Into the Renaissance is a scenario in Gods & Kings, an expansion for Civilization V. The scenario is based on religion in medieval times in which you must "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!"
Gameplay
There are twelve playable civilizations in this scenario: England, France, Spain, The Celts, Sweden, Austria, The Netherlands, Russia, Byzantium, the Turks (a reused Ottomans), the Ayyubids (historically Arabia, although their civilization is more similar to the Songhai civilization; uses Assyria's colors), and the Almohads (historically Morocco, but better resemble the Arabian civilization; uses Germany's colors). In addition, Mongolia appears as a non-playable civilization.
There are three playable world religions in the scenario: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Islam, whose holy cities are Vatican City, Constantinople, and Mecca, respectively. England, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, and the Celts are all Catholic, while Byzantium and Russia are Orthodox, and the Turks, Ayyubids, and Almohads are all Islamic. Your relationships with other civs can be helped or hindered depending on whether or not that other civilization follows your religion. In addition, a fourth religion, Protestantism, will be founded in City-State Wittenberg late in the game and will begin to deal massive damage in particular to the Catholic civilization's religion. All religions enter the game fully enhanced.
The winner of the scenario is whichever civilization has the most victory points after 200 turns. Apart from attaining victory points normally, there are also several methods to acquire additional points. Civilizations can gain victory points by controlling holy cities. Jerusalem also counts as a holy city in this sense, even though there is no religion based in it. All of the holy cities exist as City-States, except Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium, which gives the Byzantines an advantage.
In addition, a wonder specific to this scenario, St. Peter's Basilica, will be immediately built in Vatican City. Upon the finished construction, a 50-turn timer begins to count down to a vote for Holy Roman Emperor, which is similar to the UN vote, except winning the vote does not win the game, but rather provides victory points, and the Holy Roman Emperor vote repeats every 25 turns. The possession of St. Peter's Basilica provides an additional vote for the owner. This means Vatican City will provide two votes for its allies. If the owner is a civ (by capturing Vatican City or acquiring it through Diplomatic Marriage as Austria), the extra vote automatically gives that vote to its owner.
Despite being a vote for Holy Roman Emperor, civilizations and City-States do not actually need to be Catholic to vote, be voted for, or to win Holy Roman Emperor. This means that it is even possible for the Mongols to win Holy Roman Emperor (though this is incredibly unlikely, due to their extremely aggressive attitude towards civs and City-States), as well as any of the three Islamic civilizations or the two Orthodox ones.
Additional victory points can be acquired by sending Caravels to the New World (in the same manner as sending Caravels to China in the Conquest of the New World scenario) or through Holy War, which is capturing cities of competing religions. The amount of victory points acquired through this method is determined by the population of said city.
Civilizations
There are twelve playable civilizations in this scenario:
- The Almohads (uses Germany's colors and a checkerboard-pattern icon)
- Leader: Ya'qub al-Mansur (a reused Harun al-Rashid)
- Unique Ability: Trade Caravans (+2
Gold Gold from each Trade Route.) - Unique Unit: Camel Archer (Knight)
- Unique Building: Bazaar (Market)
- Capital: Marrakech
- Religion: Islam
- Austria
- Leader: Maria Theresa
- Unique Ability: Diplomatic Marriage (Can spend Gold Gold to annex or puppet a City-State that has been your ally for 5 turns.)
- Unique Unit 1: Hussar (Lancer)
- Unique Unit 2: Landsknecht (Pikeman)
- Capital: Vienna
- Religion: Roman Catholicism
- The Ayyubids (uses Arabia's icon and Assyria's colors)
- Leader: Saladin (a reused Askia)
- Unique Ability: Justice of Saladin (Receive a free Courthouse in every city conquered. Start with the Pyramids constructed in Cairo.)
- Unique Unit: Mamluk (Knight)
- Unique Building: Madrasah (University)
- Capital: Cairo
- Religion: Islam
- Byzantium
- Leader: Theodora
- Unique Ability: Logothete of the Course (Receives 1 extra Spy. Only civilization that starts the scenario in control of a holy city.)
- Unique Unit 1: Cataphract (Horseman)
- Unique Unit 2: Dromon (Trireme)
- Capital: Constantinople
- Religion: Eastern Orthodoxy
- The Celts
- Leader: Boudicca
- Unique Ability: Braveheart (Combat bonus (+20%) when fighting units from a civilization with more cities than the Celts.)
- Unique Unit 1: Pictish Warrior (Spearman)
- Unique Unit 2: Welsh Longbowman (Crossbowman)
- Capital: Edinburgh
- Religion: Roman Catholicism
- England
- Leader: Elizabeth
- Unique Ability: Sun Never Sets (+2
Movement Movement for all naval units. Receives 1 extra Spy.) - Unique Unit 1: Longbowman (Crossbowman)
- Unique Unit 2: Ship of the Line (Frigate)
- Capital: London
- Religion: Roman Catholicism
- France
- The Netherlands
- Leader: William
- Unique Ability: Dutch East India Company (Retains 50% of the
Happiness Happiness benefits from a Luxury Resource if your last copy of it is traded away.) - Unique Unit: Sea Beggar (Privateer)
- Unique Improvement: Polder
- Capital: Amsterdam
- Religion: Roman Catholicism
- Russia
- Spain
- Leader: Isabella
- Unique Ability: Seven Cities of Gold (After researching Exploration, may send up to three Conquistadors to the Western map edge for additional New World Victory Points and Gold Gold.)
- Unique Unit 1: Conquistador (Knight)
- Unique Unit 2: Tercio (Musketman)
- Capital: Barcelona
- Religion: Roman Catholicism
- Sweden
- Leader: Gustavus Adolphus
- Unique Ability: Viking Fury (Embarked units have +1 Movement Movement and pay just 1 movement point to move from sea to land. Melee units pay no movement point cost to pillage.)
- Unique Unit: Hakkapeliitta (Lancer)
- Unique Building: Stave Church (Temple)
- Capital: Stockholm
- Religion: Roman Catholicism
- The Turks (a reused Ottomans)
- Leader: Suleiman
- Unique Ability: Barbary Corsairs (All melee naval ships have the Prize Ships promotion, allowing them to capture defeated ships. Pay only one-third the usual cost for naval unit maintenance.)
- Unique Unit 1: Janissary (Musketman)
- Unique Unit 2: Sipahi (Lancer)
- Capital: Aleppo
- Religion: Islam
In addition, there is one unplayable civilization:
- Mongolia
- Leader: Genghis Khan
- Capital: Old Sarai