Civilization VI Technology Wiki: What Research Is Best

Civilization VI wants you to think ahead. Thousands of years ahead. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on the technology tree. Luckily, we have it all mapped out for you right here. Here are the individual technologies you can research, what they grant, and the pre-requisites they require.

Pottery

Requires

• 25 Science

Allows

• Allows harvesting of wheat and rice.

Unlocks

• Building: Granary

Animal Husbandry

Requires

• 25 Science

Allows

• Allows harvesting of cattle and sheep.

Unlocks

• Improvement: Camp
• Improvement: Pasture

Mining

Requires

• 25 Science

Allows

• Allows chopping of woods, and harvesting of copper.

Unlocks

• Improvement: Mine
• Improvement: Quarry

Sailing

Requires

• 50 Science

Allows

• Allows builders to embark.

Unlocks

• Improvement: Fishing Boats
• Unit: Galley

Astrology

Requires

• 50 Science

Unlocks

• Building: Shrine
• Building: Stonehenge
• District: Holy Site

Irrigation

Requires

• 50 Science
• Pottery

Allows

• Allows clearing of marsh.

Unlocks

• Building: Hanging Gardens
• Improvement: Plantation

Writing

Requires

• 50 Science
• Pottery

Unlocks

• Building: Library
• District: Campus

Archery

Requires

• 50 Science
• Animal Husbandry

Unlocks

• Unit: Archer

Masonry

Requires

• 80 Science
• Mining

Allows

• Allows harvesting of stone

Unlocks

• Building: Ancient Walls
• Building: Pyramids
• Unit: Battering Ram

Bronze Working

Requires

• 80 Science
• Mining

Allows

• Allows chopping of rainforest. Reveals iron

Unlocks

• Building: Barracks
• District: Encampment
• Reveals Iron
• Unit: Spearman

Wheel

Requires

• 80 Science
• Mining

Unlocks

• Building: Water Mill
• Unit: Heavy Chariot

Celestial Navigation

Requires

• 120 Science
• Astrology

Allows

• Allows traders to embark, and allows harvesting of fish

Unlocks

• Building: Great Lighthouse
• Building: Lighthouse
• District: Harbor

Currency

Requires

• 120 Science
• Writing

Unlocks

• Building: Market
• District: Commercial Hub

Horseback Riding

Requires

• 120 Science
• Animal Husbandry

Unlocks

• Building: Stable
• Unit: Horseman

Iron Working

Requires

• 120 Science
• Bronze Working

Unlocks

• Unit: Swordsman

Shipbuilding

Requires

• 200 Science
• Sailing

Allows

• Allows all land units to embark

Unlocks

• Building: Colossus
• Unit: Quadrireme

Mathematics

Requires

• 200 Science
• Currency

Allows

• Plus one movement for all naval units

Unlocks

• Building: Petra

Construction

Requires

• 200 Science
• Masonry

Unlocks

• Building: Terracotta Army
• Unit: Siege Tower

Engineering

Requires

• 200 Science
• Wheel

Unlocks

• District: Aqueduct
• Unit: Catapult

Military Tactics

Requires

• 300 Science
• Mathematics

Unlocks

• Building: Huey Teocalli
• Unit: Pikeman

Apprenticeship

Requires

• 300 Science
• Currency

Allows

• Plus one production to the mine improvement

Unlocks

• Building: Workshop
• District: Industrial Zone

Stirrups

Requires

• 300 Science
• Horsebacking Riding

Unlocks

• Unit: Knight

Machinery

Requires

• 300 Science
• Iron Working
• Engineering

Unlocks

• Improvement: Lumber Mill
• Unit: Crossbowman

Education

Requires

• 390 Science
• Mathematics
• Apprenticeship

Unlocks

• Building: Hagia Sophia
• Building: University

Military Engineering

Requires

• 390 Science
• Construction

Unlocks

• Building: Armory
• Unit: Military Engineer

Castles

Requires

• 390 Science
• Iron Working
• Construction

Allows

• Bonus Culture for the Great Wall improvement for adjacency. Gain the ability to construct a Spy if playing as Catherine de Medici

Unlocks

• Building: Alhambra
• Building: Medieval Walls

Cartography

Requires

• 540 Science
• Shipbuilding

Allows

• Plus one gold from the fishing boat improvement. All naval and embarked units can navigate ocean tiles. Plus one movement for embarked units

Unlocks

• Unit: Caravel

Mass Production

Requires

• 540 Science
• Education
• Shipbuilding

Unlocks

• Building: Shipyard
• Building: Venetian Arsenal

Banking

Requires

• 540 Science
• Apprenticeship
• Education

Allows

• Plus gold from the quarry improvement

Unlocks

• Building: Bank
• Building: Great Zimbabwe

Gunpowder

Requires

• 540 Science
• Stirrups
• Military Engineering

Unlocks

• Reveals Niter
• Unit: Musketman

Printing

Requires

• 540 Science
• Machinery

Allows

• Provides one more level of diplomatic visibility on all other civilizations. All tourism yields from Great Works of Writing are doubled

Unlocks

• Building: Forbidden City

Square Rigging

Requires

• 660 Science
• Cartography

Unlocks

• Unit: Frigate

Astronomy

Requires

• 660 Science
• Education

Unlocks

• Building: Potala Palace

Metal Casting

Requires

• 660 Science
• Gunpowder

Unlocks

• Unit: Bombard

Siege Tactics

Requires

• 660 Science
• Castles

Unlocks

• Building: Renaissance Walls
• Improvement: Fort

Industrialization

Requires

• 805 Science
• Mass Production

Allows

• Plus one production to the mine improvement

Unlocks

• Building: Factory
• Building: Ruhr Valley

Scientific Theory

Requires

• 805 Science
• Astronomy

Allows

• Allows Research Agreement diplomatic action. Plus one food from the plantation improvement

