Civilization 7 Legacy Paths Guide - Victory Conditions and Strategies for Civ 7

In Civilization 7, mastering the four Legacy Paths-Culture, Military, Science, and Economic-is your key to shaping a civilization that not only survives but thrives across the ages. From establishing bustling trade routes in the Antiquity Age to showcasing priceless relics in the Modern Age, each path offers unique milestones and rewards that propel your empire toward victory. Whether you seek dominance through military conquest, scientific innovation, cultural prestige, or economic power, understanding and completing these Legacy Paths is essential for securing your place in history on Nintendo, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. Dive into our comprehensive guide to unlock the secrets behind every Legacy Path and transform your gameplay strategy.

What are Legacy Paths in Civilization 7?

Legacy Paths in Civilization 7 are strategic, score-based routes that players pursue throughout the game’s Ages to earn Legacy Points by completing specific milestones tied to four main categories: Culture, Science, Economic, and Military. These paths guide the progression of a civilization by rewarding achievements that help advance the Age bar and provide bonuses for subsequent Ages. Successfully completing a Legacy Path in an Age grants a Golden Age Legacy, offering powerful benefits that carry over, while failure to meet milestones results in a Dark Age Legacy with mixed effects. Legacy Paths are crucial for shaping long-term strategy and ultimately contribute to securing victory in the Modern Age, making them a central gameplay mechanic that influences planning and specialization across the campaign.

In the Antiquity and Exploration Ages, Legacy Paths are a way to earn Legacy Points (more on these in a second) that set you up for (easier) successes in the subsequent ages. During the Modern Age, Legacy Paths are how you’ll achieve total victory.

That means that Legacy Paths aren’t the same thing as victories. until they are. Completing a Legacy Path in the Modern Age to achieve a victory is straightforward enough, so let’s talk about how Legacy Paths and Legacy Points work in the Antiquity and Exploration Ages first.

How to earn Legacy Points in Civilization 7

In Civilization 7, you earn Legacy Points by completing milestones within one of the four main Legacy Paths: Culture, Economic, Military, and Science. Each path has specific objectives that vary by Age, such as building Wonders for Culture, establishing trade routes for Economic, conquering settlements for Military, or researching technologies and placing specialists for Science. Completing these milestones grants Legacy Points, which accumulate and provide buffs and bonuses as you advance through Ages. You can earn points in multiple paths simultaneously, but focusing on completing one path is essential for securing victory. Legacy Points also influence the transition between Ages and unlock powerful Golden Age or Dark Age Legacies, affecting your civilization’s strengths and weaknesses in subsequent eras.

As you progress any (or all) of the Legacy Paths during the Antiquity and Exploration Ages, you’ll hit milestones where you earn Legacy Points, Legacy Options, and various other rewards like Leader Attribute Points. Those points get used when you transition to the next age.

When you hit an Age Transition, during your first turn in the next age, you’ll be able to assign Legacy Options and Leader Attribute Points to your new civilization. The number of Options and Attribute Points you can assign is determined by how many Milestones you completed during the previous Age.

In other words, completing Legacy Paths and earning Legacy Points in the Antiquity and Exploration Ages make getting those successes slightly easier in subsequent ages, and then, in the Modern Age, make earning a total victory easier as well.

If no power has completed a Modern Age Legacy Path by the end of the Modern Age, the player with the most Legacy Points will get a Points Victory.

How to unlock Golden Age and Dark Age Legacies

To unlock Golden Age Legacies in Civilization 7, you must complete all milestones in any Legacy Path during the Antiquity or Exploration Age. Successfully doing so grants a Golden Age Legacy for the next Age, providing powerful bonuses linked to the specific Legacy Path completed, such as enhanced yields from Wonders or military units. Conversely, failing to complete any Legacy Path milestones during these Ages results in unlocking a Dark Age Legacy, which offers unique benefits but also imposes penalties. Players can choose to activate either a Golden Age or a Dark Age Legacy at the start of the subsequent Age, but only one can be active at a time.

Completing all of the milestones in any (or multiple) Legacy Path during an Age will unlock a Golden Age Legacy. These preserve something about your previous civilization into the next like keeping a certain type of building. You can earn and unlock multiple Golden Age Legacies each age, but can only have one active at a time.

