There are greater than two dozen leaders in Civilization 7, and never all of them are created equally. Ergo, a Civilization 7 leaders tier record is all however important for parsing the variations.
Each chief is viable, positive. Nevertheless, some have extra to supply than others and open new alternatives for strategizing consequently. Getting extra money and tradition from commerce routes provides you way more freedom to plan your empire in comparison with simply getting some further fight power for befriending an unbiased energy.
Under, we’ve compiled a tier record rating all leaders obtainable in Civilization 7 at launch, together with Napoleon’s two variations which you could acquire at no cost by linking your 2K account to your platform account.
Civilization 7 chief tier record

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Our Civilization 7 tier record considers not simply what advantages are supplied by a frontrunner’s abilities, however how versatile and extensively relevant they’re. For instance, Amina provides your army items a fight buff once they struggle on sure tiles. That’s helpful – if you wish to wage conflict in very particular circumstances. Should you’re enjoying on a map with few qualifying tiles, although, then her talent does you little good.
The place relevant, we’ve additionally famous when a frontrunner’s first memento makes them simpler to suggest. Leaders unlock these at stage two, so whilst you gained’t get the advantages instantly, they’re typically price aiming for.
With out additional ado, right here’s the Civilization 7 tier record.
S-tier leaders in Civilization 7
The S-tier leaders in Civilization 7 have one of the best bonuses and supply extra flexibility to allow you to play the way you need, with fewer or no caveats in comparison with different leaders.

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Augustus – Cultural Expansionist
- +2 Manufacturing within the capital for each city
- Can buy Tradition buildings
- +50 % Gold towards buying buildings in cities
Buying tradition buildings frees your Manufacturing queues for different initiatives with out affected by penalties in civics analysis, and Augustus’ Manufacturing increase has a number of makes use of. Further Manufacturing within the capital permits you to flip your main metropolis right into a hub of Tradition, Science, Army output — no matter you want, with out having to rely as closely on tile enhancements. Settling or conquering further cities to extend that increase has the handy add-on impact of accelerating your gold reserves as effectively, because the default city specialization converts manufacturing to gold. These cities will develop extra rapidly as effectively, because of the lowered value of shopping for buildings there.

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Ibn Battuta – Expansionist Wildcard
- Good points two wildcard attributes after the primary civic in all ages
- +1 sight for all items
- Has the distinctive endeavor Commerce Maps that permits you to see different leaders’ explored areas
Ibn Battuta’s abilities are easy. He will get wildcard factors and might see additional. That’s it, however that’s additionally all it must be. Having further attribute factors to spend as you see match provides you an early begin in whichever victory space you like. Attribute factors usually accrue as you progress down a Legacy Path – which takes some time — and so they’re tied to these particular paths. With wildcard factors, you’re free to take a position further within the attribute kind you wish to concentrate on or use them to cowl weak areas, and that’s fairly the benefit to have. Understanding the place different civilizations are and what they’ve already uncovered additionally makes planning your growth through the age of exploration simpler.

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Ahsoka, World Renouncer – Diplomatic Expansionist
- +1 Meals in cities for each 5 extra Happiness
- +10 Meals in all settlements throughout a celebration
- All buildings acquire +1 happiness adjacency bonus for all enhancements
This model of Ahsoka is extra versatile than his militaristic counterpart. Extra Meals results in extra alternatives to enhance your tiles, which stacks Happiness adjacency bonuses and makes it so celebrations happen extra continuously. What you do with that development is as much as you. You’re free to prioritize enhancements, increase city districts with extra specialists, and even simply use that bonus Happiness to offset conflict weariness if you wage unjust conflicts.

