Civilization 7: Modern Civilizations Tier List

The Modern Age in Civilization 7 is pivotal; it's where victories are secured and the game concludes. Mastering this era, building upon your Exploration Age successes, is crucial for winning. Your civilization choice significantly impacts your chances of victory. The Modern Age offers ten civilizations (eleven with the Crossroads of the World DLC), each boasting unique strengths when paired with the right leader. This tier list ranks civilizations based on their inherent power, independent of leader synergies, which can significantly alter their effectiveness.

Best Civ 7 Modern Civilizations

Civilization 7 Modern Civilization Tier List

S-tier: America, Meiji Japan

A-tier: French Empire, Mexico, Qing

B-tier: Buganda, Prussia, Russia, Siam

C-tier: Mughal

Note: Great Britain (DLC) is unranked pending further evaluation.

S-Tier Modern Civilizations

These are Civilization 7's top contenders, offering powerful military units and resource access for map dominance.

S-tier: America

Frontier Expansion: Gain 100 Gold per resource improvement. +30% production towards the Statue of Liberty. Marine: Amphibious unique infantry unit; cheaper to train. Prospector: Claims land resources outside your settlement radius. Industrial Park: Unique quarter (+2 Food per resource assigned); created by building a Railyard and Steel Mill in the same district. Railyard: +5 Production; +1 Production adjacency for Quarters and Wonders. Ageless. Steel Mill: +6 Production; Gold adjacency for Resources and Wonders. Ageless.

America excels in resource utilization. Frontier Expansion provides substantial gold boosts, while the Industrial Park's synergy between Railyard and Steel Mill generates significant Food, Production, and Gold, enabling rapid expansion. The Prospector secures vital resources, and the Marine's amphibious capabilities offer strategic flexibility.

S-tier: Meiji Japan

Goisshin: Gain Science (50% of building production cost) when overbuilding. +30% production towards Dogo Onsen. Mikasa: Unique heavy naval unit; respawns at 50% HP in the nearest settlement upon destruction. Zero: Unique fighter aircraft; increased range, +4 Combat Strength against other fighters, and air unit interception. Zaibatsu: Unique quarter (+1 Gold and Production on adjacent district buildings); created by building a Ginko and Jukogyo in the same district. Ginko: +5 Gold; +1 Gold adjacency for Gold Buildings and Wonders. Ageless. Jukogyo: +5 Production; +1 Production adjacency for coastal terrain and Wonders. Ageless.

Meiji Japan's resourcefulness is undeniable. Goisshin allows efficient district and building repurposing while generating Science. The Zaibatsu quarter boosts Gold and Production significantly. The Mikasa's unique respawn ability provides a powerful naval advantage, and the Zero fighter aircraft dominates the skies.

A-Tier Modern Civilizations

A-tier civilizations offer diverse resource access and strong military capabilities.

A-Tier: French Empire

Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite: Choose any Modern Age government's celebration effects. +30% production towards the Eiffel Tower. Garde Imperiale: Unique infantry unit with ranged attack; +2 Combat Strength within a friendly army commander's radius. More expensive to train. Jacobin: One-time Great Person; trainable in cities with an Avenue. Avenue: Unique quarter (+2 Happiness on city quarters); created by building a Jardin a la Francaise and Salon in the same district. Jardin a la Francaise: +5 Culture; +1 Happiness adjacency for Culture Buildings and Wonders. Ageless. Salon: +5 Happiness; +1 Culture adjacency for Happiness Buildings and Wonders. Ageless.

The French Empire synergizes Culture and Happiness effectively. The Avenue's feedback loop, fueled by Jardin a la Francaise and Salon, boosts Culture and Happiness, maximizing celebration effects from Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite. The Garde Imperiale provides solid military support.

A-Tier: Mexico

Revolucion: Unique government with a +30% Culture celebration effect (10 turns). +30% production towards Palacio de Bellas Artes. Soldaderas: Unique infantry unit; adjacent units heal +10 HP. Revolucionario: One-time Great Person; trainable in cities with a Zocalo. Zocalo: Unique quarter (+2 Culture per Tradition in government); created by building a Catedral and Portal de Mercaderes in the same district. Catedral: +5 Culture; +1 Happiness adjacency for Culture Buildings and Wonders. Ageless. Portal de Mercaderes: +5 Culture; +1 Gold adjacency for Gold Buildings and Wonders. Ageless.

