
-Norwegian Ski Infantry
Cost -Unknown
Type -Melee
Combat -25
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Rifling
Upgrade -Infantry
Notes -Danish Unique, replaces Rifleman, increased movement AND strength
while in hills, tundra, or snow.
-Rifleman
Cost -200
Type -Melee
Combat -25
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Rifling
Upgrade -Infantry
Notes -None
-Ship of the Line
Cost -140
Type -Naval
Combat -30
Ranged -17
Range -2
Move -5
Resource-Iron
Tech -Navigation
Upgrade -Destroyer
Notes -English Unique, replaces Friagete; +1 to sight; Cannot attack using
melee; Can perform ranged attacks
-Sipahi
Cost -220
Type -Mounted
Combat -22
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -5
Resource-Horses
Tech -Metallurgy
Upgrade -Helicopter Gunship
Notes -Ottoman Unique, replaces Lancer; Pillaging does not cost movement;
Combat penalty on defense; No defensive bonuses; +1 to sight; Combat
penalty against cities
-Tercio
Cost -150
Type -Melee
Combat -18
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Gunpowder
Upgrade -Riflemen
Notes -Spanish Unique, replaces Musketmen; +100% combat bonus against
mounted units.
-Turtle Ship
Cost -100
Type -Naval
Combat -30
Ranged -12
Range -2
Move -4
Resource-None
Tech -Astronomy
Upgrade -Destroyer
Notes -Korean Unique, replaces Caravel; Cannot enter ocean tiles, reduced
LOS
>>>>>>>>>Industrial Era<<<<<<<<<
-Anti-Aircraft Gun
Cost -300
Type -Melee
Combat -32
Ranged -n/a
Range -2
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Radio
Upgrade -Mobile SAM
Notes -Intercepts aircraft; +100% combat bonus against aircraft
-Anti-Tank Gun
Cost -300
Type -Melee
Combat -32
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Replaceable Parts
Upgrade -None
Notes -Combat bonus against Armored units
-Artillery
Cost -420
Type -Ranged
Combat -16
Ranged -32
Range -3
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Dynamite
Upgrade -Rocket Artillery
Notes -+20% combat bonus against cities; Can indirect fire; Cannot attack
with melee; Must set up before attacking; Can perform ranged attack
-Battleship
Cost -500
Type -Naval
Combat -60
Ranged -32
Range -3
Move -4
Resource-Oil
Tech -Telegraph
Upgrade -None
Notes -Has indirect fire
-Carrier
Cost -520
Type -Naval
Combat -30
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -5
Resource-None
Tech -Flight
Upgrade -None
Notes -Can carry 3 aircraft (excluding Stealth Bombers); Cannpt attack
using melee.
-Destroyer
Cost -380
Type -Naval
Combat -35
Ranged -22
Range -2
Move -8
Resource-None
Tech -COmbustion
Upgrade -None
Notes -Can see submarines; +100% combat bonus against Submarines; Has
indirect fire; +3 to sight
-Fighter
Cost -420
Type -Air
Combat -n/a
Ranged -50
Range -8
Movement-n/a
Resource-Oil
Tech -Flight
Upgrade -Jet Fighter
Notes -Can perform air sweep, Can see surrounding 6 tiles from starting
point; Weak ranged attack
-Foreign Legion
Cost -300
Type -Melee
Combat -36
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Replaceable Parts
Upgrade -Mechanized Infantry
Notes -French Unique, repalces Infantry; +20% combat bonus outside of
friendly territory
-Infantry
Cost -300
Type -Melee
Combat -36
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Replaceable Parts
Upgrade -Mechanized Infantry
Notes -None
-Ironclad
Cost -220
Type -Naval
Combat -25
Ranged -18
Range -2
Move -4
Resource-Coal
Tech -Steam Power
Upgrade -Battleship
Notes -Cannot enter ocean tiles
-Panzer
Cost -450
Type -Armored
Combat -60
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -6
Resource-Oil
Tech -Combustion
Upgrade -Modern Armor
Notes -German Unique, replaces Tank; Can move after attacking; 25% Combat
penalty against cities; No defensive bonuses
-Submarine
Cost -380
Type -Naval
Combat -25
Ranged -60
Range -3
Move -5
Resource-None
Tech -Refrigeration
Upgrade -None
Notes -Can enter ice tiles; Invisible to most units
-Tank
Cost -450
Type -Armored
Combat -50
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -5
Resource-Oil
Tech -Combustion
Upgrade -Modern Armor
Notes -Can move after attacking; 25% Combat penalty against cities; No
defensive bonuses
-Zero
Cost -420
Type -Air
Combat -50
Ranged -n/a
Range -8
Move -n/a
Resource-Oil
Tech -Flight
Upgrade -Jet Fighter
Notes -Japanese Unique, replaces fighter; Combat bonus against aircraft;
