π Victory, Triumphs & Dedications
Every game ends in one of four Victories. Triumphs and Dedications are the bonus systems that can carry you there faster. This page explains the four scores and how the race is judged, what Triumphs and Dedications do for you, and then gives an Age-by-Age plan for each Victory.
The four Victories
All four scores are already moving from the first turn of Antiquity whether you plan for them or not β but they do not behave alike, and the difference shapes how you chase each one.
| Victory | Score | Earned from | How it behaves |
|---|---|---|---|
| π° Economic | GDP | Slotted Resources and Gold Buildings in Cities, returning Treasure Convoys, slotted Factory Resources | Accumulates every turn, and is never lost |
| π¬ Scientific | Innovation | Projects in every Age, displayed Codices, Tech Masteries; a final repeatable Project | Counts up toward a fixed 100 β the only score not measured against rivals, and the only one that needs a capstone to finish |
| π Cultural | Tourism | Wonders, Natural Wonders, Relics, Artifacts, Unique Buildings and Improvements, and every Celebration | Mostly a tally of what you hold, so it can be taken from you β though Great Works bank at Age transition and Celebrations and other one-time Tourism sources bank when earned |
| βοΈ Military | Dominion | Every Settlement you control β with extra for original Capitals, captured Settlements, and Distant Lands | A count of what you hold right now. It does not compound, and it goes down when you lose ground |
That last column is the one to internalize. Only the Economic player is banking something no one can take back, which is why their engine wants to be running from Antiquity. The Military player's score is their current map position. The Cultural player's is mostly the collection they are holding. And the Science player is not racing anyone β just a number, and the Launch Pad that has to follow it.
Most leaders have two Attributes, and the second one is usually the tell for a secondary score you will accumulate whether you aim at it or not. If your Cultural push stalls at Modern 40%, that quietly-accumulating Economic score may be the closer race. Check all four scores at every Age transition before committing.
How you win
To win, your score in any category must exceed the second-place player's by the multiplier below. Three of the four Victories are relative β you need a multiple of the second-place score. Scientific is the exception: a straight 100 Innovation with an active Launch Pad for five turns. Once your threshold is met, a 5-turn countdown begins. If your score drops back under, the countdown pauses β it does not reset β and resumes when you clear again.
Use this table to judge your odds at each Age Transition β run the Snowball Test to compare your lead to the threshold in each category.
| Victory Level | Age & Progress | Multiplier | What to do if you lead here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transcendent | Exploration Age 50β79% | 6Γ second-place score | Push hard; an Exploration-age win is possible |
| Crushing | Exploration 80% β Modern 19% | 4Γ second-place score | Pursue it unless something dramatically shifts |
| Decisive | Modern Age 20β39% | 3Γ second-place score | You are on track; stay the course |
| Momentous | Modern Age 40β59% | 2Γ second-place score | Still possible, but the field has closed the gap |
| Substantive | Modern Age 60β79% | 1.5Γ second-place score | A clutch-play win; very fast execution needed |
| Narrow | Modern Age 80β100% | 1.25Γ second-place score | Down to the wire; count your remaining scoring turns |
Triumphs and Dedications
A Triumph is a challenge with a reward. Dedications are the persistent bonuses Triumphs unlock β one Dedication per Major Triumph earned, selected at each Age Transition to shape the next Age.
There are three types of Triumphs. Major Triumphs are long-horizon objectives in Antiquity and Exploration β "Build 7 Wonders," "Have a Commander with 8 Promotions" β each earning one Dedication for the following Age. They deliberately span every way to play, so you are already tracking one whether you pursue it or not. Minor Triumphs are quick wins across all Ages with instant rewards β a free unit, Population, Production boost β plus Victory Points in Modern. Crisis Triumphs reward you for weathering or exploiting active Crises. In Modern, all Triumphs are Minor, and many pay Victory Points directly.
At each Age Transition, you choose up to three Dedications with no costs to balance β the choice is purely what the next Age needs. This is the game's highest-leverage screen. You pick your civilization, your Dedications, and your victory path all at once, with full information about where everyone stands. The three core patterns:
Your Antiquity Triumphs are a Modern-Age decision. Major Triumphs you complete in Antiquity become Dedications active in Exploration; ones from Exploration shape your Modern Age. You are choosing two Ages early what your endgame will be good at.
Dedications are your pivot. A game stalling on Culture but leading on Economy can switch races entirely at the Exploration-to-Modern transition for free. Nothing else lets you change what you are winning this late.
The Modern Age is where Triumphs become the scoreboard. Since every Minor Triumph pays Victory Points, Triumph selection stops being a side quest and becomes your score engine. When you are in a countdown β or trying to break someone else's β the Triumphs screen is where the fastest points live.
Playing for a victory, Age by Age
Each path below turns the score model into an Age-by-Age plan, from the first engine you build to the condition that closes the game.
