*This page last updated: 08 September, 2014 22:15 PST. (Log of recent changes)
Disclaimer: The information listed below was gathered pre-release, and so some of it is out of date. I will bring it up to date with the released product as time permits.

CIVILIZATION V: GODS & KINGS Expansion Pack

On February 16, 2K announced an expansion pack for Civilization V, titled "Gods & Kings." It was released on 19 June 2012 (22 June internationally), for a price of USD $29.99. The Lead Designer on the project is Ed Beach, who has previously worked on Civilization III: Conquests, Tropico: Paradise Island, and Battle for Middle-Earth. Ed also designed Here I Stand, a popular board game about the Reformation. (Jon Shafer, Lead Designer on Civ V, left Firaxis in late 2010.) See the official site here.

What's New in Gods & Kings

Religion
Espionage
9 New Civilizations
27 New Units
13 New Buildings, 9 New Wonders & 1 New National Wonder
Enhanced Diplomacy
Revised Technology Tree
New City-State Types and interactions
Combat System Changes
Three New Scenarios
Changes to Existing Units
New Promotions
Revised Social Policies
7 New Resources and New & Changed Improvements

4 New Natural Wonders

Religion

Religion is based on a new resource called Faith, which can be earned by exploring ancient ruins, constructing religious buildings such as Shrines and Cathedrals, building religious Wonders, and through special abilities (like the Celts' ability to earn Faith from forests or through their Pictish Warrior's ability to generate Faith in combat).

Religions can be customized and developed from a simple pantheon to a modern religion by selecting "Beliefs" that offer specific benefits. You choose Beliefs from a pool (of about 50), and they are unique; choosing a Belief makes it unavailable to any other Religions in that game. A religion may accrue up to a total of five Beliefs over time (though the Byzantines have the special ability to unlock a bonus sixth Belief).

A religion starts out as a primitive animist Pantheon, which is available very early in the game when your civilization has accumulated about 10 Faith. The symbol of a Pantheon is a lightning bolt. A Pantheon has a single Belief chosen from a pool of ~20 Pantheon Beliefs, that provides a basic resource or Faith bonus for certain terrain types. Pantheons do not spread beyond your borders. The amount of Faith it takes to found a Pantheon will increase with every Pantheon that has been founded on the whole map.

Once your civilization has accumulated a certain Faith threshold (depending on game speed), you have a chance every turn to generate a Great Prophet. (When the Prophet spawns, it empties your Faith reserve, regardless of how much above the threshold you had built up.) This Prophet can be used to convert your Pantheon into a full-blown Religion. When founding a Religion, you choose one of the 11 available icons and names (you can change the name), and two more Beliefs, called a Founder and Follower Beliefs, each from a separate pool. When you get a second Great Prophet, you can then Enhance your religion, which unlocks two more Belief slots (called 2nd Follower and Enhancer Beliefs).

The 11 available religion icons are: Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, Tengriism, and Zoroastrianism.

There is a cap on how many Religions can be created in one game (looks like half the total number of civilizations). This limit applies only to Religions and not to Pantheons.

Beliefs

Beliefs are grouped into four categories: Pantheon, Founder, Follower and Enhancer. Pantheon Beliefs offer basic production bonuses for resources and terrain. Founder Beliefs offer bonuses that benefit only the founder of the religion. Follower Beliefs offer city-specific bonuses or special structures that can benefit any city that follows the religion. Enhancer Beliefs give you access to things like cheaper missionaries, allowing you to spread your religion faster. The total number of Beliefs that a mature Religion can have is five. There is also a sixth Bonus Belief, available only to the Byzantines, which can be chosen from all the available Belief types. Once a Belief is chosen, it becomes unique to that religion and cannot be chosen again by a different religion in the same game.

Pantheon Beliefs:

Ancestor Worship: +1 Culture for every Shrine in your civilization
Dance of the Aurora: +1 Faith from Tundra tiles without Forest
Desert Folklore: +1 Faith from Desert tiles
Faith Healers: +30 HP healed per turn if adjacent to a friendly city
Fertility Rites: 10% faster Growth Rate
God of Craftsmen: +1 Production in cities with population of 3+
God of the Open Sky: +1 Culture from Pastures
God of the Sea: +1 Production from Fishing Boats
God of War: Gain Faith if you win a battle within 4 tiles if your city
Goddess of Festivals: +1 Culture and +1 Faith for each Wine and Incense
Goddess of Love: +1 Happiness from cities with population of 6+
Goddess of Protection: +30% increase in city Ranged Combat Strength
Goddess of the Hunt: +1 Food from Hunting Camps
Messenger of the Gods: +2 Science in cities with a Trade Route
Monument to the Gods: +15% Production of Ancient/Classical Wonders
Mother Goddess: (increased food production)
One with Nature: +2 Faith from Natural Wonders
Oral Tradition: +1 Culture from Plantations
Religious Idols: +1 Culture and +1 Faith for each Gold and Silver
Religious Settlements: +15% faster border growth
Sacred Path: +1 Culture from Jungle tiles
Sacred Waters: +1 Happiness from cities on rivers
Stone Circles: +2 Faith from Quarries

Founder Beliefs:

Ceremonial Burial: +1 Happiness for each City following Religion
Church Property: +2 Gold for each City following Religion
Initiation Rites: +100 Gold when each City first converts to this Religion
Interfaith Dialogue: Gain Science when a Missionary spreads this religion to cities of other religions
Papal Primacy
: +15 to Influence resting point with City-States following this religion
Peace Loving: +1 Happiness for every 5 followers of this religion in non-enemy foreign cities
Pilgrimage: +1 Faith for each foreign city following this religion
Tithe: +1 Gold for every 4 followers of this religion
World Church: +1 Culture for every 5 followers of this religion in other civilizations

Follower Beliefs:

Asceticism: Shrines provide +1 Happiness in Cities with 3 followers
Cathedrals
: Use Faith to purchase Cathedrals (+1 Faith, +3 Culture, +1 Happiness, Artist Specialist slot)
Choral Music
: Temples provide +2 Culture in Cities with 5 followers
Divine Inspiration
: Each World Wonder provides +2 Faith in city
Feed the World: Shrines and Temples provide +1 Food each in city
Guruship: +2 Production if city has a Specialist
Holy Warriors: Use Faith to purchase pre-Industrial land units
Liturgical Drama: Amphitheaters provide +1 Faith in cities with 3 followers
Monasteries: Use Faith to purchase Monasteries (+2 Faith, +2 Culture, more with Wine or Incense)
Mosques: Use Faith to purchase Mosques (+3 Faith, +2 Culture, +1 Happiness)
Pagodas: Use Faith to purchase Pagodas (+2 Faith, +2 Culture, +2 Happiness)
Peace Gardens: Gardens provide +2 Happiness in city
Religious Art: Hermitage provides +5 Culture in city
Religious Center: Temples provide +2 Happiness in cities with 5 followers
Religious Community: +1% Production for each follower (max +15%)
Swords into Plowshares: 15% faster Growth rate for city if not at war

Enhancer Beliefs:

Defender of the Faith: +20% Combat near friendly Cities that follow this Religion
Holy Order: Missionaries and Inquisitors cost 30% less Faith
Itinerant Preachers: Religion spreads to cities 30% further away
Just War: +20% Combat near enemy Cities that follow this Religion
Messiah: Prophets 25% stronger and earned with 25% less Faith
Missionary Zeal: Missionary conversion strength +25%
Religious Texts: Religion spreads 34% faster (68% with Printing Press)
Religious Unity: Religion spreads to friendly city-states at double rate
Reliquary: Gain 50 Faith each time a Great Person is expended

Spreading Religion

Each citizen of a city is either an atheist or is converted to a Pantheon or Religion individually. If a majority of citizens in a city follow a particular Religion, then that becomes the "majority Religion" and the city is said to follow that religion, and will generate religious "Pressure" that extends 10 hexes and will slowly convert citizens of other cities to that religion. Majority religion is indicated by an icon on the city bar (see image at right), and mousing over this icon brings up a tooltip that identifies how many citizens follow each religion in the city, how much religious "Pressure" is exerted by each religion, and whether or not this city is the "Holy City" for a given religion. The Holy City is the city (usually the capital) in which the first Great Prophet founded the religion, and it appears to generate additional Pressure. Ed Beach: "If you, as a founder of a religion, have your Holy City captured, you will lose the Founder benefit. That being said, the conqueror does not gain those benefits, they just cease to exist until you’re able to recapture your Holy City."

