The Modern Age in Civilization 7 marks a pivotal turning point in the game, where the fate of empires is sealed and the game reaches its conclusion. This era demands strategic mastery as you transition from the Exploration Age, ensuring you leverage your advantages and make critical decisions that will lead to victory.
Choosing the right civilization is crucial for success in the Modern Age. With ten civilizations available (and eleven if you have the Crossroads of the World DLC), selecting one that complements your chosen leader can unlock powerful synergies. Below, we provide a tier list to guide your choice of the best Modern Age civilizations in Civilization 7.
It's important to remember that your leader's abilities can further enhance your civilization's strengths. While this tier list ranks civilizations based on their inherent power, consider how your chosen leader can synergize with your civilization to maximize your potential.
Best Civ 7 Modern Civs
Civ 7 Modern Civs Tier List
S-tier: America, Meiji Japan
A-tier: French Empire, Mexico, Qing
B-tier: Buganda, Prussia, Russia, Siam
C-tier: Mughal
Note: The new DLC Civilization, Great Britain, has yet to be ranked. Its performance will be assessed over time.
S-Tier Modern Civs
These civilizations stand at the pinnacle of Civilization 7's offerings, boasting access to formidable military units and vital resources that can lead to map domination.
S-tier: America
Frontier Expansion - Gain 100 Gold every time you improve a Resource. +30% Production towards constructing the Statue of Liberty.
Marine - American Unique Infantry Unit. Features the Amphibious ability and is cheaper to train.
Prospector - American Unique Civilian Unit. Claims a Land Resource outside of your regular Settlement radius.
Industrial Park - American Unique Quarter. Formed by constructing the Railyard and Steel Mill in the same district. Provides +2 Food in this City for every Resource assigned to this City.
Railyard - +5 Production. +1 Production Adjacency for Quarters and Wonders. American Unique Production Building. Ageless.
Steel Mill - +6 Production. Gold adjacency for Resources and Wonders. American Unique Production Building. Ageless.
America is a versatile civilization that excels in the Modern Age by efficiently utilizing resources. The Frontier Expansion trait can generate significant gold spikes from resource improvements. The combination of the Railyard and Steel Mill into the Industrial Park offers substantial Food, Production, and Gold, making America a well-rounded and fast-expanding civilization. The Prospector can secure crucial resources, boosting your yields, while the Marine's Amphibious ability adds tactical flexibility. America's strengths make it a top contender for success in the Modern Age.
S-tier: Meiji Japan
Goisshin - When you Overbuild a Building, gain Science equal to 50% of the Building’s Production cost. +30% Production towards constructing Dogo Onsen.
Mikasa - Meiji Japanese Unique Heavy Naval Unit. Respawns at the closest Settlement you own at 50% HP upon first destruction.
Zero - Meiji Japanese Unique Fighter Air Unit. Increased range. +4 Combat Strength against other Fighter Air Units. Can intercept enemy Air Units.
Zaibatsu - Meiji Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Ginko and Jukogyo in the same District. +1 Gold and Production on Buildings in adjacent Districts.
Ginko - +5 Gold. +1 Gold Adjacency for Gold Buildings and Wonders. Meiji Japan Unique Gold Building. Ageless.
Jukogyo - +5 Production. +1 Production Adjacency for Coastal Terrain and Wonders. Meiji Japan Unique Production Building. Ageless.
Meiji Japan is renowned for its resourcefulness and powerful units. The Goisshin trait allows for strategic district and building reshaping, yielding Science in the process. The Zaibatsu Quarter can generate significant Gold and Production, propelling you towards an endgame victory. The Mikasa's ability to respawn after being destroyed adds resilience to your naval forces, while the Zero offers superior aerial combat capabilities, making Meiji Japan a formidable force in the Modern Age.
A-Tier Modern Civs
A-Tier civilizations offer robust resource access and military strength, making them reliable choices for various victory paths.
A-Tier: French Empire
Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite - Select the Celebration effects of any standard Government in the Modern Age. +30% Production towards constructing the Eiffel Tower.
Garde Imperiale - French Imperial Unique Infantry Unit. Can make a Ranged attack. +2 Combat Strength within a friendly Army Commander Radius. More expensive to train.
