Civilization VII is just around the corner, bringing a wave of fresh changes that will challenge even the most seasoned players. A major aspect of this installment is the introduction of a rich array of both new and returning leaders, each equipped with unique abilities that can significantly influence gameplay.
The prominence of leaders has been a defining element of the Civilization series since its inception, and in this seventh iteration, they are poised to exert more influence on gameplay than ever before. The game features an innovative system where civilizations evolve as they progress through different ages, meaning that the specific approach you take will affect the outcome of your empire. Therefore, the choice of leader is a crucial one that will accompany you throughout your gameplay experience.
Ranking the Leaders in Civilization VII
| TIER | LEADER |
|---|---|
| S | Ashoka (World Conqueror), Augustus, Confucius, Machiavelli, Xerxes (King of Kings) |
| A | Benjamin Franklin, Catherine the Great, Charlemagne, Harriet Tubman, Hatshepsut, Himiko (High Shaman), Ibn Battuta, Isabella, Jose Rizal |
| B | Amina, Ashoka (World Renouncer), Friedrich (Oblique), Himiko (Queen of Wa), Lafayette, Napoleon (Emperor), Pachacuti, Trung Trac, Xerxes (Achaemenid) |
| C | Friedrich (Baroque), Napoleon (Revolutionary), Tecumseh |
Understanding the Tier System
- S: The top-tier leaders in Civilization VII who offer strong advantages.
- A: High-performing leaders with formidable abilities.
- B: Situationally useful leaders that may have less impact.
- C: Leaders to avoid in the current game version.
The efficacy of a leader heavily depends on your intended style of play. Certain leaders thrive in cultural pursuits, while others excel on the battlefield, allowing for complete military dominance. However, some leaders shine across various scenarios, particularly those in the S-Tier. These leaders boast universally beneficial abilities, making them ideal choices, especially for newcomers. Opting for an S-Tier leader can set a strong foundation for your campaign.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that some leaders in Civilization VII possess multiple personas, each of which may alter their traits and strategic approaches. For a comprehensive understanding, this tier list accounts for each version of the leaders.
Note: This tier list includes leaders exclusive to the Deluxe and Founders Editions of the game, as well as Napoleon, obtainable by linking your 2K account to Steam.
S-Tier Leaders
Ashoka (World Conqueror)
- Unique Ability: Devaraja: Gains enhanced city production for excess happiness and increased production in non-founded settlements. Declaring formal war results in a celebration, boosting combat strength against fortified districts.
- Attributes: Militaristic & Diplomatic
- Agendas: Without Regret: Impacts relationships based on territorial control.
- Starting Biases: N/A
Ashoka’s World Conqueror persona excels in providing tactical advantages, especially in warfare. His ability to declare a formal war with a resultant celebration enhances troop strength and production, making him a formidable choice for dominating the battlefield.
Augustus
- Unique Ability: Imperium Maius: Offers production bonuses in capitals and facilitates the purchase of cultural buildings.
- Attributes: Cultural & Expansionist
- Agendas: Restitutor Orbis: Influences relationships with other players based on their territory holdings.
- Starting Biases: N/A
For newcomers to Civilization, Augustus provides a well-rounded entry point. His abilities boost gold production, cultural advancements, and overall expansion, promoting a steady growth strategy.
Confucius
- Unique Ability: Keju: Enhances city growth rate and scientific output from specialists.
- Attributes: Expansionist & Scientific
- Agendas: Guanxi: Promotes relationships based on specialist utilization.
- Starting biases: Grassland
Confucius stands as a beacon for players focusing on scientific growth, offering significant boosts in early game city growth and specialist productivity.
Machiavelli
- Unique Ability: Il Principe: Increases influence and gold generation from diplomatic actions.
- Attributes: Diplomatic & Economic
- Agendas: The Spider: Encourages relationship benefits based on war status.
- Starting biases: N/A
As the epitome of political maneuvering, Machiavelli capitalizes on the influence mechanic, facilitating chaotic yet enjoyable play with extensive diplomatic negotiations and military action.
Xerxes (King of Kings)
- Unique Ability: Crusher of Rebellions: Boosts combat strength when attacking in enemy territory and provides culture and gold upon capturing settlements.
- Attributes: Economic & Militaristic
- Agendas: Lord of Fire: Alters relationships based on war engagement.
- Starting biases: Desert
Xerxes is perfect for players seeking both military aggression and economic growth, rewarding aggressive tactics while maintaining solid financial gains through conquered territories.
