Technology (Civ6)

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Technologies represent new scientific advancements or inventions for your civilization. Each technology you research unlocks new buildings, units, or other advancements, and expands the power of your nation.

Technologies are developed through a continuous research process, the key to which is the Science stat. However, they can also be "hurried" through Eureka Eureka moments. For more info on that, check the Science article.

The Tech Tree

The Vanilla Tech Tree. Click to zoom.

The Rise & Fall Tech Tree. Click to zoom.

The Gathering Storm Tech Tree. Click to zoom.

Similarly to previous games in the series, technologies are organized into a "tech tree," which means that certain technologies are prerequisites for others. Technologies which are available for research appear dark gray, while the ones not yet available appear light gray. Technologies which have been researched already appear teal. In most cases, all technologies form a continuous system, where each one is connected to others, both lower down and higher up the tree. Unlike previous games, you can now advance continuously in some areas, while leaving behind other areas (i.e. not all areas of the tree are connected to each other, and are thus not required for advancement). However, if you're striving for a Scientific Victory, you will have to develop the entire tree.

Also, there are a few technologies that do not lead further up the tree, which are known as "leaf techs." You can disregard these techs if you have no particular use for them - for example, Celestial Navigation is a leaf tech, and if you have a landlocked civilization you may not need it at all.

Unlike previous games, the technological tree is not the sole means of advancement for a civilization! There are now two separate development trees: a 'scientific tree', focused only on the civilization's technological development, for things like tools, techniques, machines and weapons; and a 'civic tree', focused on a civilization's social and political development. Thus, a civilization has to advance in two separate trees at the same time.

Era progress bar

Underneath the Tech tree itself the scroll area also contains the Tech progress bar, which depicts the overall progress of the game (with the current turn marked on the bar), and where approximately each civilization stands in terms of tech development. You will see a number of circles on the bar, each one marking one or more civilizations. A circle marking a single civ bears its leader's portrait, and one marking multiple civs a number; scroll over each circle to see the exact Tech Era it shows, and (if case it shows multiple civs) which leaders are currently in it. This way, you can have a good idea of where each civ stands in terms of development, compared to the other civs.

Below are the techs from the 'scientific tree'. To take a look at the civic tree, head here.

List of technologies

Ancient Era

Technology	Prerequisites	Eureka	Unlocks
Pottery	None	None	Granary, Mekewap (Cree only)
Animal Husbandry	None	None	Pasture, Camp, Kurgan (Scythia only)
Mining	None	None	Mine, Quarry
Sailing	None	Found a city on the Coast	Fishing Boats, Galley, Viking Longship (Harald Hardrada only)
Astrology	None	Find a Natural Wonder	Holy Site, Lavra (Russia only), Shrine, Stonehenge
Irrigation	Pottery	Farm a resource	Plantation, Stepwell (India only), Hanging Gardens
Writing	Pottery	Meet another civilization	Campus, Library, Seowon (Korea only)
Archery	Animal Husbandry	Kill a unit with a Slinger	Archer, Pítati Archer (Nubia only), Temple of Artemis
Masonry	Mining	Build a Quarry	Battering Ram, Ancient Walls, Pyramids, Great Wall (China only), Nubian Pyramid (Nubia only), Canal (Qin Shi Huang's China only)
Bronze Working	Mining	Kill 3 Barbarians	Encampment, Barracks, Basilikoi Paides (Macedon only), Spearman, Hoplite (Greece only), Ikanda (Zulu only)
Wheel	Mining	Mine a resource	Heavy Chariot, Maryannu Chariot Archer (Egypt only), Water Mill

Classical Era

Technology	Prerequisites	Eureka	Unlocks
Celestial Navigation	Sailing Astrology	Improve 2 Sea Resources	Harbor, Royal Navy Dockyard (England only), Lighthouse, Great Lighthouse
Currency	Writing	Make a Trade Route	Commercial Hub, Market, Sukiennice (Poland only)
Horseback Riding	Animal Husbandry	Build a Pasture	Horseman, Saka Horse Archer (Scythia only), Varu (India only), Stable, Hetairoi (Macedon only), Ordu (Mongolia only)
Iron Working	Bronze Working	Build an Iron Mine	Swordsman, Ngao Mbeba (Kongo only), Legion (Rome only), Immortal (Persia only), Hypaspist (Macedon only), Jebel Barkal
Shipbuilding	Sailing	Own 2 Galleys	Quadrireme, Kampung (Indonesia only), Colossus
Mathematics	Currency	Build 3 Specialty Districts	Petra
Construction	Horseback Riding Masonry	Build a Water Mill	Lumber Mill, Hetairoi (Alexander only), Nubian Pyramid (Nubia only), Terracotta Army
Engineering	Wheel	Build Ancient Walls	Catapult, Aqueduct, Bath (Rome only)