π° Economic β the GDP engine
GDP is the one score that accumulates. Slotted Resources, Gold Buildings in your Cities, returning Treasure Convoys and slotted Factory Resources each add to it every turn, and what has accumulated can never be taken away β lose the building and you lose the future income, not the score you already banked.
That single fact drives the whole path. A Gold Building finished in Antiquity pays for the entire game; the same building finished in late Modern pays a handful of times. Every turn the engine is not running is score you never collect. Where a Cultural player can start slowly and finish heavily, an Economic player cannot β this is the most front-loaded score in the game, and the compounding is the point.
Where GDP comes from
| Source | When it starts | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| π Slotted City Resources | Exploration, once Towns become Cities | Per turn, per Resource β needs a City with an open slot |
| π¦ Gold Buildings in Cities | πΊ Antiquity | Per turn. Appendix B lists which buildings count |
| π’ Treasure Convoys | β΅ Exploration | Lump β 100 Gold plus 20 GDP per Cargo delivered |
| π Factory Resources | π Modern | Per turn, on top of their percentage yield bonuses |
| π₯ Modern Triumphs | π Modern | Mixed β see below |
Note what is not on the list: Gold itself. A large treasury is not GDP. Gold buys the buildings and Settlements that produce GDP, so it is the fuel, not the score β which is why an Economic game spends aggressively rather than banking.
πΊ Antiquity β claim the ground
GDP does not flow in volume yet, so this Age is about acquiring the things that will produce it β and doing it early enough that they pay for three Ages.
- Settle toward Resource density, not raw tile quality. Every Resource is a future slot, and slots are the constraint on this path all game.
- Expand to your Settlement Limit, and not past it. The Happiness penalty is uncapped and it will cost you more than the extra Settlement earns. See Improving Cities & Towns.
- Build Gold Buildings on their Coast and Navigable River adjacencies. These are the longest-paying assets you will ever place.
- Take Bonus Resources early β they work in Towns as well as Cities, so they pay before your conversion program starts.
End the Age with more Settlements and more improved Resources than anyone else. Nothing else in Antiquity matters as much.
β΅ Exploration β turn ground into income
Two things matter more than everything else combined.
Convert Towns to Cities. City Resources only activate in a City with an open Resource Slot, and a slotted Resource is direct GDP. This is the Age where a wide Antiquity empire becomes an income. Convert the Towns whose land is being wasted, and expand slot capacity aggressively β Markets, Lighthouses, Ports, and the Colossus all pay for themselves. See Which Town to convert and Resource slots and capacity.
Run Treasure Convoys. Settle Distant Lands near Treasure Resource clusters, build the escort fleet before the first Cargo spawns, and deliver them. Each Cargo is 100 Gold and 20 GDP, and Gold and Silver are worth two Cargo each. A single intercepted Convoy can swing an Age, so the escorts are not optional. See Resources & Yields.
The civilization that initiates a Trade Route copies the destination's slotted Resources and gains their yield bonuses outright. Choose partners by what they have slotted rather than by distance β a rival sitting on Resources you lack is worth more as a trading partner than as a target. See Diplomacy, Influence & Trade.
π Modern β industrialize and compound
Run the chain: Industrialization β Rail Stations β Mass Production β Factories, then slot Factory Resources for GDP on top of their percentage bonuses.
The connection requirement is what catches people out. A Settlement can only build a Factory, and only earn from what is slotted in it, if it is connected to your Capital. Rail Stations chain that connection over land; water breaks it entirely, and the fix is a Port at both ends. On an archipelago map that is not an optimization, it is the only way the system works. See Resources & Yields.
Then the Triumphs, and this is where an Economic game closes:
| Triumph | Condition | Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Railroad Tycoon | First to score 500 GDP from assigned Factory Resources | Spawns a Great Banker in your Capital |
| Wealth of Nations | First to start 12 Trade Routes | +2 GDP per turn from assigned City Resources |
| Rail Baron | First to have 12 Rail Stations | +2 GDP per turn from Gold Buildings |
| DΕjima Exchange | First to assign 60 Resources | +2 GDP per turn from assigned Bonus Resources |
| Workshop of the World | First to assign 30 Factory Resources | 1,000 GDP |
All five pay GDP, and three of them pay it per turn on things you already own β which means completing them early multiplies everything behind them. The Great Banker from Railroad Tycoon is the largest single accelerator: it opens World Bank branches in rival Capitals, each a substantial GDP injection.
Opening World Bank branches means walking a vulnerable civilian unit into other players' Capitals. Open Borders treaties and Allied relationships you built for trade in Exploration turn out to be the delivery infrastructure for your Modern win condition. A trade empire that also made friends converts far faster than one that only made money.
Who to play, Age by Age β Economic
Eighteen civilizations carry the Economic attribute β 7 Antiquity, 7 Exploration, 4 Modern β and nine leaders do.