Pantheons do not generate religious Pressure, and will not spread beyond your borders. It's not clear how Pantheons spread (if at all) within your civilization; it may be that each of your cities automatically gets 1 or 2 followers of the Pantheon and that's it. These Pantheon followers still remain in your cities when the Pantheon is transformed into a Religion; presumably they are converted by religious pressure over time to the new Religion.

Religions can spread on their own from one city to another within 10 hexes (without regard to national borders), converting one citizen at a time depending upon existing religious pressure. Missionary units can be used to accelerate this process.  Inquisitors can be used to "stamp out" a competing religion from a city (called "Remove Heresy"), or can be used passively to prevent the spread of religion to the city in which they are stationed. The costs of both Missionaries and Inquisitors increases with each Era, so the best time to spread your religion is early in the game.

Ed Beach: "The Inquisitors are kind of the anti-Missionaries, where instead of adding religious Pressure to a City, they take it away; but in this case you're taking it away from those other civilizations who are trying to push that religion onto you."

Missionaries have multiple uses before they are expended; an Inquisitor can only be used once. Great Prophets can also be used both to Spread Religion and to stamp it out. Prophets can also build a special Holy Site tile improvement.

In addition to purchasing Beliefs, Faith can be used to purchase unique buildings (like Cathedrals) and units (like Missionaries) that are otherwise unavailable, or to purchase normal Great People (with the appropriate Social Policy for the desired Great Person type: Order for Great Engineer, Autocracy for Great General or Great Admiral, Freedom for Great Artist, Rationalism for Great Scientist, and Commerce for Great Merchant). Rival civilizations will now consider your religion during diplomatic negotiations. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, these diplomatic modifiers will increase. During the Industrial and Modern eras, these modifiers will decrease. Spreading religion in another civilization's cities will be unwelcome if that civilization has founded a religion of its own, and will incur a diplomatic penalty (especially if you are requested to stop and refuse).

Espionage

A Spy is gained at the beginning of each new era, starting with the Renaissance. Spies can gather information on foreign cities, steal technology, learn enemy war plans, perform counter-intelligence missions, and affect influence with City-States by rigging elections or staging coups. Espionage is conducted entirely through menus; Spies are not actual units that appear on the map. There are three spy ranks: Recruit, Agent, and Special Agent. Each subsequent level makes the spy more effective. A higher ranking spy will steal technologies faster, discover and kill enemy spies that are trying to steal from you more frequently, rig elections in City-States more effectively, and have a greater chance of pulling off a coup in a City-State allied with another civilization. Spies level up when they successfully steal technology from another civilization or kill an enemy spy attempting to steal their technology. If a Spy is killed, you will have to wait a set number of turns before receiving a replacement, who will be at Recruit experience level.

A Spy can slowly affect City-State influence over time (increasing your influence and decreasing others') by rigging elections (which occur in each City-State every 12 turns), which appears to be relatively safe but time-consuming. Alternatively, the Spy can try to trigger a coup, which affects influence immediately, but runs the risk of the Spy being caught and executed and incurring a severe influence penalty.

The first civilization to reach the Renaissance Era unlocks Espionage for all players on the map, awarding each player with one Spy to begin with. England receives a bonus Spy. You are also awarded with an additional Spy when you build the National Intelligence Agency (which is a National Wonder).

Cities are rated as targets for Espionage by a "Potential" rating. Ed Beach: "Potential is calculated based on the Science output of the city (obviously, higher is better), as well as the defensive buildings contained in the city, which can slow down a spy quite a bit. Once you’ve established ’Surveillance‘ in an opponent’s city, the potential will be displayed, so you can make a more educated decision about staying, or redeploying somewhere better." From the tooltip on Potential: "You always know the potential of your own cities. If you are in the lead technologically, you should consider protecting your high Potential cities. There are two ways to do this. You may move your own spies to your cities to act as counterspies that have a chance to catch and kill enemies spies before they steal a technology. You may also slow down how quickly enemy spies can steal technologies by constructing buildings like the Constabulary, Police Station, and the Great Firewall."

From the tooltip for the button to Move a Spy: "When a spy is directed to move to a new city, it takes a number of turns before it becomes fully effective. If the spy is moving to its owner's city, it will begin counter-espionage to uncover and kill enemy spies. If a spy is moved to a city that is owned by another civilization, the spy will begin trying to steal technology from that civilization. A spy can only steal from a civilization that knows any technology that the spy's owner does not. If the owner of the city has a spy defending the city, your spy has a chance of being discovered and killed. This may strain diplomatic relations! If the spy moves to a city that is a City-State, the spy will attempt to rig the elections to increase your influence over the city-state."

New Civilizations

9 New playable Civilizations. In addition, it has been confirmed that Spain (which was previously released as part of a DLC) is also being included in the expansion.

Civilization Icon Leader Capital Unique Unit Unique U/B/I Special Ability
Austria Maria Theresa Vienna Hussar Coffee House Diplomatic Marriage
Byzantium Theodora Constantinople Dromon Cataphract Patriarchate of Constantinople
Carthage Dido Carthage African Forest Elephant Quinquereme Phoenician Heritage
Celts Boudicca Edinburgh Pictish Warrior Ceilidh Hall Druidic Lore
Ethiopia Haile Selassie Addis Ababa Mehal Safari Stele Spirit of Adwa
Huns Attila Attila's Court Battering Ram Horse Archer Scourge of God
Mayans Pacal the Great Palenque Atlatlist Pyramid The Long Count
Netherlands William I of Orange Amsterdam Sea Beggar Polder Dutch East India Company
Sweden Gustavus Adolphus Stockholm Hakkapeliitta Carolean Nobel Prize
Spain Isabella Madrid Conquistador Tercio Seven Cities of Gold

Special Abilities

Changes to Existing Civilizations

England: Sun Never Sets changed to: "+2 Movement for all naval units. Receives 1 extra Spy."
Ottomans: Barbary Corsairs changed to: "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."
Siam: Father Governs Children changed to: "Food, Culture and Faith from friendly City-States increased by 50%.
Songhai: River Warlord changed to: "Receive triple Gold from Barbarian encampments and pillaging Cities. Land units gain the War Canoe and Amphibious promotions, strengthening them while embarked."

Enhanced Diplomacy

Foreign civilizations will now consider your Religion and the Social Policies you've chosen when deciding whether or not to like you. Religion will be more important early in the game; the diplomatic modifiers for Religion will increase during the Medieval and Renaissance ages, but will then decrease thereafter. After the Renaissance period, the major impact on diplomacy will be which of the Industrial-era Social Policy trees you've chosen: Freedom, Autocracy or Order.

Information obtained through Espionage can also be used in the Diplomacy system (such as informing a friendly civilization that another civilization plans to attack them). Diplomatic deals can now be renewed (or renegotiated) instead of simply ending after a certain number of turns.

You can once again found Embassies with other civilizations. Embassies allow visibility of the other civilization's capital, and are required for Defensive Pacts and Open Borders agreements. Going to war will dissolve an embassy.

The negative diplomatic modifier for "trying to win the game the same way as us" has been removed. Diplomatic modifiers are now color-coded according to how severe (or beneficial) the effect is.

Revised Technology Tree

The tech tree has changed. The Classical era has been expanded to 2 tiers, and the post-Industrial eras have been expanded into: Modern, Atomic, and Information eras. There are 8 new technologies.

