Top Ancient Age Civilizations for Every Leader in Civilization VII

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When selecting a leader’s first civilization in Civilization 7, the game emphasizes the importance of geographical choices. While that’s a neat touch for immersion, the choices often feel a bit forced and, more importantly, may not always align with the leader’s actual play style.

To help you out, we’ve put together our top one to two picks from the Antiquity Age for each leader. Some selections might seem obvious, while others may surprise you. All of these suggestions have proven effective for us, and we believe they’ll work well for you too. Feel free to share your experiences!

Amina

Civilization Choices:

Civilization	Explanation
Aksum	– The unique Tankwa trade ship complements Amina’s focus on trade by enhancing economic benefits. – Amina’s cities get an additional resource slot, making the +2 Gold on Resources even more beneficial.
Persia	– The Immortals serve as powerful infantry units in the Antiquity Age, aligning perfectly with Amina’s military capabilities. – The Hazarapathi commanders are also useful, and automatically unlocking Mongolia in the Exploration Age bolsters her military prowess further.

Ashoka, World Conqueror

Civilization Choices:

Civilization	Explanation
Maurya	– The Purabhettarah unique units excel at city conquests during the Antiquity Age. – Each unique building increases happiness, enhancing Ashoka’s production capabilities when happiness is high.

Ashoka, World Renouncer

Civilization Choices:

Civilization	Explanation
Maurya	– The happiness bonuses from Maurya’s unique buildings provide Ashoka with significant advantages similar to those of his counterpart. – The Vihara and Dharamshala buildings can support both cultural and scientific paths, boosting adjacency bonuses.
Mississippian	– The added +1 Food adjacency from resources helps Ashoka expand swiftly, boosted by food derived from happiness and celebrations. – The Potkop improvement increases food and adds gold bonuses.

Augustus

Civilization Choices:

Civilization	Explanation
Rome	– Augustus thrives on Towns, receiving +1 Culture from each Town’s City Center. – The unique Legatus commander gains a charge for building a settlement every three promotions, increasing Towns significantly. – The Legion infantry is powerful enough to ensure the Legatus keeps earning promotions. – The Basilica and Temple of Jupiter unique buildings ramp up cultural strength and yield additional gold through towns.
Han	– Towns experience faster growth due to an extra population boost during their initial growth. – The Great Wall improvement helps maintain culture as you upgrade towns to cities.

Civilization

Explanation

Rome

– Augustus thrives on Towns, receiving +1 Culture from each Town’s City Center.
– The unique Legatus commander gains a charge for building a settlement every three promotions, increasing Towns significantly.
– The Legion infantry is powerful enough to ensure the Legatus keeps earning promotions.
– The Basilica and Temple of Jupiter unique buildings ramp up cultural strength and yield additional gold through towns.

Han

– Towns experience faster growth due to an extra population boost during their initial growth.
– The Great Wall improvement helps maintain culture as you upgrade towns to cities.

Benjamin Franklin

Civilization Choices:

Civilization	Explanation
Maya	– Maya works well with Franklin’s science boost, thanks to the Palace benefiting from adjacent vegetated terrain. – The Kuh Nah unique building offers a substantial +3 Science bonus, and even more if placed strategically on vegetated terrain. – Automatically unlocks Hawai’i, enhancing Franklin’s production capabilities.
Greece	– Franklin has the ability to support dual diplomatic efforts of the same kind, making the +3 Influence from the Palace a boon. – The Parthenon provides +4 Culture and +2 Influence when positioned on Rough Terrain.

Catherine the Great

Civilization Choices:

Civilization	Explanation
Maurya	– The option to choose a second Pantheon allows you to explore Tundra-based options while benefiting culturally. – Happiness-related unique bonuses can cover the potential lack of fresh water on Tundra tiles. – Automatically unlocks Majapahit, offering cultural advantages.

Charlemagne

Civilization Choices:

Civilization	Explanation
Maurya	– Another great choice, Maurya offers not only happiness boosts but also the impressive Purabhettarah Cavalry units, with two gained per celebration.
Maya	– The K’uh Nah building enhances science, promoting happiness, which can lead to celebrations and subsequent cavalry units. – Jalaw Happiness Buildings provide additional happiness benefits.

Note:

While the above selections may not unlock Mongolia, which is excellent for cavalry unit exploration, Charlemagne does automatically unlock the Normans, which can be effective for combat. However, it might be smart to prioritize unlocking Mongolia earlier in the game for better versatility in cavalry units.