Civilization 7’s Antiquity Age is all about setting up your empire’s foundation. Winners and losers aren’t decided until the Modern Age, but if you can get a solid early advantage, you’ll be even stronger when the finish line approaches. Because of that, you’re going to want a strong start, and choosing the right civilization is key to that.
The Antiquity Age offers ten civilizations for you and your Leader to choose from. To help make your selection easier, here’s our Civ 7 Antiquity Civilizations tier list.
Civ 7 Antiquity Civs Tier List
S: Persia, Han, Greece
A: Rome, Mississipian, Maurya
B: Aksum, Egypt, Maya
C: Khmer
S-Tier Antiquity Civs
S – Persia
- Hamarana Council – Infantry Units receive +3 Combat Strength when attacking. +30% Production towards constructing the Gate of All Nations.
- Immortal – Persian Unique Infantry. Heals 15 HP after defeating an enemy Unit.
- Hazarapatis – Persian Unique Army Commander. Starts with the Initiative Promotion.
- Pairidaeza – +1 Culture and Gold. Persian Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Cannot be placed adjacent to another Pairidaeza.
Persia is the quintessential military-minded civilization for the Antiquity Age. A great choice for those who want to be aggressive, get out early, and take over other Settlements. The +3 bonus to all attacking Infantry is a welcome buff, and since Immortals heal after defeating enemies, this creates a great synergy that allows you to continue your assaults with more sustain.
Claiming land early is so important in this Age, and a strong military will help you take your rivals’ lands and defend your territory.
While Persia lacks some of the multi-layered dimensionality of other civilizations that get nice Districts and Builds to bring varied yields, sometimes a battering ram solves all problems. Plus, you can always just take over your rivals’ established cities and benefit from their bonuses, too.
S – Han
- Nine Provinces – The Capital and new Towns gain an additional Population with their first growth event. +30% Production towards constructing Weiyang Palace.
- Chu-Ko-Nu – Han Unique Ranged Unit. Has Zone of Control and a higher Defense Strength. +5 Combat Strength when attacking adjacent Units.
- Shi Dafu – Shi Dafu: A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in Cities with at least 10 Population, and the specific Shi Dafu can only be received once. Cost increases per Shi Dafu trained.
- Great Wall – +2 Culture. +1 Happiness for adjacent Great Wall segments. Han Unique Improvement. Ageless. Counts as Fortification, +6 Combat Strength when defending. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Can only be built in a line. Cannot branch or fork.
Han allows you to build your borders without getting aggressive and taking Settlements from your fellow civilizations. Getting extra population will help spread your borders and claim key resources within your vicinity early on. This can be a very powerful strategy, especially if you can keep this growth exploding with an abundance of Food.
What’s nice though, is that Han is also self-protecting. While your Settlements explode in population, the Chu-Ko-Nu is an exceptional defensive ranged unit that will stop any militaristic-minded Civilizations who might try to take your land off of you. The Great Wall is also an excellent defensive structure that brings the benefit of a boost to Culture and Happiness too.
S – Greece
- Demokratia – +3 Influence per turn on the Palace. +30% Production towards constructing the Oracle.
- Hoplite – Greek Unique Infantry Unit. +2 Combat Strength if adjacent to another Hoplite.
- Logios – A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in Cities with an Acropolis, and the specific Logios received is random, Each Logios can only be received once. Cost increases per Logios trained.
- Acropolis – Greek Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Odeon and Parthenon in the same District. +2 Gold on the Parthenon for each City-State you are Suzerain of
- Odeon – +3 Happiness. +1 Culture Adjacency for Quarters and Wonders. Greek Unique Happiness Building. Ageless.
- Parthenon – +4 Culture. +2 Influence if placed on Rough Terrain. +1 Culture adjacency for Wonders. Greek Unique Culture Building. Ageless.
Greece has a lot of excellent traits that will really help you create a powerful and varied foundation. For one, Demokatia is a great source of Influence, which can be very valuable in your opening interactions with your fellow Civilizations, allowing you to have open borders for easy-to-navigate routes, as well as start various agreements to try and boost yields you might be falling short on.
