Civilization 5 Gods and Kings Walkthrough
Gandhi still loves nukes! Our Civilization 5 Gods and Kings Walkthrough gives you tips for the expansion's new systems, changes to combat, and strategies for brand new leaders.
- Civilization Leaders: Nine new empires join the fray and more changes to existing nations
- Religion and Espionage: Find out about the two new gameplay systems and how they affect the world
- New Tech, Units, and Buildings: The whole Technology Tree has changed with new units, changed orders, and brand new eras
What's New:
- June 24 2012: Version 1.0 gets you ready for taking over the world with info about new Civs, Technology, Units and systems.
NOTE: For info and tactics for the base game, check the 2010 Civilization 5 Primer
Civilization Leaders
Nine new Civilizations appear in the Gods and Kings expansion. You'll want to be familiar with their powers, units and buildings to achieve victory or combat against them. In addition, some of the new gameplay changes have changed the powers of already established nations.
Maria Theresa - Austria
Unique Unit: Hussar (Cavalry) 34 Combat, No Defense Terrain Bonus, Can Move After Attacking, Penalty Attacking Cities (33), Extra Sight I, Enhanced Flank Attack Unique Building: Coffee House (Windmill) +5% Production, +2 Production, Engineer Specialists Diplomatic Marriage: Can spend gold to annex or puppet an allied City State
Suggested Victory: Domination, Culture, Points
Theodora - Byzantium
Unique Unit: Cataphract (Horseman) 15 Combat, Can Move After Attacking, Penalty Attacking Cities (25) Unique Unit: Dromon (Trireme) 10 Ranged Combat, 2 Range, Cannot Enter Deep Ocean, May Not Melee Attack, Bonus vs Naval Patriarchate of Constantinople: Choose one more Belief than normal when you found a Religion
Suggested Victory: Domination, Culture, Science, Points
Dido - Carthage
Unique Unit: African Forest Elephant (Horseman) 14 Combat, No Defense Terrain Bonus, Can Move After Attacking, Penalty Attacking Cities (33), Feared Elephant, Great Generals II Unique Unit: Quinquereme (Trireme) 13 Combat, Cannot Enter Deep Ocean Phoenician Heritage: All costal 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
Suggested Victory: Domination, Science
Halie Selassie - Ethiopia
Unique Unit: Mehal Sefari (Rifleman) 34 Combat, Drill I, Near Capital Bonus Unique Building: Stele (Monument) +2 Culture, +2 Faith Spirit of Adwa: +20% combat bonus when fighting units from a Civilization with more Cities than Ethiopia
Suggested Victory: Domination, Culture
Gustavus Adolphus - Sweden
Unique Unit: Hakkapeliita (Lancer) 25 Combat, Transfer Movement to General, Great General Combat Bonus, No Defense Terrain Bonus, Can Move After Attacking, Penalty Attacking Cities (33), Formation I Unique Unit: Carolean (Rifleman) 34 Combat, March Nobel Prize: Gain 90 Influence with a Great Person gift to a City State. When declaring friendship, Sweden and their friend gain a +10% boost to Great Person Generation
Suggested Victory: Domination, Diplomacy
Boudicca - The Celts
Unique Unit: Pictish Warrior (Spearman) 11 Combat, Foreign Lands Bonus, No Movement Cost to Pillage, Earns 50% of opponents' strength as Faith for kills Unique Building: Ceilidh Hall (Opera House) 3 Happiness, 4 Culture, Artist Specialist Druidic Lore: +1 Faith per city with an adjacent unimproved Forest. Bonus Increases to +2 Faith in Cities with 3 or more adjacent unimproved Forest tiles
Suggested Victory: Domination, Diplomacy, Culture, Points
Attila - The Huns
Unique Unit: Horse Archer (Chariot Archer) 7 Combat, 10 Ranged Combat, 2 Range, No Defense Terrain Bonus, May Not Melee Attack, Accuracy I Unique Unit: Battering Ram (Spearman) 10 Combat, Bonus vs Cities (300), No Defensive Terrain Bonus, Limited Visibility, Cover I, City Attack Only Scourge of God: Raze cities at double speed. Barrow City names from other in-game Civs. Start with Animal Husbandry technology. +1 Production per Pasture
Suggested Victory: Domination
Pacal - The Maya
Unique Unit: Atlatlist (Archer) 5 Combat, 7 Ranged Combat, 2 Range, May Not Melee Attack, Lowered Production Cost (36), Prerequisite Agriculture Unique Building: Pyramid (Shrine) 2 Faith, 2 Science The Long Count: After researching Theology receive a bonus Great Person at the end of every Maya Long Count calendar cycle (394 years). Each bonus person can only be chosen once
Suggested Victory: Culture, Science, Points
William of Orange - The Netherlands