Below is the full Gods & Kings technology tree. Items new to Gods & Kings are annotated.

 Click on the image for a full-size version.

(Compare with the pre-expansion tree here.)

New Technologies

Drama and Poetry

Era: Classical
Cost: 175
Requires: Writing
Leads to: Theology, Civil Service
Unlocks: National Epic and Amphitheatre.

Guilds

Era: Medieval
Cost: 275
Requires: Currency
Leads to: Chivalry, Machinery
Unlocks: National Treasury, Machu Picchu, Trading Post, Polder, Wealth

Architecture

Era: Renaissance
Cost: 1150
Requires: Banking, Acoustics
Leads to: Archaeology, Scientific Theory
Unlocks: Hermitage, Porcelain Tower, Taj Mahal

Industrialization

Era: Industrial
Cost: 1600
Requires: Economics
Leads to: Steam Power
Unlocks: Gatling Gun, Factory, Big Ben, reveal Coal

Ballistics

Era: Modern
Cost: 4100
Requires: Flight
Leads to: Radar, Combined Arms
Unlocks: Anti-Aircraft Gun and Machine Gun

Combined Arms

Era: Atomic
Cost: 5100
Requires: Combustion, Ballistics
Leads to: Computers
Unlocks: Tank, Anti-Tank Gun, Pentagon

Mobile Tactics

Era: Information
Cost: 7700
Requires: Ecology, Nuclear Fission
Leads to: Particle Physics
Unlocks: Mechanized Infantry

Telecommunications

Era: Information
Cost: 7700
Requires: Ecology
Leads to: Globalization, Particle Physics
Unlocks: Nuclear Submarine, Bomb Shelter, CN Tower

Changes to Existing Technologies

Pottery: now also unlocks Shrine.
Trapping
: no longer unlocks Trading Post.
Optics
: now also unlocks Great Lighthouse (instead of at Sailing).
Horseback Riding
: now also unlocks Circus Maximus (instead of at Construction).
Construction
: now also unlocks Composite Bowman and Terracotta Army, but no longer Circus Maximus or Great Wall
Philosophy
: no longer unlocks National Epic or Research Agreements.
Currency
: now also unlocks Petra wonder.
Engineering
: now also unlocks Great Wall.
Iron Working
: now also unlocks Colossus (instead of at Bronze Working).
Theology
: now unlocks Garden, Hagia Sophia, and Great Mosque of Djenne.
Civil Service: now also unlocks Research Agreements (instead of at Philosophy).
Compass: Now also unlocks Galleass.
Education: Now unlocks University, Oxford, Angkor Wat, Research, and an unknown ability.
Chivalry: now unlocks Alhambra wonder instead of Himeji Castle.
Physics: now also unlocks Notre Dame.
Machinery: no longer unlocks Armory.
Acoustics: no longer unlocks Hermitage or The Kremlin.
Banking: now also unlocks Constabulary.
Navigation: now also unlocks Privateer.
Rifling: no longer unlocks Arsenal.
Railroad: now unlocks an additional ability.
Economics: now unlocks Coffee House for Austria (replacement unknown) and 2 new abilities instead of Windmill and Big Ben.
Fertilizer: now unlocks an additional ability.
Steam Power: no longer unlocks Factory.
Electricity: now unlocks Hydro Plant and Police Station.
Replaceable Parts: now unlocks the WWI version of Infantry and the Military Base, but no longer the Anti-Tank gun.
Refrigeration: now unlocks Stadium.
Flight: now unlocks WWI Fighter and WWI Bomber instead of Fighter and Carrier, and an unknown ability.
Combustion: now unlocks WWI Tank/Land Ship instead of Tank.
Atomic Theory: now unlocks an additional ability.
Penicillin: now also unlocks Marine.

New City-State Types

New types include Religious City-States which provide Faith, and Mercantile City-States that provide a Happiness bonus and unique luxury resources such as Jewelry and Porcelain. The Influence system has changed, providing more quests (up to three per City-State at one time), and reducing the effectiveness of cash gifts. There are new quest types such as "generate the most Faith in 20 turns." The UI for the Influence meter on the city bar has changed, and now displays the four distinct stages of Influence in one meter. At right, Antwerp is an example of a Mercantile city-state, and below right, Jerusalem is an example of a Religious city-state. A helpful "Find on Map" button has also been added. to the UI.

City-States will no longer request that you conquer a rival; instead you may now "Bully" or demand tribute from a City-State. By moving a military force close to a City-State's borders, you can intimidate them (the icon will turn orange) and you will unlock the option to "Ask For Tribute", in which you can demand gold or a worker, with appropriate Influence penalties. Bullying a City-State will reduce your Influence and cause that City-State to cancel any available quests that it has offered you, and may incur diplomatic penalties with any civilization that has pledged protection to that City-State.

Mercantile City-States: Antwerp, Cahokia, Colombo, Genoa, Hong Kong, Marrakech, Singapore, Tyre, Zanzibar, Zurich
Religious City-States:  Geneva, Jerusalem, La Venta, Lhasa, Vatican City, Wittenburg
Other new City-States: Jakarta (Maritime), Lisbon (Maritime), Prague (Cultured), Manila (Maritime), Milan (Cultured), Mombasa (Maritime),Valetta (Military), Yerevan (Cultured)

Combat Changes

New Scenarios

Three new original scenarios are included.

Fall of Rome

Play as either Eastern Rome or Western Rome trying to fend off the barbarians OR as one of the barbarians themselves. Eastern and Western Rome have to select Social Policies that actually have negative effects, so they will get weaker over time.

Into the Renaissance

Grow your medieval kingdom into one of the great nations of Renaissance Europe, fending off outside invasions from Mongols and Ottoman Turks and fighting the religious wars of the Crusades and Reformation!

Empires of the Smoky Skies

Build flying airships and huge landship steam tanks from the unique tech tree of this Victorian science-fiction scenario, and use them to spread your empire across the pre-industrial world. The scenario starts at the beginning of the Industrial Era, and requires the player to hold 3 of 5 Honourable Titles awarded by the League of Empires for five consecutive turns.

Victory Conditions: Empires compete in five categories; be the best in a domain to earn an Honourable Title. To see the specifics of each Title, and monitor your progress, check the League of Empires screen. The first empire to hold three or more Titles will control the League and win the game.

Special Rules: Players begin with all technologies up through Steam Power. The tech tree after Steam Power has been altered significantly, giving players the ability to construct Airships, Landships, and new buildings. Barbarians ("Luddites") are enabled, but do not have access to advanced units. Social Policies have been rearranged. Religion has been disabled, as have religious and military city-states.

New Units

There are 27 new units in the expansion. The following list has 28 entries; the Infantry unit has been split into WWI and WWII versions, but this is counted as only one "new" unit. Note that the Cost numbers listed below may be out of whack, because we don't know what game speed settings the various screenshots and videos are using.

