"Top Leaders in Civilization 7 Ranked"

Civilization 7 introduces a dynamic Ages mechanic that transitions your civilization through Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Ages, requiring you to adapt and change your civilization over time. However, your chosen leader remains constant throughout the game, offering unique abilities that can synergize well with different civilizations. To assist you in selecting the best leader for your playstyle, we've compiled a detailed tier list, focusing on their strengths and weaknesses in a standard, single-player game of Civilization 7. Note that this list excludes multiplayer scenarios and DLC leaders such as Ada Lovelace and 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 boost production and military prowess. With +1 Production for every 5 excess Happiness in Cities and +10% Production in Settlements not founded by you, Ashoka can rapidly build units and infrastructure. Declaring a Formal War grants a Celebration, providing an immediate +5 Combat Strength against Districts for all units, making Ashoka formidable in offensive maneuvers. Managing unrest from conquered settlements is crucial, but with high happiness, Ashoka remains one of the game's strongest leaders.

S-Tier: Augustus

Augustus thrives on expanding through multiple towns, gaining +2 Production in the Capital for every Town and the ability to purchase Culture Buildings in Towns. With a 50% discount on purchasing buildings in towns, Augustus can efficiently build a powerhouse capital supported by numerous towns. This strategy focuses on growth and resource management without upgrading towns to cities, saving gold while boosting production and culture.

S-Tier: Confucius

Confucius is ideal for those aiming for rapid city growth and technological advancement. With a +25% Growth Rate in Cities and +2 Science from Specialists, Confucius can quickly expand and secure valuable resources. This leader's strength lies in peaceful expansion and technological superiority, though he may require additional support for military defense.

S-Tier: Xerxes, King of Kings

Xerxes, King of Kings is a straightforward military leader, gaining +3 Combat Strength for units attacking in neutral or enemy territory. Capturing a settlement for the first time grants 100 Culture and Gold per Age, and a +10% Gold bonus in all settlements, further increased in those not founded by you. Xerxes also benefits from an increased settlement limit per Age, making him a prime choice 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. With +1 Food in Cities for every 5 excess Happiness and +10% Food in all Settlements during a Celebration, this leader excels at managing large populations and expanding through districts. While less aggressive than the World Conquerer version, the World Renouncer can be just as powerful in the right hands.

A-Tier: Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is perfect for players aiming for a Science Victory. With +1 Science per Age on Production Buildings in Cities and +50% Production towards constructing Production Buildings, Franklin can quickly advance technologically. Additionally, active Endeavors and the ability to have two of the same type active at a time further enhance his science output.

A-Tier: Charlemagne

Charlemagne combines military and science, gaining happiness from Military and Science Buildings. Entering a Celebration provides 2 free Cavalry Units and +5 Combat Strength for Cavalry Units during the Celebration. This leader's strategy revolves around maintaining happiness to leverage celebrations and dominate early and mid-game warfare.

A-Tier: Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman offers a unique espionage-focused playstyle. With +100% Influence towards Initiating Espionage Actions and 5 War Support when wars are declared against you, Tubman can disrupt other civilizations effectively. Her units also ignore movement penalties from vegetation, enhancing her defensive and offensive capabilities.

A-Tier: Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut excels at culture generation, gaining +1 Culture for every imported Resource and +15% Production towards the construction of Buildings and Wonders in Cities adjacent to Navigable Rivers. Her strength lies in establishing trade routes and maximizing culture output, particularly in the early game.

A-Tier: Himiko, High Shaman

Himiko, High Shaman is one of the best culture producers in the game. With +2 Happiness per Age on Happiness Buildings and +50% Production towards constructing Happiness Buildings, Himiko can maintain high happiness levels. She also gets a +20% Culture boost, which doubles during Celebrations, though it comes with a -10% Science penalty.

A-Tier: Isabella

Isabella can gain significant advantages from Natural Wonders, earning 300 Gold for each discovery, doubled if the wonder is in Distant Lands. She also receives +100% additional tile yields from Natural Wonders and benefits from cheaper Naval Units. Her strategy hinges on early discovery and control of Natural Wonders.

A-Tier: Jose Rizal

Jose Rizal is excellent for leveraging Celebrations, with a 50% increase in Celebration duration and +50% Happiness towards Celebrations. He also gains additional Culture and Gold from Narrative Events, which occur more frequently for him, making him a strong choice for cultural strategies.