Can perform air sweep, Can see surrounding 6 tiles from starting
point; Weak ranged attack
>>>>>>>>>Modern Age<<<<<<<<<
-Atomic Bomb
Cost -850
Type -Bomb
Combat -n/a
Ranged -n/a
Range -10
Move -n/a
Resource-Uranium
Tech -Nuclear Fission
Upgrade -None
Notes -Improved evasion; explodes on target, severely damaging cities and
soldiers within its 2-tile blast radius
-B17
Cost -520
Type -Air
Combat -n/a
Ranged -60
Range -10
Move -n/a
Resource-Oil
Tech -Radar
Upgrade -None
Notes -American Unique; +25% combat bonus against cities; -50% damage from
interception; Combat penalty against naval units
-Bomber
Cost -520
Type -Air
Combat -n/a
Ranged -60
Range -10
Move -n/a
Resource-Oil
Tech -Radar
Upgrade -None
Notes -Combat penalty against naval units
-Guided Missile
Cost -200
Type -Bomb
Combat -n/a
Ranged -70
Range -8
Move -n/a
Resource-None
Tech -Satellites
Upgrade -None
Notes -Cannot be intercepted
-Helicopter Gunship
Cost -450
Type -Air
Combat -50
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -6
Resource-Aluminum
Tech -Rocketry
Upgrade -None
Notes -Combat bonus against armored units; Ignores terrain costs; Cannot
capture cities; Can fly over mountains
-Jet Fighter
Cost -600
Type -Air
Combat -n/a
Ranged -70
Range -10
Move -n/a
Resource-Aluminum
Tech -Lasers
Upgrade -None
Notes -Can perform air sweeps; Can intercept aircraft; Can see 6
surrounding tiles from starting location
-Mech Infantry
Cost -440
Type -Melee
Combat -50
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -3
Resource-None
Tech -Electronics
Upgrade -None
Notes -None
-Missile Cruiser
Cost -520
Type -Naval
Combat -60
Ranged -25
Range -3
Move -7
Resource-Aluminum
Tech -Robotics
Upgrade -None
Notes -Has indirect fire; Can carry three missiles (conventional or
nuclear); Cannot attack using melee; Can perform ranged attacks
-Mobile SAM
Cost -450
Type -Melee
Combat -40
Ranged -n/a
Range -2
Move -4
Resource-None
Tech -Computers
Upgrade -None
Notes -+100% combat bonus against aircraft
-Modern Armor
Cost -700
Type -Armored
Combat -80
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -5
Resource-Aliminum
Tech -Lasers
Upgrade -None
Notes -Can move after attacking; No defensive bonuses; 25% Combat penalty
against cities
-Nuclear Missile
Cost -1200
Type -Bomb
Combat -n/a
Ranged -n/a
Range -8
Move -n/a
Resource-Uranium
Tech -Advanced Ballistics
Upgrade -None
Notes -Improved Evasion; More powerful than Atomic Bomb
-Nuclear Submarine
Cost -500
Type -Naval
Combat -30
Ranged -70
Range -3
Move -6
Resource-Aluminum
Tech -Computers
Upgrade -None
Notes -Combat bonus against submarines; Can carry 2 missiles (conventional
and nuclear); Invisible to most units
-Paratrooper
Cost -350
Type -Melee
Combat -40
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Move -2
Resource-None
Tech -Radar
Upgrade -None
Notes -Can paradrop up to 5 tiles away while in friendly territory
-Rocket Artillery
Cost -600
Type -Siege
Combat -18
Ranged -46
Range -3
Movement-3
Resource-Aluminum
Tech -Rocketry
Upgrade -None
Notes -+20% Combat bonus against cities; Has indirect fire; No defensive
bonuses; Cannot attack using melee; Can perform ranged attacks
-Stealth Bomber
Cost -800
Type -Air
Combat -n/a
Ranged -80
Range -20
Movement-n/a
Resource-Aluminum
Tech -Stealth
Upgrade -None
Notes -Improved evasion, Can see surrounding 6 tiles from starting point
-Giant Death Robot
Cost -1000
Type -Tank
Combat -150
Ranged -n/a
Range -n/a
Movement-3
Resource-Uranium
Tech -Nuclear Fusion
Upgrade -None
Notes -Combat penalty against cities
7. Buildings:
>>>>>>>>>Ancient Era<<<<<<<<<
-Barracks
Cost -80
Maint -1
Tech -Bronze Working
Effect-+15 XP for all units
Notes -Soilders get one promotion; Needed for the Heroic Epic National Wonder
-Floating Gardens
Cost -120
Maint -1
Tech -The Wheel
Effect-+15% Food, +2 food for each worked lake tile
Notes -Aztec Unique Building, replaces Water Mill; Needs a source of fresh
water; Great for supersizing cities early, but finding a lot of lakes
is somewhat difficult
-Granary
Cost -70
Maint -1
Tech -Pottery
Effect-+2 Food, +1 food for every Wheat, Banana, or Deer resource
Notes -Good for an early food boost
-Krepost
Cost -80
Maint -1
Tech -Bronze Working
Effect-+15 XP for all units, -25% culture and gold cost for new tiles
Notes -Russian Unique Building, replaces Barracks; Soldiers get one promotion;