New Units List
Unit Type Technology Cost Moves Str. Ranged
Str.
Range Required Resource Notes
Atlatlist Archery Archery 36 2 5 7 2 none Mayan UU*
Pictish Warrior Melee Bronze Working 56 2 11 - - none Celtic UU*; +Faith per kill, free pillage, combat bonus outside borders
Battering Ram Siege Bronze Working 75 2 10 - - none Hun UU*; +300% vs cities, -1 sight, -33% on defense
Horse Archer Mounted The Wheel 56 4 6 8 2 none Hun UU*; Accuracy I
Quinquereme Naval Melee Sailing 45 4 13 - - none Carthage UU*; coast only
Dromon Naval Ranged Sailing 56 4 8 10 2 none Byzantine UU*; +50% vs naval, coast only
African Forest Elephant Mounted Horseback Riding 100 3 14 - - none Carthage UU*; causes fear, +Great General points
Composite Bowman Archery Construction 75 2 7 11 2 none May Not Melee Attack
Cataphract Mounted Horseback Riding 75 3 15 - - Horses Byzantine UU*
Galleass Naval Ranged Compass 100 3 16 17 2 none Cannot Enter Deep Ocean
Privateer Naval Melee Navigation 150 5 25 - - none Coastal Raider I, Prize Ships
Sea Beggar Naval Melee Navigation 150 5 25 - - none Dutch UU*; Coastal Raider II, Supply
Hakkapeliitta Mounted Metallurgy 185 4 25 - - Horses Swedish UU*; Formation I, Can Move After Attacking, Movement with General
Carolean Gunpowder Rifling 225 2 34 - - none Swedish UU*; March
Hussar Mounted Military Science 225 5 34 - - Horses Austrian UU*; +1 Sight, +50% Flanking, Can Move After Attacking, -33% vs cities
Gatling Gun Archery Industrialization 225 2 36 36 1 none May Not Melee Attack
Mehal Sefari Gunpowder Gunpowder 200 2 34 - - none Ethiopian UU*; Drill I, Near Capital Bonus
Machine Gun Archery Ballistics 350 2 60 60 1 none May Note Melee Attack
Triplane Air Flight 325 - - 35 5 Oil Interception (50), Air Sweep, Air Recon, +150% vs Bombers and Helicopters
WWI Bomber Air Flight 325 - - 50 6 Oil
WWI Infantry Gunpowder Replaceable Parts 320 2 50 - - none
WWI Tank Armor Combustion 350 4 60 - - Oil
Infantry Gunpowder Plastics 375 2 70 - - none  
Marine Gunpowder Penicillin 400 2 65 - - none Amphibious, +1 Sight When Embarked, Double Embarked Defense
Great Prophet Civilian - - 2 2000 - - - Found Religion, Spread Religion, Build Holy Site
Great Admiral Civilian - - ? 0 - - - +15% combat bonus, can heal nearby naval units
Missionary Civilian - 200 4 1000 - - - Spread Religion
Inquisitor Civilian - 200 3 0 - - - Remove Heresy

(*UU - "Unique Unit"; a civilization-specific unit) († - purchased with Faith)

Atlatlist

Movement: 2; Strength: 5; Ranged Attack: 7; Range: 2 Cost: 36 hammers or 72 faith; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Agriculture; Obsolete with: Construction; Upgrades to: Composite Bowman
Abilities: May Not Melee Attack
Game Info: Only the Maya may build this unit. It is cheaper and available sooner than the Archer, which it replaces.
Notes: Mayan Unique Unit; replaces Archer. It has the same stats as the Archer, but is available immediately and is cheaper. The atlatl is a javelin-thrower, a stick acting as a lever to amply the force used to throw the javelin.

Pictish Warrior

Movement: 2; Strength: 11; Ranged Strength: 0; Cost: 56; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Bronze Working
Abilities: Combat bonus outside of friendly territory, can pillage at no additional movement cost, and earn 50 percent of enemy combat strength as faith for kills
Special Abilities: A Celtic Unique Unit; it has a combat bonus outside of friendly territory and can pillage enemy improvements at no additional movement cost. Earns 50% of opponents’ strength as Faith for kills.
Notes: The Picts were Celts living in Scotland.

Battering Ram

Movement: 2; Strength: 10; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 75 Hammers or 150 Faith; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Bronze Working; Obsolete with: Physics; Upgrades to: Trebuchet
Abilities: Cover I, +300% bonus vs. Cities, -1 Visibility, No Defensive Terrain Bonuses, -33% Penalty on Defense
Game Info: Siege unit deadly at melee attacks versus cities. Only the Huns may build it.
Strategy: Battering Rams are a Hunnic unique unit replacing the Spearman. Use Battering Rams to knock down the defenses of a city. They have the Cover I promotion to keep them safe from ranged units; attack them with melee units to defeat them.
Notes: Hun Unique Unit; replaces Spearman.

Horse Archer

Movement: 4; Strength: 7; Ranged Attack: 10; Range: 2; Cost: 56; Requires Resource: none
Technology: The Wheel; Obsolete with: Chivalry; Upgrades to: Knight
Abilities: Accuracy I, May Not Melee Attack
Game Info: A fast Ranged Unit used for hit and run attacks.
Notes: Hun Unique Unit; replaces Chariot Archer. Does NOT require Horses.

Quinquereme

Movement: 4; Strength: 13; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 45; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Sailing; Obsolete with: Astronomy; Upgrades to: Caravel
Abilities: Cannot Enter Deep Ocean
Game Info: Strong Ancient era Naval Unit used to dominate the seas through melee attacks on naval units and cities. Only the Carthaginians may build it.
Notes: Carthaginian Unique Unit, replaces the Trireme. The Quinquereme has a +3 Strength more than the Trireme. The quinquereme had five banks of oars (as opposed to the trireme's three) and was introduced by the Carthaginians, though later adopted by the Romans.

Dromon

Movement: 4; Strength: 8; Ranged Attack: 10; Range: 2; Cost: 56; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Sailing; Obsolete with: Astronomy; Upgrades to: Galleass
Abilities: +50% vs. Naval, Cannot Enter Deep Ocean, May Not Melee Attack
Game Info: Dominant Ancient Era Naval Unit used to own the seas through the Classic Era with its ranged attack. Only the Byzantines may build it.
Strategy: Attacks with lethal Greek Fire, making it the first naval unit with a ranged attack. This unit fights at +50% strength against other naval units. It cannot enter Deep Ocean tiles.
Notes: Byzantine Unique Unit, replaces Trireme. The Dromon has a ranged attack instead of a melee attack. The historical dromon was a Medieval-era oared galley with the ability to spray Greek Fire from a siphon in the prow.

Cataphract

Movement: 3; Strength: 15; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 75 hammer or 150 faith; Requires Resource: Horses
Technology: Horseback Riding; Obsolete with: Chivalry; Upgrades to: Knight
Abilities: Can Move After Attacking, -25% Penalty vs. Cities
Notes: Byzantine Unique Unit, replaces Horseman. The Cataphract has a +3 Strength more than the Horseman which it replaces. Can gain defensive bonuses from terrain. Cataphracts were heavy armored cavalry, with both the rider and horse covered in chain or scale armor, used from the Classical period through the Middle Ages. Byzantine cataphracts were drawn from the land-owning middle class, and so were in more ways than one the forerunner of the European knights.

Composite Bowman

Movement: 2; Strength: 7; Ranged Attack: 11; Cost: 75; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Construction; Obsolete with: Machinery; Upgrades to: Crossbowman
Abilities: Can't melee attack.
Game Info: Classical ranged infantry unit.
Strategy: The Composite Bowman is more powerful than the Archer. As a Ranged unit it can deal significant damage to other units up to two hexes away, but it is vulnerable to melee attacks. Put Composite Bowman in your city for defense, and guard them with melee units when on the move.
Notes: This is a new intermediate ranged unit between Archer and Crossbowman, available in the Classical Era with Construction.

African Forest Elephant

Movement: 3; Strength: 14; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 100; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Horseback Riding; Obsolete with: Chivalry; Upgrades to: Knight
Abilities: Feared Elephant (-10% penalty to adjacent enemies), Can Move After Attacking, Great Generals II, No Defensive Terrain Bonuses, -33% Penalty Attacking Cities
Game Info: Powerful early game Mounted Unit. Weak to Spearmen, This Unit has a higher Combat Strength (+2) than the Horseman, which it replaces, and strikes fear into nearby enemy units. Helps produce Great Generals more quickly.
Notes: Carthaginian Unique Unit, replaces Horseman.

Galleass

Movement: 3; Strength: 16; Ranged Attack: 17; Range: 2; Cost: 100; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Compass; Obsolete with: Navigation; Upgrades to: Frigate
Abilities: Cannot Enter Deep Ocean, May Not Melee Attack
Game Info: Medieval Era Naval Units used to wrest control of the seas with its ranged attack.
Notes: The Galleass is the first ranged naval unit, and it upgrades to Frigate. It is very slow and cannot enter deep ocean, so it is useful only for combat. The galleass was an intermediate vessel between the oared galley and the full-sailed galleon.

