As players dive intoSid Meier’s Civilization 7and start to learn its various mechanics, it becomes clear that each of the three Ages has very distinct features. The Antiquity Age will be players' first experience in a standard game ofCiv 7, and its unique gameplay elements can be tricky without learning how everything functions. Getting oriented in the Antiquity Age is easier with a plan that strategizes a given leader and civilization’s abilities.
The Antiquity Age is where players will lay the foundation for the rest of their campaign, and there are some key decisions that will need to be made to start developing a strategy around individual Civ and leader strengths. Depending on the Legacy Path(s) of choice, priorities will shift and certain resources, buildings, or tactics will become more useful than others. Here’s a look at ten tips and tricks duringCiv 7’sAntiquity Age.
10Balance Your Towns & Cities
Civilization 7 Recommends At Least One Town For Every City
Town and city balance is critical in the Antiquity Age, and managing which Settlements to upgrade to cities can be tricky. Towns convert their Production to Gold, which bolsters the empire’s economy and can make or break any given leader’s agenda, especially when pursuing Economic Legacy Paths. The standard recommendation from the game’s tutorials suggests a one-to-one ratio of cities to towns, though that is simply a baseline figure.
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More realistically, certain leaders thrive with more cities versus towns, and vice versa. For example, Augustus’s Imperium Maius ability provides a Production bonus in the capital, andenables towns to purchase Culture buildingsat a discount, incentivizing town over city development. On the other hand, Confucius might favor a higher city count to boost Science output, with his Keju ability that boosts city growth rate.
9Establish Your Allies & Enemies
First Impressions Matter In Civ 7
Relationships with opposing Civs can go in a few directions, and it all starts when leaders first meet in the Antiquity Age. This is the critical time to develop strong alliances or start feuds with the Antiquity Age Civs on a player’s starting area. Many Civs in the campaign will remain hidden from the playeruntil they reach the Distant Lands in the Exploration Age, so these initial Civs and the nearby Independent Powers are the only options for establishing trade routes, waging wars, and engaging in diplomatic endeavors.
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It’s possible to start off with a hostile, neutral, or friendly relationship with other leaders, and there are advantages for allying or fighting with leaders with particular agendas or abilities. For example, maintaining a positive relationship with Lafayette can result in increased Social Policy slots, while Napoleon’s unique Continental System Sanction reduces opponent trade route capacity andgives a Gold bonus for Hostile and Unfriendly relationships.
8Independent Powers Are Critical In The Antiquity Age
City-States Can Be Incorporated Into A Civilization
Independent Powers function the same in each Age, but are arguably more important in the Antiquity Age because of how important it is to establish a civilization’s territory and set the foundation for the rest of the game. Independent Powers can be incorporated into a civilization, or dispersed and wiped out of the game entirely. Certain leaders or Civs are more likely to build up Influence faster than others, such as Machiavelli or Greece, making it easier to incorporate City-States.
These Independent Powers can also be incorporated into other civilizations, though, and it’s a bit of a race to befriend each one before another Civ does. Leaving Independent Powers “un-befriended” poses a risk that an opponent will potentially incorporate them into their own territory. These also play a critical role in the Miltiary Legacy Path in the Antiquity Age.
7Discoveries Can Be A Game-Changer
Goody Huts Are Especially Helpful In The Antiquity Age
Exploration andDiscoveries in the Antiquity Ageare absolutely essential, and can provide much-needed resources when getting things set up early on. While Discoveries occur throughout the Ages, acquiring certainresources early can be much more significantthan in later stages of the game when players are more established and developed.
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Discoveries are entirely random, and can sometimes lead to improved relationships with nearby Independent Powers, or can even trigger quests for players to complete and acquire unique rewards.These “Goody Huts” should be on every player’s radarduring the Antiquity Age because if one Civ doesn’t grab them, another one definitely will. Leaving these undiscovered is like giving other Civs a free gift, and those valuable resources shouldn’t be left on the table.
6Antiquity Age Wonders Are In High Demand
The Cultural Legacy Path Requires Seven Wonders
Because of the Wonders of the Ancient World Cultural Legacy Path, Wonders in the Antiquity Age are in higher demand than other Ages. This could be a non-issue for players focusing on the other Legacy Paths, even though those paths may benefit from creating certain Wonders. However, if someone is interested in pursuing the Cultural path, it’s likelymany of the Wonders they are interested in will be contestedby other civilizations, especially Wonders available early on, such as Hanging Gardens.
