There are ten differentAntiquity Age civilizationsto choose from inSid Meier’s Civilization 7, each with their own unique Civic Trees that provide them with specialized bonuses and buffs. Each Civic Tree provides early access to that specific civilization’s associated Wonder, and will unlock access to each civilization’s Traditions, which are Social Policies that persist across the Ages.
The Civics in these unique trees is catered to that civilization’s particular strengths, complementing the Civ’s ability or features in some way. These Civic Trees also unlock access to unique improvements, as well as uniquebuildings and quarters, making them essential in building a strategy around a specific civilization. Here’s a look at all ten unique Antiquity Age Civic trees (so far) and how to use them effectively.
10Aksum: Periplus Of The Erythraean Sea
Aksum’s Civic Tree Unlocks The Hawilt Improvement
The Aksumite Unique Civic Tree is comprised of Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, Monumentum Adulitanium, and Book of the Himyarites. These Civics unlock access to theGreat Stele, the Aksumite Wonder, as well as the Hawilt improvement, which provides+2 Gold and Cultural adjacency bonuses. Aksumite Traditions in this Civic Tree include Port of Nations, Throne of My Fathers, and May This Please The People.
Book of the Himyarites
The Great Stele awards 200 Gold for each Wonder constructed in the same Settlement, making it essential when pursuing the Wonders of the Ancient World Legacy Path. Aksumite Civics feature Gold and Cultural bonuses, withTraditions and boosts that favor coastal adjacencies.The Hawilti improvements can be further buffed with the effect from Monumentum Adulitanium, adding Culture adjacencies to the Monument and Altar for each Hawilti.
9Egypt: Light of Amun-Ra
Egypt’s Civic Tree Features A Unique Necropolis Quarter
Egypt’s Unique Civic Tree includes Arrival of Hapi, Scales of Anubis, and Light of Amun-Ra. The first two Civics in this tree unlock unique Egyptian buildings, the Mortuary Temple, which has a +4 Gold base yield and Happiness adjacency bonuses, and the Mastaba, which has a base yield of +3 Culture and provides Gold adjacency bonuses. These two unique buildings can be constructed in the same district tounlock the Necropolis Unique Quarter,granting 100 Gold when a Wonder is constructed in that Settlement.
Light of Amun-Ra
Egyptian Unique Civicsemphasize Culture and Gold bonuses,as well as Wonder Construction, opening up access to the Pyramids early as long as players utilize the various Culture-boosting features available to Egypt at the start of Antiquity. Egyptian Civics also focus on river terrain, negating movement penalties and enhancing Navigable River adjacency bonuses.
8Greece: Ekklesia, Agoge, & Symmachia
The Greek Civic Tree Contains Influential Traditions
Greece’s unique Civic Tree focuses on diplomacy and influence, as well as Culture, and unlocks the Odeon and Parthenon buildings that can be constructed in the same district for the Acropolis Unique Quarter. This quarter awards+2 Gold for each City-State a leader is Suzerain of. The Greek Civic Tree unlocks a total of four Traditions, each increasing Influence in some way, except for Strategoi, which simply increases Army Commander experience by 25%.
Symmachia
The Xenia, Delian League, and Peloponnesian League Traditionsincrease Influence toward befriending independents, completing endeavors, and enacting sanctions, respectively. The tree also grants access to the Oracle, which provides additional Culture when collecting the rewards from Narrative Events. Greek Traditions and Civics encourageCity-State Suzerainity, diplomatic actions, and Culture yields.
7Han: Zhi, Li, Yi, & Junzi
Build The Great Wall With The Han Civic Tree
The Han Unique Civic Tree features the Great Wall improvement, which can be built along borders to fortify Settlements. The tree also unlocks three Han Traditions, whichincrease Influence on Happiness and Science buildingsand increase Science yields from Specialists by one. The Han Unique Civics mostly feature Influence and Science, but also provide useful defensive bonuses for Han’s unique features, such as the Great Wall and Cho-Ko-Nu units.
Junzi
The Great Wall is a must-have Improvementfor a defensive Scientific strategy, and it even has an Exploration Age counterpart in the Ming Great Wall. Take advantage of this improvement, especially if you share close borders with a Hostile leader. The Weiyang Palace Wonder provides further Influence to try to maintain friendly relationships, befriend Independent Powers, or complete Endeavors.
6Khmer: Mousong, Amnach & Chakravarti
Khmer’s Civic Tree Prevents Flood Damage
The Khmer Unique Civic Tree includes some excellent city-development features, includingthe ability to prevent damage from flooded rivers, a fairly unique ability given there aren’t many options to prevent damage from natural disasters throughout the game. The Varna and Kambu-Mera Traditions buff Specialists, further enhancing city efficiency. Further, the Baray Unique Improvement provides +1 Food on Floodplains, which will likely be abundant for Khmer Settlements.