The Modern pool is the smallest of any path β only four civilizations. Plan the Modern pick from Exploration rather than choosing on arrival.
π Leaders who carry an Economic game
| Leader | What it gives |
|---|---|
| Machiavelli | Diplomatic Β· Economic β the trade-and-influence engine, and the friendships the Great Banker later needs |
| Isabella | 100 Gold per Natural Wonder discovered, doubled in Distant Lands, plus cheaper navies β the Treasure Convoy leader |
| Amina | Economic Β· Militaristic β wealth defended, and taken |
| Pachacuti | Mountains become farmland and Cities convert Food into Production β terrain nobody else can monetize |
| Napoleon (Emperor) | Economic Β· Diplomatic |
| Xerxes (King of Kings) | Economic Β· Militaristic β conquest as an income stream |
| Xerxes (Achaemenid) | Cultural Β· Economic β the same trade base pointed at Tourism |
| Hatshepsut | Cultural Β· Economic β river Production and Resource variety |
| Edward Teach | Plunders Trade Routes without declaring war β GDP taken rather than built |
πΊ Antiquity civilizations
| Civ | Why, and what it sets up |
|---|---|
| Mississippian | Food adjacency from Resources and cheaper Buildings β the widest, fastest Antiquity economy |
| Aksum | Coastal wealth and unlimited-range trade; the trade opening |
| Silla | Alliances grant both partners a permanent free Trade Route |
| Tonga | Coastal influence converts suzerainty into free Trade Routes |
| Egypt | River Production β builds the Gold Buildings and Wonders faster than anyone |
| Carthage | A one-City empire of Towns that can never be converted β a deliberate, and very different, economy |
| Persia | Economic Β· Militaristic β early aggression funded by, and funding, the treasury |
β΅ Exploration civilizations
| Civ | Why, and what it follows |
|---|---|
| Chola | +3 Gold and +2 Influence per Trade Route, an extra route, and Gold for imported Resources assigned to Cities β the purest trade economy in the game |
| Spain | Broad yields in coastal and same-Religion Settlements, doubled in Distant Lands, plus cheaper Town conversion β the Treasure Convoy civ |
| Songhai | +2 Resource Capacity in Navigable-River Cities and Production per assigned Resource; can generate Homelands Treasure Convoys |
| Inca | Workable Mountains, and Homelands Treasure Convoys from Cities working three of them β pairs naturally with Pachacuti |
| Shawnee | Suzerainty expands the Capital's Resource capacity |
| Ming China | Economic Β· Scientific β a Capital multiplier, checked by a policy penalty |
| Republic of Pirates | Cannot train or purchase Settlers β three arrive free from progression and the rest are captured. GDP through plunder rather than orderly expansion |
π Modern civilizations β the whole pool
| Civ | Why, and what it finishes |
|---|---|
| America | Improving a Resource pays Gold, and the Prospector claims unowned Resources up to 5 tiles beyond your borders β the only civ that adds Resources without settling |
| Qing China | Imports pay Gold, Culture, and GDP β but every Trade Route costs 6 Science. Make trade the economy and source Science elsewhere |
| Great Britain | Buildings 25% faster to construct and cheaper to purchase, but Cities cost +50% to convert. Stay a nation of Towns and build everywhere |
| Mughal | +100% Gold, β25% to every other yield except Food, and Wonders purchasable at a premium. Stop building and start buying |
Two picks that carry no Economic attribute but serve the path anyway: Qajar, whose Twelve Gates civic pays Capital yields for staying below the Settlement Limit β the opposite of the standard plan, and worth it once that civic is online; and Nepal, whose Warehouses reach Mountain terrain.
π¬ Scientific β the Innovation race
Scientific is the outlier. Every other Victory is a race against second place; this one is a race against a fixed number β 100 Innovation β after which you build a Launch Pad and hold it active for five turns. Rivals cannot raise your bar by playing well, and you cannot win by pulling them down.
Two consequences follow immediately. A Science victory can end a game nobody thought was close, because it ignores the dominance thresholds entirely β so watch rivals' Innovation even when you are winning a different race. And it is the only path with a mandatory capstone: score alone never wins it.
Where Innovation comes from β and why it is a Production problem
| Source | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ποΈ Projects | All three | Built, never purchased. Eight one-shot Projects provide 45 Innovation in total, each gated by an Age, Tech or Mastery, and a specific building |
| π Displayed Codices | πΊ Antiquity | +1 Innovation each. See Religion & Great Works |
| π Crewed Space Flight Preparation | π Modern | +15, repeatable. Needs Rocketry and a Launch Pad; the usual closer |
| π Tech Masteries | All three | +2 each; Aerodynamics II gives +5 |
| ποΈ Wonders | All three | +3 each from Great Library, Nalanda, House of Wisdom, Shwedagon Zedi Daw, Oxford University, and Manhattan Project |
| π¬ Techs and Civics | All three | Varies β Rocketry +5, Literacy and Social Class +2 |
Innovation is not Science. Science researches the technologies that unlock Projects; Production is what builds them. The eight one-shot Innovation Projects total 45 points, so no single source carries you to 100. By the Modern Age a Science game is limited by Production far more than by research, which means the Mines, Workshops and high-adjacency Production Quarters you lay down in Exploration are Science infrastructure. Plan for that two Ages early β a full tech tree does not help if you cannot build the Projects.
