Civilization V Analyst: Gods & Kings

*This page last updated: 08 September, 2014 22:15 PST. (Log of recent changes)

Disclaimer: The information listed below was gathered pre-release, and so some of it is out of date. I will bring it up to date with the released product as time permits.

CIVILIZATION V: GODS & KINGS Expansion Pack

On February 16, 2K announced an expansion pack for Civilization V, titled "Gods & Kings." It was released on 19 June 2012 (22 June internationally), for a price of USD $29.99. The Lead Designer on the project is Ed Beach, who has previously worked on Civilization III: Conquests, Tropico: Paradise Island, and Battle for Middle-Earth. Ed also designed Here I Stand, a popular board game about the Reformation. (Jon Shafer, Lead Designer on Civ V, left Firaxis in late 2010.) See the official site here.

What's New in Gods & Kings

Religion

Espionage

9 New Civilizations

27 New Units

13 New Buildings, 9 New Wonders & 1 New National Wonder

Enhanced Diplomacy

Revised Technology Tree

New City-State Types and interactions

Combat System Changes

Three New Scenarios

Changes to Existing Units

New Promotions

Revised Social Policies

7 New Resources and New & Changed Improvements

4 New Natural Wonders

Religion

Religion is based on a new resource called Faith, which can be earned by exploring ancient ruins, constructing religious buildings such as Shrines and Cathedrals, building religious Wonders, and through special abilities (like the Celts' ability to earn Faith from forests or through their Pictish Warrior's ability to generate Faith in combat).

Religions can be customized and developed from a simple pantheon to a modern religion by selecting "Beliefs" that offer specific benefits. You choose Beliefs from a pool (of about 50), and they are unique; choosing a Belief makes it unavailable to any other Religions in that game. A religion may accrue up to a total of five Beliefs over time (though the Byzantines have the special ability to unlock a bonus sixth Belief).

A religion starts out as a primitive animist Pantheon, which is available very early in the game when your civilization has accumulated about 10 Faith. The symbol of a Pantheon is a lightning bolt. A Pantheon has a single Belief chosen from a pool of ~20 Pantheon Beliefs, that provides a basic resource or Faith bonus for certain terrain types. Pantheons do not spread beyond your borders. The amount of Faith it takes to found a Pantheon will increase with every Pantheon that has been founded on the whole map.

Once your civilization has accumulated a certain Faith threshold (depending on game speed), you have a chance every turn to generate a Great Prophet. (When the Prophet spawns, it empties your Faith reserve, regardless of how much above the threshold you had built up.) This Prophet can be used to convert your Pantheon into a full-blown Religion. When founding a Religion, you choose one of the 11 available icons and names (you can change the name), and two more Beliefs, called a Founder and Follower Beliefs, each from a separate pool. When you get a second Great Prophet, you can then Enhance your religion, which unlocks two more Belief slots (called 2nd Follower and Enhancer Beliefs).

The 11 available religion icons are: Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, Tengriism, and Zoroastrianism.

There is a cap on how many Religions can be created in one game (looks like half the total number of civilizations). This limit applies only to Religions and not to Pantheons.

Beliefs

Beliefs are grouped into four categories: Pantheon, Founder, Follower and Enhancer. Pantheon Beliefs offer basic production bonuses for resources and terrain. Founder Beliefs offer bonuses that benefit only the founder of the religion. Follower Beliefs offer city-specific bonuses or special structures that can benefit any city that follows the religion. Enhancer Beliefs give you access to things like cheaper missionaries, allowing you to spread your religion faster. The total number of Beliefs that a mature Religion can have is five. There is also a sixth Bonus Belief, available only to the Byzantines, which can be chosen from all the available Belief types. Once a Belief is chosen, it becomes unique to that religion and cannot be chosen again by a different religion in the same game.

Pantheon Beliefs:

Ancestor Worship: +1 Culture for every Shrine in your civilization

Dance of the Aurora: +1 Faith from Tundra tiles without Forest

Desert Folklore: +1 Faith from Desert tiles

Faith Healers: +30 HP healed per turn if adjacent to a friendly city

Fertility Rites: 10% faster Growth Rate

God of Craftsmen: +1 Production in cities with population of 3+

God of the Open Sky: +1 Culture from Pastures

God of the Sea: +1 Production from Fishing Boats

God of War: Gain Faith if you win a battle within 4 tiles if your city

Goddess of Festivals: +1 Culture and +1 Faith for each Wine and Incense

Goddess of Love: +1 Happiness from cities with population of 6+

Goddess of Protection: +30% increase in city Ranged Combat Strength

Goddess of the Hunt: +1 Food from Hunting Camps

Messenger of the Gods: +2 Science in cities with a Trade Route

Monument to the Gods: +15% Production of Ancient/Classical Wonders

Mother Goddess: (increased food production)

One with Nature: +2 Faith from Natural Wonders

Oral Tradition: +1 Culture from Plantations

Religious Idols: +1 Culture and +1 Faith for each Gold and Silver

Religious Settlements: +15% faster border growth

Sacred Path: +1 Culture from Jungle tiles

Sacred Waters: +1 Happiness from cities on rivers

Stone Circles: +2 Faith from Quarries

Founder Beliefs:

Ceremonial Burial: +1 Happiness for each City following Religion

Church Property: +2 Gold for each City following Religion

Initiation Rites: +100 Gold when each City first converts to this Religion

Interfaith Dialogue: Gain Science when a Missionary spreads this religion to cities of other religions

Papal Primacy: +15 to Influence resting point with City-States following this religion

Peace Loving: +1 Happiness for every 5 followers of this religion in non-enemy foreign cities

Pilgrimage: +1 Faith for each foreign city following this religion

Tithe: +1 Gold for every 4 followers of this religion

World Church: +1 Culture for every 5 followers of this religion in other civilizations

Follower Beliefs:

Asceticism: Shrines provide +1 Happiness in Cities with 3 followers

Cathedrals: Use Faith to purchase Cathedrals (+1 Faith, +3 Culture, +1 Happiness, Artist Specialist slot)

Choral Music: Temples provide +2 Culture in Cities with 5 followers

Divine Inspiration: Each World Wonder provides +2 Faith in city

Feed the World: Shrines and Temples provide +1 Food each in city

Guruship: +2 Production if city has a Specialist

Holy Warriors: Use Faith to purchase pre-Industrial land units

Liturgical Drama: Amphitheaters provide +1 Faith in cities with 3 followers

Monasteries: Use Faith to purchase Monasteries (+2 Faith, +2 Culture, more with Wine or Incense)

Mosques: Use Faith to purchase Mosques (+3 Faith, +2 Culture, +1 Happiness)

Pagodas: Use Faith to purchase Pagodas (+2 Faith, +2 Culture, +2 Happiness)

Peace Gardens: Gardens provide +2 Happiness in city

Religious Art: Hermitage provides +5 Culture in city

Religious Center: Temples provide +2 Happiness in cities with 5 followers

Religious Community: +1% Production for each follower (max +15%)

Swords into Plowshares: 15% faster Growth rate for city if not at war

Enhancer Beliefs:

Defender of the Faith: +20% Combat near friendly Cities that follow this Religion

Holy Order: Missionaries and Inquisitors cost 30% less Faith

Itinerant Preachers: Religion spreads to cities 30% further away

Just War: +20% Combat near enemy Cities that follow this Religion

Messiah: Prophets 25% stronger and earned with 25% less Faith

Missionary Zeal: Missionary conversion strength +25%

Religious Texts: Religion spreads 34% faster (68% with Printing Press)

Religious Unity: Religion spreads to friendly city-states at double rate

Reliquary: Gain 50 Faith each time a Great Person is expended

Spreading Religion

Each citizen of a city is either an atheist or is converted to a Pantheon or Religion individually. If a majority of citizens in a city follow a particular Religion, then that becomes the "majority Religion" and the city is said to follow that religion, and will generate religious "Pressure" that extends 10 hexes and will slowly convert citizens of other cities to that religion. Majority religion is indicated by an icon on the city bar (see image at right), and mousing over this icon brings up a tooltip that identifies how many citizens follow each religion in the city, how much religious "Pressure" is exerted by each religion, and whether or not this city is the "Holy City" for a given religion. The Holy City is the city (usually the capital) in which the first Great Prophet founded the religion, and it appears to generate additional Pressure. Ed Beach: "If you, as a founder of a religion, have your Holy City captured, you will lose the Founder benefit. That being said, the conqueror does not gain those benefits, they just cease to exist until you’re able to recapture your Holy City."

Pantheons do not generate religious Pressure, and will not spread beyond your borders. It's not clear how Pantheons spread (if at all) within your civilization; it may be that each of your cities automatically gets 1 or 2 followers of the Pantheon and that's it. These Pantheon followers still remain in your cities when the Pantheon is transformed into a Religion; presumably they are converted by religious pressure over time to the new Religion.