Needed for the Heroic Epic National Wonder
-Library
Cost -80
Maint -1
Tech -Writing
Effect-+1 science per 2 citizens in the city
Notes -Needed to build later science buildings, like Universities; Won't see
much science output early on
-Monument
Cost -60
Maint -1
Tech -n/a
Effect-+2 culture
Notes -First building you can build, provides a small hint of culture to start
expanding your borders
-Paper Maker
Cost -80
Maint -0
Tech -Writing
Effect-+1 Science per 2 citizens, +2 gold
Notes -Chinese Unique Building, replaces Library; Gold boost makes building
this a must, spaced out over a lot of cities the bonus adds up fast
-Walls
Cost -100
Maint -0
Tech -Masonry
Effect-+4 City Defense
Notes -Post patch, defensive structures increase a city's rate of healing, so
buildings like walls are a lot more important
-Walls of Babylon
Cost -100
Maint -0
Tech -Masonry
Effect-+6 City Defense
Notes -Babylonian Unique Building, replaces Walls; Cities deal more damage;
The added defense makes Babylonian cities VERY hard to attack
-Water Mill
Cost -120
Maint -2
Tech -The Wheel
Effect-+2 Food
Notes -Needs a source of fresh water; Food and production bonus early is a
huge advantage to city growth
>>>>>>>>>Classical Era<<<<<<<<<
-Armory
Cost -130
Maint -1
Tech -Machinery
Effect-+15 XP for all units
Notes -Requires Barracks/Krepost; With the Barracks, soldiers get their second
promotion
-Aqueduct
Cost -120
Maint -1
Tech -Engineering
Effect-40% of food is carried over after a new citizen is born.
Notes -An earlier replacement for the Hospital's original effect. Because it
comes much earlier, the power is a lot more useful.
-Burial Tomb
Cost -120
Maint -0
Tech -Philosophy
Effect-+2 Culture, +2 Happiness
Notes -Egyptian Unique Building, replaces Temple; If captured, pillage yield
doubled, has an artist slot.
-Circus
Cost -150
Maint -3
Tech -Trapping
Effect-+3 Happiness
Notes -City needs Ivory or Horses in its radius to build
-Colosseum
Cost -150
Maint -1
Tech -Construction
Effect-+2 Happiness
Notes -Moderate happiness yield; Useful when coupled with Piety as it will earn
you free culture as well.
-Courthouse
Cost -200
Maint -5
Tech -Mathematics
Effect-Eliminates Unhappiness from Occupied Cities
Notes -Can be purchased, but is fairly expensive
-Lighthouse
Cost -80 (Will be cheaper after the patch)
Maint -1
Tech -Optics
Effect-+1 Food from Water tiles, +1 food for fish
Notes -Really only useful if you have a lot of water tiles or several sea
resources. Generally there will be other more useful tiles that a city
will use.
-Mud Pyramid Mosque
Cost -120
Maint -0
Tech -Philosophy
Effect-+4 Culture
Notes -Songhai Unique Building, replaces Temple; Major culture boost can
quickly spread your borders and put you closer to a Cultural victory.
Requires a monument.
-Stable
Cost -100
Maint -1
Tech -Horseback Riding
Effect-+25% production of mounted Units, +1 production for sheep, horse, or
cattle
Notes -City needs horses or cattle in its radius to build; If your Civ is
mounted unit-heavy, an absolute must. After patch, the stable will
remain fairly useful if you have lots of cattle or horses in your
city, as it offers a small production boost, too.
-Stone Works
Cost -Unknown
Maint -Unknown
Tech -Unknown
Effect-+1 Happiness, +1 Production, +1 production for every source of marble
and new resource, stone.
Notes -Requres source of marble or stone. New building to be added in June/July
patch. Good source of production, especially since stone is intended to
be a more common resource like cattle.
-Temple
Cost -120
Maint -2
Tech -Philosophy
Effect-+3 Culture
Notes -Decent culture yield
>>>>>>>>>Medieval Era<<<<<<<<<
-Bazaar
Cost -120
Maint -0
Tech -Currency
Effect-+25% Gold, +2 gold, Extra copy of any luxury resource in city radius,
+2 gold for every Oasis and Oil resourc in city radius.
Notes -Arabian Unique Building, replaces Market; Extra resources gives you a
major leg up on trade with other nations
-Castle
Cost -200
Maint -0
Tech -Chivalry
Effect-+4 Defense
Notes -Requires Walls to build; Speeds up city health recovery
-Forge
Cost -150
Maint -1
Tech -Metal Casting
Effect-+15% Production of land units, +1 production for each Iron resource
Notes -City needs iron in its radius; bonus is rather insignificant early on,
but if you have lots of iron, the extra production is a big boost.