πΊ Antiquity β build the compounding base
Science compounds harder than any other yield, so early investment beats late investment by a wide margin.
- Settle near Resources β Science Buildings take adjacency from them.
- Get Currency for your first Specialist slot, and start placing Specialists as soon as you have high-adjacency tiles for them.
- Bank Codices. Tech Masteries are Antiquity's main source, and a displayed Codex feeds Innovation for as long as it is displayed β then banks permanently when the Age turns over. Build Academies early β display slots are the constraint, not acquisition, and a Codex you could not display when the Age ended is Innovation you never banked.
- Take Masteries you would otherwise skip when the reward is a Codex.
On every other path a Tech Mastery is an optional second layer you take when convenient. For a Science game each one feeds Innovation directly, and many also grant Codices, which feed it again. The Library of Ashurbanipal Triumph β first to display 12 Codices β then adds a Great Work slot to every Science Building and +2 Science from every displayed Great Work. Mastery completion is the score. See Masteries β the optional second layer on the Research page.
β΅ Exploration β stack Specialists, and build the Production you will need
This is where a Science empire is actually built β and where the civilization pool is thinnest, with only two Scientific civs to choose from. Plan accordingly.
- Grow tall in a few dense Cities. Specialists pay only their tile's adjacency, so a Specialist on a +0 tile produces nothing while still costing Food and Happiness. Quality of tile beats quantity of Specialist every time. See Specialist placement.
- Form high-adjacency Quarters before you fill them.
- Watch Happiness. Specialists cost Happiness as well as Food, and a Science empire is the one most likely to hit the ceiling. See Happiness, Governments & Celebrations.
- Build the Production base now. Mines, Workshops, and Production adjacency are what will build your Modern Projects. This is the step players skip.
- Keep banking Codices and Masteries.
π Modern β projects and the pad
Innovation now comes from a stack of sources, with Projects supplying 45 points from eight one-shots and Crewed Space Flight Preparation supplying the repeatable final stretch. Drive to 100 Innovation, build the Launch Pad, and hold it active for five turns.
Research Initiative and Cultural Festival are available in any city from the early game, and neither grants Innovation. Every Innovation Project needs the right Age, a specific Tech or Mastery, and the building that hosts it β a Radio Station, an Aerodrome, a Launch Pad, or the Manhattan Project. If your production list looks empty of Projects, the building is usually what is missing. Projects cannot be bought with Gold, and Towns cannot run them at all β this is a City's job.
The Triumph set is different here from every other path β none of the five pay Innovation directly. Three of them pay Production:
| Triumph | Condition | Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Compound Yield | First to have 5 non-City-Centre Districts with 120+ yield | +50% Production toward Projects |
| E=MCΒ² | First to research every Technology and Mastery | +4 Production on Laboratories |
| Miracle over the Mojave | First to complete the Break the Sound Barrier Project | +10 Production on Aerodromes |
| Dawn of the Space Race | First to research Flight | +10 Science on Aerodromes |
| Beyond the Sword | First to complete the Operation Ivy Project | 25 Dominion |
That is not a design oversight. The Science Triumphs pay the thing that builds your score rather than the score itself β Compound Yield in particular, at +50% Production toward Projects, is worth more to a Science game than any direct Innovation award would be. Chase it early rather than treating it as a late bonus.
Who to play, Age by Age β Scientific
The Scientific pool is the thinnest in the game, and Exploration has only two entries β the Age this path most depends on. Plan for that: either commit to one of the two, or take a civilization whose mechanics serve Specialists and Production without carrying the attribute.