Jacobin - A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in Cities with an Avenue, and the specific Jacobin received once. Cost increases per Jacobin trained.
Avenue - French Imperial Quarter. Created by constructing the Jardin a la Francaise and Salon in the same District. +2 Happiness on Quarters in this City.
Jardin a la Francaise - +5 Culture. +1 Happiness Adjacency for Culture Buildings and Wonders. French Empire Unique Culture Building. Ageless.
Salon - +5 Happiness. +1 Culture Adjacency for Happiness Buildings and Wonders. French Empire Unique Happiness Building. Ageless.
The French Empire excels in cultural synergy, making it an ideal choice for a Cultural victory. The Avenue, formed by the Jardin a la Francaise and Salon, creates a potent feedback loop of Culture and Happiness that can accelerate your progress through the Modern Age. The Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite trait amplifies this effect through frequent Celebrations. While the Garde Imperiale is not the strongest unit, it offers defensive capabilities to protect your cultural growth.
A-Tier: Mexico
Revolucion - Starts with a unique Government, Revolucion. This Government has one Celebration effect, +30% Culture for 10 Turns. Cannot enter any other Government type. +30% Production towards constructing Palacio de Bellas Artes.
Soldaderas - Mexican Unique Infantry Unit. Adjacent Units heal +10 HP. Does not stack.
Revolucionario - A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in Cities with a Zocalo, and the specific Revolucionario received is random. Each Revolucionario can only be received once. Cost increases per Revolucionario trained.
Zocalo - Mexican Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Catedral and Portal de Mercaderes in the same District. +2 Culture for every Tradition slotted into the Government.
Catedral - +5 Culture. +1 Happiness Adjacency for Culture Buildings and Wonders. Mexican Unique Culture Building. Ageless.
Portal de Mercaderes - +5 Culture. +1 Gold Adjacency for Gold Buildings and Wonders. Mexican Unique Culture Building. Ageless.
Mexico is a powerhouse in Culture, offering substantial Culture and Gold yields. The Revolucion trait and the Zocalo Quarter, formed by the Catedral and Portal de Mercaderes, provide significant Culture boosts, making Mexico an excellent choice for a Cultural victory. The Soldaderas unit enhances unit survivability, adding a tactical layer to your cultural strategy.
A-Tier: Qing
Kang Qian Shengshi - +4 Gold, +3 Culture, +2 Influence, but -1 Science from imported Resources. +30% Production towards constructing Chengde Mountain Resort.
Gusa - Qing Unique Infantry Unit. +4 Combat Strength if adjacent to another Gusa.
Hangshang - Qing Unique Merchant. Civilian who can establish a Trade Route to import Resources from a foreign Settlement. Gain 50 Gold for every Resource acquired when creating a naval Trade Route.
Huiguan - Qing Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Qianzhuang and Shiguan in the same District. +35% Influence in this Settlement.
Shiguan - +6 Science. +1 Happiness Adjacency for Happiness Buildings and Wonders. Qing Unique Science Building. Ageless.
Qianzhuang - +5 Gold. +1 Gold Adjacency for Gold Buildings and Wonders. Qing Unique Gold Building. Ageless.
Qing offers a mix of Gold, Culture, and Influence, though it comes with a Science penalty from imported resources. Effective management can mitigate this drawback, especially with the Shiguan's Science boost. The Gusa unit can be formidable in large formations, providing military strength to complement your resource management.
B-Tier Modern Civs
B-Tier civilizations are solid choices with specific strengths, though they may be more specialized and less versatile.
B-Tier: Buganda
River Raids - Gain Culture when pillaging Buildings or Improvements equal to the yield or healing gained. Land Military Units gain the Amphibious ability. +30% Production towards constructing Muzibu Azaala Mpanga.
Abambowa - Bugandan Unique Infantry Unit. Heals +10 HP from Pillaging any tile.
Mwami - Bugandan Unique Army Commander. 50% yields from pillaging within its Command Radius.
Kabaka’s Lake - +3 Happiness. Receives Lake yield bonuses, including yields for all Buganda’s abilities and the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga Wonder. Bugandan Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Must be placed on Flat Terrain. One per Settlement.
