Part 15

Dive into Part 15 of our Civilization Beyond Earth guide, focusing on Religious Founding Fathers like Bartolome De Las Casas and Sor Juana. Learn their costs and benefits!

Welcome back to our Civilization Beyond Earth guide! In this section, we're diving into the Religious Founding Fathers, a group that can offer some unique boosts to your empire, especially if you're focusing on religion or native relations. While some might seem less impactful than their Political or Military counterparts, they can still provide valuable advantages.

Washington Irving

Requires: 33660 Political Points

• +1 Liberty Bell per Schoolhouse
• +2 Liberty Bells per College
• +3 Liberty Bells per University

This ability is pretty neat, especially if you're investing heavily in education buildings. While Ben Franklin might offer a similar Liberty Bell bonus through media buildings, Irving's bonus scales with your education infrastructure. It really comes down to your preferred playstyle: do you focus on education or media buildings?

Bartolome De Las Casas

Requires: 1262 Religion Points, 1122 Political Points

• +50% Native Conversion Rate from Missions

This guy is fantastic if you're looking to boost your native conversion efforts through missions. More converted natives mean more hands for resource production or even acting as a buffer for your military. It's a solid choice if you find yourself short on experts or want to bolster your forces with native allies. Missions can be risky, though, as natives might expel them.

Gabriel Lallemant

Requires: 5329 Religion Points, 4488 Political Points

• 50% Faster Production of Church, Cathedral

If building up your religious infrastructure is a priority, Lallemant can speed things up considerably. Beyond that, his bonus to church and cathedral production might not be the most exciting. However, the generation of immigrants is always useful for workers, and you might even snag a much-needed expert or Elder Statesman.

Gregorio De Mattos E Guerra

Requires: 16830 Religion Points, 14025 Political Points

• +2 Liberty Bells per Church
• +3 Liberty Bells per Cathedral

This Founding Father is quite useful, especially given his cost. He directly boosts the Liberty Bell output from your religious buildings, which is always a welcome bonus for your nation's economy and stability. If Liberty Bells are your main goal, he's a strong contender, though Ben Franklin is often considered the top pick for Liberty Bell generation.

John Harvard

Requires: 9537 Religion Points, 7854 Political Points

• Free Schoolhouse in Every Settlement

This is a great pick if you're planning to leverage the Education System to train your colonists into skilled labor. It makes sense given his namesake, the famous university. It's a bit odd to see him in the Religious section, but if you need to quickly establish your education infrastructure, he's a good choice.

Juan De Sepulveda

Requires: 1683 Religion Points, 1542 Political Points

• Provides 2 Converted Natives

If you have the points to spare, Sepulveda offers a nice early-game boost. Two converted natives can be incredibly useful for filling out your workforce or acting as initial defenders before you can get better experts in place. They can even hold positions after you replace them with trained units, especially if you give them some gear.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Requires: 22440 Religion Points, 19074 Political Points

• Provides 3 Elder Statesmen

This is a fantastic ability if you're struggling to get Elder Statesmen. However, consider the point cost. By the time you can afford him, you likely have a decent income that allows you to hire Elder Statesmen directly from Europe. It's a judgment call based on your current situation and point reserves.

Roger Williams

Requires: 3927 Religion Points, 3366 Political Points

• +25% Native Conversion Rate from Missions
• Strengthens Relations with the Natives

If you prefer a more diplomatic approach with the natives, Roger Williams is your guy. While some might enjoy the training opportunities that come from conflict, Williams improves your relations and boosts conversion rates. Stronger native relations can be a significant advantage, potentially providing extra firepower when the mother country comes calling.

Sor Juana

Requires: 12622 Religion Points, 10659 Political Points

• +3 Crosses Per Church
• +3 Crosses Per Cathedral

Sor Juana's bonus to cross production can help you generate more units from your religious buildings faster. However, the cost is quite high, and the type of unit you get is random, which can be a drawback. If you're specifically aiming for experts and are willing to rely on a bit of luck, she might be worth considering.

Thomas Hooker

Requires: 3085 Religion Points, 2524 Political Points

• Provides 3 Jesuit Missionaries

Hooker is incredibly useful if you're planning to establish missions. Jesuit Missionaries have a much higher success rate in converting natives compared to regular colonists trying the same job. This can significantly speed up your native integration efforts.

William Brewster

Requires: 2244 Religion Points, 1963 Political Points

• -25% Cost of Native Land Purchasing

Brewster offers a discount on purchasing land from the natives, which can be a nice perk if you're looking to expand your territory through peaceful means and want to save some resources in the process.