Privateer

Movement: 5; Strength: 25; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 150; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Navigation; Obsolete with: Combustion; Upgrades to: Destroyer
Abilities: Coastal Raider I (+20% vs Cities, steal gold equal to 33% of the damage done), Prize Ships (defeated naval unit joins your side)
Game Info: Naval unit that specializes in attacking coastal cities to earn gold and capturing enemy ships.
Notes: The Privateer is a normal unit; it does NOT have hidden nationality (as in Civ III and IV). The graphic for the Privateer is only slightly modified from the Frigate, with black bowsprit and spanker sails, and small pirate flags. Privateers were legalized pirates, granted "Letters of Marque" to attack enemy shipping during wartime.

Sea Beggar

Movement: 5; Strength: 25; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 150; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Navigation; Obsolete with: Combustion; Upgrades to: Destroyer
Abilities: Coastal Raider I and II, Prize Ships, Supply (heal +15 per turn outside friendly borders)
Game Info: A Dutch Unique Unit; specializes in attacking coastal cities to earn gold, and capturing enemy ships.
Notes: Netherlands unique unit; replaces Privateer. The "Sea Beggars" were Dutch privateers who, under William of Orange, fought against their Spanish overlords.

Hakkapeliitta

Movement: 4; Strength: 25; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 185 for 370 Faith; Requires Resource: Horses
Technology: Metallurgy; Obsolete with: Combined Arms; Upgrades to: Anti-Tank Gun
Abilities: Formation I, Can Move After Attacking, Transfer Movement to General, Great General Combat Bonus, No Defensive Terrain Bonuses, -25% Penalty vs. Cities
Game Info: Elite mounted Unit that specializes in working with Great Generals. Only the Swedish may build it.
Strategy: Hakkapeliitta are the elite mounted units of the late Renaissance Swedish army. Stack a Great General with them if possible. The Great General receives the movement allowance of the Hakkapeliitta if they start the turn stacks. In addition, the Hakkapeliitta receive a 15% combat bonus when stacked with a Great General.
Notes: Swedish Unique Unit; replacement for Lancers. The hakkapeliitta was a Finnish light cavalry fighting for King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden during the Thirty Years' War (1618 to 1648).

Carolean

Movement: 2; Strength: 34; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 225; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Rifling; Obsolete with Replaceable Parts; Upgrades to: Great War Infantry
Abilities: March
Game Info: A Swedish Unique Unit; starts with the March promotion that allows it to Heal every turn, even if it performs an action.
Notes: Swedish Unique Unit; replaces Rifleman. The Caroleans were Swedish infantry of the late Seventeenth and early Eighteenth centuries under Charles XI and XII, famous for their strict discipline and courage under fire.

Hussar

Movement: 5; Strength: 34; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 225; Requires Resource: Horses
Technology: Military Science; Obsolete with: Combustion; Upgrades to: Landship
Abilities: +1 Sight, +50% Flank Attack, Can Move After Attacking, No Defensive Terrain Bonuses, -33% Penalty vs. Cities
Game Info: An Austrian Unique Unit; a fast Mounted Unit used for scouting and hit-and-run attacks. Especially deadly with flank attacks.
Notes: Austrian Unique Unit; replaces Cavalry. Bonus on Flank Attacks.

Gatling Gun

Movement: 2; Strength: 36; Ranged Attack: 36; Range: 1; Cost: 225; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Industrialization; Obsolete with: Ballistics; Upgrades to: Machine Gun
Abilities: May Not Melee Attack
Game Info: Ranged Infantry Unit of the mid-game that must be adjacent to an enemy unit to strike.
Notes: Crossbows now can be upgraded to the Gatling Gun, which in turn upgrades to the Machine Gun. The Gatling was a hand-cranked multiple-barreled rotary gun first introduced in the American Civil War.

Mehal Sefari

Movement: 2; Strength: 34; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 200; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Rifling; Obsolete with: Replaceable Parts; Upgrades to: Great War Infantry
Abilities: Drill I, Near Capital Bonus (30% stronger near the capital; bonus falls off as the unit move farther away)
Game Info: An Ethiopian Unique Unit; specializes in fighting in rough terrain and defending near the Ethiopian capital.
Notes: Ethiopian Unique Unit, replaces Rifleman. The Mehal Sefari were elite units of the Ethiopian Imperial Guard during the late Nineteenth Century.

Machine Gun

Movement: 2; Strength: 60; Ranged Attack: 60; Range: 1; Cost: 350; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Ballistics; Obsolete with: never; Upgrades to: Mechanized Infantry
Abilities: May Not Melee Attack
Notes: Based on the deadly Maxim gun, invented in 1884 and used to devastating effect by both sides in World War I.

Triplane

Ranged Attack: 35; Range: 5; Cost: 325; Requires Resource: Oil
Technology: Flight; Obsolete with: Radar; Upgrades to: Fighter
Abilities: Interception (50), Air Sweep, Air Recon, +150% vs. Bombers and Helicopters
Game Info: Early Air Unit designed to intercept enemy aircraft.
Strategy: The Triplane can be based in any city you own or aboard an aircraft carrier. It can move from city to city (or carrier) and perform "missions" within its range of 5 tiles. Use triplanes to attack enemy aircraft and ground units, to scout enemy position, and to defend against enemy air attacks.
Notes: Flight now gives access to WWI-era aircraft. Appearance based on the German Fokker Dr.1 Triplane.

Great War Bomber

Ranged Attack: 50; Range: 6; Cost: 325; Requires Resource: Oil
Technology: Flight; Obsolete with: Radar; Upgrades to: Bomber
Abilities: none   
Notes: Flight now gives access to WWI-era aircraft. Appears to be based on the German Gotha bomber. In some shots it is named "WWI Bomber," but in others it is named "Great War Bomber."

Landship

Movement: 4; Strength: 60; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 350; Requires Resource: Oil
Technology: Combustion; Obsolete with: Combined Arms; Upgrades to: Tank
Abilities: Can move after attacking, No Defensive Terrain Bonuses
Notes: Combustion now gives access to a WWI-era armored unit instead of the WWII-era Tank. Looks like a British Mk.IV or Mk.V tank.

Great War Infantry

Movement: 2; Strength: 50; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 320; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Replaceable Parts; Obsolete with: Plastics; Upgrades to: Infantry
Abilities: none
Notes: The old Civ V Infantry unit now has a different icon, and is a WWI-era unit.

Infantry

Movement: 2; Strength: 70; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 375; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Plastics; Obsolete with: Mobile Tactics; Upgrades to: Mechanized Infantry
Notes: The Civ V icon for Infantry now is on a unit with a graphic that looks like US WWII infantry. It has moved to Plastics.

 

Marine

Movement: 2; Strength: 65; Ranged Attack: 0; Cost: 400; Requires Resource: none
Technology: Penicillin; Obsolete with: never
Abilities: Amphibious, Extra Sight When Embarked, Embarkation With Defense (defend at double strength)
Game Info: Atomic Era Unit especially useful for embarking and invading across the sea.
Notes: Dennis Shirk confirmed in a PAX interview that there is a "late-game Marine unit."

Great Prophet

Movement: 2; Religious Strength: 2000; Cost: n/a; Requires Resource: none
Abilities: Found Religion, Enhance Religion, Build Holy Site, Spread Religion (limited to 4 actions)
Notes: A new Great Person type that can be used to found a Religion or add Beliefs to a Religion. Can create a "Holy Site" tile improvement. Appears to be able to spread religion a limited number of times. Has a "Religious Strength" value which is related to the ability to spread religion. When used to spread religion, Great Prophets also remove competing religions, even in a foreign city. If you use any of your Spread Religion actions, the Prophet loses the ability to Build Holy Site or Enhance Religion.

