National Spirits are one of the standout features inMillennia.Every few Ages, you get to choose a new National Spirit that grants unique, specialized perks to your empire. Multiple nations can choose the same Spirit, but you’re rewarded with bonus XP in the appropriate Domain for picking one that nobody has yet.
If you’re the first player to reach a new Age and can’t decide which National Spirit offers the most benefit, try one of our picks listed below. From overall efficiency to impactful, strategy-defining bonuses, they’ve got the power you need to take your nation to the top.
10Chivalry
Arts Domain, 4th Age
Troubadours sing romantic tales of knightly escapades across your lands when you adopt Chivalry as a National Spirit. Focused more ondeveloping your nation’s Culturethan on warfare, Chivalry nevertheless has some military and economic applications that make it worth the early shift into the Arts Domain.
Chivalry works especially well if you have several Vassals, since it allows them togrow fasterand you canraise a large force of Peasants from themshould the need arise.Tapestry Weaverscan generate the Arts Domain XP required to develop this Spirit, but you’ll also need some Engineering to build the Castles required to finish it.
9Raiders
Warfare Domain, 2nd Age
Like the Gothic invaders who sacked Rome, a nation with the Raiders Spirit is a force of destruction capable of toppling early empires. Every single perk in its treespawns two Raider units in your Homeland, and with an early selection that reduces their upkeep to zero, it lets you build a large army quickly.
Even with their large numbers, Raiders are best atpreying on small citiessince they deal extra damage to defenders rather than field troops. A full stack or two canovercome walls and towers, but they’ll need backup to fend off reinforcing armies.
Choosing Raiders lets you quickly expand your territory and plunder enemy lands for fast cash, but it all but guarantees that you’ll trigger the Age of Blood.
8Inventors
Engineering Domain, 6th Age
A nation of Inventors is at the forefront of modernization, bringing electricity and other conveniences to the masses. Staying on pace with technological advancements only gets more important (and complex) in the second half of the game, but Inventors should have little trouble in that regard.
Inventors excel atgaining Innovation and Knowledge, getting events that allow them to take a permanent bonus or a lump sum of Wealth. They’re ideal fortriggering the Age Of Utopia, where they can use deep-sea settlements to get even more Innovation and Knowledge!
7Special Operations
Warfare Domain, 8th Age
Leveraging the most advanced technologies ever conceived, your nation’s Special Operations teams execute precise strikes across the globe. If the Age of Generals triggers a global conflict, or it’s looking like the final chapter of your campaign could be the Age of Archangels or the Age of Singularity, you’ll need thefinest soldiers in the world.
Special Operations offers some impressive military options, fromspawning Special Forces anywhere in the worldtoeliminating Leader units with a Drone Strike.Of course, you could also just useLaser Targetingto buff your fleet of Bombers and rain destruction from the skies.
6Theologians
Debating the finer points of dogma and dissecting each word of the sacred texts, a nation of Theologians seeks to understand humanity’s relationship to the divine. Starting a Religion in Millennia is a delicate balancing act, since your newly-fervent population will demand worship buildings that you may not be able to provide right away. Taking the Theologians National Spirit helps fix this issue,potentially staving off an Age of Intoleranceand keeping your regional growth on track.
Theologians do particularly well in hilly terrain with room for Outposts, since they can build Monasteries there for extra Faith and Wealth.
Not only are Theologians excellent formaintaining stability while you build up your new Religion, but they also give you additional benefits for doing so. TheReligious Educationperk doubles the Culture bonus from religious populations, potentially giving you room for another Integrated Region.
5God-King Dynasty
Engineering Domain, 2nd Age
Like the Pharaohs, the rulers of a God-King Dynasty order the construction of enormous stone tombs that will carry their legacy into eternity. This is a great choice for nations withready access to Marble, though Limestone works just as well. It offersdiscounted Quarries and Stonecutters, letting you quickly enhance your cities' Production capacity, and even lets Regional Capitals produce their own Limestone without a Quarry.
Once your Stone Blocks industry is up and running, you may dedicate your efforts tobuilding Pyramids in each Integrated Regionfor a Culture bonus. One Pyramid can become the resting place of the God-King, which provides extra Culture and Influence anddoesn’t require Workers!
4Scholars
Exploration Domain, 6th Age
Applying rigorous tests meant to rely on observable date, a nation of Scholars takes learning from an exercise of philosophy to one of science. Scholars haveseveral ways to generate extra Knowledge, but also allow their nation tomore easily fulfill Education Needs.This, in turn, lets them construct more buildings that generate Knowledge!
Scholars are best for a nation withready access to wood, since they rely on Paper Makers and Printing Presses to create Books.
Picking Scholars also gives you a chance to generate someextra Luxuries, speeding the growth of your cities and giving you more room to craft things like Tea and Grapes into more advanced goods.
3Shogunate
Diplomacy Domain, 4th Age
Part warriors, part bureaucrats, the Daimyos of the Shogunate rule their lands with an iron fist and march at the head of mighty Samurai armies. The Shogunate is an excellent National Spirit that provides lots of value for the Diplomacy Domain XP you’ll be investing. Daimyos are powerful Leaders andprovide a Regional Efficiency bonuswhen stationed in a capital.
As you advance through the Shogunate perk tree, you’ll be able topromote a single Daimyo to the rank of Shogun, the military leader of your nation. The Shogun iseven more powerful in combat, and grants bonuses to any Samurai he leads. During peacetime, he can alsoconstruct Shoen Improvements, which provide additional Government and Diplomacy XP.
2Naturalists
Exploration Domain, 2nd Age
Naturalists have lived as foragers and gatherers for thousands of years, and they carry their knowledge of the natural world with them as they settle into towns and cities for the first time. If there are a lot of forests in your starting location, the Naturalists are a great choice as theyallow you to expand into woods fasterand give you extra movement and defense while among the trees.
Naturalistsgenerate extra Food while foraging, which can be extremely useful if you don’t have a good source of Improvement Points early on. Let your foragers bring in the food you need while you dedicate your precious resources toexpanding industry.
It’s a good idea to leave some forest tiles unimproved, since the Naturalists eventuallygain Culture from foraging there.
1Political Science
Diplomacy Domain, 8th Age
Emerging as a world leader, a nation with the Political Science Spirit creates a universal set of laws by which all other nations are expected to abide. Taking Political Science really lets you throw your weight around,claiming territory and population that belong to other playerswhile using the Welfare State Culture Power toautomatically meet the needs of their new citizensfor ten turns.
If other nations refuse to cooperate, you caninvoke Article 5to spawn armies based on the number of allies you have. If war isn’t an option, you can alwaysRadicalize enemy populations, increasing the Unrest in their Regions. Unrest can quickly slow an enemy’s progress to a crawl, so don’t discount the power of this ability!