Religions can spread on their own from one city to another within 10 hexes (without regard to national borders), converting one citizen at a time depending upon existing religious pressure. Missionary units can be used to accelerate this process. Inquisitors can be used to "stamp out" a competing religion from a city (called "Remove Heresy"), or can be used passively to prevent the spread of religion to the city in which they are stationed. The costs of both Missionaries and Inquisitors increases with each Era, so the best time to spread your religion is early in the game.

Ed Beach: "The Inquisitors are kind of the anti-Missionaries, where instead of adding religious Pressure to a City, they take it away; but in this case you're taking it away from those other civilizations who are trying to push that religion onto you."

Missionaries have multiple uses before they are expended; an Inquisitor can only be used once. Great Prophets can also be used both to Spread Religion and to stamp it out. Prophets can also build a special Holy Site tile improvement.

In addition to purchasing Beliefs, Faith can be used to purchase unique buildings (like Cathedrals) and units (like Missionaries) that are otherwise unavailable, or to purchase normal Great People (with the appropriate Social Policy for the desired Great Person type: Order for Great Engineer, Autocracy for Great General or Great Admiral, Freedom for Great Artist, Rationalism for Great Scientist, and Commerce for Great Merchant). Rival civilizations will now consider your religion during diplomatic negotiations. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, these diplomatic modifiers will increase. During the Industrial and Modern eras, these modifiers will decrease. Spreading religion in another civilization's cities will be unwelcome if that civilization has founded a religion of its own, and will incur a diplomatic penalty (especially if you are requested to stop and refuse).

Espionage

A Spy is gained at the beginning of each new era, starting with the Renaissance. Spies can gather information on foreign cities, steal technology, learn enemy war plans, perform counter-intelligence missions, and affect influence with City-States by rigging elections or staging coups. Espionage is conducted entirely through menus; Spies are not actual units that appear on the map. There are three spy ranks: Recruit, Agent, and Special Agent. Each subsequent level makes the spy more effective. A higher ranking spy will steal technologies faster, discover and kill enemy spies that are trying to steal from you more frequently, rig elections in City-States more effectively, and have a greater chance of pulling off a coup in a City-State allied with another civilization. Spies level up when they successfully steal technology from another civilization or kill an enemy spy attempting to steal their technology. If a Spy is killed, you will have to wait a set number of turns before receiving a replacement, who will be at Recruit experience level.

A Spy can slowly affect City-State influence over time (increasing your influence and decreasing others') by rigging elections (which occur in each City-State every 12 turns), which appears to be relatively safe but time-consuming. Alternatively, the Spy can try to trigger a coup, which affects influence immediately, but runs the risk of the Spy being caught and executed and incurring a severe influence penalty.

The first civilization to reach the Renaissance Era unlocks Espionage for all players on the map, awarding each player with one Spy to begin with. England receives a bonus Spy. You are also awarded with an additional Spy when you build the National Intelligence Agency (which is a National Wonder).

Cities are rated as targets for Espionage by a "Potential" rating. Ed Beach: "Potential is calculated based on the Science output of the city (obviously, higher is better), as well as the defensive buildings contained in the city, which can slow down a spy quite a bit. Once you’ve established ’Surveillance‘ in an opponent’s city, the potential will be displayed, so you can make a more educated decision about staying, or redeploying somewhere better." From the tooltip on Potential: "You always know the potential of your own cities. If you are in the lead technologically, you should consider protecting your high Potential cities. There are two ways to do this. You may move your own spies to your cities to act as counterspies that have a chance to catch and kill enemies spies before they steal a technology. You may also slow down how quickly enemy spies can steal technologies by constructing buildings like the Constabulary, Police Station, and the Great Firewall."

From the tooltip for the button to Move a Spy: "When a spy is directed to move to a new city, it takes a number of turns before it becomes fully effective. If the spy is moving to its owner's city, it will begin counter-espionage to uncover and kill enemy spies. If a spy is moved to a city that is owned by another civilization, the spy will begin trying to steal technology from that civilization. A spy can only steal from a civilization that knows any technology that the spy's owner does not. If the owner of the city has a spy defending the city, your spy has a chance of being discovered and killed. This may strain diplomatic relations! If the spy moves to a city that is a City-State, the spy will attempt to rig the elections to increase your influence over the city-state."

New Civilizations

9 New playable Civilizations. In addition, it has been confirmed that Spain (which was previously released as part of a DLC) is also being included in the expansion.

Special Abilities

Diplomatic Marriage (Austria): Can spend Gold to annex or puppet an allied City-State.

(Austria): Can spend Gold to annex or puppet an allied City-State. Patriarchate of Constantinople (Byzantium): Choose one more Belief than normal when you found a Religion.

(Byzantium): Choose one more Belief than normal when you found a Religion. Phoenician Heritage (Carthage): All coastal Cities get a free Harbor. Units may cross mountains after the first Great General is earned, taking 50 HP damage if they end a turn on a mountain.

(Carthage): All coastal Cities get a free Harbor. Units may cross mountains after the first Great General is earned, taking 50 HP damage if they end a turn on a mountain. Druidic Lore (Celts): +1 Faith per city with an adjacent unimproved Forest. Bonus increases to +2 Faith in Cities with 3 more more adjacent unimproved Forest tiles.

(Celts): +1 Faith per city with an adjacent unimproved Forest. Bonus increases to +2 Faith in Cities with 3 more more adjacent unimproved Forest tiles. Spirit of Adwa (Ethiopia): Combat bonus (+20%) when fighting units from a Civilization with more Cities than Ethiopia.

(Ethiopia): Combat bonus (+20%) when fighting units from a Civilization with more Cities than Ethiopia. Scourge of God (Huns): Raze cities at double-speed. Borrow City names from other in-game Civs. Start with Animal Husbandry technology. +1 Production from Pasture.

(Huns): Raze cities at double-speed. Borrow City names from other in-game Civs. Start with Animal Husbandry technology. +1 Production from Pasture. The Long Count (Maya): After researching Theology, receive a bonus great person at the end of every Maya calendar cycle ( 394 years ).

(Maya): After researching Theology, receive a bonus great person at the end of every Maya calendar cycle ( 394 years ). Dutch East India Company (Netherlands): Retains 50% of the happiness benefits from a luxury resource if your last copy of it is traded away.

(Netherlands): Retains 50% of the happiness benefits from a luxury resource if your last copy of it is traded away. Nobel Prize (Sweden): Gain 90 Influence with a Great Person gift to a City-State. When declaring friendship, Sweden and their friend gets a +10% boost to Great Person generation.

(Sweden): Gain 90 Influence with a Great Person gift to a City-State. When declaring friendship, Sweden and their friend gets a +10% boost to Great Person generation. Seven Cities of Gold (Spain): Gold bonus for discovering a Natural Wonder (bonus enhanced if first to discover it). Culture, happiness, and tile yields from Natural Wonders doubled.

Changes to Existing Civilizations

England: Sun Never Sets changed to: "+2 Movement for all naval units. Receives 1 extra Spy."

Ottomans: Barbary Corsairs changed to: "All melee naval units have the Prize Ships promotion, allowing them to capture defeated ships. Pay only one-third the usual cost for naval unit maintenance."

Siam: Father Governs Children changed to: "Food, Culture and Faith from friendly City-States increased by 50%.

Songhai: River Warlord changed to: "Receive triple Gold from Barbarian encampments and pillaging Cities. Land units gain the War Canoe and Amphibious promotions, strengthening them while embarked."

Enhanced Diplomacy

Foreign civilizations will now consider your Religion and the Social Policies you've chosen when deciding whether or not to like you. Religion will be more important early in the game; the diplomatic modifiers for Religion will increase during the Medieval and Renaissance ages, but will then decrease thereafter. After the Renaissance period, the major impact on diplomacy will be which of the Industrial-era Social Policy trees you've chosen: Freedom, Autocracy or Order.

Information obtained through Espionage can also be used in the Diplomacy system (such as informing a friendly civilization that another civilization plans to attack them). Diplomatic deals can now be renewed (or renegotiated) instead of simply ending after a certain number of turns.

You can once again found Embassies with other civilizations. Embassies allow visibility of the other civilization's capital, and are required for Defensive Pacts and Open Borders agreements. Going to war will dissolve an embassy.

The negative diplomatic modifier for "trying to win the game the same way as us" has been removed. Diplomatic modifiers are now color-coded according to how severe (or beneficial) the effect is.

Revised Technology Tree

The tech tree has changed. The Classical era has been expanded to 2 tiers, and the post-Industrial eras have been expanded into: Modern, Atomic, and Information eras. There are 8 new technologies.

Below is the full Gods & Kings technology tree. Items new to Gods & Kings are annotated.

Click on the image for a full-size version.



(Compare with the pre-expansion tree here.)