Hoplites are a relatively strong Infantry Unit too, that, when attacking in a swarm become near impossible to overcome in the early game. They are versatile too, good on both attack and defense, just as long as you have enough resources to make and maintain several.
Greece also offers a really nice, varied selection of Unique Buildings. If you make the Acropolis by constructing an Odeon and Parthenon in the same district, all of them together will be a source of Gold, Happiness, Culture, and Influence. This gives you access to lots of yields, making Greece probably the best jack of all trades in the Antiquity Age.
A-Tier Antiquity Civs
A – Rome
- Twelve Tables – +1 Culture on Districts in the Capital and City Centers in Towns. +30% Production towards constructing the Colosseum.
- Legion – Roman Unique Infantry Unit. +2 Combat Strength for every Tradition in the Government.
- Legatus – Roman Unique Army Commander. Gains 1 charge to create a new Settlement for every 3 Levels it has.
- Forum – Roman Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Basilica and Temple of Jupiter in the same District. +1 Culture and Gold for every Unique Tradition in the Government.
- Basilica – +4 Gold. +1 Influence Adjacency for Culture Buildings and Wonders. Roman Unique Gold Building. Ageless.
- Temple of Jupiter – +3 Happiness. +1 Culture Adjacency for Happiness Buildings and Wonders. Roman Unique Happiness Building. Ageless.
Rome has several advantages that are pretty straightforward to leverage. This is an excellent choice if you expect to be expanding the amount of Settlements you have quickly. +1 Culture on Districts in the Capital and City Centers can add up if you have a lot of Settlements.
Interestingly, their Army Commander, the Legatus, acts as a hybrid Settler, though you will need to level them up three times to be able to make a new Settlement. However, it’s a good option that saves you the production of several Settlers. The Legion is a decent Infantry Unit, too, that can become very powerful if you are slotting Traditions into your policies.
The Forum also benefits from Traditions, adding Culture and Gold for each one. You’ll likely want to be outputting a lot of Happiness, which is what the Temple of Jupiter is for. This is a relatively well rounded Civilization for those looking to play wide and enact a lot of policies.
A – Maurya
- Dhamma Lipi – You can choose an additional Pantheon after unlocking Mysticism. +30% Production towards constructing Sanchi Stupa.
- Purabhett – Maurya Unique Cavalry Unit. +5 Combat Strength against Fortified Districts. Ignores Zone of Control.
- Nagarika – Maurya Unique Settler. Civilian Unit capable of founding new Towns. Adds +2 Happiness on City Halls.
- Matha – Mauryan Unique Quarters. Created by constructing the Dharamshala and Wihara in the same District. +10% Happiness in this Settlement.
- Dharamshala – +3 Happiness. +1 Science Adjacency for Quarters and Wonders. Mauryan Unique Happiness Building. Ageless.
- Vihara – +3 Happiness. +1 Culture Adjacency for Mountains and Wonders. Mauryan Unique Happiness Building. Ageless.
The Maurya civilization may not jump off the page as a strong Civilization right away, but when you consider how powerful Happiness is in Civilization 7, it makes more sense. High Happiness means plenty of Celebrations and Social Policies, and if you have enough, you may even be able to ignore Settlement Caps.
The Matha District provides a percentage based buff on a Settlement that will scale with you through the game, and is an exceptional source of Happiness long into the future. You’ll also be getting big boosts from the Dharamshala and Vihara you needed to produce to make the district. The Nagarika will also give you that boost of Happiness when founding a new settlement. While the Purabhett can be a little situational, it’s still a decent Cavalry unit too.
A – Mississippian
- Goose Societies – All Buildings receive a +1 Food Adjacency for Resources. +30% Production towards constructing Monks Mound.
- Burning Arrow – Mississippian Unique Ranged Unit. Increased Bombard Strength. +3 Combat Strength against Siege Units. Applies the Burning status to tiles for 2 turns.
- Watonathi – Mississippian Unique Merchant. Civilian who can establish a Trade Route to import Resources from a foreign Settlement. Gain 25 Gold per Resource acquired when creating a Trade Route.