-Garden
Cost -120
Maint -1
Tech -Theology
Effect-+25% Great People production
Notes -Needs a source of fresh water; build in cities with lots of wonders to
maximize their effectiveness
-Harbor
Cost -80
Maint -3
Tech -Compass
Effect-+15% production bonus building Naval units, Creates Trade Route, +1
production for all sea resources.
Notes -You need to have a second harbor that is connected to the capital to
make the connection; Outside of trade routes, not terribly useful
-Longhouse
Cost -80
Maint -2
Tech -Metal Casting
Effect-+1 Production on each Forest tile
Notes -Iroquois Unique Building, replaces Workshop; Can yeild enourmous
production boosts if placed near enough forests; Has an engineer slot
-Market
Cost -120
Maint -0
Tech -Currency
Effect-+25% Gold generated, +2 gold
Notes -Needed to build Banks; Has a merchant slot
-Mint
Cost -120
Maint -0
Tech -Currency
Effect-Gold and Silver produce +2 Gold each
Notes -No reason NOT to build if there is any gold or silver nearby
-Monastery
Cost -120
Maint -0
Tech -Theology
Effect-+2 culture, +2 Culture from Incense or Wine
Notes -Now with no maintenance, there really isn't any reason NOT to take
advantage of the crazy culture boost you can get out of it.
-Mughal Fort
Cost -180
Maint -0
Tech -Chivalry
Effect-+6 Defense, +2 Culture, provides gold after flight
Notes -Indian Unique Building, replaces Castle; Needs walls; Culture and gold
bonuses make this worth building even if you don't expect any wars. If
you do, then the increased defense becomes even more useful.
-University
Cost -200
Maint -2
Tech -Education
Effect-+33% Science (+50% after adopting Free Thought), +2 Science from jungle
tiles
Notes -Requires a Library; Has 2 scientist slots; Jungles are few and few
in-between, but regular science bonus is still nice
-Wat
Cost -200
Maint -2
Tech -Education
Effect-+33% Science (+50% after adopting Free Thought), +3 Culture
Notes -Siamese Unique Building, replaces University; Has a scientist slot;
Doesn't get the science bonus from jungles, but that's a small loss
compared to the big culture gain. Requires a library.
-Workshop
Cost -100 (Will be more expensive after patch)
Maint -2
Tech -Metal Casting
Effect-+15% production, +2 production
Notes -Has an engineer slot; the bonus has been decreased, but now it affects
all production and you get +2 more added on
>>>>>>>>>Renaissance Era<<<<<<<<<
-Bank
Cost -220
Maint -0
Tech -Banking
Effect-+25% gold
Notes -Requires a Market; good soruce of money early
-Military Academy
Cost -350
Maint -1
Tech -Military Science
Effect-+15 XP for all units
Notes -Requires an Armory; If you already have an Armory, then this puts you
about halfway to a third promotion. Don't waste the time or money
building this if you aren't going to war
-Museum
Cost -350
Maint -3
Tech -Archeaology
Effect-+5 Culture
Notes -Requires an Opera House; Has an Artist slot; Excellent culture bonus,
but skip it if you aren't going for culture as its a bit pricey
-Observatory
Cost -180
Maint -0
Tech -Astronomy
Effect-+50% science
Notes -City needs to be next to a mountain; Good science bonus if you can get
it
-Opera House
Cost -220
Maint -2
Tech -Acoustics
Effect-+4 Culture
Notes -Requires a Temple; Has an artist slot; Cheaper than a Museum, so this
is probably a good place to stop building culture if you're not going
for it
-Public School
Cost -350
Maint -3
Tech -Scientific Theory
Effect-+1 science for every 2 people, +3 science, +1 culture.
Notes -Requires a University; Has a scientist slot; A nice midgame science
boost to really power you through some of the later techs.
-Satrap's Court
Cost -220
Maint -0
Tech -Banking
Effect-+25% Gold, +2 Happiness
Notes -Persian Unique Building, replaces Bank; City needs a market; Happiness
stacks well with the Persian Unique Trait, and you can never go wrong
with gold
-Seaport
Cost -140
Maint -2
Tech -Navigation
Effect-+1 Production from Sea Resources
Notes -Requires a harbor. City needs at least one Sea resource improved; with
even a few fish or Clam resources, the production bonus makes those
tiles some of the most valuable in the whole game
-Theatre
Cost -300
Maint -2
Tech -Printing Press
Effect-+3 Happiness
Notes -Requires a Colosseum; more happiness, good for larger cities
-Windmill
Cost -180
Maint -2
Tech -Economics
Effect-+10% Production to buildings, +2 production
Notes -City must be build on flat land; the Windmill's effect essentially is
what the workshop used to be. However, it also gets a +2 production
boost on top of the building production boost.
