Updated at: 16-05-2023 - By: Leo Hall
Our top-tier list of Civilization 6 civilizations provides an instant snapshot of the current meta. The best Civilization 6 tier list can be found here.

Civilization 6 is a strategy game designed for serious players, so it requires them to think about a large number of different strategies.

Players with a high skill cap will find success at the game’s hardest settings.

While strategy goes a long way in Civ 6, so does your choice of civilization. The game features civilizations that make it easier or harder to conquer the globe.

We’ve ranked the in-game civilizations from best to worst to give you a sense of how they compare to one another.

There is no better resource than this one to help you choose the best civilization for your playstyle.

List of Subjects Show

S-Tier

These cultures currently dominate the game. They can successfully complete any victory path, even at the hardest settings.

Civilization Leader Money for the Head Superior Capability Separate Item Distinctive Building
Australia Curtin, John The Fortress of Humanity Country of Australia Digger Desert Outpost
America T. rex the Bull Moose Parks and Historic Sites The Founders Mustang P-51 Picture House
Maori Kupe Journey of Kupe Mana Toa Marae
Japan Tokimune Hojo Holy Breeze Meiji Restoration Samurai Fabrication of Electronics
Russia Peter The Supreme Mission Russian Motherland Cossack Lavra
Portugal Joao III Cerco’s Gate The Indian House Nau Training for Navigators

My Civ 6 Tier List - This is my personal opinion, so probably a lot of you  will have different opinions. Tell me in the comment section! : r/civ

 A-Tier

The simplest way to put it would be to call them “nerfed S-Tiers.” It takes more work and skill on the player’s part, but they can completely dominate regardless of skill level or victory path. When under the enemy’s command, these cultures will be formidable foes.

Civilization Leader Profit Sharing for the Top Dogs Special Capacity Separate Item Distinctive Form
America Wild-Eyed Teddy Corollary of Roosevelt The Founders Hard-Core Biker Assembly Studio
Arabia Saladin Faithfulness to the Truth The Final Messenger Mamluk Madrasa
Brazil Pedro II Magnanimous Amazon M. Gérald Minas The Copacabana Street Party
Egypt Cleopatra Bride of the Mediterranean Iteru Rider-Archer Maryannu Sphinx
Greece Gorgo Thermopylae The Republic of Plato Hoplite Acropolis
Big Columbia A. K. A. Simon Bolivar Excellent Campanile Patriotic Ejection Unit Lianero Hacienda
Persia Cyrus Demise of Babylon Satrapies Immortal Pairidaeza
Hungary Joseph Corvinus King Raven The Danube’s Shining Pearl Huszar Spa Treatments

B-Tier

These cultures can be seen as leaders in their chosen field of victory (typically cultural dominance). While not as flexible as S and A-tiers, their laser-like focus on one strategy for victory more than makes up for this.

Civilization Leader Bonus for Being the Team Leader Superior Capability Separate Item Distinctive Form
Maya Miss Six Sky Ajaw Mutal Ix Mayab Hul’che Observatory
Mali I, Mansa Musa Sahelian Businessmen Jeli folk songs Army of the Mandekalu Suguba
Spain King Philip V To El Escorial Gold Ships Conquistador Mission
Korea Seondeok Hwarang Tri-Polar Kingdoms Hwacha Seowon
China Qin Shi Huang Inaugural Emperor What Is the Dynastic Cycle? Tiger Crouching Imperial Wall
China Khan Kublai
Khmer King Jayavarman VII King’s Religious Retreats The Great Bays Domrey Prasat
Sumeria Gilgamesh Travels with Enkidu Epic Journey War-Cart Ziggurat
Greece Pericles Glory All Around Me Republic, by Plato Hoplite Acropolis
Babylon Hammurabi No. Illu. Sirum. Asenath Anu Enlil Asap Kibittum Palgum
Ethiopia King Menelik II of Ethiopia Ministerial Conference Traditions of Aksum Clans of the Oromo Structured Into the Rock
Phoenicia Dido Creator of Carthage Colonies in the Mediterranean Bireme Cothon

C-Tier

C-Tier cultures, like B-Tier ones, tend to specialize. Their lack of competitive viability stems from the fact that the current meta makes it difficult to achieve victory using those strategies.

Several of the civilizations here boast an expertise in dominance and scientific victories, but there are more powerful civilizations that can follow the same path to victory and still be competitive in other areas.

