Civilization 7: Ranking the Leaders

Civilization 7 introduces a groundbreaking Ages mechanic that transitions your civilization through Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Ages, requiring you to adapt and switch civilizations as the game progresses. However, your chosen leader remains constant, offering a unique strategic layer to your gameplay. Leaders, while less impactful than civilizations, still wield significant abilities that can be synergistically combined for powerful strategies. To aid your decision-making, we've compiled a comprehensive tier list of all leaders, focusing on their strengths and weaknesses in a standard single-player game. This list does not consider multiplayer dynamics or DLC leaders like Ada Lovelace or Simón Bolívar.

Civilization 7 Leader Tier List

S-Tier - Confucius, Xerxes King of Kings, Ashoka World Conquerer, Augustus

A-Tier - Ashoka World Renouncer, Benjamin Franklin, Charlemagne, Harriet Tubman, Hatshepsut, Himiko High Shaman, Isabella, Jose Rizal, Machiavelli, Trung Trac, Xerxes The Achaemenid

B-Tier - Amina, Catherine The Great, Friedrich Oblique, Ibn Battuta, Lafayette, Napoleon Emperor, Napoleon Revolution, Tecumseh, Himiko Queen of Wa

C-Tier - Friedrich Baroque, Pachacuti

S-Tier Leaders

S-Tier: Ashoka, World Conquerer

Ashoka, World Conquerer excels in leveraging happiness to fuel both production and military might. With +1 Production for every 5 excess Happiness in Cities and +10% Production in Settlements not founded by you, Ashoka ensures a robust economy. Declaring a Formal War triggers a Celebration, boosting all Units with +5 Combat Strength against Districts. This leader is ideal for players who thrive on maintaining high happiness levels while aggressively expanding their empire.

S-Tier: Augustus

Augustus thrives on establishing numerous Towns, offering +2 Production in the Capital for every Town and the ability to purchase Culture Buildings in Towns. With a 50% reduction in Gold cost for purchasing Buildings in Towns, Augustus is perfect for wide-settlement strategies. Players can focus on expanding their empire through settlement or conquest, turning their Capital into a production and culture powerhouse.

S-Tier: Confucius

Confucius is the epitome of growth and science, with a +25% Growth Rate in Cities and +2 Science from Specialists. This leader allows for rapid city expansion and technological advancement, making him an excellent choice for players aiming to dominate through science and territorial expansion.

S-Tier: Xerxes, King of Kings

Xerxes, King of Kings is designed for aggressive play, granting +3 Combat Strength for Units attacking in neutral or enemy territory. Capturing a Settlement for the first time yields 100 Culture and Gold per Age, alongside a +10% Gold increase in all Settlements. With a higher Settlement limit per Age, Xerxes is the go-to leader for those pursuing a Military Victory.

A-Tier Leaders

A-Tier: Ashoka, World Renouncer

Ashoka, World Renouncer focuses on population growth, converting happiness into food production with +1 Food in Cities for every 5 excess Happiness and +10% Food in all Settlements during a Celebration. This leader is perfect for players who prefer peaceful expansion and city management.

A-Tier: Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is a powerhouse for science and production, with +1 Science per Age on Production Buildings and a 50% boost to Production towards constructing these buildings. His ability to have two Endeavors of the same type active at once further enhances his science output, making him ideal for tech-focused players.

A-Tier: Charlemagne

Charlemagne combines military prowess with scientific advancement, receiving Happiness adjacency bonuses for Military and Science Buildings. Entering a Celebration grants two free Cavalry Units and +5 Combat Strength for these units, making Charlemagne a formidable choice for early and mid-game military strategies.

A-Tier: Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman excels in espionage and defensive strategies, with 100% more Influence towards Initiating Espionage Actions and 5 War Support on all wars declared against her. Her Units ignore movement penalties from Vegetation, making her a stealthy and resilient choice.

A-Tier: Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut is a cultural powerhouse, gaining +1 Culture for every imported Resource and a 15% Production boost towards constructing Buildings and Wonders near Navigable Rivers. She is ideal for players aiming to dominate the cultural landscape.

A-Tier: Himiko, High Shaman

Himiko, High Shaman is a cultural juggernaut, with +2 Happiness per Age on Happiness Buildings and a 50% Production boost towards these structures. While offering a significant +20% Culture boost, she also has a -10% Science penalty, which doubles during Celebrations. Himiko is perfect for cultural victory paths, requiring careful management of science.