>>>>>>>>>Industrial Era<<<<<<<<<
-Arsenal
Cost -350
Maint -3
Tech -Rifling
Effect-Increased City defense.
Notes -Requires a Castle; Now a city defense building, not a unit production
bonus.
-Broadcast Tower
Cost -600
Maint -3
Tech -Radio
Effect-+33% Culture, +3 culture
Notes -Requires a Museum; Although quite pricey to build and maintain, +33%
culture plus another 3 culture is nothing to turn your nose up at.
-Factory
Cost -300
Maint -3
Tech -Steam Power
Effect-+10% Production, +4 production
Notes -Requires Coal; Requires a Workshop; Has 2 engineer slots;
Other than Ironclads, this is the only thing that needs coal to
function, so build as many as you can afford, the production bonus is
well worth it
-Hospital
Cost -400
Maint -2
Tech -Biology
Effect-+5 food
Notes -Requires an Aqueduct; Essentially a super-granary. The food boost can
be helpful if growing a larger city.
-Military Base
Cost -450
Maint -0
Tech -Telegraph
Effect-+12 Defense
Notes -Requires a Arsenal; If a particular city is in a warzone or a key
chokepoint, then a Military Base is a great way to secure your land.
Its really expensive to build everywhere, otherwise
-Stock Exchange
Cost -650
Maint -0
Tech -Electricity
Effect-+33% Gold
Notes -Requires a Bank; Has 2 merchant slots; More money, can't go wrong with
that.
>>>>>>>>>Modern Era<<<<<<<<<
-Hydro Plant
Cost -600
Maint -3
Tech -Plastics
Effect-+1 Production for every bordering River
Notes -Requires Aluminum; Build only if you have a lot of rivers nearby. Its
expensive and comsumes aluminum, which is exceedingly rare. However,
the production boost can make an enormous difference when placed well
-Medical Lab
Cost -500
Maint -3
Tech -Penicillin
Effect--25% Food needed for City Growth
Notes -Requires a Hospital; Not really worth it in the long run, being so
expensive to build and maintain. Besides, cities are usually done
growing by this era.
-Nuclear Plant
Cost -600 (Will be significantly reduced)
Maint -3
Tech -Nuclear Fission
Effect-+15% Production, +5 production
Notes -Requires Uranium; Requires a Factory; Mutually exclusive with a Solar
Plant; If you're Russia, you can likely get away with building a few of
these, but otherwise, save your uranium for missiles and robots.
-Research Lab
Cost -600
Maint -3
Tech -Plastics
Effect-+50% Science, +4 science.
Notes -Requires a Public School; Not especially useful because it appears so
late in the game, but if you REALLY need a science boost.
-Solar Plant
Cost -600 (Will be significantly reduced)
Maint -3
Tech -Ecology
Effect-+15% Production, +5 production
Notes -City must border a desert; Requires a Factory; Mutually exclusive with
Nuclear Plant; Easy production provided you built next to a desert
-Spaceship Factory
Cost -450
Maint -3
Tech -Robotics
Effect-+50% production on Spaceship Parts
Notes -Requires Aluminum; Requires a Factory; If you're going for a science
win, you NEED these in your most productive cities. Otherwise, stay
away; you likely won't be able to spare much aluminum anyway
-Stadium
Cost -450
Maint -2
Tech -Mass Media
Effect-+4 Happiness
Notes -Requires a Theatre; Hopefully your empire is happy, so don't waste the
money building this unless you desperately need the happiness or have
Piety going for you.
8. Wonders
>>>>>>>>>Wonders of the World<<<<<<<<<
-Angkor Wat
Cost -300
Culture-1
GP -+1 Engineer
Tech -Theology
Effect -Culture and gold cost of acquiring tiles is reduced by 25%
-Big Ben
Cost -700
Culture-1
GP -+2 Merchant
Tech -Economics
Power --15% Gold cost for purchasing items in cities, +4 gold; Hurry cost
reduction nerfed, but still useful and the free gold doesn't hurt.
-Brandenburg Gate
Cost -550
Culture-1
GP -+2 Scientist
Tech -Military Science
Power -Spawns Great General; good if you want to go to war or fuel a Golden
Age
-Chitchen Itza
Cost -450
Culture-1
GP -+1 Engineer
Tech -Civil Service
Power -Length of Golden Ages increased by 50%, +4 happiness; Incredibly
powerful, especially with Persia.
-The Colossus
Cost -150
Culture-1
GP -+1 Merchant
Tech -Bronze Working
Power -+1 gold from water tiles, +5 gold; Not exceptionally powerful unless
you have a lot of water or many sea resources; NO LONGER goes obsolete
with Navigation, though, and there is free gold now.
-Cristo Redentor
Cost -1200
Culture-4
GP -+2 Artist
Tech -Telegraph
Power -Culture cost of new policies reduced by 10%; the nerf in the June/July
patch has severely reduced the usefulness of this wonder, though the
bonus still applies to the entire Civ.