Unique Unit: Sea Beggar (Privateer) 25 Combat, Coastal Raider II, Prize Ships, Supply Unique Improvement: Polder (Medieval Era) 3 Food, Can be Built on Marsh or Flood Plains, Prerequisite Guilds Dutch East India Company: Retain 50% of the Happiness benefits from a Luxury Resource if your last copy of it is traded away
Suggested Victory: Diplomacy, Points
Changes to Current Civs
- Askia: Land Units gain War Canoe and Amphibious promotions, strengthening them while embarked
- Elizabeth: Receives 1 extra Spy
- Suleiman: All melee naval units have the Prize Ship promotion. Pay only one-third the usual cost for naval unit maintenance
- Napoleon: Foreign Legion replaces Great War Infantry instead of Infantry
- DLC Civs: Genghis Khan of Mongolia and Isabella of Spain are included for free
Religion
Religion is a new system that can enhance your Civilization with benefits, or be used to hamper the competition. While there is no Religious victory, a properly designed religion can be used to bolster science, culture, relations with city states, or the power of your army. Religions are founded and enhanced via a new resource called Faith. New nations such as The Maya, The Celts, and Byzantium have abilities or buildings that are well suited for building Faith. For other nations, buildings such as Temples and Shrines will help you build Faith.
After gaining a set amount of Faith your Civ will be able to establish a Pantheon that gives cities a single bonus. This Pantheon will also be the basis for your future Religion. Try and pick a Pantheon that matches both your Civ and planned Victory. Such examples include picking Messenger of the Gods if you are playing as China and want a Science Victory, or choosing Ancestor Worship while playing the Aztecs for a Cultural Victory.
Upon gaining a second boon of Faith a Great Person known as a Great Prophet will be born. Move him to the city where you wish to establish your new order and the found Religion screen will pop up. You will need to pick a Founder Belief--bonuses that effect you (or the Civ that founded the Religion)--and Follower Beliefs that can be enjoyed by any city that follows your faith.
It's best to pick beliefs that complement each other and also align with your planned victory. For example, if you are seeking a Cultural Victory try coupling together World Church and Choral Music. Keep in mind that Happiness and Food are normally at a surplus, so basing a Religion around those can be a tad foolish. Once a second Great Prophet is born he can strengthen the Religion by adding a second Follow Belief and an Enhancer Belief. These Enhancers can include spreading your Religion faster or bonuses to combat, making them great for those seeking Domination Victories.
Keep in mind that only so many Religion can be formed (this can be set in the options before creating a game; the amount is based on map size and amount of Civs). If your Faith is too low you may miss out on establishing a Religion and can be at somewhat of a disadvantage.
Now for the most important step of your Religion: Spreading it to other cities and defending against other Religions. Religion on its own can spread to nearby cities, but to really increase global followers you will need to deploy messengers of god. As you build up Faith you can purchase more Great Prophets and also Missionaries that can spread Religion by moving next to a city and using their abilities. Great Prophets can do this four times, while Missionaries can only do it twice. These units can freely move through borders and can use their skills while embarked. This can also make them somewhat of a low end scout to watch over other Civs or spy on City States.
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Another unit type that can be bought with Faith are Inquisitors that will purge rival religions from a city, or if garrisoned help defend against Missionaries. Keep in mind that some City States and Civs without Religion will welcome your new type of Faith. However, spreading Religion to nations of other home Religions can easily hinder diplomacy, especially if you tell those Civs that you will stop spreading your Religion but continue anyway.
Inquisitors are the only means of combating Missionaries in times of peace (Or directly surrounding all of your cities with units). On the other hand you can also outright kill or capture the religious units by going to war. This might not always be worth the trouble, as other Civs of the world may see you as a warmonger for taking innocent faith workers.