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Harriet Tubman – Diplomatic Militaristic
- +100% Affect towards initiating espionage actions
- Acquire 5 conflict assist on all wars declared in opposition to you
- Items ignore motion penalties from vegetation
Harriet Tubman permits you to play as a pest after which endure no penalties when somebody decides they’ve had sufficient. Espionage actions provide you with free Tech or Civics and worsen relationships with different leaders, as does settling close to them, influencing city-states they’re occupied with, and mainly anything that offers you a bonus over them. Civilization 7 classifies wars as simply or unjust relying in your relationship with the opposite nation. In the event that they’re hostile or unfriendly and declare conflict, they endure no conflict weariness and, consequently, no Happiness penalty of their cities. Not so with Tubman. Any conflict declared in opposition to her robotically begins with sizable assist in her favor. She’s low-key one of many recreation’s finest leaders for a Army Victory.

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Xerxes, King of Kings – Financial Militaristic
- +3 fight power for items which might be attacking in impartial or enemy territory
- Acquire 100 Tradition and Gold per age if you seize a settlement for the primary time
- +10 % gold in all settlements, which doubles in settlements you didn’t discovered your self
- +1 settlement restrict per age
Xerxes, King of Kings is just barely extra difficult than his Achaemenid model within the sense that it’s important to wage conflict and declare cities by means of settlements or conquest to profit from him. His fight power bonuses make that activity simpler, although, and having the next settlement cap means you’re much less prone to endure Happiness penalties by buying too many settlements.

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Xerxes, The Achaemenid – Cultural Financial
- +1 commerce route restrict with all different leaders
- Acquire 50 tradition and 100 gold per age if you create a commerce route or street
- +1 tradition and gold per age on distinctive buildings and enhancements
Xerxes, The Achaemenid makes it extremely simple to stack Gold and Tradition buffs simply by establishing commerce routes. All you might want to do is sustain with spending affect to extend commerce route limits, however seeing as most leaders – besides those that actually hate you – hardly ever reject this endeavor, it’s a simple activity. He’s one of many best leaders to study the sport with, and the additional Gold provides you the pliability to prioritize no matter you need, whether or not it’s army spending or fast development.
A-tier leaders in Civilization 7
The A-tier leaders in Civilization 7 even have distinctive perks that make distinctive methods doable, although they arrive with some restrictions, equivalent to being restricted by geography or pushing you towards enjoying in only one or two methods.

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Benjamin Franklin – Diplomatic Scientific
- +1 Science per age on Manufacturing buildings in cities
- +50 % Manufacturing towards establishing Manufacturing buildings
- +1 Science per age from lively endeavors you begin or assist. Franklin may also have two endeavors of the identical kind lively without delay with totally different leaders
Most main cities want a number of Manufacturing buildings, and having further Science on every, mixed with quicker development occasions for Manufacturing buildings, is a free and straightforward technique to increase your analysis capabilities. Unlocking new applied sciences is as useful for Science Victories as it’s for Army Victories, so enjoying Franklin doesn’t depart you caught with one playstyle. The “diplomacy” a part of his designation solely exhibits up along with his first memento, unlocked at stage two, which supplies you 50 Affect for researching masteries within the Tech and Civic tree. Simply keep in mind that you just gained’t profit a lot from his endeavors perk till then.

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Hatshepsut – Cultural Financial
- +1 Tradition for each imported useful resource
- +15 % Manufacturing towards establishing buildings and wonders in cities adjoining to navigable rivers
It’d take half an age to get Hatshepsut arrange, however when you’ve established commerce routes and an excellent development community, she’s well-positioned for a cultural sweep. Imported sources give your cities bonuses anyway, and having +1 Tradition for every is nice incentive to maintain establishing commerce routes and stacking extra bonuses rapidly. Hatshepsut’s first memento provides +1 Gold for imported sources as effectively and helps make commerce cheaper. Her second perk depends on particular geography, however Civilization 7 tends to begin leaders with these geographic necessities in zones that favor them.