Buganda thrives on an aggressive playstyle, requiring constant warfare to pillage and gain resources. The River Raids trait, along with the Abambowa and Mwami units, rewards frequent pillaging, making it essential to maintain an active military campaign. While the Kabaka’s Lake provides Happiness and lake resources, Buganda lacks direct access to crucial Modern Age yields like Science and Culture, necessitating a focus on pillaging to compensate.
B-Tier: Prussia
Blood and Iron - Units receive +1 Combat Strength for every Unfriendly or worse Civ Relationship.
Hussar - Prussian Unique Cavalry Unit. Has +1 Movement. +1 Combat Strength for every Movement it has remaining.
Stuka - Prussian Ground Attack Air Unit. +3 Combat Strength against Land Units.
Staatseisenbahn - Prussian Unique Railroad. +2 Gold and Production on Rural tiles with a Staatseisenbahn.
Prussia is ideal for players who embrace conflict, gaining Combat Strength from poor relationships with other civilizations. The Hussar and Stuka units are strong, making Prussia a military powerhouse. However, its focus on military might can be limiting, as it lacks robust economic or cultural capabilities. Prussia's success hinges on constant warfare and territorial expansion to keep up with the demands of the Modern Age.
B-Tier: Russia
Prosveshchenie - +1 Culture on Districts in Cities. +1 Science on Districts in Cities in Tundra. +30% Production towards constructing the Hermitage.
Cossack - Russian Unique Cavalry Unit. +4 Combat Strength in friendly territory.
Katyusha Rocket Launcher - Russian Unique Siege Unit. Has +1 Movement. Lower base Combat Strength but has the Splash ability. Dealing damage to enemy Units adjacent to the target Unit.
Obschchina - +2 Food from adjacent Farms. +2 Culture in Tundra. Russian Empire Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Cannot be placed adjacent to another Obshchina.
Russia offers modest yield bonuses on Districts, with a focus on Culture and Science, especially in Tundra regions. While these bonuses are beneficial, they may not be enough to outpace more specialized civilizations. The Cossack and Katyusha Rocket Launcher units provide defensive capabilities, protecting your scientific and cultural advancements.
B-Tier: Siam
Itsapharahab - Gains a unique Diplomatic Action to immediately become Suzerain of a City-State at a higher Influence cost than Befriend Independent. +30% Production towards constructing Doi Suthep.
Chang Beun - Siamese Unique Ranged Unit. Has increased Ranged Strength and +1 Movement. Can move after attacking.
Uparat - A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in Cities when an Independent Power has been befriended, and the specific Uparat received is random. Each Uparat can only be received once. Cost increases per Uparat trained.
Bang - +3 Culture and Happiness. Siamese Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Must be placed on a Navigable River.
Siam's unique ability to instantly become Suzerain of a City-State can be powerful, but it requires a high Influence cost. Without inherent Influence generation, Siam's success depends on your leader's abilities and strategic use of ageless buildings. The Chang Beun unit offers tactical advantages with its ranged strength and mobility. Siam's strength lies in leveraging City-States for additional yields, though this is contingent on the right City-States being available.
C-Tier Modern Civs
C-Tier civilizations are situational and may require a more experienced player to maximize their potential.
C-Tier: Mughal
Paradise of Nations - +75% Gold from all sources. -25% to all other yields. +30% Production towards constructing the Red Fort.
Sepoy - Mughal Unique Infantry Unit. Can make a Bombard Ranged attack.
Zamindar - Mughal Unique Settler. Civilian Unit capable of founding new Towns. +1 Population on new Settlements.
Stepwell - +2 Food from adjacent Farms. Mughal Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Must be placed on Flat Terrain. Cannot be placed adjacent to another Stepwell.
The Mughal civilization offers a significant Gold boost with the Paradise of Nations trait, which can be leveraged to become the richest player in the game. However, the -25% penalty to all other yields requires careful management to maintain competitiveness in Science and Culture, crucial in the Modern Age. The Sepoy and Zamindar units provide additional strategic options, but Mughal's success hinges on effectively compensating for the yield penalty with strategic investments.