Civilization Leader Rewards for Those at the Top Special Capacity Special Case Specially Constructed
Aztec Montezuma Tlatoani presents Five Suns’ Mythology Warrior Eagle Tlachtli
Byzantium Basil II Porphyrogennetos Taxis Tagma Hippodrome
Dutch Wilhelmina The Yellow Radio Large Rivers “The Seven Provinces” Polder
Georgia Taman Praise to God, the Christian Kingdom The power of one Khevsur Tsikhe
Nubia Amanitore Meroe’s Kandake Ta-Seti Puni Archer The Meroe Kandake
Poland Jadwiga Union of Lithuania Liberty in Gold Hussar with Wings Sukiennice
Inca Pachacuti Nan Qhapaq Mit’a Warak’aq Garden Terraces

The Ultimate Civ 6 Leader Tier List : r/CivVI

D-Tier

Failure-prone societies led by people with a limited set of useful skills when facing difficult situations.

Civilization Leader Reward for Being the Team’s Leader Special Capacity Separate Item Distinctive Form
Sweden Kristina Northern Minerva The Quest for the Nobel Carolean Outdoor Museum
Vietnam Ba Trieu Send the aggressors packing! Delta of the Nine Dragon River Voi Chien Thanh
Canada Mr. Wilfrid Laurier Westerns, Final Best Peace’s Four Expressions Mountie Westerns, Final Best
Ottoman Suleiman Imperial Adviser Massive Turkish Attack Arabic Pirate Imperial Adviser
Indonesia Gitarja Goddess of the Three Realms, Highest in Honor Nusantara, the Great Jong Kampung
France Medici’s wife, Catherine The Catherine the Great Air Force Tour de Force Guard of the Emperor Chateau
Germany Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick Barbarossa King of the Holy Roman Empire Imperial Cities, Free! U-Boat Hansa
Rome Trajan The Column of Trajan Rome is the End All Be All Legion The Column of Trajan

 F-Tier

The current worst civilisations in the game. These civilizations and their rulers have limited utility across the board. They are unparalleled by any other option, making them perfect for a skills showdown.

Civilization Leader Profit Sharing for the Top Dogs Superior Capability Special Case Distinctive Form
France Catherine, Your Majesty The Wonders of Catherine Tour de Force Imperial Guard Chateau
Mongolia To the Genghis Khan Mongol Invasion Ortoo Keshig Mongol Invasion
England Victoria British Peace British Museum/World’s Fair Workshop Sea Dog Dockyard of the Royal Navy
Mongolia Kbla Khan Gerege Ortoo Keshig Ordu
Kongo Nzinga, Mvemba Change of Faith Nkisi Mbeba Ngao Mbanza
England Aquitaine’s Eleanor The Love Court Global Manufacturing Complex Sea Dog Dockyard of the Royal Navy
Gaul Ambiorix Reigning Eburones monarch Culture Hallstat Gaesatae Oppidum
Macedonia The Great Alexander To the Ends of the Earth Union of the Greeks Hypaspist Basilicoi Paides
Scythia Tomyris Murderer of Cyrus The Steppe’s Natives Saka Archer on a Horse Kurgan
Mapuche Lautaro Rogue Falcon Toqui Rogue Malon Chemamull
Zulu Shaka Amabutho Isibongo Impi Ikanda

Civilization 6: everything you need to know

Build Cities Quickly

Cities are the backbone of any sustainable civilization, increasing production and laying the groundwork for future generations. Many players make the mistake of not establishing multiple cities during the Ancient Era because they believe it is too difficult or unnecessary.

A good rule of thumb is to have three cities built by turn 50; this will give you a solid process for creating units or structures and a stranglehold on the surrounding area early on, allowing you to expand your empire later. One city can be responsible for mass-producing army units to guard the borders and search for barbarian camps, while the other cities focus on building World Wonders and basic buildings to expand the metropolis.

Live Down By The River

Settling cities along these streams provides freshwater for continuous growth and the option to build a Water Mill, making it an undeniably successful strategy in Civilization 6.

You should capitalize on every available resource right from the get-go if you want to ensure a steady stream of production for your earliest cities. This is especially important early on when most structures can’t supply it.

Plan Your District Layout Early

After playing for a while, your preferred World Wonders and strategies for victory become clear. The Pyramids require a free desert tile, so if you ever find yourself wanting to construct them, you know what to do.

The only thing worse than not having enough room to build a critical district or a World Wonder is actually having to build one. Create a strategy with your desired outcome in mind as soon as possible and revisit it frequently.

