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The following is a list of unique abilities in Civilization V and its expansions.

Unique abilities[]

Ability Civilization Effects
Achaemenid Legacy Persian
Persian
Golden Age Golden Ages last 50% longer. During a Golden Age Golden Age, units receive +1 Movement Movement and a +10% Combat Strength Combat Strength bonus.
Ancien Régime French
French
+2 Culture Culture per turn from Cities before discovering Steam Power.
Art of War Chinese
Chinese
The Great General combat bonus is increased by 15%, and their spawn rate is increased by 50%.
Barbary Corsairs Ottoman
Ottoman
50% chance of converting an adjacent Barbarian naval unit to your side and earning 25 Gold Gold. Pay only one-third the usual cost for naval unit maintenance.

GodsKings5 clear All melee naval units have the Prize Ships promotion, allowing them to capture defeated ships. Pay only one-third the usual cost for naval unit maintenance.

Bushido Japanese
Japanese
Units fight as though they were at full strength even when damaged.

BNW-only Units fight as though they were at full strength even when damaged. +1 Culture Culture from each Fishing Boat and +2 Culture Culture from each Atoll.

Carnival Brazilian
Brazilian
Tourism Tourism output is +100% during their Golden Age Golden Ages. Earn Great Artists, Musicians, and Writers 50% faster during their Golden Age Golden Ages.
City of Light BNW-only French
French
Museum and World Wonder theming bonuses are doubled in their Capital Capital.
Diplomatic Marriage Austrian
Austrian GodsKings5 clear
Can spend Gold Gold to annex or puppet a City-State City-State that has been your ally for 5 turns.
Druidic Lore Celtic
Celtic GodsKings5 clear
+1 Faith Faith per city with an adjacent unimproved Forest. Bonus increases to +2 Faith Faith in Cities with 3 or more adjacent unimproved Forest tiles.
Dutch East India Company[1] Dutch
Dutch GodsKings5 clear
Retains 50% of the Happiness Happiness benefits from a Luxury Resource if your last copy of it is traded away.
Father Governs Children Siamese
Siamese
Food Food and Culture Culture from friendly City-State City-States increased by 50%.

GodsKings5 clear Food Food, Culture Culture, and Faith Faith from friendly City-State City-States increased by 50%.
Hidden: Units gifted by Militaristic City-State City-States get +10 experience.

Furor Teutonicus German
German
Upon defeating a Barbarian unit inside an encampment, there is a 50% (67% in BNW-only) chance you earn 25 Gold Gold and they join your side. Pay 25% less for land unit maintenance.
Gateway to Africa Moroccan
Moroccan BNW-only
Receives +3 Gold Gold and +1 Culture Culture for each Trade Route Trade Route with a different civ or City-State City-State. The Trade Route Trade Route owners receive +2 Gold Gold for each Trade Route Trade Route sent to Morocco.
Great Andean Road Incan
Incan
Units ignore terrain costs when moving into any tile with Hills. No maintenance costs for improvements in Hills; half cost elsewhere.
Great Expanse Shoshone
Shoshone BNW-only
Founded cities start with additional territory. Units receive a combat bonus when fighting within their own territory (+15% Combat Strength Combat Strength).
Hellenic League Greek
Greek
City-State City-State Influence Influence degrades at half and recovers at twice the normal rate.

Hidden: Units within City-State City-State borders do not cause a loss of Influence Influence and heal as if they were in friendly territory.

Iklwa Zulu
Zulu BNW-only
Melee units cost 50% less maintenance. All units require 25% less experience to earn their next promotion.
Ingenuity Babylonian
Babylonian
Receive free Great Scientist when you discover Writing. Earn Great Scientists 50% faster.
Manifest Destiny American
American
All land military units have +1 sight. 50% discount when purchasing tiles.
Mare Clausum Portuguese
Portuguese BNW-only
Resource diversity grants twice as much Gold Gold for Portugal in Trade Route Trade Routes.
Mongol Terror Mongolian
Mongolian
Combat Strength Combat Strength +30% when fighting City-State City-State units or attacking a City-State City-State itself. All mounted units have +1 Movement Movement.
Monument Builders Egyptian
Egyptian
+20% Production Production towards Wonder construction.
Nobel Prize Swedish
Swedish GodsKings5 clear
Gain 90 Influence Influence with a Great Person gift to a City-State City-State. When declaring friendship, Sweden and their friend gain a +10% boost to Great Person generation.
Patriarchate of Constantinople Byzantine
Byzantine GodsKings5 clear
Choose one more Belief than normal when you found a Religion Religion.
Phoenician Heritage Carthaginian
Carthaginian GodsKings5 clear
All coastal 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.
Population Growth Indian
Indian
Unhappiness Unhappiness from number of Cities doubled, Unhappiness Unhappiness from number of Citizen Citizens halved.
River Warlord Songhai
Songhai
Receive triple Gold Gold from Barbarian encampments and pillaging Cities. Embarked units can defend themselves.