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Isabella – Expansionist Financial
- Good points 300 Gold each time you uncover a pure marvel, and 600 gold if the marvel is in distant lands
- +100% tile yields from pure wonders
- +50 % Gold towards buying naval items
- -1 Gold upkeep value for naval items
Taking part in as Isabella means exploring as a lot of the map as you possibly can, as quick as you possibly can to assert house round pure wonders. It’s a matter of luck generally, relying on the place the map spawns them, so having a lot of her equipment heart on discovering them is a bit odd. The yields on pure wonders are exceptionally excessive already, although, and Isabella doubles them. Any metropolis you construct there’ll flip right into a hub of no matter yield the marvel gives – science, tradition, happiness, generally a mix of the three. Constructing naval items is crucial within the age of exploration, and Isabella’s different two perks make it doubtless you’ll attain the Distant Lands earlier than anybody else.

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Machiavelli – Diplomatic Financial
- +3 Affect per age
- Good points 50 Gold per age when diplomatic motion proposals are accepted or 100 Gold once they’re rejected
- Ignores relationship necessities for declaring formal wars
- Can levy troops from city-states even if you aren’t their suzerain
Machiavelli has so much going for him, however comes with one severe downside: All his perks heart on utilizing Affect, and he has no particular technique to generate further affect. Taking part in him successfully requires cautious useful resource administration, however when you strike a stability between utilizing and hoarding affect, you possibly can find yourself with exceptional benefits unbiased of manufacturing and commerce routes. Simply ensure you don’t disperse unbiased powers, because you’ll want them for any wars you find yourself in.

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Pachacuti – Financial Expansionist
- All buildings obtain a +1 Meals adjacency for mountain tiles
- Specialists adjoining to mountains pay no happiness upkeep
Pachacuti is an fascinating case. His benefits appear modest at first, however since he, like different leaders with particular geographic necessities, begins in a mountainous space, your first string of cities and cities are assured to have excessive development charges because of the additional meals. Prioritizing these for development and specialists in city districts means you find yourself with excessive science and tradition yields early, with out struggling any happiness penalties for it. It does require some inventive growth so these districts are close to mountain tiles, although.

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Lafayette – Cultural Diplomatic
- Good points the Reform endeavor, which provides an additional social coverage slot, and supporting the endeavor grants the opposite chief an additional coverage slot
- +1 fight power for each custom, however not coverage, slotted in authorities
- +2 tradition and happiness per age in settlements, and +4 in distant lands
Lafayette is an uncommon case who defies the labels Firaxis gave him. He’s a little bit of all the things, with bonuses to army power; incentives to increase quickly, particularly within the Exploration Age; and a possibility to stack extra coverage bonuses than every other chief, albeit on the expense of giving rivals a bonus as effectively. His first memento additionally will increase happiness by two for every social coverage. He’s well-rounded, even when he doesn’t essentially excel at any explicit factor.
B-tier leaders in Civilization 7
The B-tier leaders in Civilization 7 excel in a single space, however not a lot else. They’re nonetheless completely playable and prone to win, although the bonuses they provide are, typically, much less spectacular.

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Amina – Financial Militaristic
- +1 useful resource capability in cities
- +1 Gold per age for every useful resource assigned to cities
- +5 fight power on all items in plains and deserts
Amina works extra successfully as an financial chief than a army one. Cities that aren’t your capital have restricted useful resource capability, particularly proper after they develop from a city right into a metropolis, and having that further slot makes coping with shortfalls in manufacturing or happiness a lot simpler. You’re not essentially making extra cash together with her second perk, although. Every commerce route you identify sends cash to a different civ’s chief, so having further Gold for every useful resource assigned to cities simply balances that outflow. Sure, +5 fight is a implausible perk – when you’re fortunate sufficient to have enemy civilizations positioned on plain and desert tiles. If not, you’re a bit out of luck.

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Ahsoka, World Conqueror – Diplomatic Militaristic
- +1 Manufacturing for each 5 extra Happiness in cities
- +10 % Manufacturing in settlements not based by you
- Declaring a proper conflict robotically begins a celebration and grants +10 fight power for all items whereas the celebration lasts
This model of Ahsoka lives as much as his title, although maybe to not his “diplomatic” tag. Taking part in because the world conqueror means both constructing rapidly towards a society that helps common army output or planning forward to the Fashionable Age and waging conflict then. Ahsoka can get his manufacturing increase by taking settlements from opponents, after all, however the simpler method is to make treaties with unbiased powers throughout antiquity and exploration, so that you keep away from happiness penalties. By the point the Fashionable Age dawns, it’s best to have an financial system and manufacturing output able to creating sufficient army items to maintain Ahsoka’s formal wars. He’s a enjoyable chief to play as, however maybe extra restrictive than most.