New Technologies

Drama and Poetry

Era: Classical

Cost: 175

Requires: Writing

Leads to: Theology, Civil Service

Unlocks: National Epic and Amphitheatre.

Guilds

Era: Medieval

Cost: 275

Requires: Currency

Leads to: Chivalry, Machinery

Unlocks: National Treasury, Machu Picchu, Trading Post, Polder, Wealth

Architecture

Era: Renaissance

Cost: 1150

Requires: Banking, Acoustics

Leads to: Archaeology, Scientific Theory

Unlocks: Hermitage, Porcelain Tower, Taj Mahal

Industrialization

Era: Industrial

Cost: 1600

Requires: Economics

Leads to: Steam Power

Unlocks: Gatling Gun, Factory, Big Ben, reveal Coal

Ballistics

Era: Modern

Cost: 4100

Requires: Flight

Leads to: Radar, Combined Arms

Unlocks: Anti-Aircraft Gun and Machine Gun

Combined Arms

Era: Atomic

Cost: 5100

Requires: Combustion, Ballistics

Leads to: Computers

Unlocks: Tank, Anti-Tank Gun, Pentagon

Mobile Tactics

Era: Information

Cost: 7700

Requires: Ecology, Nuclear Fission

Leads to: Particle Physics

Unlocks: Mechanized Infantry

Telecommunications

Era: Information

Cost: 7700

Requires: Ecology

Leads to: Globalization, Particle Physics

Unlocks: Nuclear Submarine, Bomb Shelter, CN Tower

Changes to Existing Technologies

Pottery: now also unlocks Shrine.

Trapping: no longer unlocks Trading Post.

Optics: now also unlocks Great Lighthouse (instead of at Sailing).

Horseback Riding: now also unlocks Circus Maximus (instead of at Construction).

Construction: now also unlocks Composite Bowman and Terracotta Army, but no longer Circus Maximus or Great Wall

Philosophy: no longer unlocks National Epic or Research Agreements.

Currency: now also unlocks Petra wonder.

Engineering: now also unlocks Great Wall.

Iron Working: now also unlocks Colossus (instead of at Bronze Working).

Theology: now unlocks Garden, Hagia Sophia, and Great Mosque of Djenne.

Civil Service: now also unlocks Research Agreements (instead of at Philosophy).

Compass: Now also unlocks Galleass.

Education: Now unlocks University, Oxford, Angkor Wat, Research, and an unknown ability.

Chivalry: now unlocks Alhambra wonder instead of Himeji Castle.

Physics: now also unlocks Notre Dame.

Machinery: no longer unlocks Armory.

Acoustics: no longer unlocks Hermitage or The Kremlin.

Banking: now also unlocks Constabulary.

Navigation: now also unlocks Privateer.

Rifling: no longer unlocks Arsenal.

Railroad: now unlocks an additional ability.

Economics: now unlocks Coffee House for Austria (replacement unknown) and 2 new abilities instead of Windmill and Big Ben.

Fertilizer: now unlocks an additional ability.

Steam Power: no longer unlocks Factory.

Electricity: now unlocks Hydro Plant and Police Station.

Replaceable Parts: now unlocks the WWI version of Infantry and the Military Base, but no longer the Anti-Tank gun.

Refrigeration: now unlocks Stadium.

Flight: now unlocks WWI Fighter and WWI Bomber instead of Fighter and Carrier, and an unknown ability.

Combustion: now unlocks WWI Tank/Land Ship instead of Tank.

Atomic Theory: now unlocks an additional ability.

Penicillin: now also unlocks Marine.

New City-State Types

New types include Religious City-States which provide Faith, and Mercantile City-States that provide a Happiness bonus and unique luxury resources such as Jewelry and Porcelain. The Influence system has changed, providing more quests (up to three per City-State at one time), and reducing the effectiveness of cash gifts. There are new quest types such as "generate the most Faith in 20 turns." The UI for the Influence meter on the city bar has changed, and now displays the four distinct stages of Influence in one meter. At right, Antwerp is an example of a Mercantile city-state, and below right, Jerusalem is an example of a Religious city-state. A helpful "Find on Map" button has also been added. to the UI.

City-States will no longer request that you conquer a rival; instead you may now "Bully" or demand tribute from a City-State. By moving a military force close to a City-State's borders, you can intimidate them (the icon will turn orange) and you will unlock the option to "Ask For Tribute", in which you can demand gold or a worker, with appropriate Influence penalties. Bullying a City-State will reduce your Influence and cause that City-State to cancel any available quests that it has offered you, and may incur diplomatic penalties with any civilization that has pledged protection to that City-State.

Mercantile City-States: Antwerp, Cahokia, Colombo, Genoa, Hong Kong, Marrakech, Singapore, Tyre, Zanzibar, Zurich

Religious City-States: Geneva, Jerusalem, La Venta, Lhasa, Vatican City, Wittenburg

Other new City-States: Jakarta (Maritime), Lisbon (Maritime), Prague (Cultured), Manila (Maritime), Milan (Cultured), Mombasa (Maritime),Valetta (Military), Yerevan (Cultured)

Combat Changes

Units have more health and so may last longer in combat (health has been increased from 10 to 100). According to Ed Beach: "In Civilization V, one unit could kill another unit of the same strength with about two hits (roughly 4-8 damage per hit). Under the new 100 point system, it would take approximately 3-4 hits (at around 24-36 damage per hit)." Accordingly, the mechanics of combat have changed significantly, and the Combat Strengths of many existing units have been changed. Healing rates have increased x10.

Accordingly, the mechanics of combat have changed significantly, and the Combat Strengths of many existing units have been changed. Healing rates have increased x10. There are now "melee" naval units that attack by ramming or boarding enemy units at close range. Melee naval units can attack other naval units and coastal cities, but NOT land units on the coast. They also get promotions that allow them to pillage gold while attacking cities. The Trireme is now a melee unit. The Destroyer is now a melee unit; the Battleship is still ranged. The Caravel is now a melee unit, and upgrades to the Ironclad, which is also melee.

Embarked land units now have "Defensive Embarkation," which allows them to defend themselves when attacked via melee, and can stack with a naval unit for protection. There is also a new Great Admiral unit that can heal nearby friendly naval units.

There are three new ranged units to fill the gaps in the various eras, so that you no longer have to upgrade Crossbowmen to Riflemen (making their ranged promotions useless). The new ranged upgrade progression goes:

Archer -> Composite Bowman -> Crossbowman -> Gatling Gun -> Machine Gun .

. Units can still heal themselves in lieu of a promotion, but this instant heal can now only be 50% of their maximum health.

There is no longer a "Garrison" command; any unit in a city is automatically considered garrisoned, and may take normal actions without giving up the Garrison defensive bonus to the city.

New Scenarios

Three new original scenarios are included.

Fall of Rome

Play as either Eastern Rome or Western Rome trying to fend off the barbarians OR as one of the barbarians themselves. Eastern and Western Rome have to select Social Policies that actually have negative effects, so they will get weaker over time.

Into the Renaissance

Grow your medieval kingdom into one of the great nations of Renaissance Europe, fending off outside invasions from Mongols and Ottoman Turks and fighting the religious wars of the Crusades and Reformation!

Empires of the Smoky Skies

Build flying airships and huge landship steam tanks from the unique tech tree of this Victorian science-fiction scenario, and use them to spread your empire across the pre-industrial world. The scenario starts at the beginning of the Industrial Era, and requires the player to hold 3 of 5 Honourable Titles awarded by the League of Empires for five consecutive turns.

Five civilizations: Eruch (Cyrus Rotheram), Vedria (Luther Griggs), Orlin (Ignace Curlin), Pulias (Octavius Cutler) and Dalmace (Clinton Alderdice).

Custom buildings, new resources, new units

Steam Era and Airship Era

Victory Conditions: Empires compete in five categories; be the best in a domain to earn an Honourable Title. To see the specifics of each Title, and monitor your progress, check the League of Empires screen. The first empire to hold three or more Titles will control the League and win the game.

Defender of Progress: have the most land and airships

Grand Philanthropist: have the most world and national wonders

Captain of Industry: have the highest production

Lord of Refinement: have the most social policies

Master of Wealth: have the highest total gross gold income

Special Rules: Players begin with all technologies up through Steam Power. The tech tree after Steam Power has been altered significantly, giving players the ability to construct Airships, Landships, and new buildings. Barbarians ("Luddites") are enabled, but do not have access to advanced units. Social Policies have been rearranged. Religion has been disabled, as have religious and military city-states.

New Units

There are 27 new units in the expansion. The following list has 28 entries; the Infantry unit has been split into WWI and WWII versions, but this is counted as only one "new" unit. Note that the Cost numbers listed below may be out of whack, because we don't know what game speed settings the various screenshots and videos are using.

