Sid Meier’s Civilization VII shakes up the 4X strategy series’ long-standing formula. Not only do players get to choose leaders and countries separately at the start of each match, but they also switch to a different nation upon entering a new Age. This is a crucial decision that affects how you progress further into your campaign.

In this Sid Meier’s Civilization VII guide we cover the best civs for each Age. Get a head-start on your rivals by choosing the strongest options in the early-game Antiquity Age, learning to navigate the evolving challenges of the Exploration Age, and finally chasing victory in the Modern Age. And be sure to check out our companion guide to unlocking every civ in Sid Meier's Civilization VII if you're unsure how your choice of leader or nation influences the later stages of the campaign.

 

Factors that determine the best civs in Civilization VII

Given the game's complexity, there are several factors to consider when discussing the best civs in Sid Meier’s Civilization VII—including what nations you’re able to unlock over the course of your run. After all, a civ might be an amazing pick for the Modern Age, but that's meaningless if you're unable to unlock it during your campaign.

Next is the synergy between leaders and civs. Certain leaders excel at a particular role or gameplay facet. For instance, Trung Trac is one of the best military-focused leaders given the bonus level-ups and experience points for Army Commanders. She pairs best with civs that offer perks for combat strength and unit production. The same can be said for Confucius and Benjamin Franklin when it comes to Science, or Isabella and Amina for generating Gold.

This isn't just important in the short-term. There are four Legacy Paths in Civilization VII, representing Military, Economic, Scientific, and Cultural victory. Legacy Paths are broken down into a specific set of objectives or milestones that you can tackle in each era, culminating in a final victory condition during the Modern Age. If you want to pursue a Scientific victory, for instance, it makes sense to pair leaders and civs with Science-centric bonuses to help further that long-term goal.

 

Best Antiquity Age civs

The Antiquity Age is the first stage of the Civilization VII campaign, but your initial setup is key to achieving victory countless turns later. Make sure your population growth, Production, and technological advancements keep pace with your opponents. A strong military is also important so you can defend against raids from independent peoples and conquer rivals before they become too powerful.
 

Maya

The Mayans are the best if you want to focus on Science early in the game, thanks to their Skies of Itzamma perk and the K’uh Nah building. Skies of Itzamma provides +0.5 Science in your palace for each adjacent Vegetated terrain. While a bit situational, you should be all set for the rest of the campaign if you get the necessary tiles at the start of a match. The K’uh Nah, meanwhile, provides +3 Science, with a +2 Science bonus if placed on Vegetated terrain. Combined with the Jalaw building, you can create the Uwaybil K’uh quarter that gives extra Production from each technology that you research.

The Mayans also have the Jaguar Slayer unit, a unique scout that can initiate combat and place traps. Since the regular scouts of other civs cannot engage in combat, the Jaguar Slayer becomes a decent unit that can support your military.
 

Khmer

The Khmer Empire has a fairly odd kit, which includes the Food-producing Baray building, as well as the flood-immune Vaishya merchant and Yuthathani unit. But what makes the Khmer exceptional is the Chakravarti unique civic. By default, it grants +50% growth rate in your capital and -5 Happiness in every other city.

Basically, the Khmer are your go-to choice if you want densely populated cities with ridiculously high yields from specialists. This is further bolstered by Traditions like Varna and Kambu-Mera, which affect Gold and Food/Happiness, respectively.
 

Rome

Would-be warmongers ought to pick Rome in the Antiquity Age, though how this plays out is dependent on your chosen leader, too. For example, Lafayette combined with Rome becomes nigh-unstoppable once you unlock Legions. Both Lafayette’s perk and Roman Legions gain bonus combat strength for every Tradition card slotted. Lafayette also has a unique Endeavor, Reform, that allows you to acquire an extra Policy slot.

On the other hand, the aforementioned Trung Trac lets you use buffed up Legatus, the Army Commander replacements unique to Rome. Trung Trac’s perk automatically provides extra levels, which allows every Legatus to found new settlements immediately—not to mention the free perks that you get.

 

Best Exploration Age civs

The Exploration Age is the mid-game period of Civilization VII where things start to pick up. At this point, you venture to distant lands, seeking out new continents across the ocean where you can continue to expand your empire. Science gains remain integral so you can remain ahead of the tech race, while conquests of settlements are a given.
 

Spain

Spain becomes one of the best civs in Civilization VII in an era where traveling to other continents is a must. The Spanish Conquistador is a unique Great Person that grants different bonus effects, including extra movement, free units, and even a means of revealing the world map. The Plaza quarter, meanwhile, offers additional gold when you construct the Casa Consistorial (culture) and Casa de Contratacion (gold) on the same tile.

For best results, you should have Isabella as your chosen leader at the start of the game. Her perk nets you even more Gold and improved tile yields from Natural Wonders.
 

Abbasids

The Abbasids are also a top contender for best civ in Civilization VII, especially for players who are aiming for a Science Victory. This is due to several factors, such as the Madrasa building, Ulema quarter, Al-Jabr civic, and Compendious Book Tradition. Moreover, the ‘Alim Great Person has nifty effects, including providing additional Food, Gold, Influence, and (of course) Science.
 

Mongolia

The main reason for choosing Mongolia during the Exploration Age is the civ’s Bokh perk. While it has a -50% production penalty when training Settlers, it does grant a free Cavalry unit—the strongest one you can train at the time—whenever you capture settlements. This facet shines if you’re playing as Charlemagne, since he gets two free Cavalry units whenever you enter a Celebration phase.

Note that Mongolia also gains bonus points toward the Military Legacy Path for this era, which significantly speeds up the completion of objectives.

 

Best Modern Age civs

Finally, there’s the Modern Age of Civilization VII, characterized by the advent of industrialization and globalization. This is also the portion where you choose an ideology—Democracy, Communism, or Fascism—with perks that assist in achieving victory conditions.
 

Prussia

Prussia’s Blood and Iron trait provides +1 combat strength to all units for every unfriendly (or worse) relationship level with other civs. At this stage of the game, you’ll likely be at odds with opposing leaders, whether due to your conquests, rapid expansion, or ideological differences. This means Prussia’s bonus will actively increase as you cruise toward world domination.
 

Mexico

The Revolucionario unique Great Person, like the Spanish Conquistador or Abbasid ‘Alim, nets you decent boosts once expended in specific locations. These effects include additional combat strength, free units, Tradition slots, and even an instant Celebration.

Note that Mexico also yields exceptional culture bonuses via its Revolucion government type, Zocalo quarter, Catedral and Portal de Mercaderes buildings, and various civics. The downside is that the Cultural Victory is dependent on Artifacts that your Explorer units acquire and not based on the Culture points that you amass.
 

Meiji Japan

Meiji Japan is a good option for a Science Victory, if only because other choices that confer bonuses—like Qing China and Russia—aren’t as viable. The idea is to maximize the effects of the Goisshin trait, which bestows Science based on the Production cost when you overbuild, i.e. replace older facilities with newer ones.

That does it for our Sid Meier’s Civilization VII best civs guide. We hope these tips help you get a head-start on your rivals in the Antiquity Age and keep the lead all the way through to the Modern Age. Check out our companion guide if you’d like to learn how to unlock every civ in Civilization VII.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is available now on the Epic Games Store. The Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Deluxe Edition includes the base game, the Crossroads of the World DLC, the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack, additional leader personas for Xerxes and Friedrich, and more. Completionists can pick up the Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Founder’s Edition, which has all the aforementioned content, as well as the Right to Rule DLC collection and bonus leader personas for Himiko and Ashoka.