Civilization 6 Tier List

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 choice of civilization you choose to play as 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 into tiers S to F. If you’re looking for the best civ to fit your playstyle, then you’ll find no better guide than this one.

S-Tier

These are the best civilizations in the game. 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
Japan	Hojo Tokimune	Divine Wind	Meiji Restoration	Samurai	Electronics Factory
Macedonia	Alexander the Great	To the World’s End	Hellenistic Fusion	Hypaspist	Basilikoi Paides
Russia	Peter I	The Grand Embassy	Mother Russia	Cossack	Lavra
Germany	Frederick Barbarossa	Holy Roman Emperor	Free Imperial Cities	U-Boat	Hansa
Gran Colombia	Simon Bolivar	Campaña Admirable	Ejercito Patriota	Llanero	Hacienda

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
Rome	Trajan	Trajan’s Column	All Roads Lead to Rome	Legion	Bath
Greece	Pericles	Surrounded by Glory	Plato’s Republic	Hoplite	Acropolis
Greece	Gorgo	Thermopylae	Plato’s Republic	Hoplite	Acropolis
Maya	Lady Six Sky	Ix Mutal Ajaw	Mayab	Hul’che	Observatory
Dutch/Netherlands	Wilhelmina	Radio Oranje	Grote Rivieren	De Zeven Provincien	Polder
Korea	Seondeok	Hwarang	Three Kingdoms	Hwacha	Seowon
Brazil	Pedro II	Magnanimous	Amazon	Minas Geraes	Street Carnival, Copacabana
Sumeria	Gilgamesh	Adventures of Enkidu	Epic Quest	War-Cart	Ziggurat
Canada	Wilfrid Laurier	The Last Best West	Four Faces of Peace	Mountie	Ice Hockey Rink
Maori	Kupe	Kupe’s Voyage	Mana	Toa	Marae
Aztec	Montezuma	Gifts for the Tlatoani	Legend of the Five Suns	Eagle Warrior	Tlachtli
Ottoman	Suleiman	Grand Vizier	Great Turkish Bombard	Barbary Corsair	Grand Bazaar
Nubia	Amanitore	Kandake of Meroe	Ta-Seti	Pitati Archer	Nubian Pyramid
Arabia	Saladin	Righteousness of the Faith	The Last Prophet	Mamluk	Madrasa
Mongolia	Genghis Khan	Mongol Horde	Ortoo	Keshig	Ordu
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
Egypt	Cleopatra	Mediterranean’s Bride	Iteru	Maryannu Chariot Archer	Sphinx
Phoenicia	Dido	Founder of Carthage	Mediterranean Colonies	Bireme	Cothon
Zulu	Shaka	Amabutho	Isibongo	Impi	Ikanda
America	Teddy Roosevelt	Roosevelt Corollary	Founding Fathers	P-51 Mustang	Film Studio
Australia	John Curtin	Citadel of Civilization	Land Down Under	Digger	Outback Station
Persia	Cyrus	Fall of Babylon	Satrapies	Immortal	Pairidaeza
France	Catherine de Midici	Catherine’s Flying Squadron	Grand Tour	Garde Imperiale	Chateau
France	Eleanor of Aquitane	Court of Love	Grand Tour	Garde Imperiale	Chateau

C-Tier

C-Tier civilizations are specialists like those in B-Tier. What makes them less viable is that their paths to victories 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
Mali	Mansa Munsa	Sahel Merchants	Songs of the Jeli	Mandekalu Cavalry	Suguba
Sweden	Kristina	Minerva of the North	Nobel Prize	Carolean	Open-Air Museum
England	Victoria	Pax Britannica	British Museum / Workshop of the World	Sea Dog	Royal Navy Dockyard
Indonesia	Gitarja	Exalted Goddess of the Three Worlds	Great Nusantara	Jong	Kampung
Poland	Jadwiga	Lithuanian Union	Golden Liberty	Winged Hussar	Sukiennice
Inca	Pachacuti	Qhapaq Nan	Mit’a	Warak’aq	Terrace Farm
China	Qin Shi Huang	The First Emperor	Dynastic Cycle	Crouching Tiger	Great Wall
India	Chandragupta	Arthashastra	Dharma	Varu	Stepwell
India	Gandhi	Satyagraha	Dharma	Varu	Stepwell
Khmer	Jayavarman VII	Monasteries of the King	Grand Barays	Domrey	Prasat

D-Tier

Civilizations that perform poorly with leaders that have only a few unique skills that are viable for high difficulties.

Civilization	Leader	Leader Bonus	Unique Ability	Unique Unit	Unique Structure
Scotland	Robert the Bruce	Bannockburn	Scottish Enlightenment	Highlander	Golf Course
Kongo	Mvemba a Nzinga	Religious Convert	Nkisi	Ngao Mbeba	Mbanza
Scythia	Tomyris	Killer of Cyrus	People of the Steppe	Saka Horse Archer	Kurgan
Spain	Philip II	El Escorial	Treasure Fleet	Conquistador	Mission
Mapuche	Lautaro	Swift Hawk	Toqui	Malon Raider	Chemamull

F-Tier

The worst civilizations to play 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
Georgia	Tamar	Glory of the World, Kingdom of Faith	Strength in Unity	Khevsur	Tsikhe
Norway	Harald Hardrada	Thunderbolt of the North	Knarr	Berserker	Stave Church
Cree	Poundmaker	Favorable Terms	Nihithaw	Okihtcitaw	Mekewap