While Religion is no longer its own victory condition in Civilization 7, it remains a huge part of the game during the Age of Exploration. A natural development from the pantheons of the Age of Antiquity, Religions are a crucial part of the Culture Legacy Path “Toshakhana” in the Age of Exploration, and can provide bonuses that are useful to all strategies.
Founding and spreading a religion in Civilization 7 will allow you to acquire and display relics, a type of great work that is required to complete the Legacy Path, and which provides additional Culture and Happiness per turn when displayed. This guide will explain the basics of religion in Civilization 7.
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How Pantheons Work
Pantheons are the first form of religion you’ll encounter in the game, becoming available during the Age of Antiquity. You are prompted to choose a Pantheon once you unlock the Mysticism Civic, each offering a different small benefit. Certain Pantheon benefits function as Warehouse Bonuses, increasing the yield of certain tiles permanently. Here’s all the Pantheons and their effects:
|
Pantheon |
Effect |
|
City Patron Goddess |
+2 Influence on the Altar. |
|
Earth Goddess |
The Altar receives a +1 Happiness Adjacency bonus for Mountains and Natural Wonders. |
|
Fertility Rites |
+10% Growth Rate in Cities with an Altar. |
|
Goddess of Festivals |
+1 Culture on Quarters in Settlements with an Altar. |
|
God of Healing |
+5 Healing on Units in Rural Tiles. |
|
Goddess of the Harvest |
+1 Food on Farms, Pastures, and Plantations in settlements with an Altar. Warehouse bonus. |
|
God of the Forest |
+1 Gold on Camps and Woodcutters in Settlements with an Altar. Warehouse bonus. |
|
God of the Forge |
+10% Production towards constructing Buildings in Cities with an Altar. |
|
God of the Sea |
+1 Production on Fishing Boats in Settlements with an Altar. Warehouse bonus. |
|
God of the Sun |
+1 Culture, Food, Gold, Happiness, Production, and Science on the Altar. |
|
God of War |
+15% Production toward training Military Units in Cities with an Altar. |
|
God of Wisdom |
+1 Science on Quarters in Settlements with an Altar. |
|
Monuments of the Gods |
+10% Production towards constructing Wonders in Cities with an Altar. |
|
Oral Tradition |
+10% Production towards training Settlers in Cities with an Altar. |
|
Sacred Waters |
The Altar receives a +1 Happiness Adjacency for Coasts, Lakes, and Navigable River tiles. |
|
Stone Circles |
+1 Production on Clay Pits, Mines, and Quarries in Settlements with an Altar. Warehouse bonus. |
How to Found a Religion/How Religions Work
Once you enter the Age of Exploration, you’ll be able to found a religion properly, by unlocking the Piety Civic and then building a temple. Once the temple is complete, you’ll be prompted to found a religion, selecting a Reliquary Belief and a Founder belief. The former determines how you’ll be able to acquire relics and you’ll only get one, while the latter gives you bonuses for converting settlements from other civilizations (and independent powers.)
Later on, you’ll be able to get additional founder beliefs, and you can also get an enhancer belief by unlocking the first Civic in the Theology Civic tree. (Which is unlocked when you build your first temple.) Enhancer Beliefs have a range of useful effects that support different strategies.
If you’re trying to complete the Culture Legacy Path, Religion will be utterly essential to your strategy. If you’re going for one of the other Legacy Paths, however, it remains a powerful part of your strategy if you take advantage of the right beliefs. For example, the Millenarianism Enhancer belief will let you convert conquered settlements to your religion, and the Military Legacy Path during this Age gives you additional victory points when conquering settlements that follow the same religion as you. More scientifically-minded players will find founder beliefs like Interfaith Dialog or Reincarnation incredibly helpful.
Reliquary Beliefs
|
Belief |
Effect |
|
Icons |
+2 Relics for first-time conversion of a City-State. |
|
Brahmanism |
+2 Relics for first-time conversion of another Civilization’s Capital city. |
|
Reliquaries |
+1 Relics for first-time conversion of another Civilization’s settlement with a Temple or Altar. |
|
Apostolism |
+2 Relics for first-time conversion of another Civilization’s settlement with a Wonder from any Age. |
|
Evangelicism |
+1 Relics for first-time conversion of another Civilization’s settlement in Distant Lands that is not a City-State. |
|
Charoen |
+2 Relics for first-time conversion of another Civilization’s settlement producing Treasure Fleets. |
|
Lay Followers |
+1 Relics for first-time conversion of another Civilization’s settlement with at least 10 Rural population. |
|
Ecclesiasticism |
+1 Relics for first-time conversion of another Civilization’s settlement with at least 10 Urban population. |
Founder Beliefs
|
Belief |
Effect |
|
Interfaith Dialogue |
+4 Science for every foreign settlement following your Religion. |
|
Stewardship |
+8 Culture, Gold, and Science for every tile that has a Natural Wonder in other Civilizations’ Settlements following your Religion. |
|
Shrines of the Kami |
+4 Culture, Gold, and Science for every Wonder in other Civilizations’ Settlements following your Religion. |
|
Tithe |
+4 Gold for every foreign Settlement following your Religion. |
|
Holy Ecumene |
+4 Culture for every foreign Settlement following your Religion. |
|
Reincarnation |
+2 Science for every Tropical tile in other Civilizations’ Settlements following your Religion. |
|
Shamanism |
+2 Culture for every Tundra tile in other Civilizations’ Settlements following your religion. |
|
Desert Faith |
+2 Gold for every Desert tile in other Civilizations’ Settlements following your Religion. |
|
Vipassana |
+4 Happiness for every foreign Settlement following your Religion. |
|
Holy Waters |
+1 Happiness for every Marine tile in other Civilizations’ Settlements following your Religion. |
|
Sacred Herds |
+1 Science for every Grassland tile in other Civilizations’ Settlements following your Religion. |
|
Sky Gods |
+1 Culture for every Plains tile in other Civilizations’ Settlements following your Religion. |
Enhancer Beliefs
|
Belief |
Effect |
|
Conversion |
Newly Founded Towns in Distant Lands Start with this Religion. |
|
Stella Maris |
+2 Movement to Missionaries when Embarked. All Naval and Embarked Units receive +1 Movement. |
|
Defender of the Faith |
Units gain +5 Combat Strength in Friendly Settlements that follow this Religion. |
|
Millenarianism |
Conquered Settlements are Converted to your Religion. |
|
Dawah |
When a Trade Route is established to a settlement, it is Converted to your Religion. |
|
Zeal |
Missionaries receive +1 Charge. |
|
Scripture |
+10% Production towards training Missionaries for every Relic. |
|
Sanctum |
+1 Relic Slot in Temples in Cities. |
- Released
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February 11, 2025