As you enter later technology eras Faith and Religion will start to wane, but don't neglect it entirely. Civs and City States that follow your Religion are more inclined to work with you, though that still won't override political alliances. Sidon and Lhasa might follow your brand of Hinduism, but don't be shocked if they attack you once Greece has some beef with you.
Espionage
Espionage is the second new system within the Gods and Kings expansion. When any Civ in the game enters the Renaissance era, all nations will gain a single spy (England also gets an extra spy). As a nation enters new technology eras they will gain more spies. A spy will also be awarded to the Civ that builds the National Intelligence Agency Wonder.
A spy can be moved to other nations to steal technology and gather intrigue. You are more likely to gain technology and intrigue in cities with higher populations. Stealing technology will only work if the current Civ you've targeted is more advanced along the technology tree. Intrigue on the other hand can give you information about who that Civ is about to go to declare war on or who they are plotting against. You can then share this knowledge with the third party and advance diplomatic relations.
There is also counter intelligence: by placing spies in your own cities they can defend against theft, identify who is spying on your or even kill of enemy spies. Dead spies will be replaced by fresh new spies after a set amount of turns. Discovering spies in your cities (or being caught by an enemy) can lead to national incidents, such as weakened relations or outright war. You can however choose to forgive the nation that wronged you, or request nations stop their operations within your territory. Some Civs will adhere to your wishes, while others may become hostile.
Spies can also occupy City States and will attempt to rig elections. After every 15 turns your spy will attempt to increase your influence with the City State, though rival Spies in the City State will often prevent this. You can also actively stage a coup to completely overthrow the City State's current alliance. However, if you fail this coup option your spy will be killed. If you are a third party spy who witnesses another spies' failed coup you may also gain that information.
As a spy completes any of these above missions they will be awarded experience and possible level ups. A higher rank spy will be able to complete missions faster and at a greater success rate. For the most part send high level spies to complete dangerous tasks such as coups and let newbie spies gather intrigue on lesser Civs.
New Technology Tree
The technology tree has had a massive overhaul, including new units and builds, changed prerequisite orders, new tech and even removed tech. This also including a change to the Modern and Future eras to form thee eras: Modern, Atomic, and Information.
Ancient
| Tech Name | Science Cost | Leads to Tech | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 20 (14) | Pottery, Animal Husbandry, Archery, Mining | Atlatlist (New), Farm |
| Pottery | 35 (25) | Sailing, Calendar, Writing | Granary, Shrine (New) |
| Animal Husbandry | 35 (25) | Trapping, The Wheel | Reveals Horses, Pasture |
| Archery | 35 (25) | The Wheel (Formerly Mathematics) | Archer |
| Mining | 35 (25) | Masonry, Bronze Working | Mine, Chop Forest |
| Sailing | 55 (40) | Optics | Work Boat, Trireme, Fishing Boat (Formerly The Great Lighthouse) |
| Calendar | 55 (51) | Philosophy (Formerly Theology) | Stonehenge, Plantation |
| Writing | 55 (40) | Philosophy, Drama and Poetry (New) | Library, The Great Library, Embassies (New) (Formerly National College, Open Borders) |
| Trapping | 55 (40) | Horseback Riding (Formerly Civil Service) | Circus, Camp (Formerly Trading Post) |
| The Wheel | 55 (40) | Horseback Riding, Mathematics, Construction (New) | Chariot Archer, Water Mill, Road |
| Masonry | 55 (40) | Construction | Walls, The Pyramids, Quarry, Clear Marsh |
| Bronze Working | 55 (40) | Iron Working | Spearman, Barracks, Remove Jungle (Formerly The Colossus) |
