Civilization: Beyond Earth
Virtues are an orthogonal system to complement and augment your technology choices and play style. Whereas a player's technology path may be a series of adaptive choices to the environment and circumstances, Virtues represent the player's long-term choices about style and flavor which are more removed from immediate circumstances.
Acquiring virtues[]
Virtues are acquired by accumulating Culture over time, much like social policies in Civilization V. All
Culture your colony is producing from all sources is gathered in a pool, and whenever a certain threshold is reached (based on how many Virtues and cities you already have and the difficulty level on which you're playing), you can select and activate one Virtue.
There are four distinct categories of Virtues: Might (Military), Prosperity ( Health,
Energy, and
Growth), Knowledge (
Science and
Culture), and Industry (
Energy and
Production). Each category is aimed at enriching a specific gameplay aspect, as implied by its name. Unlike in Civilization V, however, you don't need to unlock a certain Virtue category in order to acquire anything in it - all four categories are available right from the start, without any restrictions. Another difference is that each category has three times the number of individual Virtues in it, which are organized into three tiers. Individual Virtues within each category are further organized into a tree, so you need to adopt the lower-tier ones first and then make your way down the tree to reach the higher-tier Virtues. Although you have the freedom to choose whichever of the four categories you want right from the start, you will have to develop each category methodically in order to reach higher tiers and more powerful Virtues.
Synergy bonuses[]
Acquiring a certain number of Virtues from either the same category or the same tier yields an additional synergy bonus. For example, after you get 5 Virtues from the Might category, you get a special bonus; when you get 6 Tier I Virtues you also gain a special bonus. Each category- and tier-related synergy bonus is different. In general, category bonuses are oriented towards the same aspect the category develops (see each category for the specific bonuses), while tier bonuses have a more general benefit (see below).
This system allows great flexibility in developing your Virtues. You could choose to develop a single category consistently and acquire its Tier II and III Virtues and synergy bonuses quickly, or you could choose to develop two categories simultaneously, or even three. Of course, the ever-increasing Culture price of subsequent Virtues imposes a practical limit on how many you can get, so plan ahead and look at strengthening aspects of your colony which are consistent with your overall strategy, or which are otherwise lacking.
Tier Synergy Bonuses[]
Tier | Number required |
Bonus |
---|---|---|
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6 | Choose 1 Free Virtue |
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10 | +10% ![]() ![]() +10% ![]() ![]() |
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15 | Choose 1 Free Technology |
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8 | Choose 1 Free Virtue Recruit 1 new Covert Agent |
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12 | Choose 1 Free Affinity Level |
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10 | +10% ![]() +10% ![]() +10% ![]() +10% ![]() +10% ![]() |

Might column
Might[]
Might deals with all things military, bringing benefits from combat or cheaper/better Units, or lowering the cost of building and maintaining your combat forces. Those looking to expand through force of arms, whether fighting Aliens or other colonies, will likely pursue the Virtues of Might.
5 - +5%
Combat Strength and +5%
Ranged Strength for all Units
10 - +5%
Combat Strength and +5%
Ranged Strength for all Units
15 - Choose 1 Free Affinity Level
Tier | Name | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
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1Might | Adaptive Tactics | +50% XP from combat |
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1Might | Survivalism | +25% ![]() ![]() |
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1Might | Military-Industrial Complex | +15% ![]() |
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1Might | Public Security | +0.25 ![]() |
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1Might | Liberation Army | After conquering an enemy Outpost automatically found an Outpost of your own in its place |
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2Might | Scavenging | Earn 100% of an alien lifeform's strength as ![]() Earn 30 |
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2Might | Adaptive Sciences | +20% Affinity earned from researching technologies |
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2Might | Special Service | +40% Intrigue from Covert Agent |
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2Might | Army Engineering Corps | +1 ![]() +1 |
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2Might | Martial Meditations | Choose 1 Free Affinity Level |
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3Might | Brutal Efficiency | +50% quantity from sources of Strategic Resource |
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3Might | Integrated Arms | +10% ![]() |
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3Might | Joint Operations | +3 Orbital Coverage provided by Stations you trade with |
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3Might | Democratized Quartering | -50% maintenance for Units |
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3Might | Channeled Wrath | +10% ![]() ![]() |

