Populations
Populations are an essential part of your cities in Endless Legend 2, and are key to your economy. Founding a city gives that city 1 population unit of the empire's original population. Populations are grown with
Food and require a
Food upkeep. Empires with the Knightly Husks affinity cannot naturally grow pops, instead feeding them and buying them out with
Dust.
Reaching certain thresholds of a given Population in your empire will unlock various bonuses, depending on the Population.
Population growth
Populations grow passively based on the city's
Food production. The bar at the middle of the top bar in the City screen shows current Population growth and allows the player to swap which population type is currently growing in the city. This does not reset growth progress.
The amount of growth needed for a new pop scales exponentially based on the total amount of pops already in the settlement.
Populations usually have an upkeep of -4
Food, or -4
Dust if the player is a Knightly Husks empire.
Population buyout
Certain faction traits and affinities, such as Knightly Husks and Hive Society, allow Populations to be instantly created with certain resources (Dust for Knightly Husks and Corpses for Hive Society). Buyout cost scales the same as growth cost.
Other sources of population
Assimilating a Minor Faction whose pacified Villages are in the borders of your Cities will spawn 1 Population per village in their corresponding cities. This population can only be spawned once, even if the assimilation is swapped. The Knightly Husks affinity allows the Last Lords to build Lords' Estates on pacified Minor Faction villages, which will passively generate populations that can then be Rounded Up for a marginal Influence cost.
Major Factions
Normal population types
These population types appear in normal gameplay.
| Population | Description | Effects | Population Scale Bonus (5) | Pop Scale Bonus (15) | Pop Scale Bonus (30) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strange artificial creatures, blending the organic and the artificial, Aspects nonetheless make diligent, peaceful citizens. | +1 |
(Aspects Empires Only) Unlocks Improvement: Ascetic Existence | +1 |
+10% | |
| Tough and industrious, Kin of Sheredyn citizens are a boon to any settlement. | +2 |
Unlocks Improvement: Military Press | +1 |
+10% | |
| In their suits of glowing plate, Last Lords can be unnerving citizens, yet their conduct is often unimpeachable. | +2 -3 |
Unlocks Improvement: Altar of Channeling | +1 |
+10% | |
| Tahuk | Gifted with curious, devoted minds, Tahuks are worthy additions to any settlement. | +1 |
Unlocks Improvement: Astronomy Club | +1 |
+10% |
| Often disconcerting for other citizens, Necrophage are nonetheless strong, able workers. | +1 +2 +1 +1 |
Unlocks Improvement: Larval Pulp | +2 |
+10% |
Special population types
These population types are unique to their Faction and have a special border, with a white triangle in the upper right corner. They cannot be grown in other empires, even with a Migration Treaty, and cannot be grown normally.
| Population | Description | Effects | Population Scaling | Population Scale Bonus | Pop Scale Bonus | Pop Scale Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kin of Sheredyn Only |
Divine Population created by the Kin of Sheredyn's Divine Service Holy Commandment. | +4 +3 +3 +50 -3 |
3/6/9 | +2 |
+2 |
+2 +2 |
Last Lords Only |
Above ordinary citizens, Primordial Last Lords elevate the souls of other populations like no other. | +1 +1 |
5/15/30 | +1 |
+1 |
+1 |
Tahuks Only |
Tahuk inhabitants who have splintered from orthodox thinking, producing differing yields after each Tidefall. | Random. Changes each Tidefall. -1 |
5/15/30 | -90% on Stars' Light, Service of Spirit, and Eternal Sunshine Empire Project costs | *0.9 |
+1 |
Called can have the following yields added to the guaranteed -1
Science:
+1
Food
+1
Industry
+1
Dust
+1
Influence
+5
Approval
+1
Food, +1
Industry, +1
Dust, +1
Influence, -1
Science


