Civilization VI: Best technologies to research early – Tech tree guide

Learn which technologies to prioritise early on in our Civilization VI technical school tree diagram guide .

As any veteran 4X veteran will distinguish you , the former turns in a game are some of the most crucial . These are the turns where you work up up reward : vantage which will afterwards snowball into a glorious triumph , if done properly . Sid Meier ’s Civilization VIis no elision , with many early motion casting stones that bubble far into succeeding turns . Deciding which engineering to explore early on in a secret plan ofCivilization VIis an indispensable skill to master , so to that end we ’ve put together a elaborated tech tree guide to aid you do just that .

The best technologies to research first inCivilization VI

But first , a brief disclaimer . Civilization VI , more than any premature title in the serial , places an emphasis on improvisation and reactive gameplay . You ’re repay for making the good of each situation you find yourself in , and exploiting the resources that Father RNG has add upon you . Because of this , there are no universally unspoilt technical school choices in the game , with the best option invariably shifting ground on current circumstances .

This signify that a traditional ‘ best tech ’ guidebook would be ineffective , so we ’ve rather opted to highlight the vantage of each , and the situations in which they shine , so you have the necessary noesis to resolve for yourself what the best technical school is at any given point . We ’ve covered every Ancient Era tech here , split into two tiers : grade 1 , which contains techs that do n’t have any prerequisites ; and tier up 2 , which pass over techs that do .

Tier 1 Techs

Pottery

A fair middling tech , it ’s rare that you ’ll prioritize Pottery over the other tier 1 technical school when pick out what to research first inCivilization VI . It make access to the Granary , which is a utile increment building , though not one you ’ll want to spend output on in the other phase of a game . It also let you build up the Great Bath , which is a hearty Wonder , but one you may pretty much forget about ever building on any difficulty higher than King , since the AI loves to flick it up quick .

The real feature of the tech aside , Pottery is a prerequisite for both Irrigation and Writing , two excellent tier 2 techs . This consecrate it note value in games where you desire to pelt along to either of these techs as before long as potential , such as those where you ’re playing as a skill - focused Leader .

Mining

One of the most significant tech for building up your early infrastructure , Mining provides a Production rise that few other techs can match . Not only does it permit you build Mines , an excellent melioration in the early game , but it also allow you chop up down Woods for a huge hike to both Food and Production , enabling you to power out crucial territory like the Holy Site or Campus .

On top of this , it also let admittance to mine - based luxury resourcefulness , such as Diamonds and Gold . If you have a few of these resource , or even just a few Woods , nearby , then Mining is a substantial alternative for your first - ever tech .

Animal Husbandry

belike the most generically useful tier 1 tech , and a safe bet in pretty much any plot , Animal Husbandry is solid all - round of golf . It reveals horse on the function , which can inform your future city settlement locations and bolster your uppercase , and it also allows you to improve Horses , Deer and Cattle with Pasture advance , leading to strong early tiles in terminus of Food and Production .

It ’s always good because Horses are an excellent imagination to have , peculiarly when waging early war , and Pastures are herculean in the other game . If your starting Leader and location do n’t push you in a particular focussing , then you ca n’t go unseasonable with Animal Husbandry as your first tech .

Sailing

A specialiser tech with fairly obvious U.S.A. , Sailing is a great alternative when you ’re playing as a naval - focussed Leader , or even if you ’ve just settled your capital metropolis on the coast . Doing so will provide a decent scientific discipline boost to the technical school , allowing you to research it faster , at which point you ’ll be able-bodied to fabricate rudimentary Galleys and set up Fishing Boat improvement .

These provide access to Fish and Crabs , as well as luxuries like Whales , Pearls , and Turtles , so Sailing is a great pick if you start near a few of those . It also lets you begin your exploration of the humans ’s coastline via Galleys , which can be full of life on sea - based mapping like Archipelago and Islands .