π Leaders who carry a Science game
| Leader | What it gives |
|---|---|
| Confucius | +25% Growth in Cities and +2 Science per Specialist β growth and research as one loop. The definitive Science leader |
| Benjamin Franklin | Diplomatic Β· Scientific β research funded by relationships |
| Ada Lovelace | Converts Science surplus into Culture; the hybrid that keeps a second score alive |
| Catherine the Great | Cultural Β· Scientific β Great Works multiplier, and Codices are Great Works |
| Himiko (Queen of Wa) | Diplomatic Β· Scientific |
| Charlemagne Β· Friedrich (Oblique) Β· Trung Trac | Militaristic Β· Scientific β a defended research empire |
| Yi Sun-sin | Naval kills convert into Science and Fleet Commanders arrive early and free. Win the sea and let combat fund research |
πΊ Antiquity civilizations
| Civ | Why, and what it sets up |
|---|---|
| Han China | Science Buildings that grow the Capital β research and population as one engine |
| Khmer | +50% Growth in the Capital and river Districts that keep their natural yield, at β5 Happiness per other City. Build one extraordinary river Capital and keep the rest as Towns |
| Maya | Research pays out in Culture β the crossover start |
| Maurya | Militaristic Β· Scientific; Building classes that generate Happiness, which a Specialist empire needs |
| Assyria | Conquest grants free Technologies β but Codices no longer come from Technologies. A genuine trade: faster tree, no Codex pipeline |
β΅ Exploration civilizations β the whole pool is two
| Civ | Why |
|---|---|
| Abbasid | Creating a Specialist pays 30 Gold per Rural Population, and Cities with 5+ Specialists build 20% faster. Specialists become income and Production at once β the strongest Exploration pick on this path |
| Ming China | +50% Capital Science, but every slotted Social Policy costs 15 Science per turn. Traditions are exempt and Ming grants an extra Tradition slot β run a nearly empty Government |
If neither suits your map, Inca (workable Mountains, Food and Production) and Songhai (Production per assigned Resource) both build the Production base Modern Projects will need.
π Modern civilizations
| Civ | Why, and what it finishes |
|---|---|
| Meiji Japan | Overbuilding pays Science equal to 25% of the new Building's Production cost. Replace obsolete Buildings deliberately β the expensive replacements pay most |
| Great Britain | Buildings 25% faster to construct, +3 Science on coastal Buildings, Cities +50% dearer. A nation of Towns that builds quickly |
| Russia | Tundra made productive and Quarters that pay twice there β a Science base on land nobody contests |
Joseon carries no Scientific attribute but belongs here anyway: the Capital and Seowon Cities gain Specialist capacity while other Cities lose it, which is the concentrated-Specialist shape this path wants.
π Cultural β the Tourism collection
Tourism arrives three ways, and the difference decides how much of your score a rival can take from you. Wonders, Natural Wonders, Unique Buildings and Improvements are counted while you hold them β take the Settlement and you take the points. Great Works pay while displayed and are banked once the Age turns over, so a Relic earned in Exploration keeps its Tourism for the rest of the game. Celebrations and one-off awards from the Civic and Tech trees and from Triumphs are credited the moment you earn them and never leave.
That makes Cultural a forgiving path to start slowly β a Wonder held when the threshold is checked scores the same whether you built it on turn 50 or turn 300 β and an unforgiving one to leave half-built or undefended.
It is also the most back-loaded of the four. A Modern Wonder is worth three times an Antiquity one; an Artifact outscores a Relic; the five Modern Triumphs all pay Tourism. If you are behind at the Exploration transition, you are not out of it.
What Tourism is worth
| Source | Tourism | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| ποΈ Wonder you built | 4 / 8 / 12 by the Wonder's Age | Held |
| ποΈ Wonder you captured | 1 / 2 / 3 | Held |
| ποΈ Natural Wonder | 10 | Held |
| ποΈ Unique Building | 1 / 2 / 4 by its Age | Held |
| βοΈ Unique Improvement | 1 per type per Settlement | Held |
| πΊ Artifact displayed | 5, or 8 after Geographic Society | Banks at Age end |
| πΏ Relic displayed | 3 | Banks at Age end |
| π Codex displayed | 0 | No Tourism |
| π Celebration | 2 / 4 / 6 by Age | Banked |
Not all of your Tourism is defensible. Wonders, Natural Wonders, Unique Buildings and Improvements count while you hold them. Great Works pay while displayed and bank when the Age turns over. Celebrations and other one-time rewards, including certain Civics and Technologies, are banked when earned.
A Cultural score built on banked rewards is therefore far harder to attack than one built on a single spectacular Wonder city β and it is another reason the Culture and Happiness engines are worth starting in Antiquity. Either way, concentrate your collection where you can defend it, and treat a Wonder capital as the strategic target it is.
Two readings follow. Natural Wonders are the cheapest Tourism in the game β improve one tile and take 10, more than any Wonder you can build before Modern. And an undisplayed Great Work scores nothing, so display capacity, not acquisition, is the real constraint on this path.
πΊ Antiquity β build the engine, not the score
Very little Tourism is available yet, and that is fine: Antiquity is where you build the two engines that pay later.
- Claim Natural Wonders. Ten Tourism each for as long as you hold them, and available from turn one. Scout for them and settle to bring them inside your borders. See Natural Wonders.
- Start the Happiness engine. Every Celebration adds Tourism when it happens, so the Happiness infrastructure you lay now is a scoring mechanism, not just an economy. See Happiness, Governments & Celebrations.
- Build Wonders centrally, where they also feed adjacency to six neighbours. Four Tourism each is modest, but they remain valuable while held and compound with Modern Triumphs that count all your Wonders.