Medieval Era

Technology	Prerequisites	Eureka	Unlocks
Military Tactics	Mathematics	Kill a unit with a Spearman	Pikeman, Samurai (Japan only), Berserker (Norway only)
Buttress	Shipbuilding Mathematics	Build a Classical Era or later Wonder	Dam, Hagia Sophia
Apprenticeship	Currency Horseback Riding	Build 3 Mines	Industrial Zone, Hansa (Germany only), Workshop
Stirrups	Horseback Riding Apprenticeship	Have the Feudalism civic	Knight, Mamluk (Arabia only)
Machinery	Iron Working Engineering	Own 3 Archers	Siege Tower, Crossbowman, Crouching Tiger (China only)
Education	Apprenticeship Mathematics	Earn a Great Scientist	University, Hagia Sophia (Vanilla and ), University of Sankore
Military Engineering	Construction	Build an Aqueduct	Military Engineer, Domrey (Khmer only), Armory
Castles	Iron Working	Have a government with 6 policy slots (Vanilla and ) Adopt a government with 6 inherent policy slots ()	Courser, Black Army (Hungary only) (), Medieval Walls, Alhambra

Renaissance Era

Technology	Prerequisites	Eureka	Unlocks
Cartography	Shipbuilding (Vanilla and ) Buttress ()	Build 2 Harbors	Caravel
Mass Production	Education Shipbuilding (Vanilla and ) Buttress () Military Tactics ()	Build a Lumber Mill	Shipyard, Venetian Arsenal
Banking	Education Apprenticeship Stirrups	Have the Guilds civic	Bank, Great Zimbabwe
Gunpowder	Military Engineering Stirrups Apprenticeship	Build an Armory	Musketman, Conquistador (Spain only)
Printing	Machinery	Build 2 Universities	Forbidden City
Square Rigging	Cartography	Kill a unit with a Musketman	Frigate, Jong (Indonesia only)
Astronomy	Education	Build a University next to a Mountain	Potala Palace
Metal Casting	Gunpowder	Own 2 Crossbowmen	Bombard, Pike and Shot
Siege Tactics	Castles	Own 2 Bombards	Renaissance Walls, Fort

Industrial Era

Technology	Prerequisites	Eureka	Unlocks
Industrialization	Mass Production Square Rigging	Build 3 Workshops	Factory, Electronics Factory (Japan only), Ruhr Valley
Scientific theory	Astronomy	Have The Enlightenment civic	Oxford University
Ballistics	Metal Casting	Have 2 Forts in your territory	Field Cannon
Military Science	Siege Tactics Printing	Kill a unit with a Knight	Cavalry, Cossack (Russia only), Garde Imperiale (France only), Redcoat (Victoria only), Military Academy
Steam Power	Square Rigging Industrialization	Build 2 Shipyards	Ironclad, Canal, Panama Canal
Sanitation	Scientific Theory	Build 2 Neighborhoods	Sewer, Medic, Orszaghaz
Economics	Banking Metal Casting Scientific Theory	Build 2 Banks	Stock Exchange, Big Ben
Rifling	Ballistics Military Science	Build a Niter Mine	Ranger, Rough Rider (Teddy Roosevelt only)

Modern Era

Technology	Prerequisites	Eureka	Unlocks
Flight	Industrialization Scientific Theory	Build an Industrial era or later wonder	Airstrip, Aerodrome, Hangar, Biplane, Observation Balloon
Replaceable Parts	Economics	Own 3 Musketmen	Infantry, Digger (Australia only)
Steel	Rifling	Build a Coal Mine	Battleship (Vanilla and ), Artillery, Eiffel Tower
Refining	Rifling	Build two Coal Power Plants	Battleship, Oil Well
Electricity	Steam Power	Own 3 Privateers	Submarine, U-Boat (Germany only), Power Plant, Seaport
Radio	Steam Power Flight	Build a National Park	Seaside Resort, Broadcast Center, Film Studio (America only)
Chemistry	Sanitation Replaceable Parts	Complete a Research Agreement	AT Crew, Research Lab
Combustion	Steel Refining () Rifling (Vanilla and )	Extract an Artifact	Oil Well (Vanilla and ), Tank, Supply Convoy, Golden Gate Bridge

