- Endless Legend 2 tech tree research is divided into six eras and four domains.
- Era advancement requires researching eight technologies from the current era.
- Opening priorities usually include Fencing, Workshop, Currency, or Scientific Charter.
- Science planning matters because technology costs rise with era and previous research.
- Faction bonuses can make selected Society, Economy, Discovery, or Defense technologies stronger.
Endless Legend 2 Tech Tree Basics
The Endless Legend 2 tech tree determines which districts, improvements, actions, treaties, unit specializations, and empire bonuses become available during a campaign. Research uses Science, and every technology belongs to one of four domains: Society, Economy, Discovery, or Defense.
The tree contains six eras. You can research technologies from the current era and the previous era, while reaching the next era requires eight technologies from the current era. This makes research planning more important than simply selecting the cheapest-looking option.
Video Highlights:
- How Science supports technology research and long-term expansion
- Why early districts influence food, industry, Dust, and approval
- How Fencing unlocks Farms and additional population slots
- How research choices connect to city development
Research domains
| Domain | Typical rewards | Strategic purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Society | Population slots, approval, diplomacy, protectorates | Supports growth, influence, and political development |
| Economy | Food, industry, Dust, trade, production improvements | Builds stronger cities and faster infrastructure |
| Discovery | Science, curiosities, landscaping, exploration tools | Improves research and map-based development |
| Defense | Fortification, unit bonuses, military specializations | Protects cities and strengthens armies |
The official ENDLESS Legend 2 Research wiki lists the available technologies, their domains, and their unlocks. Use it as a reference when checking a specific prerequisite or faction restriction.
Choose technologies by their immediate unlock and their strategic direction. A technology that opens a district, population slot, or key action can be more valuable than a small empire-wide bonus during the early game.
Era Progression and Science Costs
Each era increases the base Science cost of its technologies. The first era, The Years of Survival, has a base cost of 24 Science. The second era rises to 33, followed by 42, 51, and 63 in the third through fifth eras. The sixth era, The Years of Reckoning, has a much higher base cost of 360 Science.
These values are base costs. The official research data also notes that the final cost increases according to the era and the number of technologies already researched. Therefore, an efficient empire should improve Science production while advancing through the tree rather than delaying research indefinitely.
| Era | Name | Base Science cost | Unlock condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Years of Survival | 24 | Starting era |
| 2 | The Years of Toil | 33 | Research 8 technologies from Era 1 |
| 3 | The Years of Invention | 42 | Research 8 technologies from Era 2 |
| 4 | The Years of Revelation | 51 | Research 8 technologies from Era 3 |
| 5 | The Years of Trepidation | 63 | Research 8 technologies from Era 4 |
| 6 | The Years of Reckoning | 360 | Research 8 technologies from Era 5 |
How to read the tree
When reviewing a technology, check four details:
- Domain: Indicates the broader strategic role of the technology.
- Unlock type: Districts, improvements, actions, treaties, and unit bonuses support different plans.
- Faction availability: Some technologies include special effects for a particular faction, such as the Kin of Sheredyn.
- Era position: Advancing too quickly can leave important earlier tools unfinished.
District Unlocks
Farms, Works, Forums, Laboratories, Merchant's Houses, and Keeps improve city specialization.
City Improvements
Improvements strengthen City Halls, Ministries, districts, population roles, or resource production.
Empire Powers
Some technologies grant approval, Science, influence, unit bonuses, treaties, or global modifiers.
Reaching a new era does not automatically make every earlier technology irrelevant. Research missing food, industry, Science, or defensive tools before committing to an aggressive era transition.
Best Opening Technologies
The first era offers several useful directions, but there is no single mandatory order for every faction or map. Your opening should respond to city yields, nearby anomalies, expansion pressure, and the districts you expect to build.
The most broadly useful early choices are Fencing, Workshop, Currency, Scientific Charter, Stonework, and Keystones. Each solves a different early-game problem.
| Technology | Domain | Main unlocks | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fencing | Society | Farm district, +1 Citizens Slot, +1 Artisans Slot on Capital | Food growth and stronger early population management |
| Workshop | Economy | Works district, Remove Forest action | Industry-focused expansion and early production |
| Currency | Economy | Merchant's House district, +8 Dust on Capital | Dust income, upkeep, and buyout flexibility |
| Scientific Charter | Discovery | Laboratory district, improved Curiosity rewards | Faster research and exploration value |
| Stonework | Defense | Keep district, +100 Capital Fortification | Safer capitals and defensive openings |
| Keystones | Discovery | Bridge district, Build Farm action | Terrain development and food infrastructure |
| Civil Order | Society | Traveler's Shrine, +12 Approval on Capitals | Approval-focused city stability |
| Voice of the Masses | Society | Forum district, +1 Scribes Slot on Capital | Influence and Scribes-based development |
Recommended opening paths
Growth Opening
Start with Fencing when food, population slots, and early Farm access are central to your plan.
Industry Opening
Choose Workshop when your capital has strong industry tiles or you need faster district construction.
Science Opening
Select Scientific Charter when Curiosities are plentiful and you want Laboratories early.
Expansion Opening
Favor Currency or Keystones when Dust, influence, and rapid territorial development are priorities.
A practical early sequence is to select one technology that solves an immediate city problem, then choose a second technology that supports expansion or research. For example, Fencing can improve food and population capacity, while Workshop increases production for districts and foundations.
If the map provides useful anomalies or Curiosities, Scientific Charter becomes more attractive because it improves Curiosity rewards while also opening the Laboratory district. If you expect pressure from another faction, Stonework can provide a safer foundation before investing heavily in economy or discovery.