(*UU - "Unique Unit"; a civilization-specific unit) ( † - purchased with Faith)

Atlatlist

Movement: 2; Strength: 5; Ranged Attack: 7; Range: 2 Cost: 36 hammers or 72 faith; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Agriculture; Obsolete with: Construction; Upgrades to: Composite Bowman

Abilities: May Not Melee Attack

Game Info: Only the Maya may build this unit. It is cheaper and available sooner than the Archer, which it replaces.

Notes: Mayan Unique Unit; replaces Archer. It has the same stats as the Archer, but is available immediately and is cheaper. The atlatl is a javelin-thrower, a stick acting as a lever to amply the force used to throw the javelin.

Pictish Warrior

Movement: 2; Strength: 11; Ranged Strength: 0; Cost: 56; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Bronze Working

Abilities: Combat bonus outside of friendly territory, can pillage at no additional movement cost, and earn 50 percent of enemy combat strength as faith for kills

Special Abilities: A Celtic Unique Unit; it has a combat bonus outside of friendly territory and can pillage enemy improvements at no additional movement cost. Earns 50% of opponents’ strength as Faith for kills.

Notes: The Picts were Celts living in Scotland.

Battering Ram

Movement: 2; Strength: 10; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 75 Hammers or 150 Faith; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Bronze Working; Obsolete with: Physics; Upgrades to: Trebuchet

Abilities: Cover I, +300% bonus vs. Cities, -1 Visibility, No Defensive Terrain Bonuses, -33% Penalty on Defense

Game Info: Siege unit deadly at melee attacks versus cities. Only the Huns may build it.

Strategy: Battering Rams are a Hunnic unique unit replacing the Spearman. Use Battering Rams to knock down the defenses of a city. They have the Cover I promotion to keep them safe from ranged units; attack them with melee units to defeat them.

Notes: Hun Unique Unit; replaces Spearman.

Horse Archer

Movement: 4; Strength: 7; Ranged Attack: 10; Range: 2; Cost: 56; Requires Resource: none

Technology: The Wheel; Obsolete with: Chivalry; Upgrades to: Knight

Abilities: Accuracy I, May Not Melee Attack

Game Info: A fast Ranged Unit used for hit and run attacks.

Notes: Hun Unique Unit; replaces Chariot Archer. Does NOT require Horses.

Quinquereme

Movement: 4; Strength: 13; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 45; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Sailing; Obsolete with: Astronomy; Upgrades to: Caravel

Abilities: Cannot Enter Deep Ocean

Game Info: Strong Ancient era Naval Unit used to dominate the seas through melee attacks on naval units and cities. Only the Carthaginians may build it.

Notes: Carthaginian Unique Unit, replaces the Trireme. The Quinquereme has a +3 Strength more than the Trireme. The quinquereme had five banks of oars (as opposed to the trireme's three) and was introduced by the Carthaginians, though later adopted by the Romans.

Dromon

Movement: 4; Strength: 8; Ranged Attack: 10; Range: 2; Cost: 56; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Sailing; Obsolete with: Astronomy; Upgrades to: Galleass

Abilities: +50% vs. Naval, Cannot Enter Deep Ocean, May Not Melee Attack

Game Info: Dominant Ancient Era Naval Unit used to own the seas through the Classic Era with its ranged attack. Only the Byzantines may build it.

Strategy: Attacks with lethal Greek Fire, making it the first naval unit with a ranged attack. This unit fights at +50% strength against other naval units. It cannot enter Deep Ocean tiles.

Notes: Byzantine Unique Unit, replaces Trireme. The Dromon has a ranged attack instead of a melee attack. The historical dromon was a Medieval-era oared galley with the ability to spray Greek Fire from a siphon in the prow.

Cataphract

Movement: 3; Strength: 15; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 75 hammer or 150 faith; Requires Resource: Horses

Technology: Horseback Riding; Obsolete with: Chivalry; Upgrades to: Knight

Abilities: Can Move After Attacking, -25% Penalty vs. Cities

Notes: Byzantine Unique Unit, replaces Horseman. The Cataphract has a +3 Strength more than the Horseman which it replaces. Can gain defensive bonuses from terrain. Cataphracts were heavy armored cavalry, with both the rider and horse covered in chain or scale armor, used from the Classical period through the Middle Ages. Byzantine cataphracts were drawn from the land-owning middle class, and so were in more ways than one the forerunner of the European knights.

Composite Bowman

Movement: 2; Strength: 7; Ranged Attack: 11; Cost: 75; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Construction; Obsolete with: Machinery; Upgrades to: Crossbowman

Abilities: Can't melee attack.

Game Info: Classical ranged infantry unit.

Strategy: The Composite Bowman is more powerful than the Archer. As a Ranged unit it can deal significant damage to other units up to two hexes away, but it is vulnerable to melee attacks. Put Composite Bowman in your city for defense, and guard them with melee units when on the move.

Notes: This is a new intermediate ranged unit between Archer and Crossbowman, available in the Classical Era with Construction.

African Forest Elephant

Movement: 3; Strength: 14; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 100; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Horseback Riding; Obsolete with: Chivalry; Upgrades to: Knight

Abilities: Feared Elephant (-10% penalty to adjacent enemies), Can Move After Attacking, Great Generals II, No Defensive Terrain Bonuses, -33% Penalty Attacking Cities

Game Info: Powerful early game Mounted Unit. Weak to Spearmen, This Unit has a higher Combat Strength (+2) than the Horseman, which it replaces, and strikes fear into nearby enemy units. Helps produce Great Generals more quickly.

Notes: Carthaginian Unique Unit, replaces Horseman.

Galleass

Movement: 3; Strength: 16; Ranged Attack: 17; Range: 2; Cost: 100; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Compass; Obsolete with: Navigation; Upgrades to: Frigate

Abilities: Cannot Enter Deep Ocean, May Not Melee Attack

Game Info: Medieval Era Naval Units used to wrest control of the seas with its ranged attack.

Notes: The Galleass is the first ranged naval unit, and it upgrades to Frigate. It is very slow and cannot enter deep ocean, so it is useful only for combat. The galleass was an intermediate vessel between the oared galley and the full-sailed galleon.

Privateer

Movement: 5; Strength: 25; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 150; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Navigation; Obsolete with: Combustion; Upgrades to: Destroyer

Abilities: Coastal Raider I (+20% vs Cities, steal gold equal to 33% of the damage done), Prize Ships (defeated naval unit joins your side)

Game Info: Naval unit that specializes in attacking coastal cities to earn gold and capturing enemy ships.

Notes: The Privateer is a normal unit; it does NOT have hidden nationality (as in Civ III and IV). The graphic for the Privateer is only slightly modified from the Frigate, with black bowsprit and spanker sails, and small pirate flags. Privateers were legalized pirates, granted "Letters of Marque" to attack enemy shipping during wartime.

Sea Beggar

Movement: 5; Strength: 25; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 150; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Navigation; Obsolete with: Combustion; Upgrades to: Destroyer

Abilities: Coastal Raider I and II, Prize Ships, Supply (heal +15 per turn outside friendly borders)

Game Info: A Dutch Unique Unit; specializes in attacking coastal cities to earn gold, and capturing enemy ships.

Notes: Netherlands unique unit; replaces Privateer. The "Sea Beggars" were Dutch privateers who, under William of Orange, fought against their Spanish overlords.

Hakkapeliitta

Movement: 4; Strength: 25; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 185 for 370 Faith; Requires Resource: Horses

Technology: Metallurgy; Obsolete with: Combined Arms; Upgrades to: Anti-Tank Gun

Abilities: Formation I, Can Move After Attacking, Transfer Movement to General, Great General Combat Bonus, No Defensive Terrain Bonuses, -25% Penalty vs. Cities

Game Info: Elite mounted Unit that specializes in working with Great Generals. Only the Swedish may build it.

Strategy: Hakkapeliitta are the elite mounted units of the late Renaissance Swedish army. Stack a Great General with them if possible. The Great General receives the movement allowance of the Hakkapeliitta if they start the turn stacks. In addition, the Hakkapeliitta receive a 15% combat bonus when stacked with a Great General.

Notes: Swedish Unique Unit; replacement for Lancers. The hakkapeliitta was a Finnish light cavalry fighting for King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden during the Thirty Years' War (1618 to 1648).

Carolean

Movement: 2; Strength: 34; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 225; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Rifling; Obsolete with Replaceable Parts; Upgrades to: Great War Infantry

Abilities: March

Game Info: A Swedish Unique Unit; starts with the March promotion that allows it to Heal every turn, even if it performs an action.

Notes: Swedish Unique Unit; replaces Rifleman. The Caroleans were Swedish infantry of the late Seventeenth and early Eighteenth centuries under Charles XI and XII, famous for their strict discipline and courage under fire.

