01
Conclusion
Unciv's tech tree has 80 technologies in 18 columns, from Agriculture (base cost 20) to Future Tech (9,500). Below, every tech is listed with its base cost, prerequisites and everything it unlocks.
The code adds two things the tree doesn't show: each extra city raises tech costs by 5% on Tiny–Medium maps (3.75% Large, 2.5% Huge), and a tech gets cheaper when civilizations you know already have it — up to 30% cheaper when every remaining major civ has researched it.
An analysis-based guide: this guide is based on our analysis of Unciv's Techs data file and the tech cost formula in its source code. It describes what the data shows and is not a guarantee of results.
02
Research Cost Calculator
Research cost: — · Turns at your science: —
Uses the game's formula from TechManager.kt. Policies, wonders and abilities that change research cost aren't included.
03
Every Tech by Era
Ancient era
| Tech | Base cost | Requires | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 20 | — | Units: Worker, Settler, Scout, Warrior, Maori Warrior *, Jaguar *, Atlatlist * Improvements: Farm |
| Pottery | 35 | Agriculture | Buildings: Granary, Shrine, Pyramid * |
| Animal Husbandry | 35 | Agriculture | Improvements: Pasture Reveals: Horses |
| Archery | 35 | Agriculture | Units: Archer, Bowman *, Slinger * Wonders: Temple of Artemis |
| Mining | 35 | Agriculture | Improvements: Mine, Remove Forest |
| Sailing | 55 | Pottery | Units: Work Boats, Trireme, Quinquereme *, Dromon * Improvements: Fishing Boats |
| Calendar | 55 | Pottery | Buildings: Stone Works Wonders: Stonehenge Improvements: Plantation |
| Writing | 55 | Pottery | Buildings: Library, Paper Maker * Wonders: The Great Library |
| Trapping | 55 | Animal Husbandry | Buildings: Circus Improvements: Camp |
| The Wheel | 55 | Animal Husbandry, Archery | Units: Chariot Archer, War Chariot *, Horse Archer *, War Elephant * Buildings: Water Mill, Floating Gardens * Improvements: Road |
| Masonry | 55 | Mining | Buildings: Walls, Walls of Babylon * Wonders: The Pyramids, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus Improvements: Quarry, Remove Marsh |
| Bronze Working | 55 | Mining | Units: Spearman, Hoplite *, Persian Immortal *, Battering Ram *, Pictish Warrior * Buildings: Barracks, Krepost * Wonders: Statue of Zeus Improvements: Remove Jungle |
Classical era
| Tech | Base cost | Requires | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optics | 85 | Sailing | Buildings: Lighthouse Wonders: The Great Lighthouse |
| Horseback Riding | 105 | Trapping, The Wheel | Units: Horseman, Companion Cavalry *, African Forest Elephant *, Cataphract * Buildings: Stable National wonders: Circus Maximus |
| Mathematics | 105 | The Wheel | Units: Catapult, Ballista * Buildings: Courthouse Wonders: Hanging Gardens |
| Construction | 105 | Masonry, The Wheel | Units: Composite Bowman Buildings: Colosseum Wonders: Terracotta Army Improvements: Lumber mill, Moai *, Terrace farm * |
| Philosophy | 175 | Writing, Calendar | Buildings: Temple, Burial Tomb *, Mud Pyramid Mosque * Wonders: The Oracle National wonders: National College |
| Drama and Poetry | 175 | Writing | Buildings: Amphitheater National wonders: National Epic |
| Currency | 175 | Mathematics | Buildings: Market, Bazaar *, Mint Wonders: Petra |
| Engineering | 175 | Mathematics, Construction | Buildings: Aqueduct Wonders: Great Wall Improvements: Fort |
| Iron Working | 175 | Bronze Working | Units: Swordsman, Legion *, Mohawk Warrior * Wonders: Colossus National wonders: Heroic Epic Reveals: Iron |
Medieval era
| Tech | Base cost | Requires | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theology | 275 | Philosophy, Drama and Poetry | Buildings: Garden Wonders: Hagia Sophia, Great Mosque of Djenne National wonders: Grand Temple |
| Civil Service | 275 | Currency, Horseback Riding, Drama and Poetry | Units: Pikeman, Landsknecht * Wonders: Chichen Itza |
| Guilds | 275 | Currency | Wonders: Machu Picchu National wonders: National Treasury Improvements: Trading post, Polder * |
| Metal Casting | 275 | Engineering, Iron Working | Units: Berserker * Buildings: Workshop, Longhouse *, Forge |
| Compass | 375 | Optics, Theology | Units: Galleass Buildings: Harbor |
| Education | 485 | Theology, Civil Service | Buildings: University, Wat * Wonders: Angkor Wat National wonders: Oxford University |
| Chivalry | 485 | Civil Service, Guilds | Units: Knight, Camel Archer *, Conquistador *, Naresuan's Elephant *, Mandekalu Cavalry *, Keshik * Buildings: Castle, Mughal Fort * Wonders: Alhambra |
| Machinery | 485 | Guilds, Engineering | Units: Crossbowman, Chu-Ko-Nu *, Longbowman * National wonders: Ironworks |
| Physics | 485 | Metal Casting | Units: Trebuchet, Hwach'a * Wonders: Notre Dame |
| Steel | 485 | Metal Casting | Units: Longswordsman, Samurai * Buildings: Armory |
Renaissance era
| Tech | Base cost | Requires | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astronomy | 780 | Compass, Education | Units: Caravel, Turtle Ship * Buildings: Observatory |
| Acoustics | 780 | Education | Buildings: Opera House, Ceilidh Hall * Wonders: Sistine Chapel |
| Banking | 780 | Chivalry, Education | Buildings: Bank, Satrap's Court *, Constabulary Wonders: Forbidden Palace |
| Printing Press | 780 | Machinery, Physics, Chivalry | Buildings: Theatre Wonders: Leaning Tower of Pisa |
| Gunpowder | 780 | Physics, Steel | Units: Musketman, Musketeer *, Janissary *, Minuteman *, Tercio * Wonders: Himeji Castle |
| Navigation | 1150 | Astronomy | Units: Privateer, Sea Beggar *, Frigate, Ship of the Line * Buildings: Seaport |
| Architecture | 1150 | Acoustics, Banking | Wonders: Taj Mahal, Porcelain Tower National wonders: Hermitage |
| Economics | 1150 | Banking, Printing Press | Buildings: Windmill, Coffee House * |
| Metallurgy | 1150 | Printing Press, Gunpowder | Units: Lancer, Sipahi *, Hakkapeliitta * Buildings: Arsenal Wonders: Kremlin |
| Chemistry | 1150 | Gunpowder | Units: Cannon |
Industrial era
| Tech | Base cost | Requires | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archaeology | 1600 | Navigation, Architecture | Buildings: Museum Wonders: The Louvre |
| Scientific Theory | 1600 | Architecture, Economics | Buildings: Public School |
| Industrialization | 1600 | Economics | Units: Gatling Gun Buildings: Factory Wonders: Big Ben Reveals: Coal |
| Rifling | 1600 | Economics, Metallurgy | Units: Rifleman, Norwegian Ski Infantry *, Carolean *, Mehal Sefari * |
| Military Science | 1600 | Metallurgy, Chemistry | Units: Cavalry, Cossack *, Hussar * Buildings: Military Academy Wonders: Brandenburg Gate |
| Fertilizer | 1600 | Chemistry | — |
| Biology | 2350 | Archaeology, Scientific Theory | Buildings: Hospital Improvements: Oil well Reveals: Oil |
| Electricity | 2350 | Scientific Theory | Buildings: Stock Exchange, Hydro Plant, Police Station Reveals: Aluminum |
| Steam Power | 2350 | Industrialization, Scientific Theory, Rifling | Units: Ironclad |
| Dynamite | 2350 | Fertilizer, Military Science | Units: Artillery |
Modern era
| Tech | Base cost | Requires | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigeration | 3100 | Biology, Electricity | Units: Submarine Buildings: Stadium Improvements: Offshore Platform |
| Radio | 3100 | Electricity | Buildings: Broadcast Tower Wonders: Eiffel Tower National wonders: National Intelligence Agency |
| Replaceable Parts | 3100 | Electricity, Steam Power | Units: Great War Infantry, Foreign Legion * Buildings: Military Base Wonders: Statue of Liberty |
| Flight | 3100 | Steam Power | Units: Triplane, Great War Bomber |
| Railroads | 3100 | Steam Power, Dynamite | Wonders: Neuschwanstein Improvements: Railroad |
| Plastics | 4100 | Radio, Replaceable Parts | Units: Infantry Buildings: Research Lab Wonders: Cristo Redentor |
| Electronics | 4100 | Replaceable Parts, Flight | Units: Carrier, Battleship |
| Ballistics | 4100 | Flight | Units: Machine Gun, Anti-Aircraft Gun |
| Combustion | 4100 | Railroads | Units: Landship, Destroyer |
Atomic era
| Tech | Base cost | Requires | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceuticals | 5100 | Plastics, Refrigeration | Units: Marine Buildings: Medical Lab |
| Atomic Theory | 5100 | Plastics, Electronics | National wonders: Manhattan Project Reveals: Uranium |
| Radar | 5100 | Ballistics, Electronics | Units: Fighter, Zero *, Bomber, B17 *, Paratrooper |
| Combined Arms | 5100 | Ballistics, Combustion | Units: Tank, Panzer *, Anti-Tank Gun Wonders: Pentagon |
| Ecology | 6400 | Atomic Theory, Pharmaceuticals | Buildings: Solar Plant, Recycling Center Wonders: Sydney Opera House |
| Nuclear Fission | 6400 | Atomic Theory, Radar | Units: Atomic Bomb Buildings: Nuclear Plant |
| Rocketry | 6400 | Radar | Units: Rocket Artillery, Mobile SAM National wonders: Apollo Program |
| Computers | 6400 | Combined Arms, Radar | Units: Helicopter Gunship Wonders: Great Firewall |
Information era
| Tech | Base cost | Requires | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications | 7700 | Ecology | Units: Nuclear Submarine Buildings: Bomb Shelter Wonders: CN Tower |
| Mobile Tactics | 7700 | Ecology, Nuclear Fission | Units: Mechanized Infantry |
| Advanced Ballistics | 7700 | Nuclear Fission, Rocketry | Units: Guided Missile, Nuclear Missile, SS Booster |
| Satellites | 7700 | Rocketry | Units: SS Cockpit Wonders: Hubble Space Telescope |
| Robotics | 7700 | Rocketry, Computers | Units: Missile Cruiser Buildings: Spaceship Factory |
| Lasers | 7700 | Computers | Units: Modern Armor, Jet Fighter |
| Globalization | 8800 | Telecommunications | Wonders: United Nations |
| Particle Physics | 8800 | Telecommunications, Mobile Tactics, Advanced Ballistics | Units: SS Engine |
| Nuclear Fusion | 8800 | Advanced Ballistics, Satellites, Robotics | Units: Giant Death Robot |
| Nanotechnology | 8800 | Robotics | Units: SS Stasis Chamber |
| Stealth | 8800 | Robotics, Lasers | Units: Stealth Bomber |
Future era
| Tech | Base cost | Requires | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Future Tech | 9500 | Globalization, Particle Physics, Nuclear Fusion, Nanotechnology, Stealth | — |
“*” marks a civilization's unique unit, building or improvement. Base cost is before difficulty, game speed, map size and city count. Data from the game's own files (Civ V: Gods & Kings ruleset that ships with Unciv), read from the source at the commit of 2026-10-02. Updates and mods can change these numbers.
04
How Tech Cost Is Calculated
| Factor | Effect (from TechManager.kt) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Your cost × the research modifier (90% on Settler, 95% Chieftain, 100% from Warlord up). Applies to human players. |
| Game speed | Quick 67%, Standard 100%, Epic 150%, Marathon 300%. |
| Map size | Medium ×1.1, Large ×1.2, Huge ×1.3. |
| Cities | +5% per city beyond the first on Tiny–Medium, +3.75% Large, +2.5% Huge (puppets don't count). |
| Known civs who have it | Cost ÷ (1 + 0.3 × share of remaining major civs you know that have it). |
05
FAQ
Why is my research slower than the tree suggests?
Map size and city count both raise tech cost. A Large map alone adds 20%, and each city adds 3.75% there.
Does meeting other civs help research?
Yes — techs that civs you know have already researched become cheaper for you.
Where are the eras' unit stats?
See Every Unit's Stats.
Continue reading
More Unciv guides
Unciv guide home · All 34 Civilizations · City Growth and Happiness · City-States: Bonuses and Quests · Combat: Damage Formula and Calculator · Difficulty Levels Explained · Early Game: Key Numbers and Ancient Ruins · Every Building: Cost, Upkeep and Effects · Every Promotion and Effect · Every Religion Belief · Every Unit's Stats by Era · Every World and National Wonder · Game Speed and Starting Era · Great People: Points and the Shared Pool · Mods: Installing and Popular Picks · Multiplayer: Playing Online · Social Policies and Policy Cost · Terrain, Resources and Improvements · Unciv vs Civilization V · Victory Conditions