As a game built for hardcore strategy players, Civilization 6 encourages the consideration of countless tactical actions to win games.
A high skill ceiling is required for players to be successful in the most challenging difficulty settings.
While winning in Civ 6 depends a lot on player skill, the civilization you choose also plays a huge role. There are civilizations in the game which make dominating the world much easier, while others actively handicap you.
To map out how civilizations in the game stack up against each other, we’ve ranked them from tiers S to F.
If you’re looking for the best civ to fit your playstyle, you’ll find no better guide than this one.
Table of ContentsShow
S-Tier
These are the best civilizations in the game at the moment. They have a good chance of winning any victory path available even on the highest difficulty settings.
Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | John Curtin | Citadel of Civilization | Land Down Under | Digger | Outback Station |
America | Bull Moose Teddy | Antiquities and Parks | Founding Fathers | P-51 Mustang | Film Studio |
Maori | Kupe | Kupe’s Voyage | Mana | Toa | Marae |
Japan | Hojo Tokimune | Divine Wind | Meiji Resroration | Samurai | Electronics Factory |
Russia | Peter | The Grand Embassy | Mother Russia | Cossack | Lavra |
Portugal | Joao III | Porta do Cerco | Casa da India | Nau | Navigation School |
A-Tier
The simplest description to these would be “nerfed S-Tiers.” They can completely dominate regardless of skill level and victory path, but it takes more effort and skill on the player’s end. When controlled by the opponent, these civilizations will surely give you a hard time.
Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
America | Rough Rider Teddy | Roosevelt Corollary | Founding Fathers | Rough Rider | Film Studio |
Arabia | Saladin | Righteousness of the Faith | The Last Prophet | Mamluk | Madrasa |
Brazil | Pedro II | Magnanimous | Amazon | Minas Geraes | Street Carnival, Copacabana |
Egypt | Cleopatra | Mediterranean’s Bride | Iteru | Maryannu ChariotArcher | Sphinx |
Greece | Gorgo | Thermopylae | Plato’s Republic | Hoplite | Acropolis |
Gran Columbia | Simon Bolivar | Campana Admirable | Ejercito Patriota | Lianero | Hacienda |
Persia | Cyrus | Fall of Babylon | Satrapies | Immortal | Pairidaeza |
Hungary | Matthias Corvinus | Raven King | Pearl of the Danube | Huszar | Thermal Bath |
B-Tier
These civilizations can be considered specialists in their victory path (mostly culture). While they lack the versatility of S and A-tiers, their solid focus on at least one path to victory makes up for their shortcomings.
Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maya | Lady Six Sky | Ix Mutal Ajaw | Mayab | Hul’che | Observatory |
Mali | Mansa Musa | Sahel Merchants | Songs of the Jeli | Mandekalu Cavalry | Suguba |
Spain | Phillip II | El Escorial | Treasure Fleet | Conquistador | Mission |
Korea | Seondeok | Hwarang | Three Kingdoms | Hwacha | Seowon |
China | Qin Shi Huang | The First Emperor | Dynastis Cycle | Crouching Tiger | Great Wall |
China | Kublai Khan | ||||
Khmer | Jayavarman VII | Monasteries of the King | Grand Barays | Domrey | Prasat |
Sumeria | Gilgamesh | Adventures of Enkidu | Epic Quest | War-Cart | Ziggurat |
Greece | Pericles | Surrounded by Glory | Plato’s Republic | Hoplite | Acropolis |
Babylon | Hammurabi | Ninu Ilu Sirum | Enuma Anu Enlil | Sabum Kibittum | Palgum |
Ethiopia | Menelik II | Council of Ministers | Aksumite Legacy | Oromo Cavalry | Rock-Hewn Church |
Phoenicia | Dido | Founder of Carthage | Mediterraean Colonies | Bireme | Cothon |
C-Tier
C-Tier civilizations are specialists like those in B-Tier. What makes them less viable is that their paths to victory aren’t the easiest to compete within the game’s current meta.
Several of the civilizations here taut a specialty in dominance and scientific wins, but there are higher-tiered civs that achieve the same victory path, with viability in other aspects of the game as well.
Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aztec | Montezuma | Gifts for the Tlatoani | Legend of the Five Suns | Eagle Warrior | Tlachtli |
Byzantium | Basil II | Porphyrogennetos | Taxis | Tagma | Hippodrome |
Dutch | Wilhelmina | Radio Oranje | Grote Rivieren | De Zeven Provincien | Polder |
Georgia | Taman | Glory of the World, Kingdom of Faith | Strength in Unity | Khevsur | Tsikhe |
Nubia | Amanitore | Kandake of Meroe | Ta-Seti | Pitati Archer | Kandake of Meroe |
Poland | Jadwiga | Lithuanian Union | Golden Liberty | Winged Hussar | Sukiennice |
Inca | Pachacuti | Qhapaq Nan | Mit’a | Warak’aq | Terrace Farm |
D-Tier
Civilizations that perform poorly with leaders who have only a few unique skills that are viable for high difficulties.
Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sweden | Kristina | Minerva of the North | Nobel Prize | Carolean | Open-Air Museum |
Vietnam | Ba Trieu | Drive Out the Agressors | Nine Dragon River Delta | Voi Chien | Thanh |
Canada | Wilfrid Laurier | The Last Best West | Four Faces of Peace | Mountie | The Last Best West |
Ottoman | Suleiman | Grand Vizier | Great Turkish Bombard | Barbary Corsair | Grand Vizier |
Indonesia | Gitarja | Exalted Goddess of the Three Worlds | Great Nusantara | Jong | Kampung |
France | Catherine de Medici | Catherine’s Flying Squadron | Grand Tour | Garde Imperiale | Chateau |
Germany | Frederick Barbarossa | Holy Roman Emperor | Free Imperial Cities | U-Boat | Hansa |
Rome | Trajan | Trajan’s Column | All Roads Lead to Rome | Legion | Trajan’s Column |
F-Tier
The worst civilizations in the game right now. These civs and their leaders offer little utility in all aspects of the game. They are completely outclassed by all others, which makes them ideal if you want to do a challenge run of your skills.
Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
France | Magnificence Catherine | Catherine’s Magnificences | Grand Tour | Garde Imperiale | Chateau |
Mongolia | Genghis Khan | Mongol Horde | Ortoo | Keshig | Mongol Horde |
England | Victoria | Pax Britannica | British Museum / Workshop of the World | Sea Dog | Royal Navy Dockyard |
Mongolia | Kublai Khan | Gerege | Ortoo | Keshig | Ordu |
Kongo | Mvemba a Nzinga | Religious Convert | Nkisi | Ngao Mbeba | Mbanza |
England | Eleanor of Aquitaine | Court of Love | Workshop of the World | Sea Dog | Royal Navy Dockyard |
Gaul | Ambiorix | King of the Eburones | Hallstat Culture | Gaesatae | Oppidum |
Macedonia | Alexander the Great | To the World’s End | Hellenistic Fusion | Hypaspist | Basilikoi Paides |
Scythia | Tomyris | Killer of Cyrus | People of the Steppe | Saka Horse Archer | Kurgan |
Mapuche | Lautaro | Swift Hawk | Toqui | Malon Raider | Chemamull |
Zulu | Shaka | Amabutho | Isibongo | Impi | Ikanda |