Civilization 7: 8 Best Leaders For A Military Victory
Summary
- Choose leaders with unique military abilities for an edge in warfare.
- Stay on top of research to keep units up-to-date for military victories. (75)
- Focus on production, expansion, and diplomacy for different leaders' strengths.
In Civilization 7, the leader you choose matters. Each leader offers unique abilities and synergies that can change the course of the game. Plus, each leader offers narrative choices that keep things interesting, too. If you're going after a military victory (not to be confused with a domination victory), you want a leader who specializes in military prowess and production.
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Posts 1A military victory isn't all about military prowess, though. You'll also need to stay on top of research to make sure your units keep up with the times. Let's take a close look at several leaders that have extra military abilities, allowing you to conquer your adversaries and gain points towards a military victory.
8 Ashoka, World Conqueror
Ashoka's Devaraja ability produces extra production based on the excess happiness of a city. It also gives settlements you conquer extra production, allowing you to pump out those military units faster. This combination makes him formidable in warfare if you manage city happiness effectively.
That said, this reliance on happiness can be very situational. It's important to use lots of resources that boost happiness. In a crisis or unpopular war, happiness can drop quickly, harming your production right when you need it. This leader is also best for more experienced players since he does rely on a particular game mechanic for his abilities.
Focus on researching technologies that enhance your military capabilities. Developing a technologically advanced army early in the game provides a significant advantage over opponents.
7 Augustus
Augustus is renowned for his strong production benefits and expansionist mindset. His Imperium Maius ability adds production in the capital for every town and increases gold towards purchasing buildings in towns. This means that you'll need to settle or conquer towns and avoid upgrading them into cities to make full use of your abilities.
While he isn't directly focused on military force, his focus on production and expansion does make him a solid choice for those who want a vast military and empire.
6 Trung Trac
Trung Trac's prowess comes from her commanders, and she can stay ahead on military technology thanks to her science bonuses. Train your commanders early, often by battling minor civilizations. Don't forget to build plenty of science buildings, too, to take full advantage of her potential science lead.
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PostsYou don't always have to have the most units or the best strategy if your units are ahead of their time. It can be very easy to steamroll opponents early in each age with this leader if you quickly research military tech.
5 Napolean
Napoleon, in his Emperor persona, is a potentially very powerful military leader who also has the ability to pay for a large army. He benefits from increased gold generation by fostering animosity among other leaders. His unique approach turns diplomatic tensions into economic and military advantages, allowing him to fund and maintain a formidable army as more leaders decide they don't like you.
This strategy often means fighting on multiple fronts, but you can afford it thanks to your increased gold output. Just make sure you start building up your army plenty ahead of time and develop high-production cities. While his gold output is high, it's best not to spend it all on units.
Forming alliances with other militaristic civilizations can be beneficial. These alliances can provide support during wars and deter potential aggressors.
4 Machiavelli
Machiavelli is ideal for warmongering, despite his more diplomatic focus. Machiavelli thrives on diplomatic actions and surprise wars. He can negotiate diplomatic situations effectively, thanks to his increased influence. This allows you to maneuver your diplomatic situations with more finesse and take advantage of all the bonuses that it provides.
He also ignores relationship requirements for declaring formal wars, allowing you to avoid the debuffs a surprise war causes. You can also levy military units from City-States you're not Suzerain of, which can help in a pinch.
3 Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman doesn't look much like a military leader on the outside, but she gains serious advantages in war support when others declare on her. Her units ignore movement penalties in vegetation, too, allowing you to react to wars faster. This can make her a formidable war leader.
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PostsThat said, the bonuses are best when she isn't the one who declared war. Luckily, getting other civilizations to declare war on you isn't that hard in Civilization 7.
2 Charlemagne
Charlemagne is a natural leader for a military victory. His cavalry units get extra strength during a celebration, and he gets happiness bonuses for military and science buildings in adjacent quarters. This happiness boost is very helpful for surprise wars, allowing you to pay less attention to relationships. You can just declare war on whoever you want to!
He can maintain very high morale, even if you're facing multiple wars at once. If you use the right civics, you can get bonuses on excess happiness production, allowing you to take full advantage of this bonus. We also recommend you take full advantage of cavalry units to make the most of Charlemagne's bonuses.
War can strain your civilization's resources. Ensure a stable economy by managing resources wisely and maintaining high happiness levels.
1 Xerxes (King Of Kings)
Xerxes does great in military campaigns with his combat bonuses. He gets increased strength on all units when attacking in neutral and enemy territory. You also gain culture and gold when you capture a settlement for the first time, allowing you to continue funding your army. His additional settlement limit is also nice when you have world domination on your mind.
He rewards an aggressive playstyle best and can support a very wide empire. He works equally well for a domination victory as a military one, depending on your particular situation. As you might guess, it's best to stay on the offensive to take full advantage of his combat bonuses.
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