Civilization 6 Tier List

With our Civilization 6 tier list, you can get a quick overview of the best civilizations right now. Here's the best Civ 6 tier list out there.

As a game built for hardcore strategy playersCivilization 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

Civ 6 Tier List 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.

CivilizationLeaderLeader BonusUnique AbilityUnique UnitUnique Structure
AustraliaJohn CurtinCitadel of CivilizationLand Down UnderDiggerOutback Station
AmericaBull Moose TeddyAntiquities and ParksFounding FathersP-51 MustangFilm Studio
MaoriKupeKupe’s VoyageManaToaMarae
JapanHojo TokimuneDivine WindMeiji ResrorationSamuraiElectronics Factory
RussiaPeterThe Grand EmbassyMother RussiaCossackLavra
PortugalJoao IIIPorta do CercoCasa da IndiaNauNavigation School

 A-Tier

Civ 6 Tier List 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.

CivilizationLeaderLeader BonusUnique AbilityUnique UnitUnique Structure
AmericaRough Rider TeddyRoosevelt CorollaryFounding FathersRough RiderFilm Studio
ArabiaSaladinRighteousness of the FaithThe Last ProphetMamlukMadrasa
BrazilPedro IIMagnanimousAmazonMinas GeraesStreet Carnival, Copacabana
EgyptCleopatraMediterranean’s BrideIteruMaryannu ChariotArcherSphinx
GreeceGorgoThermopylaePlato’s RepublicHopliteAcropolis
Gran ColumbiaSimon BolivarCampana AdmirableEjercito PatriotaLianeroHacienda
PersiaCyrusFall of BabylonSatrapiesImmortalPairidaeza
HungaryMatthias CorvinusRaven KingPearl of the DanubeHuszarThermal Bath

B-Tier

Civ 6 Tier List 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.

CivilizationLeaderLeader BonusUnique AbilityUnique UnitUnique Structure
MayaLady Six SkyIx Mutal AjawMayabHul’cheObservatory
MaliMansa MusaSahel MerchantsSongs of the JeliMandekalu CavalrySuguba
SpainPhillip IIEl EscorialTreasure FleetConquistadorMission
KoreaSeondeokHwarangThree KingdomsHwachaSeowon
ChinaQin Shi HuangThe First EmperorDynastis CycleCrouching TigerGreat Wall
ChinaKublai Khan    
KhmerJayavarman VIIMonasteries of the KingGrand BaraysDomreyPrasat
SumeriaGilgameshAdventures of EnkiduEpic QuestWar-CartZiggurat
GreecePericlesSurrounded by GloryPlato’s RepublicHopliteAcropolis
BabylonHammurabiNinu Ilu SirumEnuma Anu EnlilSabum KibittumPalgum
EthiopiaMenelik IICouncil of MinistersAksumite LegacyOromo CavalryRock-Hewn Church
PhoeniciaDidoFounder of CarthageMediterraean ColoniesBiremeCothon

C-Tier

Civ 6 Tier List 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.

CivilizationLeaderLeader BonusUnique AbilityUnique UnitUnique Structure
AztecMontezumaGifts for the TlatoaniLegend of the Five SunsEagle WarriorTlachtli
ByzantiumBasil IIPorphyrogennetosTaxisTagmaHippodrome
DutchWilhelminaRadio OranjeGrote RivierenDe Zeven ProvincienPolder
GeorgiaTamanGlory of the World, Kingdom of FaithStrength in UnityKhevsurTsikhe
NubiaAmanitoreKandake of MeroeTa-SetiPitati ArcherKandake of Meroe
PolandJadwigaLithuanian UnionGolden LibertyWinged HussarSukiennice
IncaPachacutiQhapaq NanMit’aWarak’aqTerrace Farm

D-Tier

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

CivilizationLeaderLeader BonusUnique AbilityUnique UnitUnique Structure
SwedenKristinaMinerva of the NorthNobel PrizeCaroleanOpen-Air Museum
VietnamBa TrieuDrive Out the AgressorsNine Dragon River DeltaVoi ChienThanh
CanadaWilfrid LaurierThe Last Best WestFour Faces of PeaceMountieThe Last Best West
OttomanSuleimanGrand VizierGreat Turkish BombardBarbary CorsairGrand Vizier
IndonesiaGitarjaExalted Goddess of the Three WorldsGreat NusantaraJongKampung
FranceCatherine de MediciCatherine’s Flying SquadronGrand TourGarde ImperialeChateau
GermanyFrederick BarbarossaHoly Roman EmperorFree Imperial CitiesU-BoatHansa
RomeTrajanTrajan’s ColumnAll Roads Lead to RomeLegionTrajan’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.

CivilizationLeaderLeader BonusUnique AbilityUnique UnitUnique Structure
FranceMagnificence CatherineCatherine’s MagnificencesGrand TourGarde ImperialeChateau
MongoliaGenghis KhanMongol HordeOrtooKeshigMongol Horde
EnglandVictoriaPax BritannicaBritish Museum / Workshop of the WorldSea DogRoyal Navy Dockyard
MongoliaKublai KhanGeregeOrtooKeshigOrdu
KongoMvemba a NzingaReligious ConvertNkisiNgao MbebaMbanza
EnglandEleanor of AquitaineCourt of LoveWorkshop of the WorldSea DogRoyal Navy Dockyard
GaulAmbiorixKing of the EburonesHallstat CultureGaesataeOppidum
MacedoniaAlexander the GreatTo the World’s EndHellenistic FusionHypaspistBasilikoi Paides
ScythiaTomyrisKiller of CyrusPeople of the SteppeSaka Horse ArcherKurgan
MapucheLautaroSwift HawkToquiMalon RaiderChemamull
ZuluShakaAmabuthoIsibongoImpiIkanda

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