Pick the first technology that improves your current bottleneck: food for population growth, industry for construction, Science for research speed, or defense for survival.
Step-by-Step Research Route
Follow these steps to create a research route that remains flexible across different maps and factions.
Inspect the Capital
Review the starting City Hall, nearby anomalies, available yields, and population roles. Identify whether food, industry, Dust, Science, or fortification is the most urgent need.
Choose an Early District
Select Fencing for Farm access, Workshop for Works, Currency for Merchant's Houses, or Scientific Charter for Laboratories. Match the technology to your first city’s planned specialization.
Track the Eight-Technology Threshold
Keep a count of researched technologies in the current era. Reaching eight unlocks the next era, but do not rush if an earlier technology still supports your economy or expansion plan.
Add a Supporting Domain
After establishing your main direction, take a technology from another domain. Economy and Discovery pair well for development, while Society and Defense help stabilize expansion.
Review Faction-Specific Rewards
Check whether a technology has a faction-specific effect. For example, several Defense technologies provide special unit options for the Kin of Sheredyn, while other factions may receive only the general unlock.
Mid-game priorities
The second era introduces stronger city and empire tools. Markets unlocks Trading Posts and Traders' Trails. Geology unlocks the Rewild landscaping action and reduces the influence cost of Found Camp. Materials Science grants access to the Geodesic Dome and Beacon of Science, including a Science bonus on the Capital.
| Technology | Domain | Key effect | Planning value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Markets | Economy | Trading Post and Traders' Trails | Improves trade access and Dust planning |
| Geology | Discovery | Rewild action, lower Found Camp cost | Supports terrain management and expansion |
| Materials Science | Discovery | Geodesic Dome, Beacon of Science | Strengthens Science-focused capitals |
| Shock Tactics | Defense | Garrison and additional fortification | Protects developed cities |
| Seedbanks | Society | Laborers' Hut, Granary, Toil in the Fields | Supports food and labor conversion |
| Common Rights | Society | Scriptorium, +4 Influence on Capital | Improves influence generation |
By the third era, technologies such as Research Grants, Arboreal Insights, Hydrology, Urban Planning, and Statecraft can shape a specialized empire. Research Grants opens the Research Station, Arboreal Insights unlocks Reforest and improves Works, while Hydrology and Urban Planning strengthen food infrastructure.
Before selecting another technology, compare your current city output with your strategic goal. If Science is lagging, prioritize research improvements; if expansion is slowing, look for influence, Dust, or camp-related tools.
Advanced Choices and Faction Synergy
Later eras offer more specialized improvements and stronger empire effects. The fourth and fifth eras contain technologies that reduce production costs, improve district output, enhance military development, or strengthen population roles.
Examples include Standardization, which reduces the industry cost of Works; Highway Patrol, which improves road movement and unlocks additional repositories; University, which improves Laboratory districts; and Research Institute, which increases Science from Scribes.
Defense technologies become more valuable when cities are exposed or when military upkeep threatens the economy. Military Engineering reduces unit industry costs through Protective Carapaces and lowers unit Dust upkeep through Fortified Cities. Logistics reduces the industry cost of Keeps, while Auxiliary Forces adds fortification through the Commanders' Table.
| Era | Strong research themes | Example technologies |
|---|---|---|
| Era 3 | Science, food, influence, city specialization | Research Grants, Hydrology, Statecraft |
| Era 4 | District efficiency, roads, defenses | Standardization, Highway Patrol, Logistics |
| Era 5 | Population scaling, research, military costs | Research Institute, Preservation, Military Engineering |
| Era 6 | Empire-wide scaling and late-game efficiency | Arcana of the Ancients, Stock Exchange, Military Conditioning |
Faction-specific research deserves special attention. The Kin of Sheredyn receive additional effects from technologies such as The Strength of Garin, Sheredyn's Creen, The Gaze of Garin, Zelevas' Stamina, Elite Focus, and The Nurture of Garin. These choices can influence unit specializations, military districts, defense, and population bonuses.
The Aspects also have faction-specific options, including Asceticism, Persuasion, and Choral Amplifier. Before selecting a generic technology, check whether your faction has a specialized option that advances your intended military or diplomatic strategy.
Research Planning Checklist:
- Identify the capital's main bottleneck before selecting the next technology
- Track eight researched technologies before advancing each era
- Compare district unlocks with empire-wide bonuses
- Check faction-specific effects and unit specializations
- Reserve Science improvements for long-term research scaling
A strong technology route usually has one main identity and one supporting identity. For example, pair an Economy core with Discovery tools, or combine Society growth with Defense security.
FAQ: Endless Legend 2 Research
Q: How many technologies are needed to reach the next era?
You need to research eight technologies from the current era. Reaching the threshold unlocks the next era while still allowing access to technologies from the current and previous eras.
Q: What is the best first technology in the Endless Legend 2 tech tree?
Fencing, Workshop, Currency, and Scientific Charter are strong general options, but the best choice depends on your capital's yields, nearby terrain, expansion plan, and faction.
Q: How do technology costs work?
Each era has a base Science cost, beginning at 24 in Era 1 and rising through later eras. The final cost also increases based on era and the number of technologies already researched.
Q: Are all technologies available to every faction?
Most technologies apply to all factions, but several include additional effects or specializations for factions such as the Kin of Sheredyn or the Aspects.
Some research choices unlock actions or specializations that fit only certain strategies. Confirm the effect in the technology panel before spending Science, especially when choosing faction-specific options.