- Potkop – +1 Gold. +1 Food for each adjacent Resource. Mississippian Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Must be placed on Flat Terrain.
The Mississippian civilization ties together two powerful resources: Gold and Food. Its Goose Societies will likely align with your natural play, where you try to hoover up as many Resources as possible. If you can get your hands on a lot of them, you will see your cities growing fast. This is an excellent synergy for the Economic Legacy Path. On top of that, the Potkop will only enhance your benefits for doing so.
The Burning Arrow Ranged Unit is also an excellent defensive or even hybrid Siege unit. Though you may not attack Siege units too often, the Burning status on a tile can make it really difficult for your enemy’s armies to navigate your lands and attack you. Denying that space can be a real decider in a war. It also makes it a good option to bombard Settlements too – just don’t end up burning your own troops with it.
B-Tier Antiquity Civs
B – Aksum
- Kingdom of Natural Wealth – +2 Gold on Resources. +30% Production towards constructing Great Stele.
- Dhow – A Unique Naval Unit. +4 Combat Strength on Coast. Has 1 charge to create a naval Trade Route.
- Tankwa – Aksum Unique Trade Ship. Cannot be pillaged. +10 Trade Route range.
- Hawlit – +2 Gold. +1 Culture for adjacent Wonders and other Hawilti. Aksumite Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse Bonuses on a tile. Must be placed on Flat Terrain.
If you want Gold, there aren’t many civilizations better at generating it than Aksum. The Kingdom of Natural Wealth trait that gives you +2 Gold for Resources can add up ridiculously quickly, making you an early-game economic powerhouse, able to buy buildings and units to ensure your cities remain modern with your technological advances. You can also build Hawlits next to each other for a further boost of Gold.
However, if you find yourself landlocked, or have to travel great distances to get to other Civilizations, you may struggle to maximise your benefits. By water, the Dhow and Tankwa may not be useful in every situation. They lack a land presence that other civilizations may take advantage of with powerful unique units, and unlike Persia, their singular focus on Gold may leave you falling behind elsewhere. That said, if the going really gets tough, the Aksum can just buy themselves an army (though, this can take a couple of turns, so don’t find yourself on the back foot.)
B – Egypt
- Gift of Osiris – +1 Production on Navigable Rivers. +30% Production towards constructing the Pyramids.
- Medjay – Egyptian Unique Infantry Unit. Has no maintenance. +3 Combat Strength in friendly territory, doubled when stationed in a Settlement you own.
- Tjaty – A Great Person with one charge. Can only be trained in Cities with a Necropolis, and the specific Tjaty received is random. Each Tjaty can only be received once. Cost increases per Tjaty trained.
- Necropolis – Egyptian Unique Quarter. Created by constructing the Mastaba and Mortuary Temple in the same District. Grants 100 Gold (on Standard Speed) when any Wonder is completed in this City.
- Mastaba – +3 Culture. +1 Gold Adjacency for Navigable Rivers and Wonders. Egyptian Unique Culture Building. Ageless.
- Mortuary Temple – +4 Gold. +1 Happiness Adjacency for Navigable Rivers and Wonders. Egyptian Unique Gold Building. Ageless.
Egypt is a good Civilization. Activating their unique perks only requires a Navigable River, and since most Settlements should be on a source of water, you should generally be dandy. That said, there’s nothing overpowered about Egypt. 100 Gold per Wonder on a Necropolis is nice, as are some extra Gold and Happiness for being Adjacent to Navigable Rivers from the Mastaba and Mortuary Temple. Add the Gift of Osiris, with some extra production, and Eygpt benefits from a nice collection of buffs that certainly add up to a solid package – though without ever offering anything too flashy.
The Medjay are a great defensive Unit too, deterring any would-be attackers from taking your Settlements. They are particularly good at withstanding pressure from an aggressive city-state, though they lack some of the offensive versatility that other unique Units offer.
B – Maya
- Skies of Itzamna – The Palace gains +0.5 Science for adjacent Vegetated Terrain. +30% Production towards constructing Mundo Perdido.
