Discoveries are the bonus cards you draw when a tech completes: free units, yield boosts, a courtier or an imported luxury. They never appear in the tech tree, and you cannot research one. Every card is single use and returns to the deck if you pass on it. The cost shown is what taking the card costs.
Offered by a tech 36
The card is drawn from the deck when its tech finishes. The card's name does not always match its tech: the Forestry Scientist card, for example, requires Metaphysics.
| Discovery | Grants | Cost | Offered by | Only for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Worker | +1 Worker This bonus card will grant you a free Worker at your Capital when researched, a useful way to develop the land around your City. | 50 |  Administration | — |
| Free Perfume | +2 Import Resources /  Perfume+2 This bonus card grants free Perfume, which is one of the Luxury resources. Perfume imported | 200 |  Architecture | — |
| Border Boost | +6 border tiles (every city) +6 border tiles in every city +6 Border This bonus card will expand the borders in all of your City, granting you additional Territory. This is especially useful if there are resources just beyond reach.  Growth in every city | 80 |  Aristocracy | — |
| Free Longbowman | +2 Longbowman This bonus grants free Longbowman Units near your Capital. | 350 |  Battleline | — |
| Free Soldier | The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Soldier The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Soldier +2 Court Soldier This bonus grants a free Soldier to serve on your court and improve your Nation’s military. | 350 | Battleline | — |
| Free Merchant | The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Merchant The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Merchant +2 Court Merchant This bonus grants a free Merchant to serve on your court and improve your Nation’s economy. | 350 |  Cartography | — |
| Free Minister | The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Minister +1 Court Minister This bonus card grants a free Minister to serve on your court and improve your Nation’s administration. | 200 |  Citizenship | — |
| Free Horseman | +1 Horseman This bonus grants a free Horseman Mounted Unit in your Capital. | 200 |  Coinage | — |
| Free Porcelain | +2 Import Resources /  Porcelain+2 This bonus card grants free Porcelain, which is one of the Luxury resources. Porcelain imported | 200 | Coinage | — |
| Free Silk | +1 Import Resources /  Silk+1 This bonus card grants free Silk, which is one of the Luxury resources. Silk imported | 200 | Coinage | — |
| Money Boost | +4000 This bonus grants +4000 Money when researched, a useful boost for paying for Missions or trading for other resources.  Money | 200 | Coinage | — |
| Free Ballista | +1 Ballista This bonus grants a free Ballista Siege Unit in your Capital. | 200 |  Composite Bow | — |
| Free Horse Archer | +1 Horse Archer This bonus grants a free Horse Archer Mounted Ranged Unit in your Capital. | 200 | Composite Bow | — |
| Free Settler | +1 Settler This bonus card will grant you a free Settler at your Capital when researched, a useful way to quickly expand your Nation. | 80 |  Drama | — |
| Free Archer | +1 Archer This bonus grants a free Archer Ranged Unit in your Capital, excellent as ranged support or for garrisoning Cities. | 125 |  Forestry | — |
| Free Ebony | +1 Import Resources /  Ebony+1 This bonus card grants free Ebony, which is one of the Luxury resources. Ebony imported | 125 | Forestry | — |
| Food Boost | +200 This bonus card will give you +200 Food when researched, a useful boost for supporting your armies and population.  Food | 80 |  Husbandry | — |
| Free Crossbowman | +2 Crossbowman This bonus grants free Crossbowman Units near your Capital. | 400 |  Hydraulics | — |
| Free Minister | The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Minister The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Minister +2 Court Minister This bonus card grants a free Minister to serve on your court and improve your Nation’s administration. | 550 |  Jurisprudence | — |
| Free War Elephant | +1 War Elephant This bonus grants a free War Elephant Unit in your Capital, a Mounted Unit able to break up enemy formations with its attack. | 200 |  Machinery | — |
| Goods Boost | +400  Iron+400  Stone+400 This bonus gives a one-off boost to Iron, Stone, and Wood, useful for constructing advanced Improvement or Units.  Wood | 200 | Machinery | — |
| Free Merchant | The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Merchant The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Merchant +2 Court Merchant This bonus grants a free Merchant to serve on your court and improve your Nation’s economy. | 350 |  Manor | — |
| Free Scientist | The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Scholar +1 Court Scholar This bonus card grants a free Scientist to serve on your court and improve your Nation’s research efforts. | 125 |  Metaphysics | — |
| Free Camel Archer | +1 Camel Archer This bonus grants a free Camel Archer Mounted Ranged Unit in your Capital, a fast Unit useful for harassing the enemy. | 200 |  Monasticism | — |