A-Tier Leaders
Benjamin Franklin
- Unique Ability: The First American: Boosts science and production for buildings in cities and encourages multiple active endeavors.
- Attributes: Diplomatic & Scientific
- Agendas: Civic Virtue: Dictates relationship dynamics based on government type.
- Starting biases: N/A
Benjamin Franklin offers a balanced approach to scientific advancement, making it easier for players to navigate the early game while promoting strong relationships through shared governance.
Catherine the Great
- Unique Ability: Star of the North: Enhances culture and science generation through great works, with bonuses for tundra cities.
- Attributes: Cultural & Scientific
- Agendas: Dusha: Alters relationships based on great works held.
- Starting biases: Tundra
Renowned for her cultural prowess, Catherine the Great thrives in creating a synergistic ecosystem between culture and science, ensuring her empire’s advancement.
Charlemagne
- Unique Ability: Father of Europe: Provides happiness boosts for military and science buildings while offering bonuses during celebrations.
- Attributes: Militaristic & Scientific
- Agendas: The Golden Shepherd: Influences relationships based on the frequency of celebrations.
- Starting biases: Rivers
Charlemagne’s blend of military strength and scientific advancement offers a versatile gameplay experience, capitalizing on celebrations to drive significant power spikes during play.
Harriet Tubman
- Unique Ability: Combahee Raid: Enhances espionage capabilities and offers war support in response to enemy declarations.
- Attributes: Diplomatic & Militaristic
- Agendas: Veracity: Affects relationships based on formal and surprise wars declared.
- Starting biases: Vegetated
Inspired by the legacy of Harriet Tubman, this leader presents a unique blend of espionage and combat capabilities, allowing for strategic pivots during high-stakes gameplay.
Hatshepsut
- Unique Ability: God’s Wife of Amun: Generates additional culture from imported resources and boosts production for buildings near navigable rivers.
- Attributes: Cultural & Economic
- Agendas: Wonders of Iteru: Influences relationships based on the number of wonders.
- Starting biases: Navigable Rivers & Deserts
Hatshepsut shines as a leading choice for players focused on maximizing the benefits of wonders, leveraging her unique abilities to rapidly enhance production and cultural significance.
Himiko (High Shaman)
- Unique Ability: Miko of Amaterasu: Improves happiness and cultural output while increasing production for happiness buildings.
- Attributes: Cultural & Diplomatic
- Agendas: Shaman Queen: Regulates relationships based on building types in settlements.
- Starting Biases: N/A
Himiko’s High Shaman persona brings a strong focus on citizen happiness, facilitating a stable society that contributes to overall empire success, albeit with a lack of military prowess.
Ibn Battuta
- Unique Ability: The Marvels of Traveling: Provides benefits based on civics and enhances unit visibility.
- Attributes: Wildcard
- Agendas: Far and Wide: Allows for relationship boosts based on exploration levels.
- Starting biases: Flat
Ibn Battuta rewards strategic civic development and exploration, creating a rich gameplay experience centered around knowledge and reconnaissance.
Isabella
- Unique Ability: Seven Cities of Gold: Generates wealth through the discovery of natural wonders and boosts naval unit maintenance.
- Attributes: Economic & Expansionist
- Agendas: Wonderlust: Impacts relationships based on the presence of natural wonders.
- Starting biases: Coast & Natural Wonders
Focusing on economic advancement, Isabella incentivizes natural discovery and exploration, catering to players who prioritize early income and strategic expansion.
Jose Rizal
- Unique Ability: Pambansang Bayani: Amplifies culture and gold from narrative events while enhancing celebration properties.
- Attributes: Cultural & Diplomatic
- Agendas: Kapwa: Regulates relationships based on active endeavors and sanctions.
- Starting Biases: Tropical
Rizal capitalizes on narrative events, generating enhanced rewards that contribute to a culturally rich and diplomatic experience, firmly positioning him in the A-Tier.
B-Tier Leaders
Amen
- Starting Biases: Plains & Desert
- Unique Ability: Warrior-Queen of Zazzau: Enhances resource capacity and combat strength in specific biomes.
- Attributes: Economic & Militaristic
- Agendas: Desert of the Warrior Queen: Influences relationships based on settlement distribution.
Amina is tailored for specialized strategies, excelling in deserts and plains to provide considerable advantages through increased combat strength. However, her efficacy relies heavily on terrain conditions.
Ashoka (World Renouncer)
- Unique Ability: Dhammaraja: Boosts food production during celebrations and fosters happiness connections for buildings.
