Guide: Best Memento combos in Civilization 7

Mementos are a fun little innovation present in Civilization 7. They are equipment pieces you can unlock through gameplay and then assign to the leader you pick for a campaign, granting them a series of buffs or passive abilities that reinforce or transform their playstyle.

These Mementos have immense potential to spice things up or min-max the hell out of a match — whatever floats your boat, really. With countless leader and civilization combos already in the game, adding the Mementos into the mix multiplies the possibilities further.

Find some of the best Memento combos in Civilization 7 to inspire your next playthrough.

Best Memento Combos in Civilization 7

• Garuda Statue (+1 Population for your smallest settlement every Celebration) + Dong Son Drum(Get a Celebration whenever you declare war on another civilization)

Oh boy, here we go warmongering again. Getting extra Population is always good, as it means that additional yields are coming in and your borders can expand, potentially adding resources into your trade network, so this ability is already strong with a Happiness-focused leader. Add Dong Son Drum into the equation, however, and you can trigger Celebrations by declaring wars. Sure, this will result in some Happiness penalties, but there are ways to shore up your initial War Support (such as building the Gate of all Nations) and mitigate these, resulting in a net benefit.

• Altar Set (+1 Gold and Culture from Specialists) or The Analects (+1 Science from Specialists) + Brush & Scroll (+5% Growth Rate per Specialist, up to 25%)

This loadout is especially great if you’re aiming to go for a Science Victory, as it can supercharge a Specialist-focused style. The boost to growth rate is especially nice, allowing your big Cities to expand even further.

• The Art of War (+10% Commander Experience) + Scythian Battle-Axe (+1 Gold per Age for every Commander XP earned)

Do you like killing? Do you like money? Do you like getting money for killing? Then we have this Memento combo recommendation for another warmonger run. The Art of War bolsters the XP gain for your Commanders, while the Scythian Battle-Axe provides additional income based on how much you’ve been fighting. This makes battles even more valuable.

• Queen’s Jewels (+2 Gold on Natural Wonders) + Padrón Real (+100% yield for Natural Wonders, if you control the most)

This combo is entirely situational and may be really bad — but if you invest in scouting and then settle the right locations, this pair can make you the mightiest empire on the planet. Yields from Natural Wonders are generally very strong, so doubling these throughout an entire game is an amazing boon.

• Corpus Juris Civilis (+1 Social Policy Slot) + Letter to Adrienne (+2 Happiness per Age for each Social Policy slotted into your government)

If you’re going for a Culture Victoryand unlock way too many Social Policies, then this pair of Mementos will help you out. Corpus Juris Civilis is a great buff from the very start of the game, while the Letter to Adrienne will help you generate additional Celebrations to slot yet more Social Policies into your government.

• Uraeus (+10% Culture if you have the most Wonders, +10% Production to Wonders if not) + False Beard (+2 Culture from Wonders)

This is pretty much the loadout you go for in case you want to do Egypt things – hoarding all the Wonders – without picking Egypt. Or you can pick Egypt and also choose these mementos to become Egypt on steroids. In any case, this one is perfect to set you up for a Culture or even Military Victorylater on.

• Sakaki Branch (+25% Production towards Happiness Buildings) + Chakra (+1 Food in the Capital for every five excess Happiness)

Happiness builds are very strong in Civ 7 and this loadout can help you execute one. It bolsters the speed at which you acquire Happiness buildings and then feeds tons of Food into the Capital, likely making it the biggest City in the world and allowing for all the expansion or Specialists you desire.

For more insights on the game, read our interview with the Civilization 7 developers.