Astrology

One of the most polarizing other techs inCivilization VI , you ’ll either rush to Astrology or whole miss it until the end of the Ancient Era . This is because the chief matter it enables , the founding of a Religion , is limited , so if you desire to claim one you require to get in fast .

This is inauspicious , given that Astrology is one of the most expensive former techs , but you’re able to mitigate that cost if you fall out to stumble upon a Natural Wonder during your early scouting . At the start of each plot , think about whether you involve a faith or not , then prioritize Astrology accordingly .

Tier 2 Techs

Irrigation

Primarily used to unlock memory access to a range of luxury resources , including Citrus , Cocoa , Coffee , Olives , and Incense , among others , Irrigation is a great means of boosting your Gold and team spirit in the other biz . It also lets you clear Marshes , which is a capital way of take away debatable land to make manner for better districts and betterment .

That said , it does n’t offer much else , besides memory access to a couple of Civ - specific improvement , so if you do n’t have many resource that require it nearby you ’re better off search other techs first .

Writing

As observe above , snowball advantage is the road to triumph inCivilization VI , and penning allow you do just that by induct your Science into generating more Science . The Campus district it unlocks is one of the most universally utile in the game , and the in the first place you may get it down the in force .

This makes Writing a priority technical school in most situations , but doubly so if you ’re playing as a scientific discipline - focused Civ like Korea or Arabia . Unless you ’re under straightaway threat and want to guard yourself , you should be research Writing as soon as potential .

Archery

Military - concentre techs become more significant as you mount throughCivilization VI ’s difficulty ranks . On Deity , the constant wild attacks and potent neighbour Civs will all but ask that you grab Archery as presently as possible , whereas on low difficulties you have more respiration room , and can research it later or else .

That say , the Wonder it unlocks , the Temple of Artemis , is incredibly hefty in a metropolis with raft of camp , Pastures , and Plantations , and Archers are one of the most powerful units in the Ancient Era and beyond , so there ’s a good line to be made for pick this up early even when you do n’t need it just yet .

Masonry

Granting the ability to defend yourself and counter your opponents ’ defenses in one fell swoop , Masonry is a brawny technical school in aggressive early - game scenarios . Ancient rampart are all important since cities ca n’t perform ranged onrush without them , and Battering Rams are equally crucial if you intend to seize the cities of your nearby neighbors without losing your whole US Army in the process .

These are both fairly corner scenario as far as the early game goes , but Masonry also grants access to the Pyramids , one of the expert wonder in the game . If you have the Desert roofing tile necessary to build it , it ’s worth look sharp to Masonry for that alone , since it ’ll supercharge your city growing pass forward if you cope to build it .

Bronze Working

Like Animal Husbandry before it , Bronze Working is expert because it reveals a new Strategic Resource on the single-valued function , in this case Iron . This is a vital resource for work up the sinewy Swordsman whole early on , and for other units beyond that as well , so being able-bodied to secure some rapidly is certainly advantageous .

In addition , Bronze Working also unlocks the Encampment , a justificative district that provides extra production and military fillip . It ’s not an amazing territory to construct other biz , unless you ’re play as the Zulu or Vietnam , but it can come in handy to make a constriction against incoming horde on higher difficulty .

Wheel

While revolutionary ( in more ways than one ) in real life , Wheel is actually a fairly lacklustre technology inCivilization VI . It unlocks just two things : the Heavy Chariot , a mostly - useless early whole ; and the Water Mill , a middling utilitarian city essence building .

If you ignore the Heavy Chariot , as you should , you ’re left with the Water Mill , which can allot a vast growing boost in the right metropolis , but more often than not leave a middling return on investing . Because of this , Wheel should likely be the last Ancient Era tech you inquiry , and it ’s not particularly close .

So there you have it : a complete guide to the former technical school tree inCivilization VI , and a methodology for choose the right technologies to explore early on . With this cogent wisdom on your side , you should be able to bug out your advantage snowball off the right way in every game you play going forward .