GodsKings5 clear Receive triple Gold Gold from Barbarian encampments and pillaging Cities. Land units gain the War Canoe and Amphibious promotions, strengthening them while embarked.

Sacrificial Captives Aztec
Aztec
Gains Culture Culture for the empire from each enemy unit killed.
Scholars of the Jade Hall Korean
Korean
+2 Science Science for all Specialist Specialists and for all Great Person tile improvements. Receive a tech boost each time a scientific building/Wonder is built in the Korean Capital Capital.
Scourge of God Hunnic
Hunnic GodsKings5 clear
Raze Cities at double speed. Borrow City names from other in-game Civs. Start with Animal Husbandry technology. +1 Production Production per Pasture.
Serenissima Venetian
Venetian BNW-only
Cannot gain settlers nor annex cities. Double the normal number of Trade Route Trade Routes available. A Merchant of Venice appears after researching Optics. May purchase in puppeted cities.
Seven Cities of Gold Spanish
Spanish
Gold Gold bonus for discovering a Natural Wonder (bonus enhanced if first to discover it). Culture Culture, Happiness Happiness, and tile yields from Natural Wonders doubled.
Ships of the Desert BNW-only Arabian
Arabian
Caravans gain 50% extended range. Your Trade Route Trade Routes spread the home city's Religion Religion twice as effectively. Oil Oil resources are doubled.
Siberian Riches[2] Russian
Russian
Strategic Resources provide +1 Production Production and Horses Horses, Iron Iron and Uranium Uranium Resources provide double quantity.
Solidarity Polish
Polish BNW-only
Receive a free Social Policy when you advance to the next era.
Spice Islanders Indonesian
Indonesian BNW-only
The first 3 cities founded on continents other than where Indonesia started each provide 2 unique Luxury Resources (and can never be razed).
Spirit of Adwa Ethiopian
Ethiopian GodsKings5 clear
Combat bonus (+20%) when fighting units from a Civilization with more Cities than Ethiopia.
Sun Never Sets English
English
+2 Movement Movement for all naval units.

GodsKings5 clear +2 Movement Movement for all naval units. Receives 1 extra Spy Spy.

The Glory of Rome Roman
Roman
+25% Production Production towards any buildings that already exist in the Capital Capital.
The Great Warpath Iroquois
Iroquois
Units move through Forest and Jungle in friendly territory as if it is Road. These tiles can be used to establish Trade Route Trade Routes upon researching The Wheel.

BNW-only Units move through Forest and Jungle in friendly territory as if they were Roads. These tiles can be used to establish City Connection City Connections upon researching The Wheel. Caravans move along Forest and Jungle as if they were Roads.

The Long Count Mayan
Mayan GodsKings5 clear
After researching Theology, receive a bonus Great Person at the end of every Maya Long Count calendar cycle (every 394 years). Each bonus person can only be chosen once.
Trade Caravans Arabian
Arabian
+1 Gold Gold from each Trade Route Trade Route and Oil Oil Resources provide double quantity.
Treasures of Nineveh Assyrian
Assyrian BNW-only
When a city is conquered, gain a free Technology already discovered by its owner. Gaining a city through a trade deal does not count, and it can only happen once per enemy city.
Viking Fury Danish
Danish
Embarked units have +1 Movement Movement and pay just 1 Movement Movement point to move from sea to land. Melee units pay no movement point cost to pillage.
Wayfinding Polynesian
Polynesian
Can embark and move over Oceans immediately. +1 Sight when embarked. +10% Combat Strength Combat Strength bonus if within 2 tiles of a Moai.
  1. This ability was formerly called "East India Company."
  2. This ability is called "Mother Russia" in the game manual.
GodsKings5 clear Added in the Gods & Kings expansion pack.
BNW-only Added in the Brave New World expansion pack.

See also[]

Civilization V [edit]
Gods & KingsBrave New World
Lists
Concepts
Miscellaneous
† Only in vanilla Civ5 ‡ Only in Gods & Kings and Brave New World