Great Admiral

Movement: 6; Strength: -; Ranged Attack: -; Cost: -; Requires Resource: -
Notes: The Great Admiral can stack with combat naval units for protection. "The Great Admiral has the ability to instantly repair every naval and embarked unit in the same hex, as well as in adjacent hexes. The Great Admiral is consumed when performing this action. The Great Admiral also provides a 15% combat bonus to all player-owned naval units within 2 tiles. The Great Admiral is NOT consumed when he provides this bonus."

Missionary

Movement: 4; Religious Strength: 1000; Ranged Attack: -; Cost: 200 Faith; Requires Resource: none
Special Abilities: -1 Visibility, Spread Religion: This order will covert some of the citizens of the nearby city to the unit's religion. This unit will be consumed if this is their final Spread Religion action. Spreading by Great Prophets also removes the influence of other religions." Unwelcome Evangelist: "Can enter rival territory without Open Borders but loses 25% of original religious strength for each turn they end on such a tile. Unit in eliminated when religious strength reaches 0."
Game Info: Used to spread religion to cities. May only be obtained by purchasing with Faith.
Strategy: Can be purchased with Faith in any city with a majority religion. Once adjacent to a city they can spread their religion to it (expending the Missionary after the second use).
Notes: A new unit that can be used to spread Religion, to your own cities or foreign cities (including City-States). It is purchased only with Faith, and the cost increases every Era. The Missionary has 2 Spread Religion actions, after which it is consumed. Missionaries can be captured in combat, but they retain their religious affiliation, so don't try to use them to Spread Religion, because they will spread the religion of the enemy.

Inquisitor

Movement: 3; Strength: 0; Cost: 200 Faith; Requires Resource: none
Special Abilities: +1 Sight, Remove Heresy: "This order will remove the presence of other religions from the nearby, friendly-controlled city. An inquisitor is consumed by this action."
Game Info: Used to remove other religions from Cities. May only be obtained by purchasing with Faith.
Strategy: Can be purchased with Faith with a majority Religion that has been enhanced. They can remove other religions from your cities (expending the Inquisitor) or be placed inside a city to protect it from Missionaries and Prophets trying to spread other religions to that city.
Notes: Inquisitors become available when you Enhance your religion with a second Great Prophet, and can only be purchased with Faith. The cost goes up with every Era. The Inquisitor only has 1 Remove Heresy action, which can only be used against your own cities.

Scenario-Specific Units

Empires of the Smoky Skies

Includes a variety of steam-powered Airships and Landships.

Airship

Move: 6; Strength: 65

Sky Fortress

Move: 4; Strength: 80; Cost: 287; Required Resource: 1 Aetherium
Notes: "Most advanced airship unit. May act as base for a Flyer. Powerful attacks, but vulnerable to Flyers."

Land Ironclad

Move: 3; Strength: 60

Landship

Movement: 4; Strength: 70

Land Leviathan

Move: 3; Strength: 85
Notes: A third, larger type of land ship.

Flyer

Range: 3; Ranged Strength: 18; Cost: 200
Notes: Some kind of wacky steam-powered biplane. "Excellent against airships, but not very strong against land units. It also has a limited range, and must base at a city or Sky Fortress."

Changes to Existing Units

With the move to the 100 hit point system, combat has been substantially rebalanced, and the Combat Strengths of many (or most) units have been changed. Some naval vessels are now melee-only and don't have a ranged attack. Some siege weapons now have lower ranged strength but a higher bonus vs. Cities, to reduce their effectiveness against other units.

Changed Unit Strengths:

Unit Melee
Strength
Ranged
Strength
Change Notes
Scout 5 0 +1  
Galley 7 0 +2, -3 Barbarian Galley is now a melee unit
Warrior 8 0 +2 Same strength for Brute, Jaguar, Maori Warrior
Archer 5 7 +1, +1 No longer has -25% vs. Cities
Bowman 7 9 +1, +1 No longer has -25% vs. Cities
Slinger 4 7 +2, +1  
Spearman 11 0 +4 Now +50% vs Mounted (down from 100%)
Hoplite 13 0 +4 Now +50% vs Mounted (down from 100%)
Immortal 12 0 +4 Now +50% vs Mounted (down from 100%)
Trireme 10 0 +10, -6 Now is melee rather than ranged
Chariot Archer 6 10 +3, +3 No longer has -25% vs. Cities
War Elephant 9 11 +3, +3 No longer has -25% vs. Cities
Catapult 7 8 +2, -3 Now has +200% vs. Cities (up from +50%), no longer requires Iron
Ballista 8 10 +3, -4 Now has +200% vs. Cities (up from +50%), no longer requires Iron
Horseman 12 0 +2  
Companion Cavalry 14 0 +2  
Swordsman 14 0 +3 Same strength for Mohawk Warrior; now upgrades to Musketman
Legion 17 0 +4 Now upgrades to Musketman
Pikeman 16 0 +6 Now upgrades to Lancer
Longswordsman 21 0 +5 Same strength for Berserker, Samurai
Crossbowman 13 18 +3, +3 No longer has -25% vs. Cities, now upgrades to Gatling Gun; same strength for Longbowman
Chu-Ko-Nu 13 14 +3, +3 No longer has -25% vs. Cities, now upgrades to Gatling Gun
Knight 20 0 +2 Move increased to 4
Camel Archer 17 21 +7, +6 No longer has -25% vs. Cities
Keshik 15 16 +7, +3  
Naresuan's Elephant 25 0 +3  
Trebuchet 12 14 +4, -2 Now has +200% vs. Cities (up from +50%), no longer requires Iron
Hwach'a 11 26 +3, +1 No longer requires Iron
Musketman 24 0 +8 Same strength for Minuteman, Janissary
Cannon 14 20 +1, -6 Now has +200% vs. Cities (up from +20%)
Lancer 25 0 +3 Now upgrades to Anti-Tank Gun
Caravel 20 0 +20, -7 Now a melee unit, with a Move of only 4 (down from 6), upgrades to Ironclad
Frigate 25 28 -5, +13 Now upgrades to Battleship
Rifleman 34 0 +9 Now upgrades to Great War Infantry
Ironclad 50 0 +15, -18 Now a melee unit. Can now enter deep ocean, but also gets double movement in Coast and +33% bonus vs. Cities
Great War Infantry 50 0 +14 Infantry has been split into WWI and WWII versions
Destroyer 55 0 +20 No longer has a ranged attack
Battleship 55 70 -5, +38  
Submarine 35 60 +10, 0  
Infantry 70 0 +34 This is the WWII version of Infantry
Fighter 0 45 +5  
Bomber 0 65 +15  
Great Artist 0 0 n/a Is now the only GP that can trigger Golden Ages; loses Culture Bomb
Great Scientist 0 0 n/a The ability to Discover Tech is now limited to 6 turns' worth of your Science output, instead of awarding a whole technology automatically.
Great General 0 0 n/a Now gives +15% combat bonus to nearby units, down from +25%, but the Citadel now has Culture Bomb properties

New Upgrade Paths

Unless otherwise noted, Unique Units follow the same upgrade path as the regular units that they replace (for example, the Legion, which replaces the Swordsman, upgrades to Longswordsman).

Warrior-> Swordsman-> Longswordsman-> Musketman-> Rifleman-> Great War Infantry-> Infantry-> Mechanized Infantry

Archer-> Composite Bowman-> Crossbowman-> Gatling Gun-> Machine Gun-> Mechanized Infantry

Spearman-> Pikeman-> Lancer-> Anti-Tank Gun-> Attack Helicopter

Horseman-> Knight-> Cavalry-> Landship-> Tank-> Modern Armor-> Giant Death Robot

Catapult-> Trebuchet-> Cannon-> Artillery-> Rocket Artillery

Galley-> Trireme-> Caravel-> Ironclad-> Destroyer

Dromon-> Galleass-> Frigate -> Battleship

Privateer-> Destroyer

Battering Ram-> Trebuchet

Triplane-> Fighter-> Jet Fighter

Great War Bomber-> Bomber-> Stealth Bomber

Chariot Archer-> Knight

Anti-Aircraft Gun-> Mobile SAM

New Promotions

Boarding Party I, II, & III (hook icon): +15% Combat Strength in melee against Naval Units.
Coastal Raider I, II & III (skull icon): +20% Combat Strength when attacking Cities. Steal gold equal to 33% of the damage inflicted on a city.

