Slavery and Chopping

In Civilization 4 the Slavery civic (Bronze Working) lets a city sacrifice population to finish its current build, which players call whipping, and Workers can chop down forests for production, 20 hammers per forest after the 1.61 patch, less the farther the tile is from the city, and 50% more with Mathematics.

In Civilization 4, the Slavery civic, unlocked by Bronze Working, lets a city sacrifice some of its population to complete the building or unit it is making, and Workers can chop down forests to pour production into the nearest city: 20 hammers per forest under the rules since patch 1.61, fewer the farther the forest is from the city, and 50% more once you know Mathematics. Both turn something you have (citizens, trees) into production right now, which is why they matter most in the early game, when Settlers, wonders and the first army all compete for a few hammers. Players call hurrying with Slavery "whipping"; the manuals call it sacrificing population. This guide gives the rules of each, how they changed between versions, and the other ways to hurry production.

Quick facts

Slavery civic	Labor category, Bronze Working
Slavery upkeep	Low (version 1.00); none after the Warlords-era patches; Medium in Beyond the Sword
What it does	Sacrifice population to finish the current build
Chopping unlocked by	Bronze Working
Forest chop	20 hammers (patch 1.61), less with distance from the city
Mathematics	+50% to forest chop yields
Gold instead of population	Universal Suffrage (Democracy)
Beyond the Sword addition	"Preserve Forest" Worker action

Sources: Civilization IV manual, pp. 87, 152; Civilization IV: Warlords manual, pp. 103-104; Beyond the Sword manual, p. 47.

How Slavery works

Slavery is one of the five Labor civics, and a civilization runs one civic per category. Under it, the city screen's left "hurry" button lights up: it sacrifices some of the city's population to complete production (p. 152). The right-hand button does the same for gold and needs Universal Suffrage. The manual tells you to roll over each button to see its cost: the four manuals do not print how many hammers a citizen is worth or how long the lost population is felt, and the game shows both on the city screen when you hover the button.

Its upkeep changed with each version, and the later manual is the later rule. The 2005 manual gives Slavery Low upkeep; the Warlords manual's list of patch changes sets it to "No upkeep" (p. 104); and Beyond the Sword raised it to Medium (p. 47). In Beyond the Sword, the version most people play today, Slavery is a medium-upkeep civic.

Players call it "whipping". A YouTube tutorial by vranasm is titled "Civilization IV Whip Training Ramesses", and tks2103 made one called "Civilization IV Slavery Mechanics"; both are listed below. The word does not appear in the manuals.

What happens to the extra hammers

Civ 4 carries spare production into the next item. Soren Johnson wrote in his designer notes in the Civilization 4 manual (p. 176) that production and research overflow was added so players no longer had to move citizens around each turn to avoid waste. The manual does not say how overflow applies to a hurried item specifically; the city screen shows the build queue's progress after you hurry.

Population is the price, so the rules of growth decide what a whip costs. A city's surplus food refills it, and a Granary keeps 50% of the food after growth. Unhappy citizens beyond the limit eat but refuse to work (p. 149), and every citizen eats 2 food whether it works or not. Cities and growth are on Cities.

The Labor civics: Slavery against Caste System

Because one Labor civic is active at a time, Slavery competes with four others. Caste System is the usual alternative, and the choice is between production now (Slavery) and unlimited specialists (Caste System).

Civic	Tech	Upkeep	Effect
Tribalism	none	Low	none
Slavery	Bronze Working	Low (1.00); none (Warlords-era); Medium (Beyond the Sword)	Sacrifice population to hurry production
Serfdom	Feudalism	Low	Workers 50% faster
Caste System	Code of Laws	Medium	Unlimited Artists, Merchants and Scientists
Emancipation	Democracy	None (1.00); Low (after 1.61)	Cottages grow twice as fast; unhappiness for civilizations without it

Sources: Civilization IV manual, pp. 85-90; Civilization IV: Warlords manual, p. 104; Beyond the Sword manual, p. 47.

Beyond the Sword gave Caste System a food bonus from Workshops in the same update that raised Slavery's upkeep. Changing civics can cost turns of anarchy, except for Spiritual leaders, and you must wait several turns before changing again. Specialists are explained on Cottages and Specialists, and every civic on Civics.