If you don’t complete any milestones in one (or more) of the four Legacy Paths during an age, you’ll unlock a Dark Age Legacy. These grant a boost to some aspect of your next civilization at the cost of another – like giving Explorers extra movement, but losing 50% of your Influence. Like Golden Age Legacies, you can only have one active at a time.

Antiquity Age Legacy Paths

In Civilization 7, the Antiquity Age Legacy Paths consist of four distinct routes: Culture, Military, Science, and Economic. Each path presents unique milestones that players must complete to earn Legacy Points and unlock valuable bonuses for the next Age. For example, the Culture path involves constructing Wonders of the Ancient World, the Military path focuses on establishing peace through strength, the Science path requires collecting and displaying Codices, and the Economic path centers on developing trade routes and resource assignments. Successfully completing these paths grants Golden Age bonuses that enhance your civilization’s capabilities in subsequent Ages, providing strategic advantages as you progress through the game. However, pursuing multiple paths simultaneously can be challenging due to the Age progression meter limiting milestone completions. Overall, the Antiquity Age Legacy Paths lay the foundation for future success by rewarding focused advancement in key areas of civilization development.

There are four Legacy Paths you can complete in the Antiquity Age, and they map directly to the four victory types: Culture, Military, Science, and Economic. You can complete anywhere from none to all four paths or earn any number of points from each.

Antiquity Age Culture Legacy Path

The Antiquity Age Culture Legacy Path is all about building Wonders. You’ll unlock Wonders by researching both the Civic and Technology trees.

Build a Wonder
Build a second Wonder
Build two more Wonders
Build a total of seven Wonders

Antiquity Age Military Legacy Path

For the Military Legacy Path, you’ll need to unlock Civics and Technologies, but also increase your settlement cap.

Study the Discipline Civic
Train four military units and assemble them into a full army with an army commander
Train a siege unit and capture an enemy settlement
Earn 6 Pax Imperitoria Legacy Points – you’ll earn one point for each settlement you found and two for each settlement you capture
Earn 9 Legacy Points
Earn 12 Legacy Points

Antiquity Age Science Legacy Path

The Science Legacy Path starts with research, but then you’ll have to focus on earning codices through research and becoming suzerain of city-states. And you’ll have to build libraries and academies to display those codices.

Research Writing in the Tech tree
Build a library (granted by Writing in the Tech tree) and research Writing 2
Research Mathematics (in the Tech tree) and build an academy (granted by Mathematics)
Collect and display 3 codices (in your Palace and Academy) – researching Masteries grants codices
Collect and display 6 codices
Collect and display 10 codices

Antiquity Age Economic Legacy Path

To complete the Economic Legacy Path in the Antiquity Age, you’ll have to establish an elaborate trade network, which means training a lot of merchants and maintaining good diplomatic relations with your neighbors.

Study Code of Laws (in the Civic tree)
Produce a Merchant and establish a trade route
Improve Trade Relations with a foreign power with the Improve Trade Relations Diplomatic Action
Slot 7 Resources either from Trade or Improvement
Slot 14 Resources
Slot 20 Resources

Exploration Age Legacy Paths

In Civilization 7, the Exploration Age features four distinct Legacy Paths-Culture (Toshakhana), Science (Enlightenment), Military (Non Sufficit Orbis), and Economic (Treasure Fleets)-each with unique milestones that guide players through exploration, settlement, religious conversion, and trade across new continents. These paths involve objectives such as establishing distant settlements, converting foreign settlements to your religion, collecting relics, and building treasure fleets, all requiring strategic planning to complete efficiently. Successfully finishing these Legacy Paths grants Legacy Points and unlocks Golden Age Legacies, which provide valuable bonuses carried into the Modern Age, enhancing your civilization’s strengths and improving your chances for victory. Conversely, failing to meet milestones results in Dark Age Legacies with mixed benefits and drawbacks. Players can pursue multiple paths simultaneously, but must balance progress to maximize rewards and prepare for the decisive Modern Age.

There are four Legacy Paths you can complete in the Exploration Age: Culture, Military, Science, and Economic. You can complete anywhere from none to all four paths or earn any number of points from each.