- Take a Pantheon aligned to your three-Age plan β it cannot be changed later.
β΅ Exploration β Relics at volume
This is the Relic Age, and Relics come from conversion, so this is where a Cultural game either commits to religion or finds another supply.
- Found early. Beliefs are claimed first-come, and the Reliquary Belief is the whole decision: Icons if City-States are in reach, Reliquaries anywhere with a Temple or Altar. See Religion & Great Works.
- Build Temples ahead of the Relics. Display slots are the constraint β a Relic you cannot display is worth nothing.
- Run Missionaries continuously. Nothing spreads on its own.
- Chain Celebrations. At 4 Tourism each in this Age, a Celebration engine running from Antiquity is now paying real score.
- Watch the 6Γ and 4Γ bands. From 50% Age Progress a dominant Cultural player can end the game here. Unlikely on this path β but check rather than assume.
π Modern β the Age where it all scores
Everything converts here. The work is in three parallel tracks, and a Cultural player runs all three at once.
Artifacts. Take Natural History among your first Modern civics β it unlocks the Museum and the Explorer, and Archaeology Sites are first-come. Build several Explorers, dig the contested sites first, and save the Natural Wonder digs for later, since those are one-per-Wonder-per-player and nobody can take yours. Hegemony later opens the Antiquity-era sites. The full chain is in Religion & Great Works.
Wonders. At 12 Tourism each these are now the biggest single items on the board, and the World's Fair adds +2 Tourism to every Wonder you own. Build them.
Celebrations. Six Tourism each and unlimited β the engine you started in Antiquity is now your steadiest source of new Tourism.
Then the Triumphs, which is where a close race is won:
| Triumph | Condition | Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Society | First to display 15 Artifacts | +3 Tourism on every displayed Artifact |
| Wonderland | First to build 20 Wonders | +3 Tourism on all Wonders |
| Wonders of the Modern World | First to build 6 Modern Wonders | 36 Tourism |
| Manifesto | First to slot 10 Policies or Traditions | +4 Tourism per Celebration from then on |
| Zeitgeist | First to study every generic Civic and Mastery | +2 per Unique Building, +1 per Unique Improvement |
All five pay Tourism directly, and a player who is digging, building Wonders, and celebrating is already most of the way to four of them. Treat the set as the endgame, not as side quests.
A Wonder you take by force scores a quarter of one you built β 3 Tourism for a Modern Wonder against 12. Conquering a rival's Wonder city is still worth doing for Dominion and for denial, but it is a poor substitute for a collection of your own.
Who to play, Age by Age
Your leader lasts the whole game; your civilization changes at each transition. Pick the leader for the arc and the civilization for the Age.
π Leaders who carry a Cultural game β pick one at setup and the whole arc bends toward Tourism.
| Leader | What it gives a Cultural game |
|---|---|
| Catherine the Great | +2 Culture per Age on displayed Great Works and an extra Great Work slot β the strongest multiplier on a collection in the game |
| JosΓ© Rizal | Longer, more frequent Celebrations β every one of them Tourism |
| Hatshepsut | Culture per unique Resource, and 15% faster Wonders in river Cities |
| Lafayette | Culture from Endeavors; turns a diplomatic game into a Cultural one |
| Himiko (High Shaman) | Rewards the wide conversion a Relic engine already wants |
| Augustus | Culture Buildings purchasable in Towns at a discount β a wide Culture base |
| Xerxes (Achaemenid) | Culture and Economic together; the trade-funded collection |
| Ada Lovelace | Converts Science surplus into Culture β the hybrid finish |
| Alexander Β· Napoleon (Revolutionary) Β· Toyotomi Hideyoshi Β· Friedrich (Baroque) | Militaristic Β· Cultural β conquest that also builds a collection. See the captured-Wonder warning above |
πΊ Antiquity civilizations
| Civ | Why, and what it sets up |
|---|---|
| Egypt | The fastest Wonder builder in the game on Navigable Rivers. The strongest pure-Culture opening |
| Heian Japan | Culture from beautiful terrain, chosen in Antiquity and paid out for the whole game |
| Greece | +3 Tourism per City-State suzerainty β Culture through diplomacy, and it scales into Exploration |
| Rome | Every new Town pays Culture; the wide Cultural start |
| Aksum | Coastal wealth and trade; pairs into an Economic-Cultural hybrid |
| Maya | Research pays Culture β the Science-Culture crossover start |
β΅ Exploration civilizations
| Civ | Why, and what it follows |
|---|---|
| Hawai'i | Marine tiles become Happiness-and-Culture terrain β the Celebration engine, and the natural bridge into Mexico |
| Iceland | Relics from Civic Masteries, not conversion. The Cultural path without a religion β but Missionaries cost double and train at half speed, so commit to one or the other |
| Goryeo | Endeavors and Unique Improvements pay Culture, and those Improvements add Tourism in Modern |
| Dai Viet | Culture for building Fortifications, scaled by the population behind them β grow first, then build |