Prize Ships: Defeated enemy naval unit joins your side.
Double Movement in Coast: Double Movement in Coast.
Embarkation with Defense: Can embark onto Water Tiles. Embarked units defend at double strength.
Feared Elephant: Enemy units receive -10% Combat Strength when adjacent to any unit with this promotion.

The Siege promotions are no longer available to Siege units.

Changes to Social Policies

Changes from the basic version of Civilization V are marked in red.

Tradition

Tradition is best for small empires. Adopting Tradition greatly increases the rate of border expansion in cities and also grants 3 Culture in the Capital. Adopting all Policies in the Tradition tree will grant +15% Growth and a free Aqueduct in your first 4 cities.

Liberty

Liberty is best for civilizations which desire rapid expansion. Adopting Liberty will provide 1 Culture in every City. Adopting all policies in the Liberty tree will grant a free Great Person of your choice near the Capital.

Honor

Honor improves the effectiveness of one's army in a variety of ways. Adopting Honor gives a +33% combat bonus VS Barbarians, and notifications will be provided when new Barbarian Encampments spawn in revealed territory. Gain Culture for the empire from each barbarian killed. Adopting all policies in the Honor tree will grant Gold for each enemy unit killed.

Piety

Unlocks at Classical Era. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Rationalism.
Adopting Piety allows you to build Shirnes and Temples in half the usual time. Adopting all Policies in the Piety tree will provide a 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith, and Holy Sites provide +3 Gold and +3 Culture.

Patronage

Unlocks at Medieval Era.
Patronage enhances the benefits of City-State friendship. Influence with City-States degrades 25% slower than normal. Adopting all policies in the Patronage tree will make other players' Influence with City-States decrease 33% more per turn than usual.

Order

Unlocks at Industrial Era. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Freedom or Autocracy.
Order is best for large, sprawling empires, increasing the strength of the empire based on the number of Cities it contains. Adopting Order will increase Happiness by 1 per City. Adopting all Policies in the Order tree will grant +2 Food, Production, Science, Gold, and Culture per city. May purchase Great Engineers with Faith.

Autocracy

Unlocks at Industrial Era. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Freedom or Order.
Autocracy is for militaristic civilizations, dreaming of world conquest. Adopting Autocracy reduces Unit Gold Maintenance costs by 33%, allowing an empire to field a larger military. Receive 10 Culture as plunder for each point of Culture produced in the captured city. Adopting all Policies in the Autocracy tree will grant a 25% attack bonus to all Military Units for 50 turns. May purchase Great Generals and Great Admirals with Faith.

Freedom

Unlocks at Industrial Era. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Autocracy or Order.
Freedom is best for small, focused empires. In particular, it provides bonuses for Great People and Specialists. Upon adopting Freedom, the rate at which Great People are born is increased by 25%. Adopting all Policies in the Freedom tree will increase the base yield from Great Tile Improvements by 100% and length of Golden Ages increased by 50%. May purchase Great Artists with Faith.

Rationalism

Unlocks at Renaissance Era. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Piety.
Rationalism improves the ability to use and generate Science. Adopting Rationalism will grant +15% Science while the empire is Happy. Adopting all Policies in the Rationalism tree will grant 2 free Technologies. May purchase Great Scientists with Faith.

Commerce

Unlocks at Medieval Era. 
Commerce provides bonuses to naval empires, and those focused on Gold. Adopting Commerce will boost Gold output in Capital City by 25%. Adopting all Policies in the Commerce tree will grant +1 Gold from every Trading Post and double Gold from Great Merchant trade missions. May purchase Great Merchants with Faith.

New Buildings & Wonders

13 new buildings, 9 new Wonders, and 1 new National Wonder.

Wonder: Terracotta Army

Tech Requirement: Construction
Cost: 250 Cultural Output: 6 Great Person Points: 1 Artist Point
Effects: N/A
Notes: The mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.

Wonder: Hidden City of Petra

Tech Requirement: Currency
Cost: 250
Cultural Output: 1
Great Person Points: 1 Engineer Point
Effects: City must be built on or next to Desert. +1 Food, +1 Production, +1 Gold for all Desert tiles worked by this city (except Flood Plains). +6 Culture once Archaeology is discovered. Provides a free Amphitheater in the city in which it is built.

Wonder: Alhambra

Technology: Chivalry
Cost: 400; Provides: +1 Culture, +1 Great Artist point
Effects: All newly trained non-air Units in this city receive the Drill I Promotion, improving combat strength when fighting in ROUGH Terrain. Provides a free Castle in the city in which it is built. Boosts city Culture output by 20%.

Wonder: Great Mosque of Djenne

Tech Requirement: Theology
Cost: 300 Cultural Output: 1 Faith
Output: 3 Great Person Points: 1 Engineer Point
Effects: All Missionaries born in this city can spread religion three times. Provides a free Mosque in the city in which it is built.

Wonder: Neuschwanstein Castle

Tech Requirement: Railroad
Cost: 1060
Happiness Output: 2
Cultural Output: 4
Gold output: +6
Great Person Points: 1 Merchant Point
Effects: +3 Gold, +2 Culture, and +1 Happiness from every Castle. City must be built within 2 tiles of a Mountain that is inside your territory.

Wonder: Leaning Tower of Pisa

Tech Requirement: Printing Press
Cost: 500
Cultural Output: 1
Great Person Points: 1 Artist Point
Effects: +25% generation of Great People in all Cities. A free Great Person of your choice appears near the Capital.

Wonder: CN Tower

Tech Requirement: Telecommunications
Cost: 1250; Great Person Points: 1 Great Merchant Point
Effects: Provides a free Broadcast Tower in all cities. +1 Population in each city and +1 Happiness per city.

Wonder: Hubble Space Telescope

Tech Requirement: Satellites
Cost: 1250
Great Person Points: 1 Science Point
Effects: 2 Great Scientists appear near the city where the Wonder was built. Provides a free Spaceship Factory in the city in which it is built. +25% Production when building Spaceship Parts.

Wonder: The Great Firewall

Tech Requirement: Computers
Cost: 1250
Effects: 99.9% reduction in effectiveness of enemy Spies in the city in which it is built. All other cities In the Civilization get a 25% reduction in enemy Spy effectiveness.

National Wonder: National Intelligence Agency

Tech Requirement: Radio
Effects: Provides an additional Spy and levels up all your existing Spies. Provides a 15% reduction in enemy spy effectiveness. Must have a Police Station in all cities.
Notes: All your spies get an extra level, including new spies recruited after the Intelligence Agency is built.

Building: Shrine

Technology: Pottery
Notes: Generates +1 Faith.

Building: Pyramid

Technology: Pottery
Cost: 40  hammers; Maintenance: 1 gold
Benefit: +2 Faith, +2 Science
Notes: Mayan Unique Building; replaces Shrine. (A sacrificial temple produces Science??)

Building: Stele

Technology: none
Cost: 40; Maintenance: 1; Provides: +2 Culture, +2 Faith
Effects: This Ethiopian Unique Building replaces the Monument. It increases a city’s Culture and Faith, speeding growth of the city’s territory and the Civilization’s acquisition of Social Policies and Religions.
Notes: Ethiopian Unique Building; replaces Monument. Stele are tall granite obelisks from the 4th century AD found throughout Aksum, the ancient capital.