Mexico is a Culture powerhouse. Revolucion's Culture bonus, coupled with the Zocalo's Culture generation, creates a potent cultural engine. The Soldaderas' healing ability enhances unit survivability.

A-Tier: Qing

Kang Qian Shengshi: +4 Gold, +3 Culture, +2 Influence, -1 Science from imported resources. +30% production towards Chengde Mountain Resort. Gusa: Unique infantry unit; +4 Combat Strength adjacent to another Gusa. Hangshang: Unique merchant; establishes trade routes for resource imports (50 Gold per resource via naval trade routes). Huiguan: Unique quarter (+35% Influence); created by building a Qianzhuang and Shiguan in the same district. Shiguan: +6 Science; +1 Happiness adjacency for Happiness Buildings and Wonders. Ageless. Qianzhuang: +5 Gold; +1 Gold adjacency for Gold Buildings and Wonders. Ageless.

The Qing civilization offers a balanced approach. Kang Qian Shengshi provides significant boosts to Gold, Culture, and Influence, but requires careful management of the Science penalty. The Gusa unit excels in formation combat, and Hangshang facilitates resource acquisition through trade routes.

B-Tier Modern Civilizations

B-tier civilizations are strong but may be more specialized or effective in specific scenarios.

B-Tier: Buganda

River Raids: Gain Culture from pillaging (equal to yield/healing gained). Land units gain Amphibious ability. +30% production towards Muzibu Azaala Mpanga. Abambowa: Unique infantry unit; heals +10 HP from pillaging. Mwami: Unique army commander; 50% increased pillaging yields within command radius. Kabaka’s Lake: +3 Happiness; receives lake yield bonuses. Ageless.

Buganda thrives on aggressive play. River Raids, Abambowa, and Mwami synergize to maximize pillaging gains, but require constant warfare. Kabaka’s Lake provides Happiness and lake resource bonuses.

B-Tier: Prussia

Blood and Iron: Units gain +1 Combat Strength per unfriendly civilization relationship. Hussar: Unique cavalry unit; +1 Movement; +1 Combat Strength per remaining movement point. Stuka: Unique ground attack aircraft; +3 Combat Strength against land units. Staatseisenbahn: Unique railroad; +2 Gold and Production on rural tiles.

Prussia excels in aggressive warfare. Blood and Iron boosts unit strength based on negative relationships with other civilizations. Hussar and Stuka provide powerful military options, but this strategy demands constant expansion and resource management.

B-Tier: Russia

Prosveshchenie: +1 Culture and Science on district tiles (additional Science on Tundra). +30% production towards the Hermitage. Cossack: Unique cavalry unit; +4 Combat Strength in friendly territory. Katyusha Rocket Launcher: Unique siege unit; +1 Movement; splash damage. Obschchina: +2 Food from adjacent Farms; +2 Culture on Tundra. Ageless.

Russia offers balanced Science and Culture generation, particularly on Tundra. Cossack and Katyusha Rocket Launcher provide defensive and offensive capabilities.

B-Tier: Siam

Itsapharahab: Unique diplomatic action to instantly become a city-state's suzerain (at increased Influence cost). +30% production towards Doi Suthep. Chang Beun: Unique ranged unit; increased ranged strength and +1 Movement; can move after attacking. Uparat: One-time Great Person; trainable when befriending an independent power. Bang: +3 Culture and Happiness. Ageless.

Siam's unique diplomatic action allows rapid city-state control, but requires sufficient Influence. Chang Beun is a strong ranged unit, but overall yields are less specialized than other B-tier civilizations.

C-Tier Modern Civilizations

C-tier civilizations are situational or require specialized strategies.

C-Tier: Mughal

Paradise of Nations: +75% Gold from all sources; -25% to all other yields. +30% production towards the Red Fort. Sepoy: Unique infantry unit; bombard ranged attack. Zamindar: Unique settler; +1 Population on new settlements. Stepwell: +2 Food from adjacent Farms. Ageless.

Mughal's massive Gold bonus can be incredibly powerful, but the significant penalty to other yields requires careful resource management to avoid falling behind in Science and Culture. Other traits are useful but less impactful.