Hussar

Movement: 5; Strength: 34; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 225; Requires Resource: Horses

Technology: Military Science; Obsolete with: Combustion; Upgrades to: Landship

Abilities: +1 Sight, +50% Flank Attack, Can Move After Attacking, No Defensive Terrain Bonuses, -33% Penalty vs. Cities

Game Info: An Austrian Unique Unit; a fast Mounted Unit used for scouting and hit-and-run attacks. Especially deadly with flank attacks.

Notes: Austrian Unique Unit; replaces Cavalry. Bonus on Flank Attacks.

Gatling Gun

Movement: 2; Strength: 36; Ranged Attack: 36; Range: 1; Cost: 225; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Industrialization; Obsolete with: Ballistics; Upgrades to: Machine Gun

Abilities: May Not Melee Attack

Game Info: Ranged Infantry Unit of the mid-game that must be adjacent to an enemy unit to strike.

Notes: Crossbows now can be upgraded to the Gatling Gun, which in turn upgrades to the Machine Gun. The Gatling was a hand-cranked multiple-barreled rotary gun first introduced in the American Civil War.

Mehal Sefari

Movement: 2; Strength: 34; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 200; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Rifling; Obsolete with: Replaceable Parts; Upgrades to: Great War Infantry

Abilities: Drill I, Near Capital Bonus (30% stronger near the capital; bonus falls off as the unit move farther away)

Game Info: An Ethiopian Unique Unit; specializes in fighting in rough terrain and defending near the Ethiopian capital.

Notes: Ethiopian Unique Unit, replaces Rifleman. The Mehal Sefari were elite units of the Ethiopian Imperial Guard during the late Nineteenth Century.

Machine Gun

Movement: 2; Strength: 60; Ranged Attack: 60; Range: 1; Cost: 350; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Ballistics; Obsolete with: never; Upgrades to: Mechanized Infantry

Abilities: May Not Melee Attack

Notes: Based on the deadly Maxim gun, invented in 1884 and used to devastating effect by both sides in World War I.

Triplane

Ranged Attack: 35; Range: 5; Cost: 325; Requires Resource: Oil

Technology: Flight; Obsolete with: Radar; Upgrades to: Fighter

Abilities: Interception (50), Air Sweep, Air Recon, +150% vs. Bombers and Helicopters

Game Info: Early Air Unit designed to intercept enemy aircraft.

Strategy: The Triplane can be based in any city you own or aboard an aircraft carrier. It can move from city to city (or carrier) and perform "missions" within its range of 5 tiles. Use triplanes to attack enemy aircraft and ground units, to scout enemy position, and to defend against enemy air attacks.

Notes: Flight now gives access to WWI-era aircraft. Appearance based on the German Fokker Dr.1 Triplane.

Great War Bomber

Ranged Attack: 50; Range: 6; Cost: 325; Requires Resource: Oil

Technology: Flight; Obsolete with: Radar; Upgrades to: Bomber

Abilities: none

Notes: Flight now gives access to WWI-era aircraft. Appears to be based on the German Gotha bomber. In some shots it is named "WWI Bomber," but in others it is named "Great War Bomber."

Landship

Movement: 4; Strength: 60; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 350; Requires Resource: Oil

Technology: Combustion; Obsolete with: Combined Arms; Upgrades to: Tank

Abilities: Can move after attacking, No Defensive Terrain Bonuses

Notes: Combustion now gives access to a WWI-era armored unit instead of the WWII-era Tank. Looks like a British Mk.IV or Mk.V tank.

Great War Infantry

Movement: 2; Strength: 50; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 320; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Replaceable Parts; Obsolete with: Plastics; Upgrades to: Infantry

Abilities: none

Notes: The old Civ V Infantry unit now has a different icon, and is a WWI-era unit.

Infantry

Movement: 2; Strength: 70; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 375; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Plastics; Obsolete with: Mobile Tactics; Upgrades to: Mechanized Infantry

Notes: The Civ V icon for Infantry now is on a unit with a graphic that looks like US WWII infantry. It has moved to Plastics.

Marine

Movement: 2; Strength: 65; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 400; Requires Resource: none

Technology: Penicillin; Obsolete with: never

Abilities: Amphibious, Extra Sight When Embarked, Embarkation With Defense (defend at double strength)

Game Info: Atomic Era Unit especially useful for embarking and invading across the sea.

Notes: Dennis Shirk confirmed in a PAX interview that there is a "late-game Marine unit."

Great Prophet

Movement: 2; Religious Strength: 2000; Cost: n/a; Requires Resource: none

Abilities: Found Religion, Enhance Religion, Build Holy Site, Spread Religion (limited to 4 actions)

Notes: A new Great Person type that can be used to found a Religion or add Beliefs to a Religion. Can create a "Holy Site" tile improvement. Appears to be able to spread religion a limited number of times. Has a "Religious Strength" value which is related to the ability to spread religion. When used to spread religion, Great Prophets also remove competing religions, even in a foreign city. If you use any of your Spread Religion actions, the Prophet loses the ability to Build Holy Site or Enhance Religion.

Great Admiral

Movement: 6; Strength: -; Ranged Attack: -; Cost: -; Requires Resource: -

Notes: The Great Admiral can stack with combat naval units for protection. "The Great Admiral has the ability to instantly repair every naval and embarked unit in the same hex, as well as in adjacent hexes. The Great Admiral is consumed when performing this action. The Great Admiral also provides a 15% combat bonus to all player-owned naval units within 2 tiles. The Great Admiral is NOT consumed when he provides this bonus."

Missionary

Movement: 4; Religious Strength: 1000; Ranged Attack: -; Cost: 200 Faith; Requires Resource: none

Special Abilities: -1 Visibility, Spread Religion: This order will covert some of the citizens of the nearby city to the unit's religion. This unit will be consumed if this is their final Spread Religion action. Spreading by Great Prophets also removes the influence of other religions." Unwelcome Evangelist: "Can enter rival territory without Open Borders but loses 25% of original religious strength for each turn they end on such a tile. Unit in eliminated when religious strength reaches 0."

Game Info: Used to spread religion to cities. May only be obtained by purchasing with Faith.

Strategy: Can be purchased with Faith in any city with a majority religion. Once adjacent to a city they can spread their religion to it (expending the Missionary after the second use).

Notes: A new unit that can be used to spread Religion, to your own cities or foreign cities (including City-States). It is purchased only with Faith, and the cost increases every Era. The Missionary has 2 Spread Religion actions, after which it is consumed. Missionaries can be captured in combat, but they retain their religious affiliation, so don't try to use them to Spread Religion, because they will spread the religion of the enemy.

Inquisitor

Movement: 3; Strength: 0; Cost: 200 Faith; Requires Resource: none

Special Abilities: +1 Sight, Remove Heresy: "This order will remove the presence of other religions from the nearby, friendly-controlled city. An inquisitor is consumed by this action."

Game Info: Used to remove other religions from Cities. May only be obtained by purchasing with Faith.

Strategy: Can be purchased with Faith with a majority Religion that has been enhanced. They can remove other religions from your cities (expending the Inquisitor) or be placed inside a city to protect it from Missionaries and Prophets trying to spread other religions to that city.

Notes: Inquisitors become available when you Enhance your religion with a second Great Prophet, and can only be purchased with Faith. The cost goes up with every Era. The Inquisitor only has 1 Remove Heresy action, which can only be used against your own cities.

Scenario-Specific Units

Empires of the Smoky Skies

Includes a variety of steam-powered Airships and Landships.

Airship

Move: 6; Strength: 65

Sky Fortress

Move: 4; Strength: 80; Cost: 287; Required Resource: 1 Aetherium

Notes: "Most advanced airship unit. May act as base for a Flyer. Powerful attacks, but vulnerable to Flyers."

Land Ironclad

Move: 3; Strength: 60

Landship

Movement: 4; Strength: 70

Land Leviathan

Move: 3; Strength: 85

Notes: A third, larger type of land ship.

Flyer

Range: 3; Ranged Strength: 18; Cost: 200

Notes: Some kind of wacky steam-powered biplane. "Excellent against airships, but not very strong against land units. It also has a limited range, and must base at a city or Sky Fortress."

Changes to Existing Units

With the move to the 100 hit point system, combat has been substantially rebalanced, and the Combat Strengths of many (or most) units have been changed. Some naval vessels are now melee-only and don't have a ranged attack. Some siege weapons now have lower ranged strength but a higher bonus vs. Cities, to reduce their effectiveness against other units.