Exploration Age Culture Legacy Path

Much like the Science Legacy Path during the Antiquity Age, the Modern Age’s Culture Path requires you to earn and display relics. You’ll get these from converting settlements and your Reliquary Belief, and they can be displayed in temples and some Wonders.

Study Piety Civic, build a temple, and establish a religion (Piety unlocks both the temple and religions)
Train a missionary and convert a foreign settlement
Study Theology Civic to unlock and adopt an Enhancer Belief
Collect and display 6 relics
Collect and display 9 relics
Collect and display 12 relics

Exploration Age Economic Legacy Path

The Economic Legacy Path in the Exploration Age is all about setting up trade routes with another continent both with your own settlements and by befriending the people you find there.

Research Cartography and Astronomy Technologies
Create a settlement in distant lands and build a fishing quay in those distant lands
Improve five Treasure Resources, research Shipbuilding Technology, and wait for a treasure fleet to spawn
Earn 10 Treasure Fleet Points by unloading Treasure Resources in your homeland
Earn 20 Treasure Fleet Points
Earn 30 Treasure Fleet Points

Exploration Age Military Legacy Path

The Military Legacy Path in the Exploration Age is also about exploring other continents, but with more focus on conquest. You’ll have to keep your settlement cap high.

Research Cartography and Astronomy Technologies (same as the first step in the Economic Legacy Path)
Create a Settlement in distant lands (also the same)
Earn 4 Non Sufficit Orbis Points by settling (1 point) or capturing (2 points) in distant lands
Earn 8 Non Sufficit Orbis Points by settling, capturing, or converting settlements to your religion (2 points)
Earn 12 Non Sufficit Orbis Points

Exploration Age Science Legacy Path

The Science Legacy Path during the Exploration Age focuses on growing your cities by adding specialists.

Research the Education Technology and place 4 specialists
Achieve a yield of 20 on a non-city center tile by placing Specialists and place 2 specialists on a non-city center tile
Achieve a yield of 40 on a non-city center tile
Achieve a yield of 40 on 3 non-city center tiles
Achieve a yield of 40 on 5 non-city center tiles

Modern Age Legacy Paths

In Civilization 7, the Modern Age Legacy Paths consist of four distinct routes: Economic (Railroad Tycoon), Military (Ideology), Science (Space Race Projects), and Culture (Geographic Society). Each path requires players to leverage unique Modern Age features such as factories and ideologies to complete specific milestones. Successfully finishing one of these paths unlocks powerful Victory projects like the Great Bank or the First Staffed Space Flight, directly leading to a victory condition. While players can track their opponents’ progress along these paths, focusing on completing a single Legacy Path is crucial for securing victory in the Modern Age. If no player completes a Legacy Path by the era’s end, the civilization with the most Legacy Points wins by Points Victory.

There are four Legacy Paths you can complete in the Modern Age: Culture, Military, Science, and Economic. You can only complete one to earn a victory or get a Points Victory by having the most Legacy Points.

Modern Age Economic Legacy Path

The goal of the Modern Age Economic Legacy Path and the Modern Economic Victory is all about setting up a railroad network to connect factories in cities.

Research Industrialization Technology and build a rail station
Research Mass Production Technology and connect 3 settlements by rail (by building rail stations)
Build a factory, slot 5 Factory Resources, and earn20 Railroad Tycoon Points (you earn Railroad Tycoon Points each turn just by having Factory Resources slotted in settlements with both a factory and a rail station)
Earn 150 Railroad Tycoon Points
Earn 300 Railroad Tycoon Points
Earn 500 Railroad Tycoon Points

Modern Age Military Legacy Path

The Modern Age’s Military Legacy Path still focuses on conquest, but adds in the Ideology twist. You’ll be spreading your Ideology of Democracy, Fascism, or Communism with your military might on your way to the Modern Military Victory.

Research Political Theory Civic
Study any Ideology Civic (Democracy, Fascism, or Communism) and research Combustion Technology
Research Flight Technology and capture a settlement that follows a different ideology
Earn 10 Ideology Points by capturing settlements without an Ideology (2 points) or with an opposing Ideology (3 points)
Earn 15 Ideology Points
Earn 20 Ideology Points

Modern Age Science Legacy Path

To complete the Science Legacy Path and earn the Modern Science Victory, you’ll focus almost exclusively on researching the Tech Tree.