Atomic Era

Technology	Prerequisites	Eureka	Unlocks
Advanced Flight	Radio	Build 3 Biplanes	Fighter, Bomber, P-51 Mustang (America only), Airport
Rocketry	Radio Chemistry	Boost through Great Scientist or Spy	Missile Silo, Spaceport, Launch Earth Satellite (first step toward Science Victory)
Advanced Ballistics	Steel Replaceable Parts	Build 2 Power Plants	Machine Gun, Anti-air Gun
Combined Arms	Steel Combustion	Build an Airstrip (Vanilla and ) Have 3 Armies or Armadas ()	Destroyer, Aircraft Carrier
Plastics	Combustion	Build an Oil Well	Offshore Oil Rig, Spec Ops
Computers	Electricity	Have a government with 8 policy slots (Vanilla and ) Adopt a government with 8 inherent policy slots ()	Drone, Flood Barrier
Nuclear Fission	Advanced Ballistics Combined Arms	Boost through Great Scientist or Spy	Manhattan Project, Build Nuclear Device
Synthetic Materials	Plastics	Build 2 Aerodromes	Helicopter

Information Era

Technology	Prerequisites	Eureka	Unlocks
Telecommunications	Computers	Build 2 Broadcast Centers	Nuclear Submarine
Satellites	Advanced Flight Rocketry	Boost through Great Scientist or Spy	Mechanized Infantry, Launch Moon Landing (second step towards Science Victory)
Guidance Systems	Rocketry Advanced Ballistics	Kill a Fighter	Rocket Artillery, Mobile SAM
Lasers	Nuclear Fission	Boost through Great Scientist or Spy	Jet Fighter, Missile Cruiser
Composites	Synthetic Materials	Own 3 Tanks	Modern Armor, Modern AT
Stealth Technology	Synthetic Materials	Boost through Great Scientist or Spy	Jet Bomber
Robotics	Computers Satellites () Guidance Systems () Lasers ()	Have the Globalization civic	Launch Mars Habitation (1/3 of the final step of the Science Victory)
Nuclear Fusion	Lasers	Boost through Great Scientist or Spy	Launch Mars Reactor (1/3 of the final step of the Science Victory), Operation Ivy, Build Thermonuclear Device
Nanotechnology	Composites	Build an Aluminum Mine	Launch Mars Hydroponics (1/3 of the final step of the Science Victory)
Future Tech*	Robotics (Vanilla and ) Nuclear Fusion (Vanilla and ) Nanotechnology (Vanilla and )	N/A	Can be completed multiple times, increasing your points towards the Score Victory

^* This technology will appear in the following era if you have Gathering Storm installed.

Future Era

Main article: Future Era (Civ6)

Note that this era of technology, unlike all other eras, is semi-randomised: all 7 technologies will appear in the game; however, the prerequisites to unlock them (and thus, how the tech tree looks in this era) vary each time.

The exact Science costs of Future Era technologies will also vary based on the exact tech tree structure, with earlier techs costing less than base cost and later techs costing more.

Technology	Eureka	Unlocks
Advanced AI	Boost through Spy	Giant Death Robot upgrade: Drone Air Defense (+100 Anti-Air Strength)
Advanced Power Cells	Boost through Spy	Giant Death Robot upgrade: Particle Beam Siege Cannon (Ranged attacks against cities and encampments are 100% effective and gain +30 Ranged Strength)
Cybernetics	Boost through Spy	Giant Death Robot upgrade: Enhanced Mobility (+3 Movement Movement, can perform a Jump action to cross over mountain terrain)
Offworld Mission	Boost through Spy	Lagrange Laser Station Terrestrial Laser Station
Predictive Systems	Boost through Spy	Offshore Wind Farm
Seasteads	Boost through Spy	Seastead (Also awards 1 Diplomatic Victory point)
Smart Materials	Boost through Spy	Exoplanet Expedition Giant Death Robot upgrade: Reinforced Armor Plating (+10 Combat Strength when defending against land and naval units)

Research Cost

The base cost of each technology (and its cost modified by the current game speed) is displayed in-game. It ranges from 25  Science for the first technologies to 2600 Science for the most advanced ones.

The Science costs of technologies from an earlier era relative to the World Era are reduced by 20%, while those of technologies from a later era are increased by 20%.

Related achievements

Archimedes Bath Get 5 Tech boosts in 1 turn. Legend tells that Archimedes, upon noticing the displacement of water in his bath, exclaimed 'Eureka!' as he realized it was directly proportional to the volume of his body as it was submerged.

Future is Now Be the first to complete all the technologies in the Future Era in a game with 8 or more players. A reference to either Non Phixion's studio album or a line spoken by Dewey in Malcolm in the Middle (S3E10).