- Attributes: Diplomatic & Expansionist
- Agendas: Without Sorrow: Adjusts relationships based on happiness yield comparisons.
- Starting Biases: N/A
This persona of Ashoka, while not as versatile as his World Conqueror version, still possesses benefits like food aid and happiness adjacency, making him a reasonable if not entirely optimal choice.
Friedrich (Oblique)
- Unique Abilities: Berlin Academy: Increases command radius and offers military units upon constructing science buildings.
- Attributes: Scientific & Militaristic
- Agendas: To Arms! Adjusts relationships based on military strength comparisons.
- Starting Biases: N/A
Friedrich’s abilities support a militaristic approach through scientific benefits. The additional unit provided streamlines early-game military expansion, though with less emphasis on versatility.
Himiko (Queen of Wa)
- Unique Abilities: Friend of Wei: Fosters strong science alliances while increasing friendly nation benefits.
- Attributes: Diplomatic & Scientific
- Agendas: Yamatai: Impacts relationships influenced by building types in settlements.
- Starting Biases: N/A
Despite her potential for scientific greatness, Himiko’s capabilities can feel limited due to the lack of military features, constraining player strategies significantly.
Lafayette
- Unique ability: Hero of Two Worlds: Provides social policy bonuses and combat strength through policy-related mechanics.
- Attributes: Cultural & Diplomatic
- Agendas: French Quarters: Regulates relationships based on urban district counts.
- Starting biases: Coast
Lafayette’s unique ability to secure additional social policies promotes strategic flexibility, yet the focus on urban development may not align with all players’ strategies.
Napoleon (Emperor)
- Unique Abilities: Emperor of the French: Manipulates trade route capacities with significant economic impact.
- Attributes: Diplomatic & Economic
- Agendas: Napoleonic Code: Influences relationships based on military sizes.
- Starting Biases: N/A
Napoleon’s trade manipulation presents a unique tactic but relies on preparedness for military engagements that can quickly frustrate some players due to the potential backlash.
Pachacuti
- Unique Ability: Earth Shaker: Provides adjacency benefits for buildings near mountains and improves specialist outputs.
- Attributes: Economic & Expansionist
- Agendas: Mountain King: Impacts relationships based on mountain territory.
- Starting biases: Mountains
Pachacuti struggles to compete due to a reliance on mountainous geography, which can limit strategic options in certain map layouts.
Trung Trac
- Unique ability: Hai Bà Trưng: Focuses on promotion enhancements and science boosts during formal wars.
- Attributes: Militaristic & Scientific
- Agendas: Van Minh: Regulates relationships based on the number of promotions held.
- Starting biases: Vegetated & Tropical
While Trung Trac can dominate early encounters, her potential stagnates quickly due to over-reliance on specific terrain for success.
Xerxes (Achaemenid)
- Unique Abilities: Silk Road: Offers trade route enhancements along with increased culture and gold from trade routes and unique buildings.
- Attributes: Cultural & Economic
- Agendas: Lord of Coin: Influences relationships based on trade route counts.
- Starting Biases: Desert
While notable for his trade route benefits, Xerxes’ gameplay can become overly focused on trade and economic strategies, limiting aggressive tactics.
C-Tier Leaders
Friedrich (Baroque)
- Unique Abilities: Hohenfriedberger Marsch: Offers a great work and extra military unit upon culture building completion.
- Attributes: Cultural & Militaristic
- Agendas: Parisian Sensibilities: Influences relationships based on wonders built in the capital.
- Starting Biases: N/A
Choosing Friedrich’s Baroque persona can feel limited due to its insular theme centered on culture and military, failing to provide diverse tactical options.
Napoleon (Revolutionary)
- Unique Abilities: La Grande Armée: Enhances movement for land units and generates culture by defeating enemies.
- Attributes: Cultural & Militaristic
- Agendas: Culture from Conquest: Modifies relationships based on player alliances.
- Starting Biases: N/A
This version of Napoleon offers great movement capacity, but lacks substantial strategic depth, making the bonus from culture appear misplaced in the broader gameplay context.
Tecumseh
- Unique ability: Nicaakiyakoolaakwe: Focuses on food and production boosts based on suzerain relationships.
- Attributes: Diplomatic & Militaristic
- Agendas: Suzerain of the World: Modulates relationships based on independent civ dispersal.
- Starting biases: Grassland & Plains
Unfortunately, Tecumseh’s success relies heavily on previous actions by other players, making him a situational leader whose performance can fluctuate widely.
Leave a Reply