Identify Your Winning Strategy

While it’s easy to see how certain leaders can achieve success, you might be surprised at how much you can accomplish with less-than-ideal circumstances. Taking advantage of a Natural Wonder or an abundance of resources and luxuries can help you find your synergy.

Ignoring the obvious, albeit challenging, path increases the likelihood of failing to meet the victory condition. Allowing yourself to fall into a rut can cause you to lose perspective and cause you to miss important details.

Utilize Special Abilities

Each of the leaders has unique skills that will help the group advance. Failure to capitalize on these strengths can lead to an unpleasant experience, so it’s important to learn each leader’s area of expertise before relying on them. When deciding on a leader, it’s important to consider the tools they already possess that could give the team a head start.

Gilgamesh of Sumer and Peter the Great of Russia are two examples of mighty leaders. The Sumerians have a high rate of success in battle, and as a result of their Epic Quest ability, you will be rewarded with a Tribal Village for every defeated barbarian stronghold. If you go with the Russians, each new city you found will get an extra territory tile thanks to their Mother Russia ability. Although one additional territory tile may not seem like much at first, its impact on your empire’s size will become clear very quickly. ​​​​​​

Expand, Expand, Expand

It’s human nature to become fixated on maximizing the profit from each tile, but doing so could be risky. If you don’t have enough cities to generate an advantage over your opponents, you may lose the game even if you don’t play a leader who encourages aggressive expansion.

Figure out how to build Wonders of the World while keeping your country safe and expanding to your neighbor’s front door. They may grumble at first, but with skillful diplomacy, you can usually head off a full-scale conflict. If you don’t take advantage of your land early on, your city could be overrun by a superior army or a sudden scientific breakthrough by your opponent.

Pursue Barbarians

It can be easy to lose sight of approaching bands of barbarians amidst initial game planning. However, there is a problem when those random scouts turn into waves of military units that are technologically superior to what you have right now.

It is worthwhile to track down the barbarian camps and destroy them regardless of the difficulty level you play at. When you eliminate enemies in your area, you not only improve your safety, but also your Era Score.

Take Advantage Of City-States

Neither Pericles nor conquest are the only uses for city-states. They can also provide advantages in the beginning of the game. You could buy their loyalty with money in Civilization 5. You will need to dispatch armies of envoys and provide them with quests in order to succeed in Civilization 6.

First contact with a city-state earns you one envoy to send to that nation. Gaining an early advantage over other leaders is possible through early use of military and trade advantages, as well as through strengthening your victory condition.

Build A Standing Army

Players of Civilization 6 often fantasize about fielding an army of Giant Death Robots, but these menacing machines don’t become available until the late game. Constructing a permanent military force early on not only deters aggression from nearby neighbors, but also provides a means of increasing one’s Era Score.

While pursuing barbarians or taking advantage of favorable policies, your army can contribute to more than just protecting the home front. You could be in danger from a number of different directions (or be overrun by a nasty zombie apocalypse) if you wait too long to allocate funds to military units.

My friend and I made a Civ VI tier list, what are your thoughts? : r/civ

Send Delegations

It is easy to lose sight of the delegation system in the beginning, when you are busy establishing your empire and fighting off your enemies. Ignoring this aspect of the game can hinder your chances of reaching a successful endgame, even if you have disabled the Diplomatic Victory condition.

These preliminary diplomatic efforts will provide insight into your opponents’ strategies and give you a head start on achieving a Science Victory. Better intelligence via spies will be required, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept mystery in the beginning twists.

Build Mines And Lumber Mills

Cities that fail to meet their production quotas are a surefire way to end any game. Slow economic development and production could make it difficult to complete World Wonders on schedule.

High numbers to produce basic units or buildings are annoying, and they can quickly derail any win condition. If you want a granary sooner than 30 turns, research this technology as soon as possible.

Reset The Map

Regardless of what others may say, a society’s foundation is crucial to its success or failure. It doesn’t matter if you’re on the edge of a continent by the sea or in the middle surrounded by fertile farmland; making the most of your location is critical to your success. But suppose you have to begin in a less than ideal spot. The map can be reset easily.

There is no shame in starting from a different location on the map. Some roles can be accommodated, while others will only bring you misery. Although establishing urban centers and spreading your culture is crucial, doing so from a coastal location is next to impossible. Resetting the map and starting over is faster than spending turns traveling to a better location.