- Hul’che – Maya Unique Ranged Unit. Can see through Vegetation and ignore movement penalties from Vegetated Terrain.
- Jaguar Slayer – Maya Unique Scout. Can initiate combat. Has 1 charge to place a Jaguar Trap that is invisible to enemy Units, dealing 25 damage and ending movement. This ability recharges 5 turns after placing a trap.
- Uwaybil K’uh – Mayan Unique Quarter. Created by Constructing the Jalaw and K’uh Nah in the same District. Every time you research a Technology, the Settlement gains Production equal to 15% of it’s cost.
- Jalaw – +3 Happiness. +1 Culture Adjacency for Quarters and Wonders. Mayan Unique Happiness Building. Ageless.
- K’uh Nah – +3 Science. +2 Science if placed on Vegetation. +1 Science Adjacency for Wonders. Mayan Unique Science Building. Ageless.
The Mayans have one very strong district attribute going for them. Their Unique Quarter, Uwaybil K’uh, means throughout the rest of the game, every time you research a Technology, the Settlement gains a nice chunk of Production. The fact that this district is percentage-based means this scales exceptionally well through Ages. This is strong enough on its own that you may want to consider choosing Maya, even if the rest of its traits aren’t the best on offer.
Vegetation is not the hardest of the terrains to get access to, but the buffs you get for being on those tiles are relatively middling. Of course, if you start in a heavily vegetated position, you can get some nice benefits, but even then the rewards for meeting those conditions are unlikely to be game-changing.
0.5% Science for the Palace being adjacent to Vegetated Terrain is nice, but likely won’t decide your Age. The Hul’che are a great in these cases too, as enemies will have to fight through vegetation to get at you with their armies, allowing you to hit them ranged from safety. That said, if they are not in Vegetation, than they might as well not be Unique units – and other civilization’s units will more likely run you over if so.
The K’uh Nah is a really nice boost to Science that is definitely a great option for the Scientific minded, so there is certainly value here. If you find yourself in dense vegetation, the Mayans can certainly do well for themselves, and offer awesome benefits later in a game. However, they are a little dependent on other factors, and are better for banking on your future.
C-Tier Antiquity Civs
C – Khmer
- Ksekam Chamnon – Districts on Rivers do not remove the natural yield of the tile. +30% Production towards constructing Angkor Wat.
- Yuthahathi – Khmer Unique Cavalry Unit. Higher Combat Strength, but slower Movement. Immune to flood damage. Ignores Zone of Control.
- Vaishya – Khmer Unique Merchant. Civilian who can establish a Trade Route to import Resources from a foreign Settlement. Immune to flood damage. Ignores movement penalties from Wet Terrain.
- Baray – +3 Food. +1 Food on all Floodplains in this Settlement. Khmer Unique Improvement. Ageless. Does not remove Warehouse bonuses on a tile. Must be placed on Flat Terrain. One per Settlement.
The Khmer definitely have benefits, and could be very strong in the right circumstances. However, they are strong when there are a lot of floods, and though they are relatively common in the Antiquity Age, this means they’re still a little situational. Retaining the natural yield on Districts placed on the River isnice to have, but not a universally powerful effect.
The Yuthahathi is definitely a very interesting unit too, as it is one of the most powerful units in combat in the Age, however, they are slow and lose a lot of ground to Cavalry other Civilizations may be running. The unit is best used as battering rams against armies and Settlements, but if they are smart, your rivals should be able to deal with them by keeping their own Cavalry out of range.
The Baray is a nice Unique Building too that really helps boost Food which is certainly powerful in the opening portions of a game. However, you need to be on floodplains for it to become supercharged, which is situational. Again, the Khmer have their place and even have very high potential, but if you spawn on a map and don’t have the correct terrain, you may struggle against Civilizations with more reliable abilities.
Patrick is a freelance journalist with over 13 years of experience who loves going deep on games and getting into their systems. His four-figure hours in both Overwatch 2 and Destiny 2 are a testament to that.
