One of Civilization 7’s many new mechanics are its Mementos, dozens of equippable items that give you a small perk. You can swap them out between Ages, and picking Mementos that complement your build or playstyle can give you a significant advantage if used correctly.
Since you need to play several games as every possible Leader to unlock every Memento, collecting them all can take hundreds of hours. As your collection grows, though, so will the options you have at your disposal. Be on the lookout for these especially useful Mementos, as they’ll serve you well in future games.
10 – Queen’s Jewelry
The Queen’s Jewelry is situational, but when you have lots of Natural Wonders in your territory it can make you rich. It adds +2 Gold per Age to every tile of Natural Wonders you control, in addition to any other yields.
Unlocking the Queen’s Jewelry is fairly simple, as all you need to do is reach Level 2 as Isabella, whose inherent 50% boost to all Natural Wonder yields makes her a great choice for equipping this Memento. Whether you’re playing Isabella or not, though, a Resort Town with a fully-worked Natural Wonder and other bonuses like the Land Heritage Policy can be extremely productive for comparatively little investment.
9 – Garuda Statue
If you’re having trouble getting your new Settlements caught up, the Garuda Statue can be a great way to supplement your existing growth. Each time you trigger a Celebration, it adds one population to your smallest Settlement for free. You’ll have to play for a while to get it, though, as it unlocks at Profile Level 39.
The Garuda Statue always targets your Settlement with the lowest population, which usually means the newest. In Antiquity, you can use it to quickly grow your early Settlements and to help your new acquisitions along; just remember to keep your overall Happiness high so you can actually get the Celebrations you need for it to work.
8 – Legion d’honneur Grand Eagle and Cross
Militaristic Mementos can be hit or miss, as it’s rare that they’ll provide enough of an edge to change the course of a war, but when they do help they do so in a big way. If you like to fight in Civ 7, you’d do well to grind out a few games as Napoleon, Revolutionary and get him to Level 9. Doing so rewards you with this exceptional medal.
Note: Remember, you have to level up Napoleon’s Revolutionary persona, with the red uniform. Getting Napoleon, Emperor (the blue uniform) to Level 9 will unlock the Crown of Napoleon instead.
The Legion d’honneur Grand Eagle and Cross heals your units for 10HP whenever they defeat an enemy unit, as long as they’re within a Command Radius. Give your veteran Commanders the Merit Commendation to expand their reach, and your troops will have a much easier time surviving daring city assaults and dangerous counterattacks.
7 – Royal Mace
Trade is extremely important in Civ 7, no matter your overall strategy. After your first game as Hatshepsut (and getting her to Level 2), you’ll be able to use the Royal Mace, which makes your Merchants all the more profitable.
The Royal Mace earns 1 Gold per Age every turn for each resource you are currently importing; the more Merchants you send out, the more revenue it will bring in. You’ll naturally want to target large cities with lots of goods to offer first, but after that spend some Influence to Improve Trade Relations with other players and start more trade routes. Not only will you get the bonus cash, but the benefit of the resources you’re importing as well.
6 – Incense Censer
A great companion to the Royal Mace is the Incense Censer, which you can get by bringing Xerxes the Achaemenid to Level 2. This Memento gives you +2 Culture per Age for every trade route you currently have. That can add up quickly!
Unlike the Royal Mace, the Incense Censer cares about the number of trade routes rather than how many resources they bring in. It can be worth sending Merchants to settlements that otherwise might not be worth the time, just for the extra Culture.
5 – Ophthalamoscope
Celebrations provide some of the largest bonuses in Civ 7, making Happiness a lot stronger than it looks. The Ophthalomoscope, which unlocks when you reach Level 5 with Jose Rizal, extends all of your Celebrations by 25%. That’s two extra turns on Standard speed, and it stacks with similar bonuses like Jose Rizal’s Leader Ability and the Taj Mahal Wonder to keep the party going even longer.
Leaders like Charlemagne and both Ashoka personae get extra bonuses during Celebrations, making the Ophthalomoscope an especially good choice for them. It’s also great for Modern Civs like Mexico and the French Empire, who have some of the game’s best options when it comes to making use of Celebrations.
4 – Sulde
There are several Mementos that give you extra yields for leveling up your Commanders, but none are as efficient as the Sulde. You’ll really have to work for this Memento, since you need to reach Level 9 as Genghis Khan in order to unlock it, but it’s worth the wait.
The Sulde provides +1 Culture per Age for every Commander Level, regardless of their type. That means it applies to Army, Fleet, and Squadron Commanders, and scales as the game goes on. Most other Mementos restrict you to a specific Commander type (like the Artilleryman’s Gloves), or don’t increase their bonus with each passing Age (like the Kiem). The Sulde is the complete package, and gets better the more you invest in your military.
3 – Brush & Scroll
If you like to build large Cities with lots of Specialists, the Brush & Scroll is practically a must-pick. It’s also easy to unlock, only requiring Level 2 with the game’s pre-eminent Specialist specialist, Confucius.
While you have the Brush & Scroll equipped, all your Cities get a 5% Growth bonus for every Specialist they have, up to 25%. Combine that with other effects, like the Feudal Monarchy Government type in the Exploration Age or lots of Farming and Fishing Towns, and you’ll be able to quickly grow your population, and add more Specialists.
Tip: Try getting the Expansionist Attribute that refunds a portion of a City’s Food when you place a Specialist.
2 – Royal Game of Ur
It takes a lot of Civ to get the Royal Game of Ur; it doesn’t unlock until Profile Level 49, but if you’re that serious about the game you’ll want it in your arsenal for those down-to-the-wire Deity campaigns. When you’re playing on Deity, you can usually expect to have to spend some time in the shadow of more powerful empires. The Royal Game of Ur helps even the odds.
The Royal Game of Ur checks to see whether you’ve researched fewer Techs or Civics than at least half of the other players in the game. If you’re behind, it grants a 10% bonus to the appropriate yield (Science or Culture) until you pull ahead of at least half of your opponents. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how you’re supposed to beat an opponent who’s producing 1500 Science per turn, the Royal Game of Ur won’t win you the game, but it will be a big help.
1 – Imago Mundi
I’m not joking when I say I choose the Imago Mundi at the start of every single game, no matter what. It’s available fairly early, requiring only Profile Level 7 to unlock, and once it’s available it’s a must in Antiquity and possibly in Exploration as well.
The Imago Mundi doubles the line of sight bonus from Scouts’ Search and Sentry actions, letting them uncover huge sections of the map all in one go. Exploring the world and picking the best spots for your Settlements is absolutely critical in the early game, and the extra information that this Memento offers is the difference between a good start and a great one. In the Exploration Age, you can send Scouts ahead to the Distant Lands once you’ve researched Cartography and do the same thing, locating Treasure Resources and charting the seas before anyone else.