🔬 Total Science to Unlock

How much research it takes to field each unit. Each row is one unlock — a technology, or a law tier for the culture-gated unique units (Developing needs ~4 laws, Strong ~7; succession laws need no tech and don't count). Rows are sorted cheapest first, so reading top to bottom is the order units become available on a minimal research path. Companion to Unit Counters.

Total science	beyond 4 laws	beyond 7 laws	Units unlocked (number = strength)
0 no tech required	0	0	none under current filters Militia 3 Steppe Rider 3
100 Ironworking	0	0	none under current filters Warrior 4
100 Trapping	100	100	none under current filters Slinger 4
510 Phalanx	250	0	none under current filters Spearman 5
510 Spoked Wheel	410	410	none under current filters Chariot 5
610 Steel	510	510	none under current filters Axeman 5
660 Composite Bow	660	660	none under current filters Archer 5
910 Land Consolidation	910	910	none under current filters Camel Archer 5 War Elephant 6
1,030 any 4 laws Developing-culture uniques — cheapest 4 law techs	0	0	none under current filters African Elephant 6 Akkadian Archer 6 Assault Elephant 6 Battering Ram 6 D'mt Warrior 6 Hastatus 6 Heavy Chariot 6 Hoplite 6 Javelin Elephant 6 Kushan Cavalry 6 Light Chariot 6 Medjay Archer 6 Palton Cavalry 6
1,170 Machinery	400	400	none under current filters Onager 6
1,610 Stirrups	1,510	1,510	none under current filters Horse Archer 6 Horseman 6
1,720 Battleline	1,460	1,210	none under current filters Maceman 6
1,870 Hydraulics	1,100	1,100	none under current filters Ballista 5
2,270 Manor	2,270	2,270	none under current filters Conscript 5
2,330 any 7 laws Strong-culture uniques — cheapest 7 law techs	1,300	0	none under current filters Armored Elephant 8 Beja Archer 8 Cataphract Archer 8 Cimmerian Archer 8 Elephant Archer 8 Kushan Warlord 8 Legionary 8 Mounted Lancer 8 Phalangite 8 Shotelai 8 Siege Tower 8 Three Man Chariot 8 Turreted Elephant 8
3,320 Infantry Square	3,060	2,810	none under current filters Pikeman 8
3,370 Bodkin Arrow	3,370	3,370	none under current filters Longbowman 8
3,880 Windlass	2,850	2,600	none under current filters Crossbowman 6
4,930 Ballistics	3,900	3,650	none under current filters Mangonel 8
5,330 Cohorts	5,070	4,820	none under current filters Swordsman 8
5,480 Chain Drive	4,450	4,200	none under current filters Polybolos 8
6,330 Barding	6,070	5,420	none under current filters Cataphract 10

How the law tiers are priced

Cheapest research path to have that many law classes unlocked, brute-forced over every combination (shared prerequisites make the greedy pick wrong). Which laws you actually adopt within each class doesn't matter — one law per unlocked class.