While Production toward any given Wonder is not lost when another Civ completes it first, it can be very frustrating to lose the race for a given Wonder that might benefit a particular leader or civilization more than other available Wonders. When working toward a Cultural Victory with any leader, it’s important toprioritize specific Wonder creationand to always prioritize their Civilization’s unique Wonder, (e.g., the Pyramids and Egypt).
5Make Your Pantheon Matter
Pantheons Provide Unique Bonuses For Settlements With An Altar
Pantheons are the Antiquity Age religious mechanic and provide unique bonuses to Settlements with an Altar. Pantheons are unlocked with the Mysticism Civic, and should be on everyone’s Antiquity Age checklist no matter what Victory type they are pursuing.Pantheons are first come first serve, making it important to claim the best option(s) as soon as possible.
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Pantheons can be incredibly useful in establishing borders and growing cities or towns, especially when playing as certain Civs, such as Maurya, who get access to an additional Pantheon. Choosing a Pantheon and building Altars in every Settlement is a surefire way to enhance yields of all types. Consider a Pantheon that willhelp along a particular Legacy Path,such as Monument to the Gods for increased Wonder Production.
4Manage Your Resources For Silk Roads
The Economic Legacy Path Requires Twenty Resources
Resource management is important in the Antiquity Age, especially whenpursuing the Silk Roads Legacy Path. Resources come from a variety of sources - player’s own Settlements, trade routes with City-States and neighboring civilizations, and even in the form of rewards for establishing a City-State. Ensuring a civilization has the available Resource slots is critical as well, and this can also be done in many different ways during the Antiquity Age.
For example, Camels are a unique Resource thatprovide two extra Resource slotsin a given city, while building Markets and Lighthouses will increase Resource capacity by one for each building constructed. To acquire more Resources, establish trade routes with nearby City-States at first, and expand trade route range as much as possible, sending Merchants out as more routes become available.
3Codices Can Be Lost Or Destroyed
A Codex On A Pillaged Library Is Lost Forever
Codices are the Great Works in the Antiquity Age that are essential for completing the Scientific Legacy Path, the Great Library. These can be trickier to accumulate than they appear at first glance. While it seems all players have to do is Research a bunch of Mastery Technologies, acquiring a Codex without an available Great Work slot meansthat Codex is lost for good. This makes building Libraries, Academies, and certain Wonders such as the Nalanda essentialbeforeacquiring the Codices.
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Further, a Codex displayed in a building that gets pillaged will be destroyed as well, as well as damage from natural disasters such as flooding or volcanic eruptions. This makeslocation and placement of Codex-containing buildingsvery important. Codices are in somewhat limited supply, though there are ways of acquiring more even after losing some.
2Take Advantage Of Unique Civics, Quarters & Wonders
Unique Buildings Are Typically Ageless
Every civilization hasa unique associated Wonderthat they will automatically have a Production bonus toward. This should almost always be constructed during the Antiquity Age, regardless of which Victory type a player is pursuing. These Wonders likely enhance the bonuses of the civilization they’re linked to, more so than any other available Wonders.
Each civilization also has its own unique Civic tree in every Age, which are often catered to a particular strategy for their respective Ages. Unique Civic Trees unlock Unique buildings and quarters, which are Ageless, meaning their effects do not diminish across the Ages. Additionally,each unique Civic Tree unlocks Traditions, which are Social Policies that persist across the Ages as well.
1Prepare For The Exploration Age
As the Antiquity Age wraps up, the imminent Age transition will be of great importance in developing a strategy moving forward. Be sure to complete any individual Legacy Paths, keeping in mind that each milestone will advance the Age that much further. A Crisis will trigger near the end of the Antiquity Age, either a plague, revolt, barbarian hordes, orsome other catastrophic event that may require a shift in tacticsin the final turns of the Antiquity Age.
Be mindful of what will change in the Age transition as well, as the Exploration Age shuffles and consolidates units, changes Independent Powers or City-States that have not been fully incorporated, and will diminish yields for any building that isn’t Ageless.Cities aside from the player’s Capital will reset to towns, unless players have access to the Silk Roads Golden Age. Overall, the transition out ofCivilization 7’sAntiquity Age should be much smoother with these 10 tips and tricks.