Changed Unit Strengths:

Unit Melee

Strength Ranged

Strength Change Notes Scout 5 0 +1 Galley 7 0 +2, -3 Barbarian Galley is now a melee unit Warrior 8 0 +2 Same strength for Brute, Jaguar, Maori Warrior Archer 5 7 +1, +1 No longer has -25% vs. Cities Bowman 7 9 +1, +1 No longer has -25% vs. Cities Slinger 4 7 +2, +1 Spearman 11 0 +4 Now +50% vs Mounted (down from 100%) Hoplite 13 0 +4 Now +50% vs Mounted (down from 100%) Immortal 12 0 +4 Now +50% vs Mounted (down from 100%) Trireme 10 0 +10, -6 Now is melee rather than ranged Chariot Archer 6 10 +3, +3 No longer has -25% vs. Cities War Elephant 9 11 +3, +3 No longer has -25% vs. Cities Catapult 7 8 +2, -3 Now has +200% vs. Cities (up from +50%), no longer requires Iron Ballista 8 10 +3, -4 Now has +200% vs. Cities (up from +50%), no longer requires Iron Horseman 12 0 +2 Companion Cavalry 14 0 +2 Swordsman 14 0 +3 Same strength for Mohawk Warrior; now upgrades to Musketman Legion 17 0 +4 Now upgrades to Musketman Pikeman 16 0 +6 Now upgrades to Lancer Longswordsman 21 0 +5 Same strength for Berserker, Samurai Crossbowman 13 18 +3, +3 No longer has -25% vs. Cities, now upgrades to Gatling Gun; same strength for Longbowman Chu-Ko-Nu 13 14 +3, +3 No longer has -25% vs. Cities, now upgrades to Gatling Gun Knight 20 0 +2 Move increased to 4 Camel Archer 17 21 +7, +6 No longer has -25% vs. Cities Keshik 15 16 +7, +3 Naresuan's Elephant 25 0 +3 Trebuchet 12 14 +4, -2 Now has +200% vs. Cities (up from +50%), no longer requires Iron Hwach'a 11 26 +3, +1 No longer requires Iron Musketman 24 0 +8 Same strength for Minuteman, Janissary Cannon 14 20 +1, -6 Now has +200% vs. Cities (up from +20%) Lancer 25 0 +3 Now upgrades to Anti-Tank Gun Caravel 20 0 +20, -7 Now a melee unit, with a Move of only 4 (down from 6), upgrades to Ironclad Frigate 25 28 -5, +13 Now upgrades to Battleship Rifleman 34 0 +9 Now upgrades to Great War Infantry Ironclad 50 0 +15, -18 Now a melee unit. Can now enter deep ocean, but also gets double movement in Coast and +33% bonus vs. Cities Great War Infantry 50 0 +14 Infantry has been split into WWI and WWII versions Destroyer 55 0 +20 No longer has a ranged attack Battleship 55 70 -5, +38 Submarine 35 60 +10, 0 Infantry 70 0 +34 This is the WWII version of Infantry Fighter 0 45 +5 Bomber 0 65 +15 Great Artist 0 0 n/a Is now the only GP that can trigger Golden Ages; loses Culture Bomb Great Scientist 0 0 n/a The ability to Discover Tech is now limited to 6 turns' worth of your Science output, instead of awarding a whole technology automatically. Great General 0 0 n/a Now gives +15% combat bonus to nearby units, down from +25%, but the Citadel now has Culture Bomb properties

New Upgrade Paths

Unless otherwise noted, Unique Units follow the same upgrade path as the regular units that they replace (for example, the Legion, which replaces the Swordsman, upgrades to Longswordsman).

Warrior-> Swordsman-> Longswordsman-> Musketman-> Rifleman-> Great War Infantry-> Infantry-> Mechanized Infantry

Archer-> Composite Bowman-> Crossbowman-> Gatling Gun-> Machine Gun-> Mechanized Infantry

Spearman-> Pikeman-> Lancer-> Anti-Tank Gun-> Attack Helicopter

Horseman-> Knight-> Cavalry-> Landship-> Tank-> Modern Armor-> Giant Death Robot

Catapult-> Trebuchet-> Cannon-> Artillery-> Rocket Artillery

Galley-> Trireme-> Caravel-> Ironclad-> Destroyer

Dromon-> Galleass-> Frigate -> Battleship

Privateer-> Destroyer

Battering Ram-> Trebuchet

Triplane-> Fighter-> Jet Fighter

Great War Bomber-> Bomber-> Stealth Bomber

Chariot Archer-> Knight

Anti-Aircraft Gun-> Mobile SAM

New Promotions

Boarding Party I, II, & III (hook icon): +15% Combat Strength in melee against Naval Units.

Coastal Raider I, II & III (skull icon): +20% Combat Strength when attacking Cities. Steal gold equal to 33% of the damage inflicted on a city.

Prize Ships: Defeated enemy naval unit joins your side.

Double Movement in Coast: Double Movement in Coast.

Embarkation with Defense: Can embark onto Water Tiles. Embarked units defend at double strength.

Feared Elephant: Enemy units receive -10% Combat Strength when adjacent to any unit with this promotion.

The Siege promotions are no longer available to Siege units.

Changes to Social Policies

Changes from the basic version of Civilization V are marked in red .

Tradition

Tradition is best for small empires. Adopting Tradition greatly increases the rate of border expansion in cities and also grants 3 Culture in the Capital. Adopting all Policies in the Tradition tree will grant +15% Growth and a free Aqueduct in your first 4 cities .

Aristocracy : +15% when building Wonders and +1 Happiness for every 10 Citizens in a City.

: +15% when building Wonders and +1 Happiness for every 10 Citizens in a City. Oligarchy : Garrisoned units cost no maintenance and cities with a garrison gain +50% Ranged Combat Strength.

: Garrisoned units cost no maintenance and cities with a garrison gain Ranged Combat Strength. Legalism : Provides a free culture building in your first 4 cities.

: Provides a free culture building in your first 4 cities. Monarchy : +1 Gold and -1 Unhappiness for every 2 Citizens in the Capital. (requires Legalism)

: +1 Gold and -1 Unhappiness for every 2 Citizens in the Capital. (requires Legalism) Landed Elite: +10% Growth and +2 in the Capital. (requires Legalism)

Liberty

Liberty is best for civilizations which desire rapid expansion. Adopting Liberty will provide 1 Culture in every City. Adopting all policies in the Liberty tree will grant a free Great Person of your choice near the Capital.

Republic : +1 Production in every City and +5% Production in cities when constructing Buildings.

: +1 Production in every City and +5% Production in cities when constructing Buildings. Citizenship : Tile improvement construction rate increased by 25% and a Worker appears near the Capital.

: Tile improvement construction rate increased by 25% and a Worker appears near the Capital. Collective Rule : Speeds the training of Settlers by 50% in the Capital and a free Settler appears near the Capital. (requires Republic)

: Speeds the training of Settlers by 50% in the Capital and a free Settler appears near the Capital. Meritocracy : +1 Happiness for each City you own connected to the Capital and -5% Unhappiness from Citizens in non-occupied Cities. (requires Citizenship)

: +1 Happiness for each City you own connected to the Capital and -5% Unhappiness from Citizens in non-occupied Cities. (requires Citizenship) Representation: Each city you found will increase the Culture cost of policies by 33% less than normal. Also starts a Golden Age. (requires Citizenship)

Honor

Honor improves the effectiveness of one's army in a variety of ways. Adopting Honor gives a +33% combat bonus VS Barbarians, and notifications will be provided when new Barbarian Encampments spawn in revealed territory. Gain Culture for the empire from each barbarian killed. Adopting all policies in the Honor tree will grant Gold for each enemy unit killed.

Warrior Code : +15% Production when training Melee units and a Great General appears outside the Capital.

: +15% Production when training Melee units and a Great General appears outside the Capital. Discipline : +15% combat strength for military Units which have another military Unit in an adjacent tile.

: combat strength for military Units which have another military Unit in an adjacent tile. Military Caste : Each City with a garrison increases empire Happiness by 1 and Culture by 2. (requires Discipline)

: Each City with a garrison increases empire Happiness by 1 and Culture by 2. (requires Discipline) Military Tradition : Military Units gain 50% more Experience from combat. (requires Warrior Code)

: Military Units gain 50% more Experience from combat. (requires Warrior Code) Professional Army: Gold cost of upgrading Military Units reduced by 33% and +1 Local City Happiness from every defensive building (Walls, Castle, Arsenal, Military Base). (requires Military Caste)

Piety

Unlocks at Classical Era. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Rationalism.

Adopting Piety allows you to build Shirnes and Temples in half the usual time. Adopting all Policies in the Piety tree will provide a 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith, and Holy Sites provide +3 Gold and +3 Culture.

Organized Religion : +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples .

: . Mandate of Heaven : 50% of excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.

: 50% of excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies. Reformation : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age. (requires Organized Religion)

: Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age. (requires Organized Religion) Theocracy : Temples increase a cities Gold output by 10%. (requires Organized Religion)

: Temples increase a cities Gold output by 10%. (requires Organized Religion) Religious Tolerance: Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%. (requires Mandate of Heaven, Reformation)

Patronage

Unlocks at Medieval Era.