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Catherine the Nice – Cultural Scientific
- +2 Tradition per age on displayed Nice Works
- Buildings with Nice Work slots acquire an extra slot
- Cities settled in tundra tiles acquire science equal to 25 % of their tradition per flip
Catherine’s perks are extremely specialised, so making the most of them limits how one can play. You’ll must prioritize manufacturing as Catherine, so you possibly can hopefully construct extra wonders quicker through the Antiquity Age, after which select faith augmentations that present further tradition through the Exploration Age. That permits you to analysis new civics and their masteries quicker, which is without doubt one of the important methods you get relics throughout that age. Her tundra bonus is much less restrictive than it sounds, although. The sport tends to all the time begin Catherine on tundra tiles, in order that Science bonus will apply to your first few cities on the very least.

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Confucius – Expansionist Scientific
- +25 % development charge in cities
- +2 Science from specialists
Confucius’ abilities seem easy and even a bit restricted at a look, however focusing so closely on metropolis development and specialists creates an uncommon set of challenges that makes a match extra fascinating. Specialists value Happiness, and selecting a specialist as a substitute of development outdoors city quarters means you’re giving up meals or probably manufacturing bonuses in favor of science and a bit of additional tradition. Balancing metropolis development, deciding which cities to develop, and punctiliously selecting insurance policies that offset specialist prices are way more necessary on this fashion of play. It’s not essentially higher than enjoying as one other chief, nevertheless it’s distinctive.

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Himiko, Excessive Shaman – Cultural Diplomatic
- +2 Happiness per age on Happiness buildings
- +50 % Manufacturing towards establishing Happiness buildings
- +20 % Tradition however -10 % Science; each results double throughout celebrations
This iteration of Himiko has little to supply outdoors of constructing celebrations occur extra continuously. The aim is to profit from your celebrations to spice up Tradition – or no matter else you would possibly want, equivalent to Gold – however it’s important to play cautiously or get fortunate with espionage. The Science penalty means most different civilizations will doubtless have extra superior army tech than you.

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Charlemagne – Militaristic Scientific
- Army and Science buildings obtain a happiness adjacency bonus for quarters (city tiles with two buildings)
- Throughout a celebration, features two free cavalry items, if cavalry items are unlocked
- +5 fight power for cavalry items throughout a celebration
Charlemagne is a superb selection if you wish to wage conflict, since few items outrank cavalry in Civilization 7 apart from superior ranged items. His first perk comes with the unstated crucial of prioritizing meals sources in cities, so you possibly can increase them and develop city quarters extra rapidly. He’s not a nasty chief, per se — only a bit plain.

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José Rizal – Cultural Diplomatic
- When gaining rewards from a story occasion, acquire an extra 20 Tradition and 20 Gold per age. Rizal additionally has further narrative occasions in comparison with most leaders
- +50 % celebration length
- +50 % Happiness towards celebrations
Rizal’s usefulness relies upon fully on what number of narrative occasions pop up throughout your recreation. It helps that he comes with further occasions, however the quantity will fluctuate relying on which civilizations you select and the way you play. If nothing else, the frequency of celebrations means you get common bursts of additional yields, together with tradition.

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Napoleon, Emperor – Financial Diplomatic
- Has the Continental System sanction that reduces commerce route limits of the goal by one, which causes huge relationship penalties and prices extra to reject
- +8 Maintain per age for each chief you might be unfriendly or hostile with
- Can reject endeavors at no cost
Emperor Napoleon is sort of a extra aggressive model of Harriet Tubman, however with barely worse advantages. His greatest asset is the sanction that reduces commerce routes, which may play havoc with one other civilization’s financial system and their tradition output. Making them hate you is nice, although, because you get some further Gold for it and much more as soon as you fit his first memento.