A-Tier: Isabella

Isabella can leverage Natural Wonders to gain 300 Gold upon discovery, doubled if in Distant Lands, and 100% additional tile yields from these wonders. With a 50% Gold reduction towards purchasing Naval Units and no maintenance costs for these units, she's a strong choice for players focusing on naval strategies.

A-Tier: Jose Rizal

Jose Rizal excels in prolonged Celebrations, with a 50% increase in Celebration duration and +50% Happiness towards Celebrations. Additional Culture and Gold from Narrative Events make him a great choice for players aiming to maximize celebration benefits.

A-Tier: Machiavelli

Machiavelli is the master of deception and diplomacy, gaining +3 Influence per Age and 50 Gold per Age from accepted Diplomatic Action proposals, or 100 Gold if rejected. His ability to declare Formal Wars without Relationship requirements and levy Military Units from non-Suzerain City-States makes him a versatile and cunning leader.

A-Tier: Trung Trac

Trung Trac focuses on Army Commanders, granting three free Levels to the first Army Commander and a 20% boost to Commander experience. With a 10% Science bonus in Tropical Spaces, doubling during declared Formal Wars, she's a strong choice for players leveraging military commanders.

A-Tier: Xerxes, The Achaemenid

Xerxes, The Achaemenid excels in trade and economic strategies, with an additional Trade Route limit and significant Culture and Gold gains from creating Trade Routes or Roads. His bonuses to Unique Buildings and Improvements further enhance his economic prowess, making him ideal for players pursuing an Economic Victory.

B-Tier Leaders

B-Tier: Amina

Amina is a resource-focused leader, with +1 Resource Capacity in Cities and +1 Gold per Age for each Resource assigned. Her Units gain +5 Combat Strength in Plains or Desert, making her a solid choice for resource-rich strategies.

B-Tier: Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great is a cultural specialist, gaining +2 Culture per Age on displayed Great Works and an additional slot for these works. Her cities in Tundra gain Science proportional to their Culture, making her a situational but powerful choice for cultural strategies.

B-Tier: Friedrich, Oblique

Friedrich, Oblique enhances Army Commanders with the Merit Commendation and additional Command Radius. Gaining an Infantry Unit upon constructing a Science Building adds to his military focus, though he lacks direct yield boosts.

B-Tier: Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta offers versatility with 2 Wildcard Attribute Points after the first Civic in every Age and +1 Sight for all Units. His unique Trade Maps Endeavor allows gradual visibility of other leaders' explored areas, making him a strategic choice for players who value adaptability.

B-Tier: Lafayette

Lafayette provides a unique Reform Endeavor for additional Social Policy slots and +1 Combat Strength for every Tradition slotted into Government. His unconditional +1 Culture and Happiness per Age, doubled in Distant Lands, make him a solid but unspectacular choice.

B-Tier: Napoleon, Emperor

Napoleon, Emperor thrives on antagonizing other leaders, gaining +8 Gold per Age for every Unfriendly or Hostile leader. His Continental System Sanction disrupts trade, but managing relationships and potential retaliation is crucial.

B-Tier: Napoleon, Revolutionary

Napoleon, Revolutionary offers +1 Movement for all Land Units and Culture from defending against enemy units. This leader requires a specific defensive strategy to maximize his unique traits effectively.

B-Tier: Tecumseh

Tecumseh gains significant bonuses from City-State Suzerainty, with +1 Food and Production per Age in Settlements for each City-State controlled, and +1 Combat Strength for all Units. He requires a strong setup to maximize these benefits.

B-Tier: Himiko, Queen of Wa

Himiko, Queen of Wa focuses on diplomacy and science, with +4 Science per Age for every Friendly or Helpful leader. Her Friend of Wei Endeavor grants +25% Science to both allies, making her ideal for players building alliances.

C-Tier Leaders

C-Tier: Friedrich, Baroque

Friedrich, Baroque offers a Great Work upon capturing a Settlement and an Infantry Unit upon constructing a Culture Building. While these traits are useful, they lack the impact needed to compete with higher-tier leaders.

C-Tier: Pachacuti

Pachacuti provides +1 Food adjacency bonus for Mountains and no Happiness maintenance cost for Specialists near Mountains. His effectiveness is heavily map-dependent, making him a risky choice without favorable terrain.