Tradition (Civ5)

Tradition policy tree image

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Tradition is a social policy tree in Civilization V. It is always available at the start of the Ancient Era, and aims to provide growth and Capital-centric bonuses, especially for tall strategies and cities with an individually high Population count.

Game Info

Tradition is best for small empires.

Adopting Tradition greatly increases the rate of border expansion (25%) in cities (by diminishing the accumulated Culture needed for successive new tiles) and also grants +3 Culture in the Capital. Unlocks building the Hanging Gardens wonder ( only).

Adopting all Policies in the Tradition tree will grant +15% Growth in all cities and:

• Vanilla: +2 Food in each city
• : A free Aqueduct in your first four cities.
• : A free Aqueduct in your first four cities. It also allows the purchase of Great Engineers with Faith starting in the Industrial Era.

Policy	Effect	Requirement
Aristocracy	+15% Production when building Wonders (any Era) and +1 Happiness for every 10 Citizens in a City.	Adopting Tradition
Oligarchy	Garrisoned units cost no maintenance and cities with a garrison gain +100% (+50% in and ) Ranged Combat Strength.	Adopting Tradition
Legalism	Provides a free culture building in your first 4 cities.	Adopting Tradition in Vanilla and Oligarchy in
Monarchy	+1 Gold and -1 Unhappiness for every 2 Citizens in the Capital.	Legalism
Landed Elite	+10% Growth and +2 Food in the Capital.	Legalism

Strategy

Main article: Social strategy (Civ5) § Tradition

If the Capital is in a good spot and expansion is not necessary, this tree will likely be a good one to pick. A number of these policies benefit that city, excepting Oligarchy and Legalism (and depending on where you decide to build your Wonders). This tree favors scientific civs as its bonuses are Food- and Population-oriented, and Oligarchy only affects garrisoned (and so defensively positioned) units.

Civilopedia entry

Tradition is the policy of honoring the decisions made by one's ancestors and all earlier rulers of the state. New policies are viewed with deep suspicion and distrust. Even in allegedly forward-thinking countries like the United States, tradition can be quite powerful indeed, as may be seen in the tension between those who favor strict adherence to the original literal meaning of the US Constitution, and those who believe that the Constitution must be more broadly interpreted in light of the changing nature of the United States and the world. The former group would be considered to be more traditionalist than the latter.

Related achievements

Master of the House Fully Explore the Tradition Policy Track. From the first stanza of the song "Tradition", from the musical Fiddler on the Roof. Also the title of a song from Les Misérables about a crooked innkeeper. Can also refer to a patriarch and his traditional role in governing a household.