Classical
| Tech Name | Science Cost | Leads to Tech | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optics | 85 (58) | Compass | Lighthouse, The Great Lighthouse (New), Embark |
| Horseback Riding | 105 (73) | Civil Service (Formerly Chivalry) | Horseman, Stable, Circus Maximums (New), (Formerly Circus) |
| Mathematics | 105 (73) | Currency, Engineering | Catapult, Courthouse, The Hanging Gardens |
| Construction | 105 (73) | Engineering | Composite Bowman (New), Colosseum, Terracotta Army (New), Construct Lumber Mill (New) (Formerly The Great Wall, Bridges over Rivers) |
| Philosophy | 175 (73) | Theology (Formerly Civil Service) | Temple, The Oracle, National College (New) (Formerly National Epic, Research Agreements) |
| Drama and Poetry (New Tech) | 175 | Theology, Civil Service | National Epic, Amphitheater |
| Currency (Formerly Medieval) | 175 (184) | Guilds, Civil Service (Formerly Chivalry) | Mint, Market, Petra (New) (Formerly Machu Picchu) |
| Engineering (Formerly Medieval) | 175 (184) | Metal Casting, Machinery (Formerly Physics) | The Great Wall (New), Aqueduct (New), Fort, Bridges over Rivers (New) (Formerly Lumber Mill) |
| Iron Working | 195 (110) | Metal Casting | Swordsman, Armory, Heroic Epic, The Colossus (New), Reveals Iron |
Medieval
| Tech Name | Science Cost | Leads to Tech | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theology | 275 (184) | Education, Compass (New) | Garden, The Hagia Sophia, Great Mosque of Djenne (New) (Formerly Monastery, Angkor Wat) |
| Civil Service | 275 (294) | Chivalry, Education (New) | Pikeman, Chichen Itza, Increased Food from Farms with Fresh Water |
| Guilds (New Tech) | 275 | Chivalry, Machinery | National Treasury, Machu Picchu, Trading Post, Polder |
| Metal Casting | 275 (184) | Physics, Steel | Forge, Workshop |
| Compass | 375 (250) | Astronomy | Galleass (New), Harbor |
| Education | 485 (324) | Astronomy, Acoustics, Banking | University, Oxford University, Angkor Wat (New), Research Agreements (New) (Formerly Notre Dame, The Porcelain Tower, Production to Research) |
| Chivalry | 485 (324) | Banking, Printing Press (New) | Knight, Castle, Alhambra (New), Defense Pact (Formerly Himeji Castle) |
| Machinery | 485 (324) | Printing Press | Crossbowman, Longbowman, Ironworks (New), Faster movement on Road |
| Physics | 485 (324) | Printing Press, Gunpowder | Trebuchet, Notre Dame (New) |
| Steel | 485 (324) | Gunpowder | Longswordsman, Armory (New) |
Renaissance
| Tech Name | Science Cost | Leads to Tech | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astronomy | 780 (479) | Navigation | Caravel, Observatory, Faster Embark Movement, Embarked units cross oceans |
| Acoustics | 780 (479) | Architecture, Architecture (New) (Formerly Scientific Theory) | Opera House, Sistine Chapel (Formerly The Kremlin) |
| Banking | 780 (479) | Economics, Architecture (New) | Bank, The Forbidden Palace, Constabulary (New) |
| Printing Press | 780 (479) | Economics, Metallurgy (New) | Theatre, Leaning Tower of Pisa (New) (Formerly Taj Mahal) |
| Gunpowder | 780 (510) | Chemistry, Metallurgy | Musketman, Himeji Castle (New) |
| Navigation | 1150 (663) | Archaeology (Formerly Scientific Theory) | Frigate, Privateer (New), Sea Beggar (New), Seaport |
| Economics | 1150 (663) | Scientific Theory (New), Industrialization (New), Rifling (New) (Formerly Military Science) | Windmill (Formerly Big Ben) |
| Architecture (New Tech) | 1150 | Archeology | Hermitage, The Porcelain Tower, Taj Mahal |
| Metallurgy | 1150 (663) | Rifling, Military Science (New) | Lancer, Arsenal (New), The Kremlin (New) |
| Chemistry | 1150 (663) | Military Science, Fertilizer | Cannon (Formerly Ironworks) |
Industrial
| Tech Name | Science Cost | Leads to Tech | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archeology (Formerly Renaissance) | 1600 (958) | Biology | Museum, The Louvre (Formerly Hermitage) |
| Scientific Theory (Formerly Renaissance) | 1600 (958) | Biology, Steam Power, Electricity (New) | Public School, (Formerly Reveals Coal) |
