Promotions (Civ5)

A promotion is an extra ability military units can get, which somehow improves their performance in the game. There are three main ways to acquire promotions for units:
* Earning enough Experience for a unit to gain a level. It may then acquire one of the generic promotions listed below. 
* Building certain Wonders, such as Alhambra. 
* Adopting certain social policies or ideological tenets.
Additionally, many civilizations' unique units come with special promotions, which most of the time transfer when they upgrade to more advanced units. Sometimes, these are just generic promotions earned as part of the "special" abilities of the unit in question. In this case, if the unit had already acquired the promotion earlier (through earning Experience before the upgrade), it will get nothing on upgrade, so you should plan its earlier development accordingly.
A diagram of all available promotions in vanilla Civilization V can be found here (on Stack Exchange).
==General promotions==
Note that many promotions apply only to certain classes of units - for example, melee, ranged, naval, etc. Also, several key promotions have multiple stages, marked as I, II or III - each subsequent stage of these can only be acquired after you earn the previous stage.
The highest-level promotions require all stages of another lower-level promotion. Note that they are usually available across classes (that is, both for melee and ranged units, for example), but they also require different promotions for the different classes.
===Granted by earning experience===
Promotion	Promotion	Unit Type	Effect	Prerequisite Promotion
===Granted from other sources===
Promotion	Promotion	Unit Type	Effect	Prerequisites
==Specific promotions==
===Kris Swordsman===
Promotion	Promotion 	Effect
 	Ambition 	+50% Combat Bonus when attacking. -20% penalty when defending
 	Enemy Blade 	Takes 20 damage if the unit ends its turn in enemy territory
 	Evil Spirits 	-10% penalty when attacking. -30% penalty when defending
 	Heroism 	Unit awards combat bonus to nearby units as if it is a Great General
 	Invulnerability	+30% Combat Bonus when defending. +20 HP when healing
 	Mystic Blade 	Free special promotion after the first battle, chosen at random from the list
 	Recruitment 	Heals all damage if the unit kills a non-Barbarian unit (only 50 HP)
 	Restlessness 	May attack twice, 1 extra movement
 	Sneak Attack 	Flank attack bonus increased by 50%
===Ikanda===
Promotion	Promotion 	Effect 	Prerequisite Promotion
 	Buffalo Chest	+10% open terrain bonus, +25% flank attack bonus, +10% defense against ranged attacks	Buffalo Horns
 	Buffalo Horns	+1 movement, +25% flank attack bonus, +10% defense against ranged attacks 	
 	Buffalo Loins	+10% combat strength, +25% flank attack bonus, +10% defense against ranged attacks 	Buffalo Chest
==Unit abilities==
Unit abilities are bound to a unit without any other requirements.
Ability	Ability 	Unit 	Effect
 	Embarkation with Defense 	 	Can embark onto Water Tiles; Embarked units defend at double strength
 	Embarkation with Ocean Movement 	Shared, only for Polynesia 	Can embark onto Water Tiles; Embarked units can enter Ocean and have +1 Sight
 	Skyranger 	 	May paradrop with extended range (40 hexes)
 	Desert Warrior 	 	+50% Combat Strength when fighting in Desert
 	Exotic Cargo 	 	May Sell Exotic Goods when adjacent to a foreign tile to gain and XP based on distance from capital, but only once.
 	Golden Age from Victories 	 	Earn points toward a Golden Age for each enemy killed.
 	Heavy Charge 	 	Forces defender to retreat if it inflicts more damage than it receives. A defender who cannot retreat takes extra damage.
 	Homeland Guardian 	 	+25% Bonus in combat in your territory
 	Native Tongue 	 	May choose benefit when discovering Ancient Ruins.
 	Near Capital Bonus 	 	30% stronger while fighting in the capital; bonus falls off as the unit gets further away.