| Majapahit | Coastal Specialists, but only while you stay Majapahit β a Time-Tested pick |
π Modern civilizations
| Civ | Why, and what it finishes |
|---|---|
| Mexico | Doubles Celebration Tourism β 12 per Celebration instead of 6, the largest single Tourism multiplier in the game. The natural finish for a Hawai'i or French Empire Happiness engine |
| Ottoman | Every Artifact excavated on Ottoman ground β even by a rival β also generates one for you. Hold Archaeology-rich land and let them dig it |
| French Empire | Borrows any Government's Celebration effects from Antiquity onward β a Celebration engine that never picks wrong |
| Russia | The Hermitage pays +5 Culture in every Settlement displaying a Great Work β spread the collection instead of hoarding it |
| Buganda | Lakes pay Culture, and Kabaka's Lake counts as a Lake β build the terrain your engine needs |
| Siam | +12 Tourism per City-State β buy suzerainty outright and get paid for it |
| Nepal | Mountains become workable and Warehouses reach them; a Culture base on terrain nobody contests |
| Joseon | A small, dense City core stacking Specialists β Culture through concentration rather than sprawl |
βοΈ Military β the Dominion score
Dominion is a running tally of what you currently control β 4 points for any Settlement, with more for original Capitals, captured Settlements, and Distant Lands. Unlike GDP it does not accumulate over time, and unlike GDP it can go down: a Settlement lost is points deleted, not income paused.
Two things follow. Timing does not compound. A Settlement taken on turn 40 is worth exactly what it is worth on turn 400 β what matters is holding it when the threshold is checked, and through the five-turn countdown after. And conquest is a smaller premium than it looks: capturing a Settlement is worth 5 where founding one is worth 4. You pay War Weariness, army production, and risk for that extra point.
The rule to keep in view is the first one: Dominion counts Settlements you control, not Settlements you conquered. A wide, peaceful empire is running a Military score whether or not it ever declares war. Conquest is the fastest way to add territory β and the only one that charges you for it.
Dominion values
| What | Dominion |
|---|---|
| Any Settlement you control | 4 |
| β¦if it is an original Capital (anyone's, including your own) | +4 |
| β¦if you captured it | +1 |
| β¦if it is in Distant Lands | +1 |
| β¦if captured from an opposing Ideology (Modern) | +2 |
Two ways to win, and they are not the same game
| What it needs | How it plays | |
|---|---|---|
| π Dominion score | A threshold lead over second place, held five turns | Take territory early, then stop and let it pay. Peace is a scoring position |
| π Domination | Eliminate every opposing civilization | Sustained war across all three Ages. The most demanding condition in the game |
Most Military games are the first. Chase Domination only if you have a decisive early lead and a map that lets you reach everyone.
πΊ Antiquity β army, Commanders, and ground
The cheapest Age to fight in: Settlements are lightly defended, Walls crack easily, and War Weariness costs β3 Happiness per point against β7 to β9 in Modern.
- Invest in Commanders above units. Commander XP and Promotions are among the very few things that survive every Age transition β an Antiquity Commander is a Modern-Age asset, while the units around it will be replaced twice. See The Commander system.
- Secure Horses and Iron. Empire Resources, so they arm your whole army by being inside your borders β and they stack, up to +6 Combat Strength.
- Take nearby Settlements while they are cheap, and expand to your Settlement Limit at the same time. Both add Dominion; only one makes enemies.
- Keep an eye on Happiness, because every point of War Weariness comes out of it.
β΅ Exploration β expand the map you score on
- Build a navy. Distant Lands Settlements earn bonus Dominion, which makes naval capability a scoring investment rather than a side quest.
- Target original Capitals specifically. They are worth extra β take them rather than whatever is nearest.
- Watch War Support. Losing it turns a war into a Happiness drain that outlasts the fighting. See War Support and War Weariness.
- Fortify what you have taken. Dominion pays on what you hold; a Settlement lost back is score deleted, not paused.
π Modern β consolidate, then convert
This is the Age to stop expanding and start holding. War Weariness peaks at β7 to β9 Happiness per point, and an Unhappy empire loses yields across the board β which slows everything else you were counting on.
War is the only way to reduce a rival's score. Cultural and Military scores are tallies of what their owner currently holds, so capturing a Wonder city or an original Capital takes those points off their board and puts some on yours. Against a Cultural leader in a countdown, this is the only lever that works β GDP, by contrast, cannot be taken back once it has accumulated. Prioritize Settlements worth the most: original Capitals, Distant Lands holdings, and anything with Wonders in it.