Patronage enhances the benefits of City-State friendship. Influence with City-States degrades 25% slower than normal. Adopting all policies in the Patronage tree will make other players' Influence with City-States decrease 33% more per turn than usual.

Aesthetics : Resting point for Influence level with all City-States is increased by 20.

: Resting point for Influence level with all City-States is increased by 20. Philanthropy : Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.

: Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence. Scholasticism : All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves. (requires Philanthropy)

: All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves. (requires Philanthropy) Cultural Diplomacy : Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%. (requires Scholasticism)

: Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%. (requires Scholasticism) Educated Elite: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People. (requires Aesthetics, Scholasticism)

Order

Unlocks at Industrial Era. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Freedom or Autocracy.

Order is best for large, sprawling empires, increasing the strength of the empire based on the number of Cities it contains. Adopting Order will increase Happiness by 1 per City. Adopting all Policies in the Order tree will grant +2 Food, Production, Science, Gold, and Culture per city. May purchase Great Engineers with Faith.

United Front : Militaristic city states grant units twice as often when you are at war with a common foe .

: . Nationalism : 15% attack bonus when fighting in friendly territory .

: . Planned Economy : Factories increase a cities Science output by 25%. Build Factories in half the usual time.

: Factories increase a cities Science output by 25%. Socialism : Gold maintenance costs of Buildings reduced by 15% . (requires Planned Economy)

: Gold maintenance costs of Buildings reduced by . (requires Planned Economy) Communism: +2 Production per City and +1 Production for every Mine or Quarry . (requires Socialism)

Autocracy

Unlocks at Industrial Era. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Freedom or Order.

Autocracy is for militaristic civilizations, dreaming of world conquest. Adopting Autocracy reduces Unit Gold Maintenance costs by 33%, allowing an empire to field a larger military. Receive 10 Culture as plunder for each point of Culture produced in the captured city. Adopting all Policies in the Autocracy tree will grant a 25% attack bonus to all Military Units for 50 turns. May purchase Great Generals and Great Admirals with Faith.

Militarism : Gold cost of purchasing units reduced by 33%.

: Gold cost of purchasing units reduced by 33%. Police State : +3 Local City Happiness from every Courthouse. Build Courthouses in half the usual time. The effectiveness of enemy spies is reduced by 25%. Your counterspies have a 25% increased chance of catching enemy spies . (requires Militarism)

: . (requires Militarism) Populism : Wounded military units deal +25% damage than normal.

: Wounded military units deal +25% damage than normal. Fascism : Quantity of Strategic Resources produced by the empire increased by 100%. All Great Generals receive +2 Movement. (requires Populism, Militarism)

: Quantity of Strategic Resources produced by the empire increased by 100%. (requires Populism, Militarism) Total War: +25% Production when building Military Units and new Military Units start with +15 Experience. (requires Police State, Fascism)

Freedom

Unlocks at Industrial Era. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Autocracy or Order.

Freedom is best for small, focused empires. In particular, it provides bonuses for Great People and Specialists. Upon adopting Freedom, the rate at which Great People are born is increased by 25%. Adopting all Policies in the Freedom tree will increase the base yield from Great Tile Improvements by 100% and length of Golden Ages increased by 50%. May purchase Great Artists with Faith.

Civil Society : Specialists consume only half the normal amount of Food.

: Specialists consume only half the normal amount of Food. Constitution : +2 Culture from each World Wonder.

: +2 Culture from each World Wonder. Universal Suffrage : Combat Strength of Cities increased by 33%.

: Combat Strength of Cities increased by 33%. Democracy : Specialist Population in Cities produce half the normal amount of Unhappiness. (Requires Civil Society)

: Specialist Population in Cities produce half the normal amount of Unhappiness. (Requires Civil Society) Free Speech: 8 units are maintenance free. (Requires Constitution)

Rationalism

Unlocks at Renaissance Era. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Piety.

Rationalism improves the ability to use and generate Science. Adopting Rationalism will grant +15% Science while the empire is Happy . Adopting all Policies in the Rationalism tree will grant 2 free Technologies . May purchase Great Scientists with Faith.

Secularism : +2 Science from every Specialist.

: +2 Science from every Specialist. Humanism : +1 Local City Happiness from every University, Observatory and Public School.

: +1 Happiness from every University, Observatory and Public School. Free Thought : +1 Science from every Trading Post and +17% Science from Universities. (requires Secularism).

: +1 Science from every Trading Post and +17% Science from Universities. (requires Secularism). Sovereignty : +1 Gold from Science buildings. (requires Humanism).

: (requires Humanism). Scientific Revolution: Boosts Science gainted from Research Agreements by 50%. (requires Free Thought).

Commerce

Unlocks at Medieval Era.

Commerce provides bonuses to naval empires, and those focused on Gold. Adopting Commerce will boost Gold output in Capital City by 25%. Adopting all Policies in the Commerce tree will grant +1 Gold from every Trading Post and double Gold from Great Merchant trade missions. May purchase Great Merchants with Faith.

Naval Tradition : +1 Movement and +1 sight range for naval combat units. A Great Admiral appears. +2 Movement for all Great Admirals.

: +1 Movement and +1 sight range for naval combat units. Trade Unions : Maintenance paid on Roads and Railroads reduced by 33%. Harbors and Seaports gain +1 Gold.

: Maintenance paid on Roads and Railroads reduced by 33%. Harbors and Seaports gain +1 Gold. Mercantilism : Purchasing items in Cities requires 25% less Gold. +1 Science from every Mint, Market, Bank and Stock Exchange. (requires Trade Unions).

: Purchasing items in Cities requires 25% less Gold. (requires Trade Unions). Merchant Navy : +3 Production in coastal Cities (requires Naval Tradition).

: +3 Production in coastal Cities (requires Naval Tradition). Protectionism: +1 Happiness from every Luxury Resource (requires Mercantilism).

New Buildings & Wonders

13 new buildings, 9 new Wonders, and 1 new National Wonder.

Wonder: Terracotta Army

Tech Requirement: Construction

Cost: 250 Cultural Output: 6 Great Person Points: 1 Artist Point

Effects: N/A

Notes: The mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.

Wonder: Hidden City of Petra

Tech Requirement: Currency

Cost: 250

Cultural Output: 1

Great Person Points: 1 Engineer Point

Effects: City must be built on or next to Desert. +1 Food, +1 Production, +1 Gold for all Desert tiles worked by this city (except Flood Plains). +6 Culture once Archaeology is discovered. Provides a free Amphitheater in the city in which it is built.

Wonder: Alhambra

Technology: Chivalry

Cost: 400; Provides: +1 Culture, +1 Great Artist point

Effects: All newly trained non-air Units in this city receive the Drill I Promotion, improving combat strength when fighting in ROUGH Terrain. Provides a free Castle in the city in which it is built. Boosts city Culture output by 20%.

Wonder: Great Mosque of Djenne

Tech Requirement: Theology

Cost: 300 Cultural Output: 1 Faith

Output: 3 Great Person Points: 1 Engineer Point

Effects: All Missionaries born in this city can spread religion three times. Provides a free Mosque in the city in which it is built.

Wonder: Neuschwanstein Castle

Tech Requirement: Railroad

Cost: 1060

Happiness Output: 2

Cultural Output: 4

Gold output: +6

Great Person Points: 1 Merchant Point

Effects: +3 Gold, +2 Culture, and +1 Happiness from every Castle. City must be built within 2 tiles of a Mountain that is inside your territory.

Wonder: Leaning Tower of Pisa

Tech Requirement: Printing Press

Cost: 500

Cultural Output: 1

Great Person Points: 1 Artist Point

Effects: +25% generation of Great People in all Cities. A free Great Person of your choice appears near the Capital.

Wonder: CN Tower

Tech Requirement: Telecommunications

Cost: 1250; Great Person Points: 1 Great Merchant Point

Effects: Provides a free Broadcast Tower in all cities. +1 Population in each city and +1 Happiness per city.

Wonder: Hubble Space Telescope

Tech Requirement: Satellites

Cost: 1250

Great Person Points: 1 Science Point

Effects: 2 Great Scientists appear near the city where the Wonder was built. Provides a free Spaceship Factory in the city in which it is built. +25% Production when building Spaceship Parts.

Wonder: The Great Firewall

Tech Requirement: Computers

Cost: 1250

Effects: 99.9% reduction in effectiveness of enemy Spies in the city in which it is built. All other cities In the Civilization get a 25% reduction in enemy Spy effectiveness.

National Wonder: National Intelligence Agency

Tech Requirement: Radio

Effects: Provides an additional Spy and levels up all your existing Spies. Provides a 15% reduction in enemy spy effectiveness. Must have a Police Station in all cities.

Notes: All your spies get an extra level, including new spies recruited after the Intelligence Agency is built.