| Rifling (Formerly Renaissance) | 1600 (1049) | Dynamite | Rifleman |
| Military Science (Formerly Renaissance) | 1600 (958) | Dynamite (Formerly Steam Power) | Cavalry, Military Academy, Brandenburg Gate |
| Fertilizer (Formerly Renaissance) | 1600 (958) | Dynamite | Food from Farms increased with no water |
| Biology | 2350 (1596) | Refrigeration (Formerly Electricity) | Hospital, Reveals Oil, Build Well |
| Electricity | 2350 (1805) | Refrigeration, Radio, Replaceable Parts (New) (Formerly Telegraph) | Hydro Plant, Stock Exchange, Police Station (New), Reveals Aluminum |
| Steam Power | 2350 (1596) | Flight (New), Replaceable Parts, Railroad (Formerly Electricity) | Ironclad, Faster Embark Movement (Formerly Factory, Lumber Mill Yield Improved) |
| Dynamite | 2350 (1805) | Railroad (Formerly Combustion) | Artillery |
Modern
| Tech Name | Science Cost | Leads to Tech | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigeration (Formerly Industrial) | 3100 (2090) | Penicillin (Formerly Plastics) | Submarine, Offshore Platform, Stadium (New) |
| Radio (Formerly Industrial) | 3100 (2090) | Plastics (Formerly Mass Media, Radar) | Broadcast Tower, Eiffel Tower, National Intelligence Agency (New) (Formerly Anti-Aircraft Gun) |
| Replaceable Parts (Formerly Industrial) | 3100 (1805) | Plastics, Electronics (Formerly Flight, Combustion) | Great War Infantry (New), Military Base (New), Statue of Liberty (New) (Formerly Destroyer, Stock Exchange, Reveals Aluminum) |
| Flight (Formerly Industrial) | 3100 (2090) | Ballistics (New), Electronics (New) (Formerly Radar) | Triplane (New), Great War Bomber (New) (Formerly Carrier, Fighter) |
| Railroad (Formerly Industrial) | 3100 (1805) | Combustion | Neuschwanstein (New), Railroad |
| Plastics | 4100 (2470) | Penicillin, Atomic Theory (Formerly Ecology) | Infantry (New), Research Lab, Cristo Redentor |
| Electronics | 4100 (2470) | Radar, Atomic Theory (Formerly Computers) | Carrier (New), Battleship (New) (Formerly Mechanized Infantry) |
| Ballistics (New Tech) | 4100 | Radar, Combined Arms | Anti-Aircraft Gun, Machine Gun |
| Combustion (Formerly Industrial) | 4100 (2090) | Combined Arms (Formerly Atomic Theory, Lasers) | Destroyer, Landship (Formerly Tank) |
Atomic (New Tech Era)
| Tech Name | Science Cost | Leads to Tech | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penicillin | 5100 (2470) | Ecology | Marine (New), Medical Lab |
| Atomic Theory | 5100 (2470) | Ecology (New), Nuclear Fusion | Reveals Uranium, The Manhattan Project |
| Radar | 5100 (2470) | Nuclear Fusion (New), Rocketry, Lasers | Bomber, Paratrooper, Fighter (New) (Formerly Pentagon) |
| Combined Arms (New Tech) | 5100 | Computers | Tank, Anti-Tank Gun, Pentagon |
| Ecology | 6400 (2850) | Telecommunications (New), Mobile Tactics (New) (Formerly Globalization) | Solar Plant, Sydney Opera House (New), Recycling Center (New) |
| Nuclear Fission | 6400 (2850) | Mobile Tactics (New), Advanced Ballistics | Atomic Bomb, Nuclear Plant |
| Rocketry | 6400 (2850) | Satellites, Robotics (New), Satellites (New) | Mobile SAM (New), Rocket Artillery, Apollo Program (Fomerly Helicopter Gunship) |
| Computers | 6400 (2850) | Robotics, Lasers (New) | Helicopter Gunship (New), Great Firewall (New) (Formerly Nuclear Submarine, Mobile SAM) |
Information (New Tech Era)
| Tech Name | Science Cost | Leads to Tech | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications (New Tech) | 7700 | Globalization, Particle Physics | Nuclear Submarine, Bomb Shelter, CN Tower |
| Mobile Tactics (New Tech) | 7700 | Particle Physics | Mechanized Infantry |
| Advanced Ballistics | 7700 (3182) | Nuclear Fusion, Particle Physics (New) | Nuclear Missile, SS Booster (New), Guided Missile (New) |
| Satellites | 7700 (3182) | Nuclear Fusion (Formerly Particle Physics) | SS Cockpit, Hubble Space Telescope (New) (Formerly Guided Missile) |
| Robotics | 7700 (3182) | Stealth, Nuclear Fusion (New), Nanotechnology (New) (Formerly Particle Physics) | Missile Cruiser, Spaceship Factory (Formerly SS Booster) |