Research Flight Technology
Build an Aerodrome and complete a Trans-Oceanic Flight Project
Research Aerodynamics Technology and complete a Break The Sound Barrier Project
Research Rocketry Technology, build a Launch Pad, and complete a Launch Satellite Project

Modern Age Culture Legacy Path

The Culture Legacy Path in the Modern Age focuses on the (Indiana Jones-approved) combination of archaeology and museums. You’ll need to have museums in multiple cities to display the artifacts you find.

Study Natural History Civic and train an explorer
Have (or build) a university or museum and bring an explorer to research artifacts there
Excavate and display an artifact
Study Hegemony Civic and display 5 artifacts (Optional: Research artifacts in distant lands)
Display 10 artifacts
Display 15 artifacts

What are the key strategies to master all Legacy Paths in Civ 7

To master all Legacy Paths in Civilization 7, focus on these key strategies:

Prioritize One or Two Legacy Paths Early: It is generally advised to concentrate on one primary Legacy Path (Economic, Military, Science, or Culture) at the start, especially for beginners, as attempting all four simultaneously is very difficult.
Understand Each Path’s Milestones and Requirements:
- Economic: Build factories linked by rail networks to your capital, establish trade routes, improve trade relations, and accumulate treasure points through exploration and trade.
- Military: Unlock key civics and technologies, train military units including siege units, capture enemy settlements, and increase your settlement cap.
- Science: Research critical technologies like Writing and Mathematics, build libraries and academies, collect and display codices, and become suzerain of city-states.
- Culture: Build wonders, establish religions, convert settlements, collect and display relics, and focus on cultural buildings and beliefs.
Expand Strategically: Settle additional towns early to access diverse resources and support trade and military expansion, but avoid exceeding the settlement limit to prevent penalties.
Leverage Leader Attributes and Agendas: Tailor your Legacy Path choice to your leader’s strengths and consider other leaders’ agendas to improve diplomacy or prepare for conflict.
Complete Milestones in Each Age: Achieving Legacy Path milestones during the Antiquity and Exploration Ages grants Legacy Points and bonuses that ease progression in later ages, culminating in victory conditions in the Modern Age.
Adapt and Experiment: While sticking to one path is recommended, switching paths mid-game based on circumstances and leader abilities can be beneficial.

By combining focused path progression, strategic expansion, and leveraging leader strengths, you can effectively master all Legacy Paths and position yourself for victory in Civilization 7.

What are the most efficient ways to complete all Legacy Paths early in Civ 7

To efficiently complete all Legacy Paths early in Civilization 7, consider these strategies:

Focus on Early Exploration and Expansion: Build two scouts early to find tribal huts and independent powers, which can provide valuable bonuses and help advance Legacy Path milestones, especially in the Antiquity Age.
Prioritize Key Milestones per Path:
- For Economic, establish trade routes and build infrastructure like granaries and factories early.
- For Military, train early military units such as warriors and siege units to capture enemy settlements and fulfill military milestones.
- For Science, research foundational technologies like Writing and Mathematics promptly and construct libraries or academies.
- For Culture, aim to build wonders and cultural buildings, and focus on religion and relic collection.
Balance Progress but Avoid Spreading Too Thin: While completing multiple Legacy Paths grants more bonuses and Legacy Points for the next age, trying to finish all four simultaneously can cause the Age to progress too quickly, preventing full completion of any path. Focus on completing at least two paths fully, leveraging your leader’s strengths.
Use Early Narrative Choices and Leader Abilities: Take advantage of early narrative choices (e.g., opting for an early warrior) and leader-specific bonuses to accelerate milestone completion in targeted Legacy Paths.
Maximize Legacy Points for Next Age: Completing multiple Legacy Paths early grants more Legacy Points and Golden Age bonuses, giving a significant advantage going into the Exploration Age and beyond.
Plan Settlements Strategically: Settle near key resources and trade hubs to support economic and military growth, but avoid exceeding settlement caps to prevent penalties.

By combining early scouting, focused milestone completion, strategic expansion, and leveraging leader abilities, players can efficiently complete multiple Legacy Paths early, setting a strong foundation for victory in later ages.

Civilization 7 Legacy Paths Guide – Victory Conditions and Strategies for Civ 7