Building: Shrine

Technology: Pottery

Notes: Generates +1 Faith.

Building: Pyramid

Technology: Pottery

Cost: 40 hammers; Maintenance: 1 gold

Benefit: +2 Faith, +2 Science

Notes: Mayan Unique Building; replaces Shrine. (A sacrificial temple produces Science??)

Building: Stele

Technology: none

Cost: 40; Maintenance: 1; Provides: +2 Culture, +2 Faith

Effects: This Ethiopian Unique Building replaces the Monument. It increases a city’s Culture and Faith, speeding growth of the city’s territory and the Civilization’s acquisition of Social Policies and Religions.

Notes: Ethiopian Unique Building; replaces Monument. Stele are tall granite obelisks from the 4th century AD found throughout Aksum, the ancient capital.

Building: Amphitheater

Technology: Drama & Poetry

Requires: Monument

Cost: 100; Maintenance: 2 Gold; Provides: +3 Culture, Artist slot

Effects: Increases the Culture of a city, speeding the growth of the city’s territory and the Civilization’s acquisition of Social Policies.

Notes: New early Culture producing building, to replace the Temple which now produces Faith instead of Culture.

Building: Constabulary

Technology: Banking

Cost: 160; Maintenance: 1

Notes: Increases the amount of time it takes an enemy spy to steal your technology by 25%.

Building: Ceilidh Hall

Technology: Acoustics

Requirement: Amphitheater

Cost: 200; Maintenance: 2; Provides: +4 Culture, +3 Happiness, 1 Artist specialist slot

Effects: This Renaissance-era Celtic Unique Building replaces the Opera House. It increases a city’s Culture and Happiness.

Notes: Unique Building for Celts, possibly replaces Opera House. Provides additional happiness, culture, and an artist slot. A ceilidh (pronounced "kaylee") is a Celtic social gathering, often involving traditional music or dancing.

Building: Coffee House

Technology: Economics

Cost: 250; Maintenance: 2; Provides: +2 and +5% production, 1 Engineer slot.

Effects: This Renaissance-era Austrian Unique Building replaces the Windmill. It increases a city’s Production and speed at which Great People are generated by 25%.

Notes: Austrian Unique Building, replaces Windmill (!).

Building: Police Station

Technology: Electricity

Requires: Constabulary

Cost: 300; Maintenance: 1

Notes: Increases the amount of time it takes an enemy spy to steal your technology by 25%.

Building: Bomb Shelter

Technology: Telecommunications

Cost: 300; Maintenance: 1 Gold

Notes: Reduces population loss from nuclear attack by 75%.

Building: Recycling Center

Technology: Ecology

Cost: 500; Maintenance: 3

Effects: Provides 2 Aluminum. Maximum of 5 in your empire.

Building: Cathedral

Cost: 200 Faith; Maintenance: 0

Provides: +1 Faith, +3 Culture, +1 Happiness, Artist Specialist slot.

Effects: Can only be built in cities following a religion with the Cathedrals belief. You may only purchase this building using Faith.

Building: Mosque

Cost: 200 Faith; Maintenance: 0

Provides: +3 Faith, +2 Culture

Effects: Can only be built in cities following a religion with the Mosques belief. You may only purchase this building using Faith.

Building: Pagoda

Cost: 200 Faith; Maintenance: 0

Provides: +2 Faith, +2 Culture, +2 Happiness

Effects: Can only be built in cities following a religion with the Pagodas belief. You may only purchase this building using Faith.

Changes to Existing Wonders & Buildings

Stonehenge: now gives +5 Faith and +1 Great Engineer Points. (screenshot)

Temple: now possibly produces Faith instead of Culture.

Monastery: is now purchased with Faith, and produces (+2 Faith, +2 Culture, more with Wine or Incense)

City Walls: now provides +5 Defense and +50 Hit Points to the city. (tooltip in German)

Notre Dame: now gives +4 Faith (instead of +3 Culture) in addition to +10 Happiness and +1 Great Merchant point.

New Resources

All 7 of these new resources are Luxury Resources, providing +Happiness in addition to the tile bonuses. Two (Jewelry and Porcelain) are not available on the map, but are only provided by Mercantile City-States.

Truffles

Improved by: Hunting Camp

Bonus: +2 Gold

Found on: Forest, Marsh, Jungle

Crab

Improved by: Fishing Boats

Bonus: +1 Food, +1 Gold

Found on: Coast

Notes: The "net" cast from the Fishing Boats is a box-shaped crab pot instead. Crab is a tradable luxury resource.

Citrus

Improved by: Plantation

Bonus: +1 Food, +1 Gold

Found on: Grassland, Plains

Notes: Citrus is a tradable luxury resource.

Salt

Improved by: Mine

Bonus: +1 Food, +1 Gold

Found on: Plains, Desert, Tundra

Notes: A tradable luxury resource.

Copper

Improved by: Mine

Bonus: +2 Gold

Found on: Grassland, Plains, Desert, Tundra, Snow

Notes: Copper is a luxury resource.

Porcelain

Yield: +2 Gold

Notes: A manufactured luxury resource unique to Mercantile City-States. This resource is not located on the map, but is awarded by the City-State to its ally civilization. It does appear that conquering a Mercantile City-State also give you access to the resource; in this screen the Dutch player has annexed Marrakech, but the Porcelain shows in the tooltip for city tile, and in the Happiness menu, the player is receiving a Happiness bonus for Porcelain.

Jewelry

Yield: +2 Gold

A manufactured luxury resource unique to Mercantile City-States; it is produced by the city-state rather than found on the map, similar to Porcelain.

Tulips: Several early previews claimed that Tulips are a manufactured luxury resource created by the Netherlands Polder unique improvement. However, this has not been verified via in-game screenshot; the portion of the Polder Civilopedia entry we've seen does not mention Tulips, and the list of font icons obtained through the beta patch does not contain a resource icon for Tulips, so it seems likely that either these previews were in error, or Tulips have since been removed.

New and Changed Improvements

Ancient Ruins can now provide 60 Faith.

Polder

Yield: +3 Food

Technology: Guilds

Built on: Marsh, Floodplains

Notes: A unique improvement for the Netherlands. It increases food production in Marsh or Floodplain tiles. Polders do not produce Tulips, as erroneously claimed in a few foreign previews. A "polder" is an agricultural area of land reclaimed from marsh, lakebed or the sea, surrounded by dikes (and a windmill to pump the water out as it seeps back in).

Holy Site

Notes: An improvement created by a Great Prophet. It adds +6 Faith production to the tile.

Trading Post

Technology: Guilds

A new graphic for the Trading Post (as indicated by the mouse-over tooltip). The Trading Post is now available with Guilds (a new Medieval era technology) instead of Trapping.

Citadel

Notes: The Citadel, which is a special Fort created by sacrificing a Great General, appears to have received an additional ability. According to the translation of this tooltip: In addition to providing +100% defensive bonus for the unit stationed on it and doing 30 damage to any enemy units that end their turn adjacent to the Citadel (not cumulative with other Citadels), it now appears that the Citadel, when placed, acts like a Great Artist's Culture Bomb, extending the civilization's borders by 1 hex around the Citadel, and potentially incurring a diplomatic penalty if this takes territory away from a neighbor. The Citadel can be placed within 1 hex of your borders (but presumably only in friendly or neutral territory as with the Culture Bomb).

New Natural Wonders

Mount Sinai: +8 Faith

Sri Pada: +2 Food, +4 Faith, +2 Happiness



Mount Kailash: +6 Faith if worked, +2 Happiness if within your borders.



Uluru/Ayer's Rock: +2 Food, +6 Faith



Preview Links

2K's Announcement

Official Website

GameSpot 2/16 preview

IGN 2/16 preview

Kotaku 2/16 preview

Webhallen.com product description

VideoGamer.com GDC preview

DesktopReview GDC info

GameSpy Preview

PCGamer GDC Preview

DigitalTrends GDC Preview

Venture Beat 3/13 Preview

GamesRadar 3/13 Preview

GameReactorTV GDC interview with Ed Beach

2K's Release Date announcement

PAX Sunday demo at twitchtv

PAX demo at YouTube: Part 1, Part 2

PAX coverage at Destructoid

Civforum.de interview with Ed Beach (click the Spoiler button for the English version)

Gamers' Guide to Life PAX audio interview with Dennis Shirk

2K Forums Sweden 4/20 reveal thread

GameSpy 5/10 preview

Kotaku 5/10 preview

VentureBeat 5/10 preview

Destructoid 5/10 preview

TheVerge 5/10 Smokey Skies scenario preview

Gamespot 5/10 Celts gameplay walkthrough

PCGamer 5/10 preview

Destructoid video preview

PCGames.de video preview

"Lead Your Civ to Greatness" trailer video

"Cultivate and Expand" trailer video