| Lasers | 7700 (2850) | Stealth (Formerly Advanced Ballistics) | Jet Fighter, Modern Armor |
| Globalization | 8800 (3182) | Future Tech (New) (Formerly Particle Physics) | United Nations (Formerly Sydney Opera House) |
| Particle Physics | 8800 (3182) | Future Tech (Formerly Nanotechnology) | SS Engine |
| Nuclear Fusion | 8800 (3420) | Future Tech | Giant Death Robot (Formerly SS Stasis Chamber) |
| Nanotechnology | 8800 (3135) | Future Tech | SS Stasis Chamber (Formerly Giant Death Robot) |
| Stealth | 8800 (3182) | Future Tech (Formerly Nuclear Fusion) | Stealth Bomber |
| Future Tech | 9500 (3800) | N/A | Points |
New Units and Buildings
Gods and Heroes contains new units and buildings to help you wage war, protect your boarders and help improve your nation.
Ancient
| Name | Type | Traits and Abilities | Requirements and Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stele | Building | 2 Culture, 2 Faith | 40 Production, 1 Gold Maintenance, Ethiopia |
| Atatlist | Combat Archery | 5 Combat, 7 Ranged Combat, 2 Range, 2 Movement, May Not Melee | 36 Production or 70 Faith, Construction Tech, The Maya |
| Pictish Warrior | Combat Melee | 11 Combat, 2 Movement, Foreign Lands Bonus, No Movement Cost to Pillage | 56 Production or 110 Faith, Bronze Working Tech, The Celts |
| Battering Ram | Combat Melee | 10 Combat, 2 Movement, Bonus vs Cities (300), No Defensive Terrain Bonus, Limited Visibility, Cover I, City Attack Only | 75 Production or 150 Faith, Bronze Working Tech, The Huns |
| Shrine | Building | 1 Faith | 40 Production, 1 Gold Maintenance, Pottery Tech |
| Pyramid | Building | 2 Faith, 2 Science | 40 Production, 1 Gold Maintenance, Pottery Tech, The Mayas |
| Dromon | Combat Naval | 8 Combat, 10 Ranged Combat, 2 Range, 4 Movement, Cannot Enter Deep Ocean, May Not Melee Attack, Bonus vs Naval | 56 Production, Sailing Tech, Byzantium |
| Quinquereme | Combat Naval | 13 Combat, 4 Movement, Cannot Enter Deep Ocean | 45 Production, Sailing Tech, Carthage |
Classical
| Name | Type | Traits and Abilities | Requirements and Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composite Bowman | Combat Archery | 7 Combat, 11 Ranged Combat, 2 Range, 2 Movement, May Not Melee Attack | 75 Production or 150 Faith, Construction Tech |
| Terracotta Army | Wonder | 6 Culture, 1 Great Artist Point | 250 Production, Construction Tech |
| Petra | Wonder | 1 Culture, 1 Great Engineer Point; +1 Food, +1 Production, and +1 Gold from Desert worked by the city. +6 Culture from Archaeology, Free Amphitheater | 250 Production, Currency Tech, City Must be build on or next to Desert |
| Amphitheater | Building | 3 Culture, Artist Specialist | 100 Production, 2 Gold Maintenance, Drama and Poetry Tech, Monument |
| Cataphrcat | Mounted Combat | 15 Combat, 3 Movement, Can Move After Attacking, Penalty Attacking Cities (25) | 75 Production or 150 Faith, Horse, Horseback Riding, Byzantium |
| African Forest Elephant | Mounted Combat | 14 Combat, 3 Movement, No Defense Terrain Bonus, Can Move After Attacking, Penalty Attacking Cities (33), Feared Elephant, Great Generals II | 100 Production or 200 Faith, Horseback Riding, Carthage |
Medieval
| Name | Type | Traits and Abilities | Requirements and Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alhambra | Wonder | 1 Culture, 1 Great Artist Point, Units gain Drill I, Free Castle, +20% Culture Output | 400 Production, Chivalry |
| Galleass | Naval Ranged Combat | 16 Combat, 17 Ranged Combat, 2 Range, 3 Movement, Cannot Enter Deep Ocean, May Not Melee Attack | 100 Production, Compass Tech |
| Polder | Improvement | 3 Food | Built on Marsh or Flood Plains, Guilds Tech, The Netherlands |
| Great Mosque of Djenne | Wonder | 1 Culture, 3 Faith, 1 Great Engineer Point, All Missionaries born here spread religion three times | 300 Production, Theology Tech |
Renaissance
