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There are important decisions to make at the beginning of aCivilization VIIgame including choosing your leader and your starting civilization. With the new Ages game mechanic, you will be able to evolve into different civilizations as you progress through the three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern.
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A standard game starts in the Antiquity Age, allowing you to choose from a number of ancient civilizations, all with different unique abilities, units, and advancement trees. This choice can be difficult, but knowing the strengths and focuses of each civilization will make it much easier.
Aksum is an African civilization that can specialize in cultural and economic areas by focusing on collecting resources, gold, and building trade. Aksum thrives on building coastal cities, and then lining the seas with trade ships.
Civ Ability
Kingdom of Natural Wealth: Increases Gold earned from resources.
Civilian Unit
Tankwa: Trade Ship that cannot be pillaged. Increased sight range.
Military Unit
Dhow: Naval Unit with increased Strength on coastal tiles and can create a naval trade route.
Infrastructure
Hawilt: Gold base building that must be built on flat tile. Gains Culture for each adjacent Hawilt or Wonder.
When playing Aksum, using your unique Civ Ability, infrastructure and units become very synergetic if you plan your cities well. When the game begins,Askum’s main priority should be establishing coastal cities and expanding your territory to nearby resources. You will want a large cache of resources, which will boost your gold earnings and kick off very powerful early trading. Once your cities are established, build economic buildings and eventually build merchants to send in yourTankwa ships, and provide defense and more routes withDhows.
Egypt is a North African civilization that can build massive cities full of wealth along rivers.
Gifts of Osiris: Increases production yields on Navigable Rivers.
Necropolis, Mastaba, Mortuary Temple.
Tjaty: Great Person with random benefits. Can only be built in cities with Necropolises.
Medjay: Increased strength in friendly territory and doubled in Settlements.
Egypt has the ability to become a jack-of-all-trades civilization by utilizingGifts of Osirisand its unique infrastructure to build large cities early. When starting the game, you should position your cities near large rivers. This will enable you to build out the cities more quickly than others and allows you to focus on what areas of the game to exceed in. Egypt can become a bustling trade hub, a Scientific powerhouse, or can share its beauty by building Culture. The Necropolis is an important building, as it will yield more gold each Wonder built, and will give you access to theTjaty, which can provide different random benefits.
Greece is a European civilization that excels at building relationships with both other civilizations and city-states. Greece is able to pursue any victory type and can keep up with other civilizations in many areas including Economics, Science, and Culture.
Demokratia: Increases Influence per turn in the Palace.
Acropolis, Parthenon, Odeon
Logios: Unique Great Person with random benefits.
Hoplite: Increased strength if next to another Hoplite.
Greece is a great civilization for starters, as it has many ways to play. Depending on the leader you choose, you’re able to take multiple routes to success. Diplomacy is a big part of Civ 7 andother strategy games, so increased influence withDemokratiais beneficial throughout the age. When starting, focus on exploration to meet other leaders and independent cities. Building the unique infrastructure will add to your gold, Culture, and Happiness.
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Han China is an Asian civilization that specializes in building large cities and protecting its ever-growing population.
Nine Provinces: The Capital and each new town gain one additional population during their first growth event.
Great Wall: Fortification that can only be built in a line. Each segment adds Culture and Happiness, as well as increasing strength for units defending on it.
Shi Dafu: Great Person who can only be activated once the population reaches a certain point. Provides random benefits.
Chu-Ko-Nu: Ranged Unit with Zone of Control, increased defense, and increased combat strength when attacking adjacent units.
One of Han China’s biggest strengths is its location versatility. No matter where you are able to settle,Han China can grow cities quickly with the Nine Provinces, then turtle with theGreat WallandChu-Ko-Nu units.
Keeping Chu-Ko-Nus stationed at your Great Wall is extremely powerful, and the Chu-Ko-Nu units can also provide a lot of support when attacking.
While focusing on one victory type is always a good idea, Han China can go through the age, performing well in all areas. TheShi Dafu unitcan provide great scientific benefits, so it is a good idea to build large cities and fill them with science buildings and improvements.
The Khmer is a southern Asian civilization that thrives on building large cities but maintaining the yields of the land.
Ksekam Chamnon: Urban Districts on rivers do not remove natural yields.
Baray: Adds food and increases yields on floodplains.
Civiilain Unit
Vaishya: Merchant immune to flood damage
Yuthahathi: Stronger cavalry unit, lower movement, but immune to flood damage.