Building: Amphitheater

Technology: Drama & Poetry
Requires: Monument
Cost: 100; Maintenance: 2 Gold; Provides: +3 Culture, Artist slot
Effects: Increases the Culture of a city, speeding the growth of the city’s territory and the Civilization’s acquisition of Social Policies.
Notes: New early Culture producing building, to replace the Temple which now produces Faith instead of Culture.

Building: Constabulary

Technology: Banking
Cost: 160; Maintenance: 1
Notes: Increases the amount of time it takes an enemy spy to steal your technology by 25%.

Building: Ceilidh Hall

Technology: Acoustics
Requirement: Amphitheater
Cost: 200; Maintenance: 2; Provides: +4 Culture, +3 Happiness, 1 Artist specialist slot
Effects: This Renaissance-era Celtic Unique Building replaces the Opera House. It increases a city’s Culture and Happiness.
Notes: Unique Building for Celts, possibly replaces Opera House. Provides additional happiness, culture, and an artist slot. A ceilidh (pronounced "kaylee") is a Celtic social gathering, often involving traditional music or dancing.

Building: Coffee House

Technology: Economics
Cost: 250; Maintenance: 2; Provides: +2 and +5% production, 1 Engineer slot.
Effects: This Renaissance-era Austrian Unique Building replaces the Windmill. It increases a city’s Production and speed at which Great People are generated by 25%.
Notes: Austrian Unique Building, replaces Windmill (!).

Building: Police Station

Technology: Electricity
Requires: Constabulary
Cost: 300; Maintenance: 1
Notes: Increases the amount of time it takes an enemy spy to steal your technology by 25%.

Building: Bomb Shelter

Technology: Telecommunications
Cost: 300; Maintenance: 1 Gold
Notes: Reduces population loss from nuclear attack by 75%.

Building: Recycling Center

Technology: Ecology
Cost: 500; Maintenance: 3
Effects: Provides 2 Aluminum. Maximum of 5 in your empire.

Building: Cathedral

Cost: 200 Faith; Maintenance: 0
Provides: +1 Faith, +3 Culture, +1 Happiness, Artist Specialist slot.
Effects: Can only be built in cities following a religion with the Cathedrals belief. You may only purchase this building using Faith.

Building: Mosque

Cost: 200 Faith; Maintenance: 0
Provides: +3 Faith, +2 Culture
Effects: Can only be built in cities following a religion with the Mosques belief. You may only purchase this building using Faith.

Building: Pagoda

Cost: 200 Faith; Maintenance: 0
Provides: +2 Faith, +2 Culture, +2 Happiness
Effects: Can only be built in cities following a religion with the Pagodas belief. You may only purchase this building using Faith.

Changes to Existing Wonders & Buildings

Stonehenge: now gives +5 Faith and +1 Great Engineer Points. (screenshot)
Temple: now possibly produces Faith instead of Culture.
Monastery: is now purchased with Faith, and produces (+2 Faith, +2 Culture, more with Wine or Incense)
City Walls: now provides +5 Defense and +50 Hit Points to the city. (tooltip in German)
Notre Dame: now gives +4 Faith (instead of +3 Culture) in addition to +10 Happiness and +1 Great Merchant point.

New Resources

All 7 of these new resources are Luxury Resources, providing +Happiness in addition to the tile bonuses. Two (Jewelry and Porcelain) are not available on the map, but are only provided by Mercantile City-States.

Truffles

Improved by: Hunting Camp
Bonus: +2 Gold
Found on: Forest, Marsh, Jungle

Crab

Improved by: Fishing Boats
Bonus: +1 Food, +1 Gold
Found on: Coast
Notes: The "net" cast from the Fishing Boats is a box-shaped crab pot instead. Crab is a tradable luxury resource.

Citrus

Improved by: Plantation
Bonus: +1 Food, +1 Gold
Found on: Grassland, Plains
Notes: Citrus is a tradable luxury resource.

Salt

Improved by: Mine
Bonus: +1 Food, +1 Gold
Found on: Plains, Desert, Tundra
Notes: A tradable luxury resource.

Copper

Improved by: Mine
Bonus: +2 Gold
Found on: Grassland, Plains, Desert, Tundra, Snow
Notes: Copper is a luxury resource.

Porcelain

Yield: +2 Gold
Notes: A manufactured luxury resource unique to Mercantile City-States. This resource is not located on the map, but is awarded by the City-State to its ally civilization. It does appear that conquering a Mercantile City-State also give you access to the resource; in this screen the Dutch player has annexed Marrakech, but the Porcelain shows in the tooltip for city tile, and in the Happiness menu, the player is receiving a Happiness bonus for Porcelain.

Jewelry

Yield: +2 Gold
A manufactured luxury resource unique to Mercantile City-States; it is produced by the city-state rather than found on the map, similar to Porcelain.

Tulips: Several early previews claimed that Tulips are a manufactured luxury resource created by the Netherlands Polder unique improvement. However, this has not been verified via in-game screenshot; the portion of the Polder Civilopedia entry we've seen does not mention Tulips, and the list of font icons obtained through the beta patch does not contain a resource icon for Tulips, so it seems likely that either these previews were in error, or Tulips have since been removed.

New and Changed Improvements

Ancient Ruins can now provide 60 Faith.

Polder

Yield: +3 Food
Technology: Guilds
Built on: Marsh, Floodplains
Notes: A unique improvement for the Netherlands. It increases food production in Marsh or Floodplain tiles. Polders do not produce Tulips, as erroneously claimed in a few foreign previews. A "polder" is an agricultural area of land reclaimed from marsh, lakebed or the sea, surrounded by dikes (and a windmill to pump the water out as it seeps back in).

Holy Site

Notes: An improvement created by a Great Prophet. It adds +6 Faith production to the tile.

Trading Post

Technology: Guilds
A new graphic for the Trading Post (as indicated by the mouse-over tooltip). The Trading Post is now available with Guilds (a new Medieval era technology) instead of Trapping.

Citadel

Notes: The Citadel, which is a special Fort created by sacrificing a Great General, appears to have received an additional ability. According to the translation of this tooltip: In addition to providing +100% defensive bonus for the unit stationed on it and doing 30 damage to any enemy units that end their turn adjacent to the Citadel (not cumulative with other Citadels), it now appears that the Citadel, when placed, acts like a Great Artist's Culture Bomb, extending the civilization's borders by 1 hex around the Citadel, and potentially incurring a diplomatic penalty if this takes territory away from a neighbor. The Citadel can be placed within 1 hex of your borders (but presumably only in friendly or neutral territory as with the Culture Bomb).

New Natural Wonders

Mount Sinai: +8 Faith

Sri Pada: +2 Food, +4 Faith, +2 Happiness

Mount Kailash: +6 Faith if worked, +2 Happiness if within your borders.

Uluru/Ayer's Rock: +2 Food, +6 Faith

Preview Links

2K's Announcement
Official Website
GameSpot 2/16 preview
IGN 2/16 preview
Kotaku 2/16 preview
Webhallen.com product description
VideoGamer.com GDC preview
DesktopReview GDC info
GameSpy Preview
PCGamer GDC Preview
DigitalTrends GDC Preview
Venture Beat 3/13 Preview
GamesRadar 3/13 Preview
GameReactorTV GDC interview with Ed Beach
2K's Release Date announcement
PAX Sunday demo at twitchtv
PAX demo at YouTube: Part 1, Part 2
PAX coverage at Destructoid
Civforum.de interview with Ed Beach (click the Spoiler button for the English version)
Gamers' Guide to Life PAX audio interview with Dennis Shirk
2K Forums Sweden 4/20 reveal thread
GameSpy 5/10 preview
Kotaku 5/10 preview
VentureBeat 5/10 preview
Destructoid 5/10 preview
TheVerge 5/10 Smokey Skies scenario preview
Gamespot 5/10 Celts gameplay walkthrough
PCGamer 5/10 preview
Destructoid video preview
PCGames.de video preview
"Lead Your Civ to Greatness" trailer video
"Cultivate and Expand" trailer video