Special Buildings

Left Tier of Special Buildings

Use - When built, gives you the option in the Agora to host Plays (worth 1 CP) Plays cost less than the regular City Festival (also worth 1 CP) but takes 5x as long to earn than 1 Victory Procession.

Personal Opinion - During my "learning days" I was taught to avoid it as all cost and it was considered a "noobish" thing to build. But my opinion has changed but only in certain circumstances. The ONLY time I will build them is if a) it is in a "safe" city where I can spare the extra 300 population that would come from building Thermal Baths instead, and b) I'm using the city as a LTS city.

Use - Gives your city an extra 300 population to use. (it really only gives you an extra 240 as 60 pop. go towards the population cost of building the Baths)


Personal Opinion - This is the most frequently built special building among my cities. There is no negative effects and the extra population can really make the difference (especially on the offense) as the bigger the nuke from a city, the most effective. The only time I wouldn't build one is if I set up a city to be a fast CS launch city by building a lighthouse (+15% speed). In that case, I would feel it is worth the loss in population compared to making or breaking taking enemy cities.

Use - Gives you 12 more Research Points to spend in your Academy


Personal Opinion - The Library is the most USELESS building out there! Only noobs build these and it is a PAIN to have to waste Culture Points in order to reset some researches so that you can demolish the library and build something useful. Its a shame that the spell "lightning bolt" doesn't effect special buildings.... lol

Use - Increases the speed of all native naval units belonging to this city. Paired up with the research "Cartography", it gives your ships a 25% speed increase.


Personal Opinion - Very valuable if used correctly. Definitely not meant to be built in most cities. I personally like to build them in my CS launch cities to make them go 25% faster (assuming I have Cartography researched) and then the occasional quest spell that gives and extra 30% on top of that. Unfortunately, the % don't add together, but multiple together. So.... with the 10% from research, 15% from lighthouse, 30% speed spell, and 10% of being "hidden" from Helmet spell will take roughly 48% off your starting (without any boosts) travel time.

Right Tier of Special Buildings

Use - Increases the defensive value of any naval or land units currently in your city by 10%


Personal Opinion - One of the major reasons so many people complain about turtles. What with this powerful defensive bonus, paired with the Battering Ram (+10% strength to native naval units) and Phalanx (+10% strength to native land units) researches, a lvl 25 wall (142% defense to all land units), and possible premium advisers (20% each), it turns any city into a veritable fortress. A possible +40% defense for all of your navy in the city, and a possible +182% defense for all of your DLU in the city. Great building to have if your constantly attacked in a city. But, I do not recommend building a Tower in every city. Only those that are on the front lines and are frequently attacked. Otherwise, I always build a Divine Statue (increases favor production) or Merchant's Shop (can send more resources, useful to build in "safe cites" that provide resources to cities who are constantly rebuilding)



Use - Increases favor production of the god currently worshiped in that city.


Personal Opinion - Build many of these in my "safe cities" to boost my favor. Very helpful when your trying to build some kind of myth nuke. For example, if I'm trying to build a pegasus nuke, I'll convert the majority of my cities to worshiping Athena so as to have a significant amount of favor production so that I can get in build ASAP. Divine Statue's are like adding several levels of temple to each city and are essential to having high favor production.


Use - Uncovers enemy spies on your city. Contrary to some rumors, it does inform you of a successful spy on your city. Doesn't tell you how much was spent to succeed, but by looking at your cave you can see how much they had to spend to get a successful spy in.

Personal Opinion - I rarely ever build an oracle, but on the rare occasion that I do, it is because it is a front line city that I have stacked with defense, but the enemy desperately wants to see inside. Knowing that they succeeded in getting a spy report can be most valuable as it can help you prepare for an assault by sending more defense, etc. It also works as a great deterrent as when they see that you have one built many will back off and leave that city alone as they know you will be preparing for them. Build the oracle sparingly though as it isn't of much value if the enemy isn't trying to see what you don't want them to see.


Use - Increases the maximum trade ratio of the Phoenician merchants and of farming villages. Also increases the available trade capacity per market level from 500 to 750.


Personal Opinion - I don't build many of these in my cities, but when I do, it'll be in "safe" cities that have already built a BR nuke or something defensive that is out on LTS and that isn't likely to have to be rebuilt often. The greatest use for them comes when each world enters World Wonder Age and each alliance is racing to build the 7 wonders of the world first. Then, every resource counts and good alliance leaders will start ordering the building of Merchant Shops a month or so before the WW age starts in preparation for it.