| Name | Type | Traits and Abilities | Requirements and Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceilidh Hall | Building | 3 Happiness, 4 Culture, Artist Specialist | 200 Production, 2 Gold Maintenance, Acoustics Tech, Amphitheater, The Celts |
| Constabulary | Building | Reduces Spy stealing by 25% | 160 Production, 1 Gold Maintenance, Banking Tech |
| Coffee House | Building | +5% Production, +2 Production, +25% Great People generation, Engineer | 250 Production, 2 Gold Maintenance, Economics Tech, Austria |
| Hakkapeliitta | Mounted Combat | 25 Combat, 4 Movement, Transfer Movement to General, Great General Combat Bonus, No Defense Terrain Bonus, Can Move After Attacking, Penalty Attacking Cities (33), Formation I | 185 Production or 370 Faith, Horse, Metallurgy Tech, Sweden |
| Privateer | Naval Combat | 25 Combat, 5 Movement, Coastal Raider 1, Prize Ships | 150 Production, Navigation Tech |
| Sea Beggar | Naval Combat | 25 Combat, 5 Movement, Coastal Raider II, Prize Ships, Supply | 150 Production, Navigation Tech, The Netherlands |
| Leaning Tower of Pisa | Wonder | 1 Culture, 1 Great Artist Point, +25% generation of Great People in all cities, Free Great Person of your choice near the Capital | 500 Production, Printing Press Tech |
Industrial
| Name | Type | Traits and Abilities | Requirements and Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police Station | Building | Reduces Spy stealing by 25% | 300 Production 1 Gold Maintenance, Electricity Tech, Constabulary |
| Gatling Gun | Archery Combat | 36 Combat, 36 Ranged Combat, 1 Range, 2 Movement, May Not Melee Attack | 225 Production, Industrialization Tech |
| Mehal Sefari | Gunpowder Combat | 34 Combat, 2 Movement, Drill I, Near Capital Bonus | 200 Production, Rifling Tech, Ethiopia |
| Carolean | Gunpowder Combat | 34 Combat, 2 Movement, March | 225 Production, Rifling Tech, Sweden |
Modern
| Name | Type | Traits and Abilities | Requirements and Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Gun | Archery Combat | 60 Combat, 60 Ranged Combat, 1 Range, 2 Movement, May Not Melee Attack | 350 Production, Ballistics Tech |
| Landship | Armored Combat | 60 Combat, 4 Movement, No Defensive Terrain Bonuses, Can Move After Attacking | 350 Production, Oil, Combustion Tech |
| Triplane | Fighter Combat | 35 Ranged Combat, 5 Range, Interception (50), Air Sweep, Air Recon, Bonus vs Bombers (150) | 325 Production, Oil, Flight Tech |
| Great War Bomber | Bomber Combat | 50 Ranged Combat, 6 Range | 325 Production, Oil, Flight Tech |
| National Intelligence Agency | Wonder | Provides 1 spy and levels up all existing spies, Reduces Spy stealing by 15% | 575 Production, Radio Tech, Police Station in all cities |
| Neuschwanstein | Wonder | 2 Happiness, 4 Culture, 6 Gold, 1 Great Merchant Point, +3 Gold, +2 Culture, and +1 Happiness from every Castle | 1060 Production, Railroad Tech, Must be built within 2 tiles of a mountain |
| Great War Infantry | Gunpowder Combat | 50 Combat, 2 Movement | 320 Production, Replaceable Parts Tech |
Atomic
| Name | Type | Traits and Abilities | Requirements and Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Firewall | Wonder | 99.9% reduction of Spy stealing in the city, 25% Spy stealing in all cities | 1250 Production, Computers Tech |
| Recycling Center | Building | 2 Aluminum | 500 Production, Ecology Tech, Maximum 5 per empire |
| Marine | Gunpowder Combat | 65 Combat, 2 Movement, Amphibious, Extra Sight While Embarked, Embarkation with Defense | 400 Production, Penicillin Tech |
Information
| Name | Type | Traits and Abilities | Requirements and Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hubble Space Telescope | Wonder | 1 Great Scientist Points, 2 Free Great Scientists, Free Spaceship Factory, +25% Production when building Spaceship Parts | 1250 Production, Satellites Tech |
| Bomb Shelter | Building | Reduces Population loss from nuclear attack by 75% | 300 Production, 1 Gold Maintenance, Telecommunications Tech |
| CN Tower | Wonder | 1 Great Merchant Points, Free Broadcast Tower in call cities, +1 population in all cities, +1 Happiness per city | 1250 Production, Telecommunications Tech |