A-Tier: Machiavelli

Machiavelli excels at diplomacy and deception, gaining +3 Influence per Age and 50 Gold per Age when Diplomatic Action proposals are accepted (or 100 Gold when rejected). He can ignore relationship requirements for declaring Formal Wars and levy military units from City-States he is not Suzerain of, making him a versatile and potentially disruptive leader.

A-Tier: Trung Trac

Trung Trac is ideal for players who want to utilize Army Commanders effectively. With 3 free Levels on the first Army Commander and +20% Commander experience, Trung Trac can quickly build powerful armies. She also gains +10% Science in Cities in Tropical Spaces, doubling during declared wars, making her a strong choice for tropical map settings.

A-Tier: Xerxes, The Achaemenid

Xerxes, The Achaemenid focuses on economic and cultural growth, gaining +1 Trade Route limit with all other leaders and 50 Culture and 100 Gold per Age when creating a Trade Route or Road. He also gains +1 Culture and Gold per Age on Unique Buildings and Unique Improvements, making him a versatile leader for economic victories.

B-Tier Leaders

### B-Tier: Amina

Amina is a solid choice for resource management, gaining +1 Resource Capacity in Cities and +1 Gold per Age for each Resource assigned to Cities. Her units also receive +5 Combat Strength on Plains or Desert, making her a decent pick for specific map types.

B-Tier: Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great focuses on culture and science, gaining +2 Culture per Age on displayed Great Works and an additional slot for Great Works. Cities settled in Tundra gain Science based on their Culture output, though her effectiveness can be map-dependent.

B-Tier: Friedrich, Oblique

Friedrich, Oblique is focused on military strength, with Army Commanders starting with the Merit Commendation and gaining an Infantry Unit when constructing a Science Building. While strong in specific scenarios, his lack of direct yield bonuses limits his overall effectiveness.

B-Tier: Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta offers flexibility with 2 Wildcard Attribute Points after the first Civic in every Age and +1 Sight for all Units. He also gains a unique Endeavor called Trade Maps, providing strategic map visibility. His versatility can be powerful in experienced hands but may be complex for new players.

B-Tier: Lafayette

Lafayette provides a unique Endeavor called Reform, granting additional Social Policy slots, and +1 Combat Strength for every Tradition slotted into Government. He also gains +1 Culture and Happiness per Age in Settlements, doubled in Distant Lands. While his traits are solid, they lack the punch of higher-tier leaders.

B-Tier: Napoleon, Emperor

Napoleon, Emperor is ideal for players who enjoy manipulating diplomacy, gaining +8 Gold per Age for every Leader they are Unfriendly or Hostile with. His Continental System Sanction reduces the Trade Route limit of targeted leaders, though managing the resulting relationship penalties can be challenging.

B-Tier: Napoleon, Revolutionary

Napoleon, Revolutionary offers +1 Movement for all Land Units and Culture equal to 50% of an enemy's Combat Strength when defending. His playstyle requires frequent defensive engagements to maximize Culture gains, which can be situational but rewarding if managed well.

B-Tier: Tecumseh

Tecumseh gains +1 Food and Production per Age in Settlements for every City-State he is Suzerain of, along with +1 Combat Strength for all units. His effectiveness depends heavily on becoming Suzerain of multiple City-States, requiring significant setup and time investment.

B-Tier: Himiko, Queen of Wa

Himiko, Queen of Wa excels in diplomacy, gaining +4 Science per Age for every Leader she is Friendly or Helpful with. Her unique Endeavor, Friend of Wei, boosts Science for both her and her ally. While powerful in a peaceful setting, she must balance her diplomatic approach with military preparedness.

C-Tier Leaders

### C-Tier: Friedrich, Baroque

Friedrich, Baroque gains a Great Work when capturing a Settlement for the first time and an Infantry Unit when constructing a Culture Building. While these traits are useful, they lack the impact of higher-tier leaders, making him a less compelling choice.

C-Tier: Pachacuti

Pachacuti's effectiveness is highly map-dependent, gaining +1 Food adjacency bonus for Mountains and no Happiness maintenance cost for Specialists adjacent to Mountains. While he can be exceptional on mountain-rich maps, his performance suffers without access to mountains.