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Trung Trac – Militaristic Scientific
- Acquire three free ranges in your first military commander
- +20 % commander expertise
- +10 % science in cities on tropical tiles, and the impact doubles if you declare a proper conflict
Trung Trac wants battle to operate successfully, however in contrast to some leaders, she will get higher benefits, particularly together with her first memento. That merchandise provides her +1 Science for each commander stage, which is a helpful little increase when you get your first commander and even after, since they stage up extra rapidly. Trung Trac’s dwelling cities will produce extra science extra typically as effectively, although her playstyle limits you to cycles of conflict and restoration.
C-tier leaders in Civilization 7
The C-tier leaders in Civilization 7 are way more restricted than your different decisions, both within the playstyle they lend themselves to or with in how (not so) helpful their bonuses are.

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Friedrich, Baroque – Militaristic Cultural
- Acquire a Nice Work if you seize a settlement for the primary time
- Acquire an infantry unit if you assemble a tradition constructing
For a cultural-focused chief, Friedrich’s Baroque version has few benefits in that particular space. Constructing tradition with him requires sizable funding in army, and even then, you’re not getting a lot in return for all that battle. Capturing settlements is simpler with siege and ranged items, so whereas the free infantry unit from a tradition constructing is good, it’s not serving to on the conquest entrance. His first memento smooths over a few of these points by including +1 tradition for each army constructing, however he’s nonetheless one of many weakest decisions.

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Friedrich, Indirect – Militaristic Scientific
- Military commanders begin with the Benefit Commendation, which will increase their command radius by one tile
- Acquire an infantry unit if you assemble a science constructing
Indirect Friedrich is barely higher than his Baroque counterpart because of giving military commanders an additional tile of affect. He has nothing to assist put money into army manufacturing, although, and even his memento solely provides you +1 science for army buildings.

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Himiko, Queen of Wa – Diplomatic Scientific
- Has the distinctive Buddy of Wei endeavor that turns into obtainable when allied with one other civilization; Buddy of Wei grants Himiko and her ally +25 % science
- +4 science per age for each chief you might be pleasant or useful with
- Can assist endeavors at no cost
Himiko’s Queen of Wa model requires a selected, difficult playstyle that depends closely on the endeavor system. Earlier than you get any of her perks, it’s important to enhance relations with different civs to the purpose the place they’re a minimum of pleasant, although ideally allied as effectively. It’s a novel method to make use of affect and diplomacy, however issues typically collapse within the fashionable age. It’s a must to choose a aspect when rival leaders declare conflict on one another, so no matter who you select, you’re dropping a few of these science perks over a state of affairs that’s out of your management.

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Napoleon, Revolutionary – Militaristic Cultural
- +1 motion for all land items
- Defeating an enemy unit supplies tradition equal to 50 % of that unit’s fight power
Revolutionary Napoleon has much less going for him than his imperial model. He’s fully targeted on fight and wishes constant victories to get yield bonuses. You’re left with nothing particular if there’s no conflict taking place, and when you keep steady battle, it’s important to plan rigorously to keep away from conflict favor turning in opposition to you and inflicting happiness penalties. Revolutionary Napoleon presents distinctive challenges, however he’s simply not a really robust selection.

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Tecumseh – Militaristic Diplomatic
- +1 Meals and Manufacturing per age in settlements for each city-state you might be suzerain of
- +1 fight power for all items for each city-state you might be suzerain of
Tecumseh is just useful when you prioritize bringing city-states into your diplomatic orbit, and even then, his bonus yields aren’t that spectacular.
For extra Civilization 7 guides, right here’s a rundown of all Legacy Paths and victories, together with walkthroughs on the best way to get the Tradition Victory, Financial Victory, Army Victory, or Science Victory. We even have an inventory of one of the best leaders to begin with.