| Orders Boost | +20 This bonus grants a one-off boost of +20 Orders on the turn it is completed, opening opportunities for a productive turn from both military and Worker Units.  Orders | 125 |  Phalanx | — |
| Free Maceman | +1 Maceman This bonus grants a free Maceman Infantry Unit in your Capital, useful against other Infantry. | 200 |  Portcullis | — |
| Free Onager | +1 Onager This bonus grants a free Onager Siege Unit in your Capital. | 200 | Portcullis | — |
| Free Scientist | The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Scholar The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Scholar +2 Court Scholar This bonus card grants a free Scientist to serve on your court and improve your Nation’s research. | 350 |  Scholarship | — |
| Civics Boost | +800 This bonus grants a one-time boost of +800 Civics, useful for enacting Laws, starting Missions, or building Wonder.  Civics | 125 |  Sovereignty | — |
| Free Chariot | +1 Chariot This bonus grants a free Chariot Unit in your Capital. | 125 | Sovereignty | — |
| Free Exotic Fur | +1 Import Resources /  Exotic Furs+1 This bonus card grants free Exotic Fur, which is one of the Luxury resources. Exotic Furs imported | 125 |  Spoked Wheel | — |
| Free Bireme | +1 Bireme This bonus grants a free Bireme naval Unit on a coastal Tile close to your Capital. | 125 |  Steel | — |
| Training Boost | +800 This bonus gives a one-off boost of Training, useful for Forced Marching or Promoting your military Units.  Training | 125 | Steel | — |
| Free Soldier | The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Soldier The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Soldier +2 Court Soldier This bonus grants a free Soldier to serve on your court and improve your Nation’s military. | 350 |  Stirrups | — |
| Stone Boost | +200 This card will give you a one-off bonus of +200 Stone when researched, a useful boost for building Fort, Wonder, or other large projects. Stone | 50 |  Stonecutting | — |
| Happiness Boost | +1  Happiness level (every city)+1 This bonus gives a one-off boost to increase Happiness in all of your Cities, lowering their Maintenance penalty and increasing their owning Family's Opinion Family. Happiness level in every city | 350 |  Vaulting | — |
Not tied to a tech 30
These cards enter the deck another way. Each is either a nation's unique unit card, gated by nation and culture level, or a card an event adds directly.
| Discovery | Grants | Cost | Only for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free African Elephant | This bonus grants free African Elephant Units in your Capital. A mounted elephant Unit that is unique to Carthage, the African Elephant causes its target to Panic, fleeing to an adjacent Tile when attacked. | 250 |  Carthage Strong culture |
| Free Akkadian Archer | This bonus grants free Akkadian Archer Units in your Capital. A ranged Infantry Unit that is unique to Babylonia, the Akkadian Archer does Splash damage to the six Tiles surrounding the target. | 250 |  Babylonia Strong culture |
| Free Archer Elephant | +2 Elephant Archer This bonus grants free Archer Elephant Units in your Capital. A mounted Unit that is unique to Tamil, the Archer Elephant is a ranged elephant unit that debuffs enemies it attacks. | 700 |  Tamil Legendary culture |
| Free Armoured Elephant | +2 Armored Elephant This bonus grants free Armoured Elephant Units in your Capital. A mounted Unit that is unique to Maurya, the Armoured Elephant is especially strong when attacking Cities and other Urban Tiles. | 700 |  Maurya Legendary culture |
| Free Assault Elephant | This bonus grants free Assault Elephant Units in your Capital. A mounted Unit that is unique to Maurya, the Assault Elephant is especially strong when attacking Cities and other Urban Tiles. | 250 | Maurya Strong culture |
| Free Battering Ram | This bonus grants free Battering Ram Units in your Capital. A melee Siege Unit that is unique to Assyria, the Battering Ram gets a bonus when attacking Urban Tiles. | 250 |  Assyria Strong culture |
| Free Beja Archer | +2 Beja Archer This bonus grants free Beja Archer Units near your Capital. A ranged Unit that is unique to Kush, the Beja Archer gets a bonus to attack when next to another Beja Archer unit. | 700 |  Kush Legendary culture |
| Free Cataphract Archer | This bonus grants free Cataphract Archer Units near your Capital. A mounted and ranged Unit that is unique to Persia, the Cataphract Archer is able to Rout its enemies, despite being a ranged unit. | 700 |  Persia Legendary culture |
| Free Cimmerian Archer | This bonus grants free Cimmerian Archer Units near your Capital. A ranged Infantry Unit that is unique to Babylonia, the Cimmerian Archer does Splash damage to the six Tiles surrounding the target. | 700 | Babylonia Legendary culture |
| Free Dmt Warrior | +2 D'mt Warrior This bonus grants free Dmt Warrior Units in your Capital. A melee Infantry Unit that is unique to Aksum, the Dmt Warrior will Disarm its target, temporarily lowering their icon(ATTACKDEFENSE)Strength for any future attacks. | 250 |  Aksum Strong culture |
