Ara: History Untold | Act 1 Research Guide: Best Techs To Research & Skip

Ara: History Untold presents a unique tech tree where you can research any of a few selected techs from an era. If you research a certain amount, you get to research a key technology that unlocks the next era. You do this until you reach the end of your Act, where you must wait until a certain number of nations reach the end, wherein you get the next Act.

If you pass through an era without researching one of the techs in that era, you will abandon it and not get access to it again. Some of the things you unlock via a technology can be gotten later again via another technology, but sometimes, this will not be the case. Techs like Milling and Preserved Foods can’t be found again later, so if you skip them, they’re gone for good.

Act 1

The first Act is split into four eras: Ancient History, Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Antiquities. These eras provide only a few key technologies; the rest can be skipped, and their unlocked items and such can be gotten later. Act 1 also has the least amount of variation and possibilities for other nations to get a leg up on you in terms of research, so it might just be worth it to grab all the techs in an era.

Ancient History

In Ancient History, you have 8 technologies available, and you only need 2 to tech up to the Bronze Age. This lets you skip two technologies in Ancient History. One of the available technologies is a key tech, essentially your ‘tech-up’ to the next era. The best techs to research are Grain Storage, Animal Husbandry, and Rope-Making. 

The first two are essential as they provide access to improvements and items that cannot be accessed with any other technology. Rope-making aptly unlocks the rope item, which is useful for crafting amenities and other items and, more importantly, essential in creating some Triumphs.

Other technologies are Archery, Herbalism, and Pottery. Archery gives you some prestige, but everything else it provides can be received pretty fast through other technologies. Herbalism, on the other hand, unlocks items that otherwise need a while to be unlocked. It is also a good choice if you have tea leaves near your city. Finally, Pottery can also be skipped, but the early unlocking of Ceramic Pots is useful for a few Triumphs.

This only leaves Fermenting as the black sheep. Fermenting unlocks nothing of note, and those that are unlocked can just be unlocked later, two eras over.

Bronze Age

Bronze Age has 10 technologies, including the ‘tech-up’ technology. You can also skip up to 4 technologies in the Bronze Age to tech up. Here, it is a little bit harder since most of the Bronze Age technologies are good, and you lose out on a lot if you skip one. Despite this, the best technologies here are Masonry, Leather Working, Code of Laws, and Weaving.

Masonry tech is essential and is the only tech that allows you to build the Palace, and the Palace is a great improvement. Furthermore, if you skipped Pottery earlier, this is your second-last chance at getting Ceramic Pots.

Leather Working gives you Sandals, one of the best amenities in the game. Similarly, the Code of Laws gives you another incredibly good amenity. It also unlocks an easy-to-build triumph and a new government type [talk about value!]. Weaving is the only way to unlock furniture and bandages, and they are also neat amenities and middle-ground items. Everything else Weaving provides can be unlocked later. 

The Wheel and Chariot are paired tech; you shouldn’t get one without the other. There are only a few things here that cannot be gotten later, but their value is by getting them early. The chariot item is required for a triumph. The Wheel is the weaker of the two techs, and you can consider skipping it. The Wheel also gives a little prestige.

The Wheel contests Trading as they have two overlapping unlocks. Trading also has lackluster offerings in terms of amenities and items. Sacred Rites is also a great tech to grab, especially if you have a leader that boosts religions as the tech unlocks Religions. 

Sails are the only tech that you can safely discard, as all of its unlocks can be gotten later in far more desirable eras. One can make the case for it, however, as it unlocks docks. But it should be noted that docks are fairly expensive early in the game, and you get very little out of it in that stage.

Iron Age

The Iron Age has the most useful techs. Here, you still have access to 10 new technologies, but you are only able to skip 3. That is, you need to research 7 before you can research the tech that lets you ‘tech-up.’ All of the technologies in the Iron Age, save for Cultural Heritage, have unlocks that cannot be found elsewhere in the tech tree.

The primary tech to get here is undoubtedly Irrigation. Irrigation unlocks Flowers and flower Fields, which are really useful items and amenities. More importantly, it unlocks the second tier of farms and the first tier of Water Wells. Both of these improvements can be paired to boost food production significantly.

Hospitality exclusively unlocks Gourmet Meals and Inns. This is also the last opportunity to unlock fermenting pits and wine. All of these are useful and essential, and Gourmet Meals are very good as amenities.

Navigation and Coinage are also pretty useful. Navigation unlocks Lighthouses and a Triumph lighthouse, which is a single improvement that you can build throughout your entire nation, but it is also great for boosting the quality of life. Coinage unlocks the item coin and improves the mint. Coins are essential later on, but not really right now. One could be inclined to skip it, but then they will miss out on ever being able to create a Mint.

Monument Building and Siege Warfare are pretty minor techs, but they each unlock a few specific things that cannot be unlocked otherwise. For Monument Building, this is the only way you can unlock a Monument. Siege Warfare unlocks a few military units, so you should consider it if you’re in dire need of military advancement. Otherwise, you should skip it, as everything you miss out on has a better version in succeeding eras.

Cultural Heritage is the only undesirable tech. Similar to Sacred Rites, you use it to start a religion. If you skipped Sacred Rites, you should get it now; otherwise, just skip it.

Antiquities

The Antiquities is the last era before you’re hard-locked until other nations finish the Antiquities techs. You have even more useful techs here, and strangely, unlike previously, you get to skip out on 4. Despite having the ability to do so, you should really try to get all the techs here.

Your priority should be Engineering and Arches. Engineering is the only tech that can unlock a mine, which is an essential improvement. Other unlockables can only be unlocked way further down the tech tree. Arches gives you access to the Arena and Citadel. These two improvements are incredible, and they make it worth it alone.

Paper, Scholarship, Philosophy, and Algebra are all similar techs. They unlock one or two exclusive items or improvements. All of them are useful for boosting technologies and research, and some are useful for unlocking Triumphs.

Milling is mainly essential to unlock the Preserved Food amenity, which is great for city growth. Candles also unlock a number of valuable amenities. Overall, almost all the techs here are essential and unlock useful things. 

The only tech worth skipping is Elite Training, which unlocks nothing exclusive and does not provide any useful items, improvements, or units that cannot be obtained elsewhere.

That’s all the techs in Act I. As previously mentioned, this isn’t a hard-set guide, and as always, how your game is going is the main determiner of what tech to get. Some techs that are no-brainers might sometimes be worth it to skip if you have a leader who either makes up for it or cannot really use it right.

Check out our review and other guides on Ara: History Untold:
- Ara: History Untold Review
- Ara: History Untold | Prestige Guide: How to Earn a Lot of Prestige
- Ara: History Untold | Beginner's Guide - Tips & Tricks
- Ara: History Untold | Top 10 Best Leaders to Play