Flood tiles can be the Khmer’s best friend. If you are able to settle in areas with many flood tiles, you will be in the perfect position to increase your population with theKsekam Chamnon ability.
One Baray can be built per settlement, but it will be one of your most important builds in the beginning. During the Antiquity Age, you can enjoy high food yields as you build up urban developments andkeep your cities safe with the Yuthahathi.
Maurya India
The Maurya is a southern Asian civilization extremely geared towards Religion and Happiness.
Dhamma Lipi: Choose an additional Pantheon after unlocking Mysticism
Matha, Dharamshala, Vihara
Nagarika: Settler that adds Happiness to City Halls
Purabhettarah: Cavalry Unit with increased strength against Fortifications.
Maurya India can be a complicated starting civilization, as the focus on Happiness can seem a little ineffective, but will be important later on. Increasing Happiness early on will ensure you can survive war weariness and balance numerous settlements.
The unique infrastructure can ensure you keep up with Science and Culture while focusing on other areas. The Matha can increase Happiness, Dharamshala increases Science, and Vihara, increases Culture. A good strategy is to forward settle early and pressure other civilizations beforeattacking with the Purabhettarah.
The Maya is a Central American civilization excelling at building beautiful cities in lush jungle areas and using witty strategies to prosper.
Skies of Itzamna: The Palace gains Science yields for adjacent Vegated tiles.
Uwaybil K’Uh, Jalaw, K’uh Nah
Jaguar Slayer: Recon unit with Jaguar Trap ability, which deals damage to enemy units that pass through the Vegetated tile it is placed on.
Hul’che: Ranged Unit that can see through Vegetation and move freely through them.
The Mayans are a very location-dependent civilization but can be one of the most interesting to play. When starting out, you will want tomake sure you settle near Vegetated tiles.
You will also want to make sure you do not build over too many Vegetated tiles to keep the yields from theSkies of Itzamna abilityand theK’uh Nah building, which gives Science for adjacent Vegetated tiles. A good strategy for the Maya is to find locations with Vegetated tiles towards the outside of your settlement to fullytake advantage of the Hul’che and Vegetated bonuses.
Mississippians
The Mississippians are a North American civilization known for their rich food supply and vast trade.
Goose Societies: All Buildings receive a Food Adjacency bonus for Resources.
Potkop: Increases gold, adds food for adjacent Resources.
Watonathi: Merchant that gains gold per Resource when creating a Trade Route.
Burning Arrow: Ranged Unit with increased strength against Fortified districts and Siege. Deals burning damage to tiles.
If there is one civilization that benefits the most from Resources, it is the Mississippians. When starting the game,try to settle near Resources, then improve the tile to gain yields.
Position yourPotkop buildingsnear the most Resources and build trade early on. The most important thing when playing the Mississippians is to remember to seek out Resources and create buildings all around them.
Persia is a Middle Eastern civilization that can have immense military power, as well as build up gold supply quickly.
Hamarana Council: Infantry Units get increased Combat Strength when attacking.
Pairidaeza: Adds Culture and Gold.
Hazarapatis: Commander that starts with Initiative Promotion.
Immortal: Infantry that heals after defeating a unit.
Persia is a very straightforward civilization that excels in military, but knowing how to build up troops and maintain your cities during war is important. When first starting, you will want tofocus on Science and gold to have advanced military units and pay for maintenance for large armies.
If you’replaying Civ 7 with friends, you may find yourself conquering your friends and making some enemies. Persia is perfect for relentless attack, as long as youtrain Immortals and position your Hazarpatis behind them.
Rome is a European civilization known for its Cultural strength and large, bustling cities.
Twelve Tables: Increases Culture in districts in the Capital and City Centers of Towns
Forum, Temple of Jupiter, Basilica
Legatus: Commander with ability to create settlements after a number of promotions.
Legion: Infantry that gains strength based on every Roman Tradition in the government
Rome is perhaps one of the most powerful expansionist civilizations inCiv 7due to itsTwelve Tables abilityand the abilities of Legatus. Rome is capable of building many settlements and establishing a government that can boost Culture above many other civilizations.
When starting a game as Rome,try to build out cities with production improvements, then focus on building Culture buildings in districts and City Centers. It is also a great idea to use your Legatus units to gain XP by warring with other civilizations or independents to earn the ability to create a settlement.
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