Prosperity column
Prosperity[]
Health,
Energy, and
Growth are the focuses of the Virtue of Prosperity. Whatever the medium of exchange and the benefits of hard work, players who seek to have large cities and healthy citizens to fill them should consider the path of Prosperity.
5 - +10%
Growth in every city
10 - +1
Health for every city
15 - +50% Orbital Coverage radius from cities
Tier | Name | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
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1Prosperity | Frugality | +10% ![]() |
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1Prosperity | Workforce Initiative | Gain a free Worker Unit |
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1Prosperity | Homesteading | +30% faster development for Outposts. |
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1Prosperity | Helping Hands | +15% build speed for Tile improvements |
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1Prosperity | Colony Initiative | Gain a free Colonist Unit |
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2Prosperity | Pathfinders | Explorer Units can build 3 additional Expeditions |
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2Prosperity | Pioneer Spirit | -25% ![]() |
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2Prosperity | Gift Economy | +3 ![]() +3 |
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2Prosperity | Settler Clans | +1 ![]() |
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2Prosperity | Mind Over Matter | +7 ![]() |
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3Prosperity | Nature's Bounty | +1 ![]() |
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3Prosperity | Joy From Variety | +1 ![]() |
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3Prosperity | Hands Never Idle | +2 energy from any ![]() |
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3Prosperity | Ecoscaping | +1 ![]() +1 |
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3Prosperity | Eudaimonia | 15% less ![]() |

Knowledge column
Knowledge[]
It has been said that "knowledge is power." This Virtue is devoted to improving research towards new Technology, and should excite those excited about the shape of things to come. The Virtue of Knowledge is not limited to Science, of course, but encompasses artistic expression as well.
5 - +10%
Culture in every city
10 - +10%
Science in every city
15 - Choose 1 Free Technology
Tier | Name | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
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1Knowledge | Foresight | +10% ![]() ![]() |
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1Knowledge | Field Research | Earn 50 ![]() |
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1Knowledge | Social Mores | Each City tile produces +0.25 ![]() ![]() |
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1Knowledge | Laboratory Apprenticeship | Each City tile generates +0.25 ![]() ![]() |
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1Knowledge | Creative Class | Earn extra ![]() ![]() |
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2Knowledge | Cohesive Values | -10% ![]() |
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2Knowledge | Applied Metasociology | City Intrigue decreases faster when an Agent is present |
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2Knowledge | Networked Datalinks | -50% ![]() |
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2Knowledge | Community Medicine | +1 ![]() ![]() |
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2Knowledge | Memeweb | 50% ![]() |
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3Knowledge | Metaresearch Methods | Leaf Technologies cost 20% less ![]() |
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3Knowledge | Information Warfare | Recruit 1 new Covert Agent |
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3Knowledge | Learning Centers | +1 ![]() |
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3Knowledge | Technoartisans | Earn extra ![]() ![]() |
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3Knowledge | Monomyth | +7 ![]() |

Industry column
Industry[]
Industry is the Virtue for those seeking to increase wealth and productivity. It offers bonuses in Energy and
Production, along with some other benefits to ensure these aren't wasted. It may be that hard work is its own reward, but it is nice to get something out of it.
5 - +10%
Energy in every city
10 - +10%
Production in every city
15 - Earn 1% of stockpiled
Energy amount every turn, up to 100
Energy
Tier | Name | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
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1Industry | Labor Logistics | +10% ![]() |
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1Industry | Commoditization | +1 ![]() |
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1Industry | Central Planning | +5 ![]() ![]() |
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1Industry | Scalable Infrastructure | +15% ![]() |
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1Industry | Standardized Architecture | +25% ![]() ![]() |
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2Industry | Investment | Earn 1% of stockpiled ![]() ![]() |
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2Industry | Entrepreneurial Spaceflight | +25% ![]() |
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2Industry | Profiteering | +0.5 ![]() |
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2Industry | Alternative Markets | Trade Routes with Stations grant +5 ![]() |
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2Industry | Interdependence Network | +25% more yields from your Trade Route to your own Cities |
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3Industry | Social Investment | +2 ![]() |
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3Industry | Liquidity | -20% ![]() |
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3Industry | Civic Duty | Each City tile generates +0.5 ![]() ![]() |
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3Industry | Magnasanti | Each City generates +0.2 ![]() |
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3Industry | Superior Engineering | Orbital Units stay in orbit 50% longer before deorbiting |
Tips and Tricks[]
- Once you've purchased 5 Virtues in the first tier of a tree, if you haven't unlocked the first Tier I synergy bonus, it is advantageous to buy the first Virtue of one of the other three trees, then use the free Virtue to continue working your way down your original tree.
Original Virtues screen[]
The original Virtues screen seen below has been replaced since the release of Rising Tide in both the base game and the expansion.
Videos[]
Sid Meier's Civilization Beyond Earth - Livestream 3 Techs and Virtues
Official gameplay video showing the Virtues system (beginning at 14:56)
Civilization: Beyond Earth [Edit] | |
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Games: Base Beyond Earth • Rising Tide • Starships† | |
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