Top Legacy Cards in Civ 7 and Their Functions Explained

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The Unique Legacy Cards are a fresh feature of Civilization 7, integrated into the game’s meta-progression system called Legends. These cards offer specialized options for each leader at the beginning of every Age. You can unlock them by leveling up your leaders and achieving specific goals or challenges. Once unlocked, these cards will be available as part of the Legacy Bonus options when transitioning into a new Age. You can track which Legacy Cards you’ve unlocked through the Leader Progress page, with cards for the Exploration Age available at level 4 and those for the Modern Age at level 8. Each type of card—Diplomatic, Scientific, Cultural, Expansionist, Militaristic, and Economic—provides a unique bonus.

Legacy Card bonuses empower leaders by enhancing one resource at the expense of another. These cards can help leaders capitalize on their particular strengths or allow them to shift focus strategically. The type of Legacy Card a leader gains is determined by their primary attributes. For instance, Amina unlocks Militaristic and Economic cards based on her specific qualities. This feature promotes replayability with the same leader, as it offers more strategic choices as they level up.

Diplomatic Legacy Cards for Influence Boost

Increase Influence With a Trade-Off in Combat Strength

These Diplomatic Legacy Cards provide a 15% boost to Influence in a specified Age, but this comes with a downside of reduced Combat Strength for Naval units during the Exploration Age and Air Units during the Modern Age. Depending on your strategic needs, this adjustment could be beneficial if combat is not a primary focus, or if the -2 Combat Strength penalty doesn’t significantly impact your plans.

If you’ve been focusing on Diplomacy, employing these cards can enhance your Influence even further, aiding in Espionage, Endeavors, and Sanctions or improving your chances of converting City-States. The following leaders can utilize these Diplomatic Legacy Cards:

Diplomatic: +15% Influence, -2 Combat Strength for Naval/Air Units
Ashoka Benjamin Franklin Harriet Tubman Himiko Jose Rizal Lafayette Machiavelli Napoleon, Emperor Tecumseh

Military Legacy Cards for Combat Enhancement

Enhance Combat Strength While Sacrificing Influence

Military Legacy Cards operate inversely to diplomatic ones, providing a +3 Combat Strength bonus for Naval units during the Exploration Age and Air units in the Modern Age, at a cost of -10% Influence. If you aim to bolster your naval and aerial forces for combat in the later Ages, this is an excellent option when transitioning to a new Age.

When crafting a militaristic strategy, consider how various combat bonuses can stack. Assess whether the trade-off of losing Influence for an additional +3 unit strength aligns with your overarching strategy. Here are the leaders with access to Military Legacy Cards:

Military: +3 Combat Strength for Naval/Air Units, -10% Influence
Amina Ashoka, World Conqueror Charlemagne Friedrich Harriet Tubman Napoleon, Revolutionary Tecumseh Trung Trac Xerxes, King of Kings

Scientific Legacy Cards for Boosting Science Output

Enhance Science Production at the Expense of Culture

Scientific Legacy Cards increase Science output by 15%, although they reduce Culture by -10%. If you’re focusing on Scientific pursuits and can afford to sacrifice some Culture yields, this bonus is particularly valuable during the Exploration or Modern Ages. This is especially relevant when engaging in Space Race projects in the Modern Age, propelling Scientific leaders to advance their position in the Tech tree more quickly.

Leaders like Confucius can significantly benefit from adopting this Legacy bonus, especially if Culture isn’t a high priority and other avenues can compensate for it. The following leaders can access Scientific Legacy Cards:

Scientific: +15% Science, -10% Culture
Benjamin Franklin Catherine the Great Charlemagne Confucius Friedrich, Oblique Himiko, Queen of Wa Trung Trac

Cultural Legacy Cards That Enhance Culture

Boost Culture at the Expense of Science

Cultural Legacy Cards offer a +15% Culture bonus while imposing a -10% reduction in Science. Some leaders can access both Cultural and Scientific cards, presenting an interesting opportunity to balance or offset penalties, resulting in lower bonuses for both resources. For instance, Catherine the Great can achieve a combined +5% in both Culture and Science through the strategic use of these cards.

Leaders aiming for a Cultural Victory will likely want to include these cards in their Legacy choices during both the Exploration and Modern Ages. The leaders with access to Cultural Legacy Cards are:

Cultural: +15% Culture, -10% Science
Augustus Catherine the Great Friedrich, Baroque Hatshepsut Himiko, High Shaman Ibn Battuta Jose Rizal Lafayette Napoleon, Revolutionary Xerxes, the Achaemenid

Expansionist Legacy Cards That Boost Food Production

Increase Food Yield at the Cost of Gold

Expansionist Legacy Cards enhance Food output by 15% while reducing Gold by -10%. This is particularly beneficial for leaders like Pachacuti, whose success primarily depends on Food production and Population growth. While this bonus will negatively impact your finances, if you can offset that penalty elsewhere, the significant Food improvement can lead to rapid Population growth.

Increasing Food yields fosters quicker Population growth, leading to more Growth Events, expanded borders, and new Settlers establishing towns.

Here is a list of leaders who can utilize Expansionist Legacy Cards:

Expansionist: +15% Food, -10% Gold
Ashoka, World Renouncer Augustus Confucius Isabella Pachacuti

Economic Legacy Cards for Gold Enhancement

Boost Gold Production at the Expense of Food

Finally, the Economic Legacy Cards enhance Gold output by 15% while reducing Food by -10%. Leaders like Isabella can capitalize on both Expansionist and Economic bonuses, effectively resulting in an overall increase in both resources while mitigating some negative impacts. Alternatively, maximizing Gold yields can be invaluable, and the Food reduction may not be an issue for empires able to compensate for loss in other areas.

As Gold is arguably the most crucial resource in the game, selecting these Legacy Cards during Age transitions is recommended, particularly for those targeting Economic Victories. Below is a list of leaders who have access to these Economic legacy options: