In Civilization 7, Specialists play a pivotal role in achieving victory and accumulating legacy points for your civilization. They are essential components for acquiring vital resources and should be prioritized during city development. However, the question remains: how do you obtain these Specialists, and what contributions do they make in the game?
The Significance of Specialists in Civilization 7

Specialists are among the most effective means to enhance your civilization’s Science and Culture output. They can be assigned to various cities, including your capital, but cannot be placed in towns. As your settlement expands and urbanizes, your city will eventually reach a point where it transitions to Urban status, at which point you will no longer be able to “grow”the city in traditional terms. Instead, you can only allocate Specialists to Urban tiles.
These Specialists contribute significantly by boosting your Science and Culture earnings per turn, and in some cases, can also increase your gold production. However, utilizing a tile for a Specialist comes with trade-offs, as it will reduce Food and Happiness, given that those resources may become scarcer as you focus on technological advancements.
Each tile can accommodate up to two Specialists, and their effectiveness may be enhanced by adjacent buildings that provide buffs and bonuses. By default, Specialists grant +2 Science and +2 Culture, along with a +0.5 adjacency bonus. However, they will also incur a penalty of -2 Food and -2 Happiness each. In scenarios where adjacency bonuses are leveraged effectively, these figures can improve significantly.
It’s crucial to manage Specialist allocation prudently. Overcrowding your city or capital with too many Specialists can lead to resource shortages, particularly in Food and Happiness. Maintaining a balanced approach is vital, especially since Happiness tends to be more challenging to recover during wartime compared to Food, which can be supplemented through trade routes or the purchase of granaries.
Acquiring Specialists in Civilization 7

Specialists can only be unlocked in cities or capitals; they are not available in towns, which can only develop by transforming Rural tiles into Urban ones. To recruit Specialists, you must allow your city or capital to evolve and grow. Once grown, you will have the option to appoint a Specialist rather than simply converting tiles.
The benefits gained from each Specialist assignment include +2.5 Science and +2.5 Culture, though these values may fluctuate based on adjacency bonuses, which are reflected when tiles are highlighted. Up to two Specialists can be assigned to each tile, making it advantageous to consolidate them in a single capital or city to maintain a steady supply of Food and Happiness through trade routes, policies, and additional bonuses.
By concentrating your Specialists in one location, you can initiate projects such as the “Research Initiative” or “Cultural Festival.” These endeavors will raise your Science or Culture production by an additional 25% of the city’s production level. While these projects require some production facilities to maximize effectiveness, successfully implementing them will significantly enhance your cultural and scientific capabilities, positioning you ahead of your rivals.
Leave a Reply ▼