How Religion Works In Civilization 7

Though Religion is no longer its own victory path in Civilization 7, it’s still an important element of the game that you’ll need to master to achieve victory after 500 or so turns. In Civ 7, the religion system has been simplified and streamlined, but there is still a process you have to follow to lead your civ to glory.

Whether you’re trying to complete the Cultural Legacy path or simply trying to round out your society and gain various perks from religious structures and units, there’s a lot to know about Religion. This guide has everything you need to create a utopian theocracy in Civilization 7.

What Is Religion In Civ 7?

Similar to previous installments of Civilization, Religion is an important aspect of gameplay that has to be developed beginning in the Antiquity Age.

Unlike earlier games in the franchise, Religion is now much more focused. The religious combat system from Civ 6 is gone, and your primary focus will be using Missionaries to convert your cities and allies and enemies alike.

There are a few important elements of Religion to keep in mind as you progress through each age.

1. Study The Right Civics – To found a religion, you’ll need to study certain civics (detailed below).
2. Prepare To Produce Missionaries – In the Exploration Age, you’ll need to spend time producing or purchasing a lot of Missionaries to be successful.
3. Pay Attention To Bonuses – In the Antiquity Age and beyond, you can earn bonuses for collecting Reliquaries (which prove important later on) and for founding a certain Pantheon. Pay close attention to these to optimize your Religion.

How Religion Works In The Antiquity Age

The journey toward founding a religion in Civ 7 begins in the Antiquity Age by founding a Pantheon, which can be achieved relatively early on. Pantheons provide a variety of different passive buffs, which you should select based on your playstyle.

Pantheons are the primary way that Religion factors into the Antiquity Age and are important for establishing religion in the subsequent Age of Exploration.

Here are some examples of some of the best Pantheons.

How To Found A Pantheon

To found a Pantheon, you must first research the Mysticism Civic. This is available relatively early on in the game. Prioritize this research project when it’s first made available to you.

While founding a Pantheon is important, ultimately, the Antiquity Age is not heavily focused on Religion.

So, you can feel free to prioritize other Legacy Paths and win conditions during this time if you’re going for a more well-rounded Civ.

How Religion Works In The Exploration Age

The Exploration Age is where Religion really kicks into high gear in Civ 7, and is the most important age for developing a faith.

If you’re pursuing a Culture Victory and have tutorials enabled, your Cultural Advisor will offer insight into how to use Religion to your benefit.

When the Age begins, you’ll receive a series of objectives. Once these two objectives are complete, you can found a religion that grants a variety of buffs.

1. Study the Piety Civic
2. Construct a Temple

If you’re pursuing a Culture Victory, you’ll want to prioritize these objectives over anything else. Don’t waste precious turns!

How To Found A Religion

Once your temple is complete, you’ll be prompted to found a religion, after which you’ll select a handful of boons detailed below.

How To Spread Your Religion

With a Religion founded, you’ll want to focus on spreading your faith across the globe. The main way to do this is to produce Missionaries and send them to other Civs.

Once you’ve produced a Missionary, you can use it to convert your settlements or another Civ’s settlements to your faith. To do so, simply follow these steps.

1. Send your Missionary within the settlement’s borders.
2. Use the Convert Action to convert the city (for first-time conversions).
3. If the city already has a religion and a rural and urban population, you will need to use two Convert Actions to convert both populations.

When converting a city with a rural and urban population, make sure you use the Convert Action once on an urban tile and once on a rural tile to successfully convert the city.

How To Earn Relics

In the Exploration Age, the Cultural Legacy Path involves earning and displaying 12 relics in your civilization. Earning relics through Religion and other means is imperative for securing a Cultural Victory by the end of the campaign.

There are a few different ways to earn Relics during this age.

​​​​When you earn Relics, you’ll also need to display them. Make sure you construct Temples and Wonders that allow you to display Relics. You can choose where to display Relics in the Great Works menu.

How Religion Works In The Modern Age

Ultimately, though Religion factors in all three ages, Religion is most important when achieving legacy points in the Exploration Age. While Religion continues as an element of gameplay in the Modern Age, it is by no means at the forefront.

If you successfully spread your Religion well in the Exploration Age, you’ll continue to earn bonuses through your Reliquary, Founder, and Enhancer beliefs, as well as your Pantheon beliefs in the Modern AGe.

The Legacy Points you earned in the previous age from developing your religion can grant you advantages toward achieving victory in the Modern Age.