-Eiffel Tower
Cost -1000
Culture-1
GP -+2 Merchant
Tech -Radio
Power -+5 happiness, +1 happines for every two policies adopted.
-The Forbidden Palace
Cost -600
Culture-1
GP -+1 Artist
Tech -Banking
Power --50% unhappiness from number of cities; Better for larger empires.
Skip it if you're going for fewer cities.
-The Great Library
Cost -150
Culture-1
GP -+1 Scientist
Tech -Writing
Power -+3 science, free library in the building city. Build in the city with
the best science output for maximum benefit.
-The Great Lighthouse
Cost -130
Culture-1
GP -+1 Merchant
Tech -Sailing
Power -+1 Movement, +1 Sight for Naval Units, free lighthouse in city that
builds it; Good for naval powers
-The Great Wall
Cost -350
Culture-1
GP -+1 Engineer
Tech -Construction
Power -Enemy Land Units must spend 1 extra Movement Point when inside your
territory, free Walls in building city; Expires at Dynamite; Another
useful tool for stalling out your enemies, but its effective for only
so long.
-The Hagia Sophia
Cost -300
Culture-1
GP -+1 Artist
Tech -Theology
Power -+25% generation of Great People, free Great Person of your choosing;
More Great People means more Golden Ages or more bonuses. Can't go
wrong with either.
-The Hanging Gardens
Cost -200
Culture-1
GP -+1 Artist
Tech -Mathematics
Power -+10 food in building city; extremely useful for growing large cities
early on.
-Himeji Samurai Castle
Cost -600
Culture-4
GP -+2 Engineer
Tech -Chivalry
Power -+15% combat strength for all units in friendly territory, free castle
in building city; Useful for stalling out enemy invasions, though a
bit weaker now.
-The Kremlin
Cost -650
Culture-4
GP -+1 Scientist
Tech -Acoustics
Power -Defense Buildings are 25% more effective, +12 defense in building city;
Great if you have the buildings, but otherwise not too much else.
-The Louvre
Cost -700
Culture-1
GP -+2 Artist
Tech -Archeaology
Power -2 free Great Artists appear near building city; Free Great Artists are
always useful either for golden ages or to steal some land
-Machu Picchu
Cost -550
Culture-1
GP -+1 Merchant
Tech -Currency
Power -+25% Gold from Trade Routes, +5 gold, must be within 2 tiles of a
mountain; The extra money can REALLY pile up on larger maps
-Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
Cost -200
Culture-1
GP -+1 Merchant
Tech -Masonry
Power -+100 gold for every Great Person used, each source of stone and marble
worked in the city produces +2 extra gold. Obviously, the best place
to build would be near a large source of stone/marble. The cash boost
from great people will be a nice benefit early on.
-Notre Dame
Cost -500
Culture-3
GP -+1 Merchant
Tech -Education
Power -+10 happiness; More happiness, but early, giving you a bit of a
cushion if you've been expanding a lot
-The Oracle
Cost -150
Culture-1
GP -+1 Scientist
Tech -Philosophy
Power -Free Social Policy; Good for getting an early head start on the world
in culture.
-Pentagon
Cost -1200
Culture-3
GP -+2 Merchant
Tech -Radar
Power --33% gold cost for upgrading military units; Comes rather late, but
late-game upgrades can be somewhat pricey
-The Porcelain Tower
Cost -400
Culture-1
GP -+2 Scientist
Tech -Education
Power -+50% science yielded from Research Agreements. A significant boost to
science if you do a lot of research agreements. Otherwise, its almost
useless if you can't get someone to agree to it.
-The Pyramids
Cost -175
Culture-1
GP -+1 Engineer
Tech -Masonry
Power -Worker construction up 25%, free worker appears near; not as powerful
as it used to be but with the free worker, it has an immediate benfit
as well as a long term one.
-Sistine Chapel
Cost -650
Culture-1
GP -+2 Artist
Tech -Acoustics
Power -+25% Culture in all Cities; A must for a cultural win
-Statue of Liberty
Cost -1200
Culture-1
GP -+3 Engineer
Tech -Replaceable Parts
Power -+1 Production for every Specialist in all Cities; Pretty useful if you
have larger cities with lots of specialists.
-Statue of Zeus
Cost -200
Culture-+1
GP -n/a
Tech -Bronze Working
Power -+15% combat bonus against cities for all units. A must if you plan
on warring at all. Otherwise, skip it.
-Stonehenge
Cost -120
Culture-6
GP -+1 Engineer
Tech -Calendar
Power -None; A very early wonder with a nice culture boost to get you moving
-Sydney Opera House
Cost -1000
Culture-4
GP -+2 Artist
Tech -Globalization
Power -+50% culture in city; No longer gives a free Social Policy, but the
bonus will be most useful in a city with lost of culture.