Avoid Surprise Wars

Until the end of the Ancient Era, this isn’t a pressing concern, but launching unexpected wars after that could prove disastrous. Most win conditions are difficult to achieve because of the diplomatic repercussions of warmongering penalties, which can last for decades. Don’t miss our guide on how to conquer a civilization if you’re determined to go for a Domination Victory.

Be patient before you send in your brand-new, permanently stationed crossbowmen. Avoiding war is a top strategy for building a prosperous empire, and you’ll be grateful you took that route in retrospect. Denounce your enemies and wait 5 turns to determine which Casus Belli will result in the least punishment.

Best Civilization VI Tips and Tricks for Nintendo Switch

Play to your Strengths

In Civ V, you get to assume the role of any civilization you like. This is your in-game persona, and it has special abilities. Such examples include France’s increased output of wonders, England’s deployment of an additional military unit when establishing colonies elsewhere, and Amanitore’s increased output of Archers. Each culture has its own preferences for the types of environments in which its members thrive.

There are multiple paths to victory in Civilization VI. The dominant scientific, cultural, religious, or numerical factor. Knowing your desired type of victory will help you select a Civilization best suited to achieving that type of victory. Gorgo’s bonuses will help you achieve your goals more quickly and easily. You can quickly establish your dominance over the game by tailoring your strategies to the specific Civilization you’re playing.

Pick the right place to found your city

The rate at which a city develops is directly related to the resources already present within its limits. If you want a city that gets things done without much prodding from you, you’ll need to consider how much emphasis is placed on the production of the various aspects of play. Industries, foods, sciences, and cultures all contribute to this. You can improve your city’s growth rates by making better use of the various facilities at your disposal. The addition of natural features like rivers and hills increases productivity, while the addition of manmade features like plantations increases cultural output.

Each city is given 6 tiles to begin with. The city and the adjacent six tiles. Your city will get bigger as its population does. This means that it is preferable to build a city that has access to a wide variety of resources both in its initial location and in the surrounding three tiles, where it can eventually expand.

Decide what to focus on

Once a city has been located, it is time to determine which yields are most vital to the city’s economy. Concentrating on Science is a smart move if the mountains are all around you. Alternatively, trade may be your best bet if you are located near multiple cities belonging to City-States or other Civilizations. Each city should prioritize a particular yield, making it easier to achieve bonuses, increase that yield, and eventually construct relevant Wonders there. You can make sure that your city will never be unprepared for a cultural or scientific crisis by carefully directing the resources it produces.

There was less of a need for specialized urban centers in earlier epochs. That’s because the first hundred turns or so are dedicated to laying the groundwork for your empire. It is possible that your early cities will serve multiple purposes as you seek to expand your territory, amass the best resources, and seal off any potential entry points for rival Civilizations. However, once you move past those early periods, you’ll have to prioritize what matters most in each city.

Find City States Fast

You should quickly seize any and all bonuses that come your way in the beginning of the game. You should race against other major civilizations to locate as many City-States as possible. If your civilization is the first major one to find a city-state, that city-state will send an envoy to you. You get a bonus of some kind, whether it be gold, knowledge, money, or faith, from this first envoy. A 2 bonus to any of these yields in the first 50 turns can greatly ease your burden later on.

The free envoy is a fantastic early-game bonus, and you’ll continue to receive benefits from them as you send the envoys you earn in the future. In addition, each City-State you find will have a request for you to complete. These requests typically involve eliminating enemy encampments, constructing a new unit or district, or gaining a technological breakthrough. If you agree to their request, they will send you a free envoy, which means that you can quickly gain significant sway by simply paying attention to their needs when you meet with them. Investing the time to respond to requests and send envoys from City-States can earn you valuable allies throughout the game.

Tech and Culture Boosts

A tree is at your disposal for learning about different civilizations and technologies. You need to do research on each node of the tree before you can access it. Depending on where in the tech tree you are, this could take anywhere from three to fifty turns. However, there is a simple solution that can make learning about new cultures and technologies a breeze. Everyone has an “Aha!” moment. Methods to progress in-game and eventually find the required information.

Killing an enemy unit with a slinger can help unlock archery, while establishing a settlement on the coast can help unlock sailing. In the early game, when every advantage counts, having access to a Eureka can help you unlock crucial technologies more quickly.

Your Best Civilization Vi Tips and Tricks?

Whether you’re new to the Civilization series or have already invested hundreds of hours into the newest installment, I hope you find these suggestions useful. Is there something I’m missing on this list, or do you have a suggestion for something I should know? Write them down in the discussion!