 	Pride of the Ancestors 	All units 	+15% Bonus in combat in your territory
 	Sapper 	Siege Tower 	When next to an enemy city, other units within 2 tiles get a 50% Bonus when attacking the city
 	Trade Mission Bonus 	 	+100% more and +100% more city-state influence than a normal Trade Mission.
 	War Canoes 	All land units 	Embarked units have double the usual defense strength and see further than a normal embarked unit.
 	Air Recon 	, , , , 	6 tiles in every direction always visible
 	Air Sweep 	, , , 	Can Air Sweep to clear intercepting Units
 	Bonus vs Aircraft/Helicopters (150)	, 	Bonus vs Aircraft/Helicopters (150)
 	Bonus vs Bombers/Helicopters (150) 	, , , 	Bonus vs Bombers/Helicopters (150)
 	Bonus vs Fighters (33) 	 	Bonus vs Fighters (33)
 	Spear Throw 	 	Before engaging in melee, this unit has an extra attack
 	Bonus vs Helicopters (150) 	 	Bonus vs Helicopters (150)
 	Bonus vs Mounted (50) 	, , , , , , , 	50% Bonus vs Mounted
 	Bonus vs Mounted (100) 	 	100% Bonus vs Mounted
 	Bonus vs Submarines (33) 	 	Bonus vs Submarines (33)
 	Bonus vs Submarines (100) 	, 	Bonus vs Submarines (100)
 	Bonus vs Tanks (100) 	, 	Bonus vs Tanks (100)
 	Combat Bonus When Attacking (25) 	 	Combat Bonus When Attacking (25)
 	Can Move After Attacking 	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 	Can Move After Attacking
 	May Enter Ice Tiles 	, 	May Enter Ice Tiles
 	Can Carry 1 Cargo 	 	Can Carry 1 Cargo
 	Can Carry 2 Cargo 	, 	Can Carry 2 Cargo
 	Can Carry 3 Cargo 	 	Can Carry 3 Cargo
 	Can Carry 4 Cargo 	 	Can Carry 4 Cargo
 	Bonus vs Cities (50) 	 	50% Bonus vs Cities
 	Penalty Attacking Cities (33) 	, , , , , , , , , , , , , 	33% Penalty Attacking Cities
 	Bonus vs Cities (200) 	, , , , , , 	200% Bonus vs Cities
 	Bonus vs Cities (250) 	 	+250% Bonus vs Cities
 	Penalty on Defense (33) 	 	33% Penalty on Defense
 	City Plunder 	 	Steals equal to 100% of the damage inflicted on a city
 	Extra Sight While Embarked 	 	See further than a normal embarked unit
 	Evasion (50) 	, 	Evasion (50)
 	Evasion (100) 	, 	Evasion (100)
 	1 Extra Movement 	 	1 Extra Movement
 	Extra Sight (1) 	, , , , , , , 	1 Extra Sight
 	Extra Sight (2) 	 	2 Extra Sight
 	Extra Sight (3) 	 	3 Extra Sight
 	Extra Sight (4) 	 	4 Extra Sight
 	Heals at Double Rate 	 	Heals at Double Rate
 	Feared Elephant 	 	Enemy units receive -10% Combat Strength when adjacent to any unit with this promotion
 	Bonus vs Cities (33) 	 	Bonus vs Cities (33)
 	Enhanced Flank Attack 	 	Flank attack bonus increased by 50%
 	All Tiles Cost 1 Move 	 	All Tiles Cost 1 Move
 	Cannot Enter Forest or Jungle 	 	Cannot Enter Forest or Jungle
 	Foreign Lands Bonus 	, 	Combat Bonus outside Friendly Territory (20)
 	No Movement Cost to Pillage 	, , , 	No Movement Cost to Pillage
 	Quick Study 	 	Earns experience toward promotions 50% faster
 	Great General Combat Bonus 	 	15% combat bonus with Great General in same tile
 	Naval Leadership 	 	Improves combat effectiveness of nearby naval units
 	Leadership 	, 	Improves combat effectiveness of nearby Units
 	Haka War Dance 	 	Enemy units are -10% Combat Strength when adjacent to any unit with this promotion