-Taj Mahal
Cost -600
Culture-1
GP -+2 Artist
Tech -Printing Press
Power -Starts Golden Age; Golden Ages are always welcome. It would be smart
to build it once you have Chichen Itze to double Taj Mahal's effect.
-Temple of Artemis
Cost -200
Culture-+1
GP -+1 Engineer
Tech -Archery
Power -+10% growth in all cities. +15% production when building ranged units.
A must for building a tall empire. The food boost is always welcome
and the extra production for ranged units will be felt later in the
game when prices ramp up.
-United Nations
Cost -1000
Culture-1
GP -+2 Merchant
Tech -Globalization
Power -Triggers voting for Diplomatic victory; No reason not to build, since
the builder gets an extra vote. Just make sure that no one else can
win by diplomacy
>>>>>>>>>National Wonders<<<<<<<<<
-Hermitage
Cost -310
Culture-0
Needs -Opera House
Tech -Acoustics
Power -+50% culture to the building City; Build in the most cultural city to
maximize this effect
-Heroic Epic
Cost -110
Culture-1
Needs -Barracks
Tech -Iron Working
Power -All new units receive morale bonus; A must for conquerors, build in
the most productive city
-Ironworks
Cost -170
Culture-1
Needs -Workshop
Tech -Machinery
Power -+8 Production; A huge boost to production, build in your most
productive city for incredible production times
-National College
Cost -120
Culture-1
Needs -Library/Paper Maker
Tech -Philosophy
Power -+3 Science; Build in the most scientific city for maximum impact
-National Epic
Cost -120
Culture-1
Needs -Monument
Tech -Philosophy
Power -+25% Great Person Generation; A city with a lot of wonders is a good
place to put this one.
-Oxford University
Cost -260
Culture-1
Needs -University
Tech -Education
Power -+3 science; Build in your most scientific city for maximum impact.
9. Natural Wonders
All Natural Wonders confer +5 happiness upon discovery. Spain gets a cash
bonus if they discover one, and their yields are double of what's listed.
-Barringer Crater
Yield-+2 Gold, +3 Science
-Cerro de Potosi
Yield-+10 Gold
Bonus-None
-El Dorado
Yield-+5 Culture
Bonus-500 gold to the first Civilization to discover it
-Fountain of Youth
Yield-None
Bonus-Fast healing promotion when a unit moves by it, +10 happiness
-Grand Mesa
Yield-+3 Gold, +2 Production
Bonus-None
-Great Barrier Reef
Yield-+2 Food, +1 Gold, +1 Production, +2 Science
Bonus-Covers 2 tiles, same yield for second tile
-Krakatoa
Yield-+5 Science
Bonus-None
-Mt Fuji
Yield-+1 Gold, +5 Culture
Bonus-None
-Old Faithful
Yield-+2 Research
Bonus-+3 Happiness when in your borders
-Rock of Gibraltar
Yield-+2 Food, +5 Gold
Bonus-None
10. Frequently Asked Questions-
Q- Where are the transports? How do I load up my units to cross the ocean?
A- Once you discover Optics, your units will board their own transports
automatically. Be careful, though; unless you’re the Songhai, they can’t
defend themselves so protect them accordingly.
Q- So dedicated transports are gone, is there a Marine unit anymore?
A- No, the marine is gone. All units can attack from the sea, but at a cost
to strength. However, you can get a promotion to fix this.
Q- My unit can shoot three tiles away, but when I try firing, it won’t let me
fire nearly that far. What’s the holdup?
A- There are two probable causes. One; there is an obstruction. Unless the
unit has Indirect Fire, it can’t shoot over obstructions like hills or
forests. The other likely problem is that it can’t see that far away.
A unit must see what it is firing at. This includes aircraft, as well.
Q- What’s the point of Declaration of Friendship and Denunciation?
A- Declaration of Frienship basically means that the two parties in question
share better relations. Any denunciations against them will earn the third
party negative relations. Denunciations do just the opposite. If two parties
have a mutual denunciation with somebody, then those two have better
relations than normal.
Q- How do I capture naval units as the Ottomans?
A- You must sail up to it so that the two units are right next to each other.
Simply firing at it from range will not do. If it works, you will capture
it without even having to attack it. If not, then it cannot be caputured at
all.
Q- When will I post detailed info for new Civilizations/units?
A- As soon as information is released on a Civ, I will try to incorporate it
immediately into my FAQ. However, I'd like at least one playthrough with
it before I write really detailed notes on it. I will actively update this
FAQ with any new information that comes along, however.
Q- The game says Rocket Artillery do not need to set up to fire, but mine still
do!
A- Newly built Rocket Artillery do not need to set up. However, upgraded
Artillery to Rocket Artillery do due to a design flaw where old units keep
ALL of their promotions (Good and Bad). However, this has been resolved as
of the latest patch.
Q- What good are the ranged promotions to Archers/Crossbowmen when they upgrade
to Riflemen?
