Civilization 7 introduced several mechanics that change the way cities are managed. The new settlement system aims to reduce micromanagement while also limiting the player in citizen allocation.

One of the most significant changes is the introduction of Urban and Rural tiles, which determine where citizens can work. Specialists play a key role in this system, allowing for increased productivity of urban tiles without expanding the city's borders.

In this article, we will explore what these specialists are in Civilization 7 and how to use them.

Who are the specialists in Civilization 7?

Specialists are workers that can be assigned to urban tiles in cities, enhancing their output but consuming additional food and happiness. Unlike previous Civilization games, where players could freely allocate citizens to tiles, in Civ 7 these options are limited. When a city's population grows, you must choose between expanding the city's borders (turning rural tiles into urban ones) or adding a specialist to an existing urban tile.

The main advantage of specialists is that they improve the productivity of urban tiles. For example, a specialist assigned to a university district can increase science production, while in a commercial district they can bring more gold. However, specialists come at a cost: -2 food and -2 happiness per turn. This makes them a powerful but situational tool that should be used carefully.

How do specialists work in Civilization 7?

When a city grows, you get the choice between expanding its borders (turning a rural tile into an urban one) or assigning a specialist. To do this, click the special Grow City button.

Tiles where specialists can be added will be highlighted in blue, tiles for border expansion in green, and those that have reached the specialist limit in red.

A standard specialist provides +2 science, +2 culture, and +0.5 adjacency bonus, meaning that tiles receiving bonuses from adjacent structures (e.g., world wonders) will also be slightly enhanced. However, their cost of -2 food and -2 happiness means that cities cannot support a large number of specialists without proper planning.

Some leader abilities, civics, and policies can increase the output of specialists or reduce their maintenance cost. For example, if you unlock a civic that increases the scientific output of specialists, you can gain more science without increasing food or happiness costs.

How to acquire specialists and increase their numbers?

Specialists can only be assigned in cities. Towns do not support specialists as they lack the districts necessary for their work. If a city is downgraded to a town, all its specialists will be lost, but they can be regained by upgrading the settlement back to a city.

Initially, each urban tile can support only one specialist, but this limit can be increased through eras, technology discoveries, or civic adoption. Some natural wonders, leader abilities, and policy cards can also increase the specialist limit per tile.

If you want to maximize the use of specialists in your city, focus on researching the "Philosophy" civic in the Antiquity Age or unlocking technologies that increase their bonuses.

When should specialists be used?

Early in the game, specialists may be too costly to use. Cities need maximum food for growth, and spending it on science or gold can slow expansion. Usually, it's better to expand borders and use rural tiles first before adding specialists.

When a city reaches maximum population, specialists become more useful. If you have a surplus of food and enough happiness, adding specialists can significantly boost economic and scientific metrics. Also, in cities that cannot expand due to geographical constraints, specialists are a great way to increase productivity without additional land.

How to use specialists most effectively in Civ 7?

Specialists are best suited for "Tall" cities, where instead of expanding borders, existing tiles are optimized. If a city has a limited number of rural tiles, adding specialists allows for increased productivity without expanding territory.

To make the most of specialists:

• Use them in cities with a food surplus to avoid starvation.
• Assign them to districts with adjacency bonuses to enhance efficiency.
• Research civics and policies that reduce food and happiness costs.
• Do not add specialists too early—allow the city to grow first.
• Use trade routes and city projects to offset food and happiness losses.

Specialists can also help accumulate Legacy Points, which are crucial for long-term success. If you centralize specialists in the capital or a key science city, you can activate special projects like "Research Initiative" or "Cultural Festival," which convert a certain percentage of city productivity into science or culture.