Once Civilization VII players have decided where to build their first settlement, they’ll need to come up with a starting strategy that will help to shape and dictate the rest of their campaign. Understanding the best Civ 7 build order can place players firmly on the path to success, while failing to do so can lead to a swift and brutal defeat.
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Of course, the best Civilization VII starting strategy will vary quite a bit depending on things like playstyle and the player’s overall objective, so these two things will need to be at the heart of pretty much every decision they make. After all, It’s only by knowing the destination that they’d like to arrive at that they can begin to chart a proper course.
Choosing a Civ 7 Victory Type
The first thing that players should do is to decide which type of victory they’d like to achieve. In most cases, players should probably have an idea of this before deciding on a Leader and Civilization so that they can choose ones that are well-suited for their chosen victory type. For example, they might choose Catherine the Great and Greece if they’re hoping to achieve a Culture Victory or Himiko (Queen of Wa) and Khmer if they want to secure a Science Victory.
The Best Starting Strategy in Civ 7
Although a lot of their actions will be dictated by their chosen Civ 7 victory type, most playthroughs will start out the same. Players will need to build an infantry unit and a scout or two and begin to survey the area surrounding their capital. Their main aim here is to find any nearby Independent Powers and befriend them using Influence, as this will ensure that they don’t have to waste precious time and resources dealing with hostile units early on.
Choosing the Best Early Game Civics and Technologies in Civ 7
Once they’ve trained their first unit, Players will need to choose a Technology and Civic to research. Some Civics and Technologies are useful regardless of the player’s end goal, like how researching Animal Husbandry unlocks ranged units, which can be great for dealing with hostile enemy ships. However, players should use the “View Tree” option and plan ahead, being sure to prioritize any Technologies and Civics that align with their chosen Legacy path.
- Culture Victory – Prioritize the Writing, Irrigation, Masonry, and Navigation Technologies and the Discipline, Tactics, Code of Laws, and Organized Military Civics to gain access to as many early-game Wonders as quickly as possible.
- Military Victory – Study the Discipline Civic to unlock the Army Commander unit. Players will also need to unlock Siege units, so should Research the Animal Husbandry, Masonry, and Irrigation Technologies first so that they can get to The Wheel as quickly as possible.
- Science Victory – Research the Writing Technology to unlock Libraries. Before they can unlock Writing, though, they’ll first need to study Sailing and Pottery. After researching Writing, studying certain Technologies and Civics will begin to reward players with Codices, so they should check the Civic and Tech Trees regularly and make their decisions based on those that do.
- Economic Victory – Study the Code of Laws Civic to unlock Merchants and begin establishing Trade Routes. Unlocking Markets will allow them to increase the number of resources that can be assigned at a single settlement, so they should focus on researching the Sailing and Currency Technologies first.
Choosing the Best Government in Civ 7
After deciding what they want to research, players will need to settle on a government. Classical Republic is the best option for players hoping to achieve a Culture Victory thanks to the bonuses that it provides to Culture generation and Wonder production. Those hoping to secure a Military or Science Victory should pick Despotism, as doing so will allow them to Generate more Science and also speeds up the training of Infantry units. Finally, Oligarchy is best suited for an Economic Victory, as it speeds up the production of buildings, and players will want at least a couple of Markets in their capital.
As with just about every other decision that they’ll have to make during the early stages of their Civ 7 playthrough, the Social Policies and Celebrations players choose should align with their preferred Legacy Path.
The Best Civ 7 Build Order
While their scouts are out surveying the area, players should focus on building up their capital. Initially, they’ll only be able to build Granaries, but as they research more Technologies and Civics, they’ll gain access to new types of buildings. Stuff like Saw Pits and Brick Yards are great for boosting Production, which can come in handy early on, as too can buildings that generate Gold. Once they have one or two of each of these things, though, players should again make their production choices based on their chosen victory type.
- Culture Victory – Prioritize buildings Wonders.
- Military Victory – Prioritize training military units. Alternatively, players can train or buy a bunch of Settlers and set up eleven new settlements rather than attempting to capture enemy towns and cities. However, this may end up shooting them in the foot later on if they don’t have the military might to defend their new settlements.
- Science Victory – Prioritize building Libraries and buildings that generate Science and Culture to speed up research and unlock Codices faster.
- Economic Victory – Prioritize building Markets and training Scouts and Merchants; the former to survey as much of the continent as possible to uncover potential trading partners and the latter to set up trade routes with them.
How to Deal with Other Civilizations and Independent Powers in Civ 7
During the beginning of a campaign, the last thing players want is to have to waste precious time and resources dealing with hostile powers. As such, it’s best to try and remain on good terms with other Civilizations and Independent Powers where possible, unless, of course, players are planning to go for a military victory, in which case, they should invade other Civs while befriending and incorporating Independent Powers. Any leftover influence can be used to boost Science and Culture or unlock additional trade routes.
Grand Strategy
Turn-Based Strategy
4X
- Released
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February 11, 2025