The Triumph set is thin here, and worth knowing before you plan around it:
| Triumph | Condition | Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Blitzkrieg | First to conquer a Capital | 4 Dominion |
| Moral Imperative | First to conquer and hold 5 Settlements of an opposing Ideology | 3 Dominion |
| Friendly Fire | First to conquer 5 Settlements of players sharing your Ideology | +2 Happiness in Towns |
| Terror from Above | First to have a Level 6 Squadron or Aerodrome Commander | +3 Range to Air Units |
| Enemy of the World | First to be at War with every civilization | +1 War Support this Age |
Only two of the five pay Dominion, and only seven points between them. Unlike Cultural and Economic, the Military Triumph set is not your endgame β your empire is. The Triumphs are useful, not decisive.
Beyond the Sword β first to complete the Operation Ivy Project β pays 25 Dominion, more than three times both Military Triumphs combined. It sits in the Scientific set, and it is built rather than fought for. If you have the Production for Projects, it is the single largest Dominion award in the game.
Because Dominion counts what you already control, there is a point where continuing a war costs more in War Weariness than the next Settlement adds in score. Set an objective, take it, make peace, and let the empire pay you. See Military & Combat.
Who to play, Age by Age β Military
More leaders carry the Militaristic attribute than any other β nineteen of them β while only three Modern civilizations do. War is the easiest game to start and the hardest to finish, so plan the Modern pick early.
π Leaders who carry a Military game β nineteen qualify; these are the ones whose abilities point at Dominion specifically rather than at combat generally.
| Leader | What it gives |
|---|---|
| Genghis Khan | +3 Combat Strength for Cavalry, +5 in a Command Radius, and Commanders convert adjacent Independent units once per Age β an army that grows from the map |
| Tecumseh | +2 Dominion per City-State suzerainty, plus Combat Strength β buy Dominion with Influence instead of taking it |
| Alexander | +2 Dominion per non-Capital City holding a Wonder β conquest that rewards taking the right cities |
| SimΓ³n BolΓvar | Captured Settlements allow a free purchase and Unrest does not block it β a city taken this turn is productive next turn |
| Lakshmibai | Incorporates City-States faster and takes their units β Influence into a ready-made army |
| Ashoka (Conqueror) | Formal War triggers a Celebration, +5 Combat Strength against Fortified Districts β war that funds itself |
| Xerxes (King of Kings) | Economic Β· Militaristic β conquest as an income stream |
| Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Land Units deal and take double damage. Strike decisively or not at all |
| Harriet Tubman Β· Gilgamesh Β· Sayyida al Hurra | Diplomatic Β· Militaristic β Influence and force together |
| Amina Β· Edward Teach Β· Charlemagne Β· Friedrich (Oblique) Β· Friedrich (Baroque) Β· Napoleon (Revolutionary) Β· Trung Trac Β· Yi Sun-sin | The rest of the Militaristic roster β each pairs war with a second score |
πΊ Antiquity civilizations
| Civ | Why, and what it sets up |
|---|---|
| Persia | Front-loaded aggression with free Commander promotions β and Commander XP is what survives the transition |
| Rome | A free Infantry unit in every new Town. Expansion that defends itself β the clearest expression of Dominion-by-founding |
| Assyria | Conquest grants free Technologies, at the cost of the usual Codex route |
| Maurya | Celebrations fully heal Land Units β an army that repairs itself between wars |
| Carthage | A one-City empire of Towns that can never be converted β a defensive, unusual shape |
β΅ Exploration civilizations β the deepest pool on this path
| Civ | Why, and what it follows |
|---|---|
| Mongolia | Conquest replaces settling entirely β each captured city hands you cavalry. The purest Domination pick in the game |
| Norman | +5 Combat Strength for Land Units and Fortified Districts adjacent to Coast, +25 HP on Fortifications β the shoreline becomes your strong point |
| Bulgaria | Pillaging as industrial policy, with a real drawback attached |
| Sengoku Japan | Commander experience converts directly into Culture and Science β war that funds the other scores |
| Spain Β· Songhai | Economic Β· Militaristic β wealth that pays for the army |
| Republic of Pirates | Naval Units enter foreign borders without War or Open Borders. Plunder without a formal conflict β and no War Weariness for it |
| Iceland | Cultural Β· Militaristic β the Relic engine with teeth |
π Modern civilizations β the whole pool
| Civ | Why, and what it finishes |
|---|---|
| Prussia | +1 Combat Strength per Unfriendly or Hostile relationship, and Trade Routes survive War. Antagonize deliberately and keep trading through it |
| Meiji Japan | Militaristic Β· Scientific β overbuilding pays Science, so consolidation funds research |
| Ottoman | Cultural Β· Militaristic β Artifacts multiply on Ottoman ground |
Two picks outside the attribute that serve the path: Mughal, whose Red Fort adds +50 HP to every City Center β one Wonder that hardens the whole empire β and Qajar, whose NeαΊΔm-e JΜadΔ«d civic converts room under your Settlement Limit into Land Unit strength.