Hurrying with gold and drafting

Universal Suffrage (Government, Democracy) lets a city spend gold to finish production and gives +1 production from Towns. GameSpot's guide (Doug Radcliffe, Jan 18, 2006) suggests it for an empire with spare gold, but not early, when its medium upkeep cannot be offset by Towns. The Kremlin wonder (Communism) cut hurry costs by 50% in version 1.00 and by 33% after patch 1.61. Nationhood, a Legal civic from Nationalism, drafts up to 3 units a turn at a cost in population and happiness.

How chopping works

A Worker can cut down a forest or jungle once you have Bronze Working; the manual's Worker list calls the action "Chop Down a Forest" (p. 75). Cutting a forest sends production to the nearest city. Under the rules since patch 1.61, as the Warlords manual's list of updates records (p. 103), a forest yields 20 hammers, and "the nearest city gets fewer production points the farther the space is from the city". Mathematics raises chop yields by 50%. The 2005 rules gave more per forest; the patch reduced it.

GameSpot's guide calls it "the art of chopping": train a Worker early and research Bronze Working "as quickly as possible", then chop to rush early wonders such as Stonehenge or an army for an early attack. It notes you can clear forests inside or outside your borders, and that chopping also speeds early Workers and Settlers. Workers move twice a turn, so they can walk to a forest and start cutting in the same turn.

What a forest is worth standing

Every chop gives up what the forest gave. A forest tile yields +1 production and +50% defense, and since patch 1.61 forests give +0.5 health within a city radius. GameSpot's guide warns not to clear every forest around a city, or "you'll have to spend extra time later in the game figuring out a way to increase your city's health". Later, a Lumbermill on a forest raises its production (more with Railroad), and the Environmentalism civic gives +1 happiness from forest and jungle tiles.

Jungle is different: it costs -1 food and -0.25 health, so GameSpot's guide recommends clearing jungles to remove the unhealthiness. Beyond the Sword added a "Preserve Forest" Worker action: the Forest Preserve, a late improvement that helps forests and jungles spread, and Environmentalism there also gets food from Forest Preserves. Tiles and improvements are on Terrain and Improvements.

Faster Workers, faster chops

Several rules make Workers quicker, which speeds chopping as much as building: Serfdom (Workers 50% faster), the Hagia Sophia wonder (Workers build 50% faster), and the Expansive trait, which in Beyond the Sword makes Workers 25% faster (it was 50% in Warlords).

Whipping and chopping for wonders

Both tools are most often aimed at wonders. A wonder race lost turns part of the spent production into gold, Stone or Marble doubles the speed of many wonders, Industrious leaders build them 50% faster, and a Great Engineer can finish most early wonders in a single turn (p. 93). The early wonders and their costs are on Wonders, and the opening they belong to on Early Game Strategy.

Frequently asked questions

What is whipping in Civ 4? Whipping is players' name for hurrying production under Civilization 4's Slavery civic: the city sacrifices part of its population to finish the building or unit it is making. The manuals call it sacrificing population, and the city screen shows the cost before you confirm.

How do you whip in Civ 4? Adopt the Slavery civic (it needs Bronze Working), open a city and click the left of the two hurry buttons in the city management menu. In Civilization 4 that button is lit only under Slavery; the right one spends gold and needs Universal Suffrage.

How many hammers does chopping a forest give in Civ 4? Since Civilization 4 patch 1.61, a chopped forest gives 20 hammers to the nearest city, fewer the farther the tile is from it. Mathematics raises chop yields by 50%.

What tech lets you chop forests in Civ 4? Bronze Working lets Civilization 4 Workers cut down forests and jungles. It also unlocks the Slavery civic and reveals Copper.

Does Slavery have upkeep in Beyond the Sword? Yes: Beyond the Sword raised Slavery's upkeep to Medium. In Civilization 4's original 2005 rules it was Low, and the Warlords-era patches had removed its upkeep.

Should I use Slavery or Caste System in Civ 4? Both are Civilization 4 Labor civics, so only one can be active. Slavery converts population into production right away, while Caste System allows unlimited Artists, Merchants and Scientists for cities with food to spare.