"Civilization 7: Ranking Modern Civilizations"

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The Modern Age in *Civilization 7* marks the pinnacle of strategic gameplay and decision-making. It's the stage where champions emerge and the game reaches its conclusion. Therefore, choosing the right civilization is crucial to securing your victory. The Modern Age introduces ten civilizations to the game (eleven, including the Crossroads of the World DLC). When paired with the appropriate leader, these civilizations can create powerful synergies. To assist you in your selection, here’s our tier list for the best Modern Age civilizations in *Civilization 7*.

Please note that your leader will enhance your playthrough further, and pairing the right leader with a civilization can amplify its strengths through powerful synergies. This tier list ranks civilizations based solely on their standalone power. Consider how your chosen leader interacts with the civilization when making your final decision.

Best Civ 7 Modern Civs

Civ 7 Modern Civs Tier List

S-tier: America, Meiji Japan
A-tier: French Empire, Mexico, Qing
B-tier: Buganda, Prussia, Russia, Siam
C-tier: Mughal

Note: We haven’t yet evaluated the newly released DLC civilization, Great Britain. Time will tell how it compares!

S-Tier Modern Civs

These are the cream of the crop in Civilization 7. From access to superior military units to excellent resource utilization, these civilizations can dominate any map.

S-Tier: America

Frontier Expansion - Earn 100 Gold every time you improve a resource. +30% Production towards constructing the Statue of Liberty.
Marine - American Unique Infantry Unit. Features the Amphibious ability and is cheaper to train.
Prospector - American Unique Civilian Unit. Claims a land resource outside your normal settlement radius.
Industrial Park - American Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Railyard and Steel Mill in the same district. +2 Food in this city for every resource assigned to this city.
Railyard - +5 Production. +1 Production adjacency for Quarters and Wonders. American Unique Production Building. Ageless.
Steel Mill - +6 Production. Gold adjacency for Resources and Wonders. American Unique Production Building. Ageless.

America excels in resource utilization, making it one of the best civilizations in the Modern Age. The Frontier Expansion trait can significantly boost your gold reserves by improving resources. Combined with the Railyard and Steel Mill creating the Industrial Park, this results in substantial Food, Production, and Gold outputs. This makes the United States a versatile and balanced civilization capable of rapid expansion and sustained growth.

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Additionally, the Prospector can secure vital resources, further fueling your yields. The Marine is also a formidable unit thanks to its Amphibious ability, making it surprisingly agile. There’s much to appreciate about this civilization.

S-Tier: Meiji Japan

Goisshin - When you Overbuild a building, gain Science equal to 50% of the Building’s Production cost. +30% Production towards constructing Dogo Onsen.
Mikasa - Meiji Japanese Unique Heavy Naval Unit. The first time this unit is destroyed, it respawns in the closest settlement you own at 50% HP.
Zero - Meiji Japanese Unique Fighter Air Unit. Increased range. +4 Combat Strength against other Fighter Air Units. Can intercept enemy Air Units.
Zaibatsu - Meiji Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Ginko and Jukogyo in the same district. +1 Gold and Production on buildings in adjacent districts.
Ginko - +5 Gold. +1 Gold adjacency for Gold Buildings and Wonders. Meiji Japan Unique Gold Building. Ageless.
Jukogyo - +5 Production. +1 Production adjacency for Coastal Terrain and Wonders. Meiji Japan Unique Production Building. Ageless.

Meiji Japan is highly resourceful and boasts some exceptionally powerful features. The Goisshin mechanic allows you to reshape your districts and buildings to fit your modern needs while earning a significant chunk of Science. Meanwhile, the Zaibatsu Quarter can generate vast amounts of Gold and Production if used effectively, providing a robust yield boost.

On top of that, Meiji Japan has some fearsome units. The Mikasa can be incredibly resilient due to its ability to respawn once after destruction, allowing you to protect your investments or reengage weakened foes. The Zero is a formidable late-game aircraft that can make you a dominant force in the skies.

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A-Tier Modern Civs

These civilizations offer varied access to critical resources and bring military strength to the table with their unique units.

A-Tier: French Empire

Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite - Select the Celebration effects of any standard government in the Modern Age. +30% Production towards constructing the Eiffel Tower.
Garde Imperiale - French Imperial Unique Infantry Unit. Can make a Ranged attack. +2 Combat Strength when within a friendly Army Commander Radius. More expensive to train.
Jacobin - A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in cities with an Avenue, and the specific Jacobin received is random. Cost increases per Jacobin trained.
Avenue - French Imperial Quarter. Created by constructing the Jardin a la Francaise and Salon in the same district. +2 Happiness on Quarters in this city.
Jardin a la Francaise - +5 Culture. +1 Happiness Adjacency for Culture Buildings and Wonders. French Empire Unique Culture Building. Ageless.
Salon - +5 Happiness. +1 Culture Adjacency for Happiness Buildings and Wonders. French Empire Unique Happiness Building. Ageless.

The French Empire is a highly synergistic civilization worth considering if you aim for a Cultural victory. Thanks to the Avenue, created by the Jardin a la Francaise and Salon, the civilization enjoys a fantastic feedback loop of Culture and Happiness, propelling it through the Modern Age if managed well. This ensures numerous Celebrations, feeding into the Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite trait.

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While not overwhelmingly powerful, the Garde Imperiale is a decent unit to have in case someone tries to bully you while you build the happiest, most cultured empire.

A-Tier: Mexico

Revolucion - Starts with a unique Government, Revolucion. This Government has one Celebration effect, +30% Culture for 10 turns. Cannot enter any other Government type. +30% Production towards constructing Palacio de Bellas Artes.
Soldaderas - Mexican Unique Infantry Unit. Adjacent units heal +10 HP. Does not stack.
Revolucionario - A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in cities with a Zocalo, and the specific Revolucionario received is random. Each Revolucionario can only be received once. Cost increases per Revolucionario trained.
Zocalo - Mexican Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Catedral and Portal de Mercaderes in the same district. +2 Culture for every Tradition slotted into the Government.
Catedral - +5 Culture. +1 Happiness Adjacency for Culture Buildings and Wonders. Mexican Unique Culture Building. Ageless.
Portal de Mercaderes - +5 Culture. +1 Gold Adjacency for Gold Buildings and Wonders. Mexican Unique Culture Building. Ageless.

Similar to the French Empire, Mexico is a powerhouse of Culture. While it lacks some Happiness capabilities, it compensates with access to more Gold and a significant amount of Culture. As long as you stack Happiness with your buildings and initiate Celebrations, your civilization will enjoy 30% Culture bonuses. The Zocalo Quarter, created by building the Catedral and Portal de Mercaderes in the same district, provides even more Culture.

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The Soldaderas Unit can also be relatively durable if deployed in the right formations, with units healing each other. If you’re pursuing a Cultural victory and can secure ample Happiness, Mexico is an ideal candidate.