Civilization VII: A Comprehensive Guide to All Leaders
Mastering Civilization VII requires a robust strategy, and your Leader is central to that strategy. This guide provides a complete overview of all currently confirmed Leaders in Civilization VII, detailing their unique abilities and agendas. We will update this list as more information becomes available.
There are currently 20 confirmed Leaders.
| Leader | Unique Ability | Attributes | Agenda |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amina | Warrior-Queen of Zazzau: +1 Resource Capacity in Cities. +1 Gold per Age for each Resource assigned to Cities. +5 Combat Strength on all Units in Plains and Desert. | Economic, Militaristic | Desert of the Warrior-Queen: Decreases relationship with players having more settlements on Plains or Desert tiles; increases relationship with those having none. |
| Ashoka, World Conqueror (Founders Content Pack) | Devaraja: +1 Production in Cities for every 5 excess Happiness. +10% Production in Settlements not founded by you. Declaring a Formal War grants a Celebration. +10 Combat Strength against Districts for all Units during a celebration. | Diplomatic, Militaristic | Without Regret: Decreases relationship with the Leader controlling the most tiles, increases relationship with the Leader controlling the fewest. |
| Ashoka, World Renouncer | Dhammaraja: +1 Food in Cities for every 5 excess Happiness. +10% Food in all Settlements during a Celebration. All Buildings gain a +1 Happiness adjacency for all Improvements. | Diplomatic, Expansionist | Without Sorrow: Increases relationship with the player having the highest Happiness yield; decreases relationship with the player having the lowest. |
| Augustus | Imperium Maius: +2 Production in the Capital for every Town. Can purchase Culture Buildings in Towns. +50% Gold towards purchasing Buildings in Towns. | Cultural, Expansionist | Restitutor Orbis: Decreases relationship for each Town in other players’ empires; increases relationship for each City (excluding Capital) in other players’ empires. |
| Benjamin Franklin | The First American: +1 Science per Age on Production Buildings in Cities. +50% Production towards construction Production Buildings. +1 Science per Age from active Endeavors you started or supported. Can have two Endeavors of the same type active at a time. | Diplomatic, Scientific | Civic Virtue: Increases Relationship gains with players sharing a Government; decreases Relationship with players not sharing a Government. |
| Catherine the Great | Star of the North: +2 Culture per Age on displayed Great Works. Buildings with Great Works gain an additional slot. Cities settled in Tundra gain Science equal to 25% of their Culture per turn. | Cultural, Scientific | Dusha: Decreases relationship with the player having the most Great Works; increases relationship with the player having the fewest. Requires a Great Work for effect. |
| Charlemagne | Father of Europe: Military and Science Buildings receive a Happiness adjacency for Quarters. Gain 2 Cavalry units, once unlocked, when entering a Celebration. +5 Combat Strength for Cavalry units during a Celebration. | Militaristic, Scientific | The Golden Shepherd: Increases relationship with the player triggering the most Celebrations; decreases relationship with the player triggering the fewest. |
| Confucius | Keju: +25% Growth Rate in all Cities. +2 Science from Specialists. | Expansionist, Scientific | Guanxi: Increases relationship for having the most Specialists in an empire. |
| Friedrich, Baroque (Deluxe Content Pack) | Hohenfriedberger Marsch: Gain a Great Work upon capturing a Settlement for the first time. Gain an Infantry Unit when you construct a Culture Building. | Cultural, Militaristic | Parisian Sensibilities: Increases relationship per built Wonder in the Capital; decreases relationship per Building in the Capital. |
| Friedrich, Oblique | Berlin Academy: Army Commanders start with the Merit Commendation, granting them +1 Command Radius. Gain an Infantry Unit when you construct a Science Building. | Militaristic, Scientific | To Arms!: Decreases relationship with the empire having the fewest Military Units; increases relationship with the empire having the most. |
| Harriet Tubman | Combahee Raid: +50% Influence towards initiating Espionage action. Gain 5 War Support on all wars declared against you. Units ignore movement penalties from Vegetation. | Diplomatic, Militaristic | Veracity: Increases relationship once for each Formal War declared; decreases relationship once for each Surprise War declared. |
| Hatshepsut | God’s Wife of Amun: +1 Culture for every imported Resource. +15% Production towards the construction of Buildings and Wonders in Cities adjacent to Navigable Rivers. | Cultural, Economic | Wonders of Iteru: Decreases relationship if you have more Wonders than Hatshepsut; increases relationship if you have fewer. |
| Himiko, High Shaman (Founders Content Pack) | Miko of Amaterasu: +2 Happiness per Age on Happiness Buildings. +50% Production towards constructing Happiness Buildings. +20% Culture but -10% Science. These effects are doubled during a Celebration. | Cultural, Diplomatic | Shaman Queen: Decreases relationship per Settlement with constructed Science and Gold Buildings; increases relationship per Settlement with Culture and Happiness Buildings. |
