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Oliver Brandt is a Contributing Pop Culture Writer based in Tasmania, Australia. Their focus is reporting on video games, film, and TV. They have extensive knowledge of video game history and communities both in Australia and abroad, animated films and television shows, and international cinema. Oliver joined Newsweek in 2024 and has previously worked at Men's Journal, Parade, and more. They are a graduate of Curtin University. You can get in touch with Oliver by emailing o.brandt@newsweek.com. You can find them on X and Bluesky @chocobalt. Languages: English.
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Civilization 7 introduced a couple of brand-new resources that you may not have seen in any of its predecessors and Kaolin is one of the earliest goods that your scouts can find in the Antiquity Age. This is generally great news, because Kaolin can help your empire grow more quickly and remains relevant throughout the entire game, even becoming a factor that may help you clinch an Economic Victory in Civ 7.
As for what exactly Kaolin is: You might know it under a different name — China Clay. Kaolin is a clay mineral humans have been extracting and refining for several millennia to produce porcelain and other ceramics. It is not exclusive to China and can be found in many parts of the world – its biggest sources today are the United States and Germany – but Chinese end products using the resource became famous around the world in the 18th century, therefore strongly associating it with the country.
All Kaolin Effects and Uses in Civ 7
While some resources in Civilization 7 come and go through its three Ages, Kaolin is an ageless resource that provides benefits across an entire game.
In the Antiquity Age, Kaolin provides the following benefits:
- +2 Food for the Capital or +4 Food for any other City
In the Exploration Age, Kaolin provides the following benefits:
- +3 Food for any City or +6 Food for any City in the Distant Lands
In the Modern Age, Kaolin provides the following benefits:
- +3% Culture
During the Antiquity and Exploration Age, Kaolin is a resource that can only be assigned to Cities and won't provide any benefits to Towns. This makes it a fantastic tool for two purposes: First, it can power the growth of newly-founded Cities to allow for rapid expansion, and second, it helps with maintaining Specialists in your larger Cities, offsetting their Food consumption.
During the Modern Age, Kaolin becomes a Factory Resource. Make sure to build a Factory in a City with a high base Culture gain and then assign all of your Kaolin to this settlement for a huge Culture boost that will enable you to unlock Civics in no time at all.
Aside from generating Railroad Tycoon Points to catapult you towards an Economic Victory, the Kaolin resource is a great boon if you're striving towards the Military Victory, Culture Victory, and Science Victory in Civ 7 — in short: Finding Kaolin is a great omen.
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English (US) ·