"Civilization 7: Ranking Modern Civilizations"

In *Civilization 7*, the Modern Age is a pivotal era where the game's outcome is often determined, marking the transition from the Exploration Age to the endgame. Strategic decisions made during this age can significantly influence whether you emerge victorious. Your choice of civilization plays a crucial role in securing a win, as the Modern Age introduces a variety of civilizations, with ten available in the base game and an additional one with the Crossroads of the World DLC. Pairing the right civilization with the appropriate leader can unlock powerful synergies, enhancing your gameplay experience. Below, we provide a tier list to guide your selection of the best Modern Age civilizations in Civ 7.

Note: The leader you choose will further enhance your gameplay through buffs. Consider how each civilization interacts with your selected leader, as this can significantly impact your strategy. The following tier list ranks civilizations based on their standalone strength in the Modern Age.

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 not been ranked yet. Its performance will be assessed over time.

S-Tier Modern Civs

These civilizations are the cream of the crop in Civilization 7, offering robust military units and excellent resource management, enabling you to dominate the game map.

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 with the Amphibious ability, cheaper to train. Prospector - American Unique Civilian Unit that claims Land Resources outside your regular Settlement radius. Industrial Park - American Unique Quarter formed by constructing the Railyard and Steel Mill in the same district, providing +2 Food in this City for every Resource assigned. 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 excels in resource utilization, making it one of the top civilizations in the Modern Age. The Frontier Expansion trait offers significant gold boosts when improving resources, while the Industrial Park maximizes Food, Production, and Gold. The Prospector enables you to secure crucial resources, and the Marine unit adds tactical flexibility with its Amphibious ability, making America a versatile and powerful choice.

S-tier: Meiji Japan

Goisshin - Gain Science equal to 50% of the Building’s Production cost when Overbuilding a Building. +30% Production towards constructing Dogo Onsen. Mikasa - Meiji Japanese Unique Heavy Naval Unit that respawns at 50% HP in the closest Settlement upon destruction. Zero - Meiji Japanese Unique Fighter Air Unit with increased range and +4 Combat Strength against other Fighter Air Units, capable of intercepting enemy Air Units. Zaibatsu - Meiji Unique Quarter formed by constructing the Ginko and Jukogyo in the same District, providing +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 offers powerful resource management and strong military units. The Goisshin trait allows you to adapt your infrastructure while gaining Science, and the Zaibatsu Quarter provides substantial Gold and Production boosts. The Mikasa and Zero units add significant military strength, making Meiji Japan a formidable choice for players aiming for a technological or military victory.

A-Tier Modern Civs

A-Tier civilizations offer a balanced mix of resources and military power, making them reliable options for various victory paths.

A-Tier: French Empire

Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite - Select Celebration effects of any standard Government in the Modern Age. +30% Production towards constructing the Eiffel Tower. Garde Imperiale - French Imperial Unique Infantry Unit with Ranged attack capability and +2 Combat Strength within a friendly Army Commander Radius, more expensive to train. Jacobin - Great Person with one charge, trainable in Cities with an Avenue, cost increases per Jacobin trained. Avenue - French Imperial Quarter formed by constructing the Jardin a la Francaise and Salon in the same District, providing +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 is ideal for a Cultural victory, with the Avenue providing a strong synergy of Culture and Happiness. The Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite trait enhances this by allowing you to choose Celebration effects, while the Garde Imperiale adds defensive capabilities.

A-Tier: Mexico

Revolucion - Starts with a unique Government, Revolucion, offering one Celebration effect and +30% Culture for 10 Turns. Cannot enter other Government types. +30% Production towards constructing Palacio de Bellas Artes. Soldaderas - Mexican Unique Infantry Unit that heals adjacent Units +10 HP, non-stacking. Revolucionario - Great Person with one charge, trainable in Cities with a Zocalo, cost increases per Revolucionario trained. Zocalo - Mexican Unique Quarter formed by constructing the Catedral and Portal de Mercanderes in the same District, providing +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 another strong contender for a Cultural victory, offering high Culture output and access to Gold. The Zocalo Quarter enhances Culture, while the Soldaderas unit adds a healing component to your military 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 with +4 Combat Strength if adjacent to another Gusa. Hangshang - Qing Unique Merchant capable of establishing Trade Routes to import Resources, gaining 50 Gold for each Resource acquired via naval Trade Routes. Huiguan - Qing Unique Quarter formed by constructing the Qianzhuang and Shiguan in the same District, providing +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.

The Qing civilization offers a blend of economic and cultural benefits, though managing the Science penalty is crucial. The Gusa unit provides military strength, while the Hangshang and Huiguan enhance trade and influence.

B-Tier Modern Civs

B-Tier civilizations offer specific benefits but may require more specialized strategies.

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 that heals +10 HP from Pillaging any tile. Mwami - Bugandan Unique Army Commander with 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, placed on Flat Terrain, one per Settlement.

Buganda thrives on an aggressive playstyle, gaining resources through pillaging. The River Raids trait and units like Abambowa and Mwami make it a strong choice for players who enjoy warfare.

B-Tier: Prussia

Blood and Iron - Units receive +1 Combat Strength for every Unfriendly or worse Civ Relationship. Hussar - Prussian Unique Cavalry Unit with +1 Movement and +1 Combat Strength for every Movement it has remaining. Stuka - Prussian Ground Attack Air Unit with +3 Combat Strength against Land Units. Staatseisenbahn - Prussian Unique Railroad providing +2 Gold and Production on Rural tiles.

Prussia is ideal for players who enjoy a confrontational approach, gaining strength from poor relationships with other civilizations. The Hussar and Stuka units are powerful, but Prussia's focus on military might may leave you lagging in other areas.

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 with +4 Combat Strength in friendly territory. Katyusha Rocket Launcher - Russian Unique Siege Unit with +1 Movement and Splash ability, dealing damage to enemy Units adjacent to the target. Obschchina - +2 Food from adjacent Farms. +2 Culture in Tundra. Russian Empire Unique Improvement, ageless.

Russia offers solid bonuses to Culture and Science, particularly in Tundra. The Cossack and Katyusha Rocket Launcher provide defensive military options, though the civilization's bonuses are somewhat situational.

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 with increased Ranged Strength, +1 Movement, and the ability to move after attacking. Uparat - Great Person with one charge, trainable in Cities when an Independent Power has been befriended, cost increases per Uparat trained. Bang - +3 Culture and Happiness. Siamese Unique Improvement, ageless, placed on a Navigable River.

Siam's unique trait allows for immediate control over City-States, though it requires significant Influence. The Chang Beun unit provides tactical flexibility, making Siam a good choice for players focused on diplomacy and ranged combat.

C-Tier Modern Civs

C-Tier civilizations may require more experienced players to leverage their unique playstyles effectively.

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 capable of making a Bombard Ranged attack. Zamindar - Mughal Unique Settler that founds new Towns with +1 Population on new Settlements. Stepwell - +2 Food from adjacent Farms. Mughal Unique Improvement, ageless, placed on Flat Terrain.

The Mughal civilization offers a high Gold boost but comes with a significant penalty to other yields. Managing this trade-off is crucial, as Science and Culture are vital in the Modern Age. With the right strategy, Mughal can be powerful, but it requires careful management.