| Himiko, Queen of Wa | Friend of Wei: Gain a Unique Endeavor, Friend of Wei, which can be performed in an Alliance to grant you and your ally +25% Science. Can support Endeavors for free. +4 Science per Age for every Leader you’re Friendly or Helpful with. | Diplomatic, Scientific | Yamatai: Decreases relationship per Settlement with constructed Culture and Happiness Buildings; increases relationship per Settlement with constructed Science and Gold Buildings. |
| Ibn Battuta | The Marvels of Traveling: Gains multiple Attribute points after the first Civic in every Age. Increased Sight for all Units. Gain a Unique Endeavor called Trade Maps that lets you gradually see other Leaders’ explored areas. | Expansionist, Wildcard | Far and Wide: Increases relationship with the player uncovering the most Fog of War tiles; decreases relationship with the player uncovering the fewest. |
| Isabella | Seven Cities of Gold: Gain 300 Gold every time you discover a Natural Wonder, doubled if the Natural Wonder is in Distant Lands. +100% tile yields from Natural Wonders, +50% Gold towards purchasing Naval Units, and -1 Gold Maintenance for Naval Units. | Economic, Expansionist | Wonderlust: Decreases relationship per Natural Wonder in the player’s borders; increases relationship if no Natural Wonders are possessed. |
| Jose Rizal | Pambansang Bayani: When gaining rewards from a Narrative Event, gain additional Culture and Gold per Age. Increased Celebration duration and Happiness towards Celebrations. Has additional Narrative Events. | Cultural, Diplomatic | Kapwa: Increases relationship for the player with the most active Endeavors; decreases relationship for the player with the most active Sanctions. |
| Lafayette | Hero of Two Worlds: Gains a Unique Endeavor, Reform, which grants an additional Social Policy slot. Supporting this Endeavor also grants the other Leader an additional Social Policy slot. Increased Combat Strength for every Tradition, but no Policy, slotted in the Government. Increased Culture and Happiness per Age in Settlements. These effects are increased further in Distant Lands. | Cultural, Diplomatic | French Quarters: Increases relationship for the player with the most Urban Districts with all Building slots filled; decreases relationship for the player with the fewest. |
| Machiavelli | Il Principe: Gain +3 Influence per Age. Gain 50 Gold per Age when your Diplomatic Action proposals are accepted, or 100 Gold per Age when they are rejected. Ignore Relationship requirements for declaring Formal Wars. You can levy Military Units from City-States you are no Suzerain of. | Diplomatic, Economic | The Spider: Increases relationship with all other Leaders if not at war. |
| Napoleon, Emperor | Empereur des Francais: Gain a Unique Sanction, Continental System, which reduces the Trade Route limit of the targeted Leader to all other Leaders by 1, causes a massive Relationship penalty, and costs more to reject. +8 Gold per Age for every Leader you are Unfriendly or Hostile with. Can reject Endeavors for free. | Diplomatic, Economic | TBD |
| Napoleon, Revolutionary | La Grande Armee: +1 Movement for all Land Units. Defeating an enemy Unit provides Culture equal to 50% of its Combat Strength. | Cultural, Militaristic | TBD |
| Pachacuti | Earth Shaker: All Buildings gain a Food adjacency for Mountains. Specialists adjacent to Mountains do not cost Happiness maintenance. | Economic, Expansionist | Mountain King: Increases relationship for the player with the fewest Mountains; decreases relationship for the player with the most. |
| Tecumseh (Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack) | Nicaakiyakoolaakwe: +1 Food and Production per Age in Settlements for every City-State you are Suzerain of. +1 Combat Strength for all your Units for every City-State you are Suzerain of. | Diplomatic, Economic | Suzerain of the World: Decreases relationship when a player disperses as Independent; increases relationship if the player does not have an active “Befriend Independent” Project. |
| Trung Trac | Hai Ba Trung: +3 free Promotions on your first Army Commander. Your Commanders gain +20% experience. +10% Science in Cities on Tropical tiles. This bonus is doubled during any Formal War you declare. | Militaristic, Scientific | Van Minh: Decreases relationship with the player having the greatest amount of Promotions across all Commanders; increases relationship with the player having the least. |
| Xerxes, King of Kings | Crusher of Rebellions: +3 Combat Strength for Units that are attacking in neutral or enemy territory. +100 Culture and Gold per Age upon capturing a Settlement for the first time. +10% Gold in all Settlements, doubled in Settlements not founded by you. +1 Settlement limit per Age. | Economic, Militaristic | Lord of Fire: Decreases relationship when a player is not at war; increases relationship when a player is at war. |
| Xerxes, the Achaemenid (Deluxe Content Pack) | Silk Road: +1 Trade Route limit with all other Leaders. +50 Culture and 100 Gold per Age when you create a Trade Route or Road. +1 Culture and Gold per Age on Unique Buildings and Unique Improvements. | Cultural, Economic | Lord of Coin: Decreases relationship if the player has a greater or equal number of Trade Routes; increases relationship if the player has fewer. |
This information should provide a solid foundation for choosing your Leader in Civilization VII. Remember to check The Escapist for further updates and gameplay strategies.