Unlocks

• Building: Oxford University
• Diplomacy: Research Agreement

Ballistics

Requires

• 805 Science
• Metalcasting

Unlocks

• Unit: Field Cannon

Military Science

Requires

• 805 Science
• Siege Tactics
• Printing

Unlocks

• Building: Military Academy
• Unit: Cavalry
• Unit: Garde Imperiale

Steam Power

Requires

• 925 Science
• Square Rigging

Allows

• Plus two movement for embarked units

Unlocks

• Reveals Coal
• Unit: Ironclad

Sanitation

Requires

• 925 Science
• Scientific Theory

Allows

• Stepwell improvements receive plus one housing

Unlocks

• Building: Sewer
• Unit: Medic

Economics

Requires

• 925 Science
• Scientific Theory
• Banking

Unlocks

• Building: Big Ben
• Building: Stock Exchange

Rifling

Requires

• 925 Science
• Ballistics
• Military Science

Unlocks

• Unit: Ranger

Flight

Requires

• 1,035 Science
• Industrialization

Allows

• Bonus tourism to all improvements that provide culture

Unlocks

• Building: Hangar
• District: Aerodome
• Improvement: Airstrip
• Unit: Biplane
• Unit: Observation Balloon

Replaceable Parts

Requires

• 1,035 Science
• Economics

Allows

• Upgrades farm improvements to mechanized agriculture. Plus one food adjacency bonus for every farm improvement they are adjacent to

Unlocks

• Unit: Infantry

Steel

Requires

• 1,035 Science
• Ballistics

Allows

• Plus one production from the lumber mill improvement

Unlocks

• Building: Eiffel Tower
• Unit: Artillery
• Unit: Battleship

Electricity

Requires

• 1,135 Science
• Steam Power

Unlocks

• Building: Power Plant
• Building: Seaport
• Unit: Submarine

Radio

Requires

• 1,135 Science
• Steam Power
• Flight

Unlocks

• Building: Broadcast Center
• Improvement: Seaside Resort

Chemistry

Requires

• 1,135 Science
• Sanitation

Unlocks

• Building: Research Lab
• Unit: AT Crew

Combustion

Requires

• 1,135 Science
• Steel
• Rifling

Allows

• Plus one movement for embarked units

Unlocks

• Improvement: Oil Well
• Reveals Oil
• Unit: Tank

Advanced Flight

Requires

• 1,225 Science
• Radio

Unlocks

• Building: Airport
• Reveals Aluminum
• Unit: Bomber
• Unit: Fighter

Rocketry

Requires

• 1,255 Science
• Chemistry

Allows

• Plus one production from the quarry improvement

Unlocks

• District: Spaceport
• Improvement: Missile Silo
• Project: Launch Earth Satellite

Advanced Ballistics

Requires

• 1,225 Science
• Replaceable Parts

Unlocks

• Unit: Anti-Air Gun
• Unit: Machine Gun

Combined Arms

Requires

• 1,255 Science
• Steel

Unlocks

• Unit: Aircraft Carrier
• Unit: Destroyer

Plastics

Requires

• 1,255 Science
• Combustion

Allows

• Plus one food to fishing boats

Unlocks

• Improvement: Offshore Oil Rig

Computers

Requires

• 1,375 Science
• Electricity

Allows

• Grants the ability to construct an additional Spy. All tourism yields are doubled

Nuclear Fission

Requires

• 1,375 Science
• Combined Arms
• Advanced Ballistics

Unlocks

• Project: Build Nuclear Device
• Project: Manhattan Project
• Reveals Uranium

Synthetic Materials

Requires

• 1,375 Science
• Plastics

Allows

• Plus one gold to camps

Unlocks

• Unit: Helicopter

Telecommunications

Requires

• 1,540 Science
• Computers

Unlocks

• Unit: Nuclear Submarine

Satellites

Requires

• 1,540 Science
• Rocketry

Unlocks

• Project: Launch Moon Landing
• Unit: Mechanized Infantry

Guidance Systems

Requires

• 1,540 Science
• Advanced Ballistics

Unlocks

• Unit: Mobile SAM
• Unit: Rocket Artillery

Lasers

Requires

• 1,540 Science
• Nuclear Fission

Unlocks

• Unit: Jet Fighter
• Unit: Missile Cruiser

Composites

Requires

• 1,540 Science
• Synthetic Materials

Unlocks

• Unit: Modern Armor
• Unit: Modern AT

Stealth Technology

Requires

• 1,540 Science
• Synthetic Materials

Unlocks

• Unit: Jet Bomber

Robotics

Requires

• 1,795 Science
• Computers

Allows

• Plus one production to pastures

Unlocks

• Project: Launch Mars Habitation

Nuclear Fusion

Requires

• 1,795 Science
• Lasers

Unlocks

• Project: Build Thermonuclear Device
• Project: Launch Mars Reactor
• Project: Operation Ivy

Nanotechnology

Requires

• 1,795 Science
• Composites

Unlocks

• Project: Launch Mars Hydroponics

Future Tech

Requires

• 2,050 Science
• Robotics
• Nuclear Fusion
• Nanotechnology

Allows

• Can be completed multiple times, increasing your points towards the Score Victory

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