 	Heal 50 Damage If Kills a Unit 	 	Heals 50 Damage If Kills Non-Barbarian Unit
 	Bonus vs Cities (50) 	 	Bonus vs Cities (50)
 	Hovering Unit 	 	Unit may pass over Mountains
 	Ignores Terrain Cost 	, , 	Ignores Terrain Cost
 	Interception (20) 	 	Interception (20)
 	Interception (40) 	 	Interception (40)
 	Interception (50) 	 	Interception (50)
 	Interception (100) 	, , , , , 	Interception (100)
 	Is Invisible (Submarine) 	, 	Is Invisible (Submarine)
 	Combat Bonus in Forest/Jungle (33) 	 	+33% Combat Bonus in Forest/Jungle
 	Enhanced Medic 	 	This unit and all others in adjacent tiles Heal 15 Additional HP per turn
 	Combat Bonus in Forest/Jungle (33) 	 	+33% Combat Bonus in Forest/Jungle
 	Full Moon Striker 	 	+1 Movement
 	Penalty vs Mounted (33) 	 	Penalty vs Mounted (33)
 	Transfer Movement to General 	 	Great General moves at rate of this unit if they start the turn stacked
 	Must Set Up to Ranged Attack 	, , , , , 	Must Set Up to Ranged Attack
 	Bonus vs Naval 	 	Bonus vs Naval (50)
 	Penalty vs Naval (50) 	 	Penalty vs Naval (50)
 	Unable to Capture Cities 	 	Unable to Capture Cities
 	No Defensive Terrain Bonuses 	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,	No Defensive Terrain Bonuses
 	Cannot Enter Deep Ocean 	, , , , , , 	Cannot Enter Deep Ocean
 	Astronomy Needed 	 	Cannot Enter Deep Ocean Until Astronomy
 	Naval Movement 	 	2 Extra Movement for Naval Units
 	City Attack Only 	, 	Unit may not attack units, only cities
 	May Not Melee Attack 	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 	May Not Melee Attack
 	Combat Bonus in Open Terrain 	 	Combat Bonus in Open Terrain
 	May Paradrop 	 	May Paradrop
 	Heals 25 Damage If Kills a Unit 	 	Heals 25 Damage If Kills a Unit
 	Prize Ships 	, 	Defeated enemy naval units may join your side
 	Ranged Support Fire 	 	Provides Support Fire to Friendly Units When Fortified
 	Can Enter Rival Territory 	, 	Can Enter Rival Territory
 	Rough Terrain Penalty 	, 	Entering rough terrain consumes all movement
 	May Attack Twice 	 	May Attack Twice
 	Can See Submarines 	, , , 	Can See Submarines
 	Limited Visibility 	, , , , , , , , , , 	-1 Visibility Range
 	Bonus when Attacking (100) 	, 	Bonus when Attacking (100)
 	Bonuses in Snow, Tundra, and Hills 	 	In Snow, Tundra, Hills: +25% Combat Bonus (if Forest or Jungle is not present) and Double Movement
 	Penalty Attacking Cities (25) 	 	25% Penalty Attacking Cities
 	Great Generals I 	, 	Combat Likely To Create Great Generals
 	Great Generals II 	, 	Combat Very Likely To Create Great Generals
 	Double movement in Coast 	 	Double movement in Coast
 	Damaged Enemy Bonus (33) 	 	Combat Bonus against Damaged Enemy Units (33)
 	Unwelcome Evangelist 	 	Can enter rival territory without open borders but loses 25% of original religious strength for each turn they end on such a tile. Unit is eliminated when religious strength is 0
 	Weak Ranged Attack 	 	-50% strength when using Ranged Attacks
 	Withdraw Before Melee 	, , , 	Unit will withdraw when faced with melee attack. Chance of withdrawal decreased against fast enemy units or if there are limited open tiles behind the unit.
== See also ==
* Promotion(s) in other games