| Free Hastatus | +2 Hastatus This bonus grants free Hastatus Units in your Capital. A melee Infantry Unit that is unique to Rome, the Hastatus Ignores Zoc and has the Testudo ability to protect it from ranged damage while still allowing it to attack. | 250 |  Rome Strong culture |
| Free Hittite Chariot 1 | +2 Heavy Chariot This bonus grants free Hittite Chariot 1 Units in your Capital. A mounted and ranged Unit that is unique to Hittite, the Hittite Chariot 1 moves especially quickly for harassing your enemies. If a bonus card is not researched when it appears, it is permanently trashed once discarded and will not appear again. | 250 |  Hittite Strong culture |
| Free Hittite Chariot 2 | +2 Three Man Chariot This bonus grants free Hittite Chariot 2 Units near your Capital. A mounted and ranged Unit that is unique to Hittite, the Hittite Chariot 2 moves especially quickly for harassing your enemies. If a bonus card is not researched when it appears, it is permanently trashed once discarded and will not appear again. | 700 | Hittite Legendary culture |
| Free Hoplite | +2 Hoplite This bonus grants free Hoplite Units in your Capital. A Polearm Unit that is unique to Greece, the Hoplite gains a defense bonus when adjacent to other Hoplite. | 250 |  Greece Strong culture |
| Free Javelin Elephant | This bonus grants free Javelin Elephant Units in your Capital. A mounted Unit that is unique to Tamil, the Javelin Elephant is a ranged elephant unit that debuffs enemies it attacks. | 250 | Tamil Strong culture |
| Free Kushan Cavalry | This bonus grants free Kushan Cavalry Units in your Capital. A mounted heavy cavalry Unit that is unique to Yuezhi, the Kushan Cavalry can activate their Charge effect to get a bonus to attack at the cost of defense. | 250 |  Yuezhi Strong culture |
| Free Kushan Warlords | +2 Kushan Warlord This bonus grants free Kushan Warlords Units in your Capital. A mounted heavy cavalry Unit that is unique to Yuezhi, the Kushan Warlords can activate their Charge effect to get a bonus to attack at the cost of defense. | 700 | Yuezhi Legendary culture |
| Free Legionary | +2 Legionary This bonus grants free Legionary Units near your Capital. A melee Infantry Unit that is unique to Rome, the Legionary Ignores Zoc and has the Testudo ability to protect it from ranged damage while still allowing it to attack. | 700 | Rome Legendary culture |
| Free Light Chariot | This bonus grants free Light Chariot Units in your Capital. A mounted and ranged Unit that is unique to Egypt, the Light Chariot moves especially quickly for harassing your enemies. | 250 |  Egypt Strong culture |
| Free Medjay Archer | This bonus grants free Medjay Archer Units in your Capital. A ranged Unit that is unique to Kush, the Medjay Archer gets a bonus to attack when next to another Medjay Archer unit. | 250 | Kush Strong culture |
| Free Minister | The rival nation gains a new courtier: Court Minister +1 Court Minister This bonus card grants a free Minister to serve on your court and improve your Nation’s administration. | 250 | — |
| Free Mounted Lancer | This bonus grants free Mounted Lancer Units near your Capital. A mounted and ranged Unit that is unique to Egypt, the Mounted Lancer moves especially quickly for harassing your enemies. | 700 | Egypt Legendary culture |
| Free Palton Cavalry | This bonus grants free Palton Cavalry Units in your Capital. A mounted and ranged Unit that is unique to Persia, the Palton Cavalry is able to Rout its enemies, despite being a ranged unit. | 250 | Persia Strong culture |
| Free Phalangite | +2 Phalangite This bonus grants free Phalangite Units near your Capital. A Polearm Unit that is unique to Greece, the Phalangite gains a defense bonus when adjacent to other Phalangite. | 700 | Greece Legendary culture |
| Free Shotelai | +2 Shotelai This bonus grants free Shotelai Units in your Capital. A melee Infantry Unit that is unique to Aksum, the Shotelai will Disarm its target, temporarily lowering their icon(ATTACKDEFENSE)Strength for any future attacks. | 700 | Aksum Legendary culture |
| Free Siege Tower | +2 Siege Tower This bonus grants free Siege Tower Units near your Capital. A melee Siege Unit that is unique to Assyria, the Siege Tower gets a bonus when attacking Urban Tiles. | 700 | Assyria Legendary culture |
| Free Steppe Rider | +2 Steppe Rider This bonus grants free Steppe Rider Units in your Capital. A cheap and weak mounted Unit unique to Yuezhi, the Steppe Rider are fast horse archers, good for exploring and attacking in numbers. | 100 | Yuezhi Developing culture |
| Free Turreted Elephant | This bonus grants free Turreted Elephant Units near your Capital. A mounted elephant Unit that is unique to Carthage, the Turreted Elephant causes its target to Panic, fleeing to an adjacent Tile when attacked. | 700 | Carthage Legendary culture |
| Import Ebony | +1 Import Resources / Ebony+1 This bonus card grants free Ebony, which is one of the Luxury resources. Ebony imported | 150 | — |
| Rally National Defense | Starts Defense Rallied Temporarily rallies new Militia for each lost unit | 100 | — |