A- Sadly, none. This goes for the ranged cavalry (Camel Archers, Keshik) as
well. And since the game now makes you promote units as soon as they are
able, its even more of an issue. Some promotions (like Logistics) do have
some use, but most of the abilities do not apply to Riflemen and their
future units.
Q- I've been denounced! How long does it last?
A- Denunciations last for 50 turns, as do Friendships.
Q- I just got the DLC maps, but I can't find them anwhere!
A- The DLC maps (Mesopotamia, America, etc.) can be played if you choose
advanced options in the set-up screen.
Q- How do research agreements work?
A- In the vanilla, unpatched game, you pay a certain amount of gold with
civilization and after a set period of time, you will be automatically
granted a new technology. However, this has been completely overhauled in
the June/July patch. Now, research agreements increase the science output of
the two nations based on the cost of the technologies that they can research.
Q- Where do you get patch information from?
A- As far as I know, the first place where patch notes are revealed are the 2K
forums for Civilization V. I will post updates as soon as they come
available.
11. Patch Notes; Abridged-
Full patch notes can be found at:
http://forums.2kgames.com/showthread.php?89117-Patch-Notes
Listed here is an abridged list of patch notes; effectively the most important
parts of each patch.
Patch 1.0.0.62 (Released 10/22/2010)
•Primarily a Buxfix patch
•Unit Cycling is better
•Correct mounted archer promotions
•Several Crash fixes
•General AI fixes
•Some gameplay fixes
•Can sell buildings
•Wealth now returns 25% gold
Patch 1.0.1.135 (Released 12/15/2010)
•Major rebalancing patch
•Maritime CS bonus reduced
•Several policies edited, mainly Tradition
•Less happiness needed for golden ages, but scales with empire size.
•Two new National Wonders
•Defensive buildings no longer have maintenance and help heal the city
•Promotions come the following turn, not immediately, and MUST be taken there
•Several buildings have effect reduced, namely happiness buildings.
•Significant AI retooling
•Tactical AI reworked, mostly in combat such as using and positioning units
correctly.
•No major bugfixes
Patch 1.0.1.217 (Released 3/1/2011)
•Some bug and crash fixes
•Turn times improved
•Fixed invisible rivers issue
•A few minor, specific issues fixed
•AI/Diplomacy fixes
•Chain denouncing reduced
•Denunciations and Friendships expire at 50 turns
•Enormous rebalancing
•Social Policies overhauled, mainly Tradition and Liberty.
•Golden Ages give +20% production per city, not +1 per tile
•New building: Aqueduct
•Happiness reduced for happiness buildings
•Resource-specific buildings (like Forge, Stable) provide bonus to resource
yield.
•Specialists added to several buildings.
•Yields for several improvements added.
•China nerfed significantly.
•MP fixes
•Can use DLC nations in MP (all parties must have them to be used)
Patch 1.0.1.275 (Released 4/28/2011)
•Significant AI changes
•Combat logic improved
•Improved tactics, especially when dealing with cities and embarkation
•AI will build workers, therefore, AI will develop its land
•Better Great General use
•Lots of information added to the UI
•Bugfixes
•Some crash fixes, most notably scroll-crashing
•River graphics fixed
•Stealth Bombers now gain experience
•No major balance changes
Patch 1.0.1.332 (Released 6/28/2011)
•Some AI fixes
•Fixes mostly involve flavor tweaks
•Some fixes to combat and tactics
•Diplomacy Fixes
•Added positive modifiers (past trades, common foes, etc)
•Several penalties added (being nuked, controlling enemy captial)
•Enormous rebalance patch
•Policy Finishers
•Research Agreements revamped
•Stone resource added with accompanying building (stone works)
•Several improvements have their yield increase at specific tech
•Many buildings had their effects nerfed
•Non-ground units can get EXP from barracks-type buildings
•Wonders got nerfed. Some had their abilities completely changed
•A few Civs got their traits buffed, namely Ottomans, Germany, and America
•Policy effects completely redone
•A few technologies have different or more prerequisites now
•Several units recieved new abilities or were nerfed.
12. Credits and Legal
• Big credit goes to the Civilization V .pdf manual for helping me
remember a lot of the details on what powers the civilizations had
and what their unique units did.
• Credit is also due to 2k and their forums as well as Civilization
Fanatics for some of the technical support mentioned in the odds and
ends section.
• Props to Firaxis and Sid Meier for making an awesome game.
• Questions, comments, or suggestions? Contact me at mwallyn@msn.com.
Include “Civ V Review” or something to that effect in the subject
line or else it will be ignored and deleted.
• Civlization V is Copyright 2010 2K Games and Firaxis. All Copyrights
are held by their rightful owners as well as any Trademarks used.
• This FAQ may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for
personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or
otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission.
Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
• All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by
their respective trademark and copyright holders.
• Copyright 2010 Mike Wallyn