Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

As a seasoned Civilization 6 player with countless hours spent strategizing and optimizing my cities, I must say that the Hermetic Order Secret Society is a hidden gem worth exploring. Now, I’m not one to mince words – I like to get straight to the point, much like the Great Admirals and Generals boosting Ley Lines by +1 Science each in this game.


The Sid Meier’s Civilization series, a highly respected giant in the turn-based strategy world, boasts six main games and several spin-offs. Whether you prefer the timeless charm of Civilization 4 and its exceptional expansions or the current fan favorite, Civilization 6, there’s an experience for every gamer to appreciate.

The strategy game “Civilization 6” has received considerable developer support throughout its existence, introducing fresh leaders, Civ packs, and innovative game modes, along with content tailored for these additions. This expansion brings an abundance of new elements, but it can make the game more challenging to grasp for beginners. For example, one recent addition is the “Undercover Network” system, where players and their civilizations can infiltrate one of four Secret Societies within the game to secure permanent, game-wide advantages. However, getting started might be tricky, as each Secret Society has its unique entry process, and they all provide distinct perks.

Select the Right Game Mode To Access Secret Societies

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

In order for Secret Societies to show up in your games, you’ll need to activate the “Secret Societies mode”. Before doing so, ensure that you have the Ethiopia Pack installed, as it’s this expansion that introduces Secret Societies to the game. You can also mix Secret Societies with other game modes for a more diverse and exciting gaming experience.

This game mode can be selected from the game creation menu.

Find A Natural Wonder In Civilization 6

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

The Hermetic Order requires its potential members to fulfill certain prerequisites before they can receive an invitation, similar to other secret societies. Specifically for the Hermetic Order, a key requirement is that the individual must have discovered at least one Natural Wonder prior to receiving the invitation.

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

In ancient times, taking a bit of time to investigate first makes it relatively simple to receive an invitation from secret societies. However, be cautioned that the more well-known these societies are, the less likely you are to receive an invitation. This implies that if other human or AI players discover Natural Wonders before you do, there’s a chance that the Hermetic Order might never extend an invitation. Therefore, it would be prudent to act swiftly, as this is the only moment when a 100% chance of receiving an invitation exists.

Joining The Hermetic Order In Civ 6

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

After receiving the invitation, becoming a member of the Hermetic Order follows as the next step. Upon joining, membership in the Hermetric Order is irreversible. To become a member, one needs to acquire the governorship from the Governor Interface.

In contrast to the governors in most civilizations in Civilization 6, Secret Society governors don’t have the ability to be allocated to a particular city. Instead, they offer benefits that extend across the entire civilization.

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

Upon becoming a member, the newcomer in the Hermetic Order will start at the entry-level position, known as a Novice. Being a Novice grants the ability to detect and perceive Ley Lines.

Understanding Ley Lines In Civilization 6

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

In simpler terms, Ley Lines are a unique type of resource or tile that can only be perceived by members of the Hermetic Order. They are easily recognizable and may appear across various terrains such as Grassland, Plains, Desert, Tundra, and even Hills with similar characteristics. Unlike other tiles, they cannot be constructed upon but offer additional benefits when adjacent to other tiles.

Unlock The Adept In Civ 6

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

Unlike regular governors, the Hermetic Order governor can only be elevated after certain stages of gameplay have been reached. To advance the Hermetic Order governor to the Adept level, players must first progress into the Medieval Era. The promotion process is straightforward: simply click on the Promote button within the Governor interface, just as you would for any other governor.

Upon advancement within the Hermetic Order, members are given exclusive access to a distinctive structure that serves as an alternative to the University – the Alchemical Society building.

What Is The Alchemical Society Building?

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order
  • +4 Science
  • +2 Production
  • +1 Housing
  • +1 Citizen slot
  • +1 Great Engineer point per turn
  • +1 Great Merchant point per turn
  • +1 Great Scientist point per turn
  • Grants Gold equal to the adjacency bonus of the district.

1. The Building of the Alchemical Society surpasses typical University structures in quality.

Unlock The Magus Rewards In Civ 6

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

Similar to the Adept, the Magus calls for gamers to progress to a particular stage, which is the Industrial Age, in their gameplay to access its upgrade and perks. The Magus’s level advancement significantly boosts the generation of Great Persons for players.

Each time a Great Person is earned, they will enhance the benefits of Ley Lines by 1, depending on their particular specialty (for instance, a Great Engineer increases Production by 1). Additionally, Great Admirals and Generals are included and boost Science on Ley Lines by 1. These advantages can be quite substantial, particularly when combined with focused efforts to produce Great People and careful positioning of cities near Ley Lines.

Unlock The Aiwass In Civilization 6

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

In the Hermetic Order Secret Society, the Aiwass rank is the highest attainable level, which can be achieved once the Atomic Age has been reached. This achievement grants players a unique project called “Occult Research.” During its active phase, this project yields Gold with each turn that passes. Upon completion, it provides Great Person points and Science, with an additional amount of Science for every Ley Line in the city.

The Occult Research Special Project

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order
  • Gold every turn
  • +500 Science per Ley Line in city
  • +Great Scientist, Merchant, Engineer points when finished

In the city’s production interface, you’ll find the Occult Research Special Project listed among other projects. This project offers a significant advantage, particularly for increasing Gold production. However, its most notable feature is the enormous Science yield upon completion – 500 Science per Ley Line in your city, irrespective of game speed.

Making The Most Of The Hermetic Order In Civilization 6

Civilization 6: Complete Guide To The Hermetic Order

The Hermetic Order isn’t the easiest — or, strictly speaking, the best — of the Secret Societies in Civilization 6. Its Ley Lines resource spawns randomly on Grassland, Plains, Desert, and Tundra tiles (along with Hills tiles of these types) and prevents building anything else on them. As some of the rewards increase with the number of ley lines in a given city, this could prevent building key infrastructure if not planned out — although it shouldn’t be too much of a problem, as Ley Lines don’t spawn in large numbers anyway.

However, an exceptionally committed member of the Hermetic Order could benefit from substantial advantages in proximity, as the order’s dynamics with Great Person generation offer sizable perks. Each Great Person accrued results in a +1 bonus of its kind for Ley Lines, allowing these benefits to accumulate rapidly under favorable circumstances.

As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of Civilization VI, I can confidently say that the Hermetic Order is a fantastic choice for specific civilizations such as Scotland, Brazil, or Sweden. These civilizations benefit from unique buildings that offer Great Person points, making them ideal candidates to join the Hermetic Order. Moreover, the Alchemical Society building, an upgrade over the basic University, seamlessly complements Science-focused gameplay. I’ve found myself reaping the rewards of this combination time and time again in my own games, leading me to highly recommend it for players seeking a strategic advantage in their quest for world domination.

The unique endeavor, known as “Occult Research”, is primarily a desirable addition rather than an essential operation that requires continuous running. However, it offers a significant advantage: generating 500 Science per Ley Line in the city upon completion, irrespective of game pace. This means although it’s not mandatory to run it continuously at the cost of other production activities, it can be effectively employed to enhance research progress.

The Gold is nice, too.

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2024-08-22 03:04