Chakravarti
The Amnach Civic also grants potentialearly access to the Angkor Wat Wonder, which increases Happiness and Specialist Limit. If you’re following the Great Library Legacy Path, Mastering the Chakravarti Civic grants the Palace three Codex slots, which can often be in short supply. Overall, the Khmer Civic Tree encourages capital growth and dense urban cities.
5Maurya: Acharya, Ayurveda, Vyuham, & Mantriparishad
Maurya’s Matha Quarter Increases Happiness
The Mauryan Unique Civic Tree unlocks the Dharamshala and Vihara Buildings which comprise the Matha Quarter, all of which boost Happiness substantially—a key focal point for Mauryan gameplay.There are four Mauryan Traditions available in this tree,all of which either boost Happiness or provide bonuses for excess Happiness. You can use excess Happiness with Maurya to compensate for other resources that might be lacking or to make up for any potential War Weariness. The Sanchi Stupa Wonder functions similarly and is worth the investment.
Mantriparishad
Aside from Happiness buffs, the Mantriparishad Civic increases Settlement limit and increases yields in Settlements you’ve conquered by 10%. Further, the Vyuham Civic grants infantry and cavalry units +3 Combat Strength for fighting adjacently, while the Ayurveda Civic boosts healing next to the Purabhettarah unique Mauryan cavalry unit. Combined, these can buff armies substantially and make them unstoppable.
4Maya: Lords Of Xibalba
The Mayan Civic Tree Unlocks The Uwaybil K’uh Quarter
The Uwaybil K’uh is Maya’s Unique Quarter and requires the Jalaw and K’uh Nah buildings from the Mayan Civic Tree. Every time a Technology is researched, this Quarter awards 15% of the cost as Production in that Settlement. The Calendar Round Civic further plays into this, granting Culture and Science as well. This Civic Tree clearly incentivizes Technology research, but will also allow you to develop a powerful Mayan Army full of Hulche and Jaguar Slayers.
Calendar Round
For combat, one particularly useful feature comes from the Miracles of the Twins Tradition in the Lords of Xibalba Civic, which grants a poisoning ability that gives +3 strength against wounded units. Combined with the Stealth feature from this Civic, the Hulche and Jaguar Slayer unique Mayan units can become quite deadly.
3Mississippian: Earthworks, Waahih, & Cah-nah-ha
The Mississippian Civic Tree Is Great For Silk Roads
If you’re following the Silk Roads Legacy Path, the Mississippian Civic Tree will help increase Resource capacity and offer some useful buffs to trade routes and Resources. For starters, the Potkop Improvement grants+1 Food for adjacent Resourcesand should be utilized wherever possible to maximize Food output and population growth. More significantly, you’re able to access the Monks Mound much faster with this Civic Tree, and it provides +4 Resource Capacity in that city.
Cah-nah-ha
Resource capacity in the Capital can be increased with the Cah-nah-ha Civic, while the Gift Economy Traditiongrants +1 Happiness and Gold per imported Resource. This tree also allows you to buff your Burning Arrows' pillaging range, with the Atassa Tradition granting +4 Combat Strength to Burning Arrows units when defending. This tree is ideal for a defensive economic strategy.
2Persia: Spada, Satrapies, & Achaemenid Empire
Persia’s Civic Tree Benefits War Efforts
Persia’s Unique Civic Tree is focused on boosting military presence in various ways, with unit buffs and Gold-increasing features. The Spada Civic decreases unit maintenance by one and unlocks the Kara Tradition, whichincreases Production toward Infantry units.The Gate of All Nations Wonder will help garner war support, granting an automatic +2 Support on all wars.
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire Civic grants+5 Gold for every civilization you’ve captured a Settlement from, and Mastering it unlocks the Shahanshah Tradition, further boosting combat strength on units. The Pairidaeza Improvement has a base yield of +1 Gold and Culture, but can be buffed further by mastering Satrapies, granting it adjacency bonuses from Quarters. Together, these Civics are incredibly useful for establishing yourself as a military powerhouse, increasing Happiness, infantry production, and Gold output.
1Rome: Senatus Populusque Romanus
The Roman Forum Encourages Traditions
The Roman Civic Tree unlocks access to the Forum, a unique Quarter made up of the Temple of Jupiter (+3 Happiness and Culture adjacencies) and the Basilica (+4 Gold and Influence adjacencies). Once constructed, it rewards +1 Culture and Gold for all slotted Traditions, making the Traditions in this tree and the Quarter ideal when used together.
Senatus Populusque Romanus
Luckily, Rome has four Traditions that can be slotted: Auxilia, which increases Production for military units; Cursus Honorum, which grants Culture for creating Infantry units; Latinitas, which grants bonuses to specialized towns; and Princeps Civitatis, which increases Production on Urban districts in the Capital. Take advantage of the Colosseum, which grants Quarters an extra two Happiness in the Capital.
Overall, each Unique Civic Tree is catered to its respective civilization, and you should try to utilize these bonuses as strategically as possible. It won’t always be ideal to research a civilization’s unique tree, but these should be pursued at some point during the Antiquity Age if you want to give yourself an edge inCivilization 7.