War Has Changed
Gods and Kings has new combat mechanics designed to make fights longer and more strategic. All combat units now have 100 HP instead of the small amount of 10. This makes it important for troops to travel and explore in small groups or they can easily find themselves overwhelmed by hearty enemy forces. It is recommended that a melee unit travel with a second melee unit or ranged fighter to help stay well guarded, mainly if there is a high chance of war.
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Healing per turn and instant heal promotion are also not nearly as powerful; the former heals for a mere 10 HP outside friendly borders and the latter for 50. Because a unit can no longer bunker down and turtle as well as before it is typically a good idea to retreat and regroup when pitted against overwhelming odds.
Cities are also stronger both defensively and offensively. Each city has 200 HPs, a defense score, and bombardment attacks deal heavy damage to most units. With these bonuses it is very easy to defend your own lands with the aid of only a few units, namely those garrisoned within the city itself. On the flip side, taking over enemy cities will require plenty of siege units (and later bombers) to effectively pierce through the walls.
Another major change is to naval combat. All embarked units can defend themselves, preventing them from being as easily destroyed. The embarked unit can also stack with true naval units to create powerful combinations. There is also a new Great Person: The great Admiral which provides a 15% combat bonus to nearby ships, or can be consumed to heal friendly naval units surrounding his hex.
Finally, melee naval units can now directly attack and capture cities. Because of these changes, no costal city is safe any more. You'll want to create navies to defend your waters as well as harass enemy territory. By taking over costal cities and city-states you will be able to gain a much stronger foothold on a continent compared to sending in a rogue settler.
City States and Diplomacy
City-States play an even bigger role in Gods and Kings. There are even more quests that each City-State will give to the world, allowing you to rack up favor with them quickly. You'll need this quick amount of influence repeatedly as influence now drops more rapidly. The new systems of Religion and Espionage are great ways of maintaining allied status with City-States, but always be ready to rely on the hold method of paying the nation off.
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For the Religion focused player there is also a new Religious City-Stay that will provide bonus Faith upon reaching friendly status.
Diplomacy with other empires has also been improved. First off embassies can be established after researching writing. Not only will these enhance relations, but an embassy is needed to conduct Open Borders, Research Agreements, and Defensive Pacts.
The new Religion and Espionage systems also work wonders for easing diplomacy. Any nation of the same Religion (As long as they actually want to be of said Religion) is more likely to work with you and avoid wars. However, this same faith will not negate their already formed treaties and alliances with third party empires.
Espionage can be used to give information to potential allies and forgiving nations that spy on you will improve relations.
While the rival empire AI's have been toned down they are still remarkably aggressive. Expect strange requests, irrational declarations of war, and rampant amount of spies in your cities. You'll need to balance playing nice with the AI, all while keeping yourself and your territory well guarded with soldiers.
You can quickly prevent some of these headaches by amassing new luxury resources, including copper, crabs, incense, truffles, and more. As long as you have two of these new luxury resources, trade them off to the nation that is giving you the biggest problems.
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