Since the days when King Narmer unified Egypt—the first time—, armies have built and broken civilizations. War has never been a mindless pursuit of bloodshed—it has unified nations, carved out dynasties, and decided who shapes history and who is swallowed by it.
The meek say that violence is never an option, but the wise know that war is a tool. Power unchecked is power lost, and inCivilization VII, the strongest rulers understand that force isn’t always for survival—it’s control.
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Every civilization commands military resources. Some leaders react, defending their borders only when threatened, waiting for the world to decide their fate. Others take the initiative, shaping the map through conquest, keeping rivals in check, and forging stability in the wake of war.
The greatest empires were built by those who saw conflict as an opportunity, who turned fractured lands into unified bastions of order, where culture, trade, and innovation could thrive under the banner of a leader too strong to be challenged.These are the leaders you want at the head of your armies.
10Benjamin Franklin, The First American
War Runs on Industry
Franklin doesn’t fight—but he has no qualms aboutbankrolling those who do. His +50% production toward production buildings lets his empire build up faster, and +1 science per age on production buildings ensures his tech keeps pace with expansion.
He funds whoever can hit the hardest, making him a crucial industrial force in any long war.
Ben Franklin’s ability to run two endeavors at once makes him a master of behind-the-scenes influence, keeping military projects moving while others struggle to keep up.
He builds a war economy rather than a battlefield force, and while his infrastructure never fails, he won’t be leading the charge into battle anytime soon.
9Lafayette, Hero of Two Worlds
Balanced War and Diplomacy
Lafayette fights with strategy and adaptability, using policy as much as he uses steel. His Reform endeavor grants a free social policy slot, letting him shift between military and economic strategies as needed.
His troops grow stronger with every tradition slotted in government, making his army more dangerous the longer the game goes on.
Settlements gain +2 culture and happiness per age, doubling in distant lands, reinforcing a stable empire that can handle long-term warfare.
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He thrives in wars of endurance, but if rivals strike early, he struggles to keep pace. A strong leader when given time, but the fastest warlords won’t give him that luxury.
8Tecumseh, Nicaakiyakoolaakwe
The Diplomatic Warrior
Tecumseh turnscity-state alliances and coloniesinto an empire-wide war machine. His units gain +1 combat strength per city-state suzerainship, stacking bonuses as his diplomatic reach grows.
His settlements scale with every city-state under his control, gaining +1 food and production per age per suzerainship.
His armies are well-supplied and well-trained, but his power depends entirely on city-state availability.
If rivals steal suzerainships, his empire loses its edge. He is a leader who uses diplomacy to grow his strength, but against pure military conquerors, he needs every advantage he can get.
7Harriet Tubman, Combahee Raid
Warfare in the Shadows
Tubman doesn’t like to wait for wars—she much prefers to decide when and how they happen.
Her +100% influence on espionage actions ensures she controls the flow of information, uncovering enemy weaknesses and striking before they can react.
If rivals declare war, she gains +5 war support per conflict, making her more dangerous under pressure. Her units ignore movement penalties in vegetation, allowing for hit-and-run tactics that break enemy formations.
She’s a master of disruption, but if war shifts into open battlefields or prolonged sieges, her advantages fade fast. Tubman fights best in the shadows—if forced into a direct war, her enemies have the upper hand.
6Amina, Warrior Queen of Zazzau
Open Terrain Dominance
Amina turns open landscapes into battlegrounds built for her army. Units gain +5 combat strength on plains and deserts, making her forces lethal in open terrain.
She secures a strong economic base for war, with +1 resource capacity per city and +1 gold per age for every assigned resource, keeping her army funded and supplied. Her strength depends on where the fight happens.
If battles stay in open fields, she steamrolls opponents, but if wars move into forests, mountains, or cities, her troops lose their advantage.
She plays the long game, claiming land with economic expansion while defending it with powerful open-field battles.
5Charlemagne, Father of Europe
Cavalry-Focused Warfare
Charlemagne fights with speed, power, and battlefield momentum. Every celebration grants him two free cavalry units, keeping his forces constantly reinforced.
His cavalry hit harder with +5 combatstrength during celebrations, ensuring that when morale is high, his army is unstoppable.
His forces excel in fast-moving wars, striking before enemies have time to react.
He falters in defensive battles and long sieges, where cavalry struggles to break well-fortified positions. His best wars end quickly—if a battle drags on, he loses his greatest advantage.
4Friedrich, Oblique, Berlin Academy
Science and War
Friedrich fortifies military strength with research dominance. His commanders start with +1 command radius, giving him better battlefield coordination.
Every science building constructed grants a free infantry unit, reinforcing his military as research progresses.
His armies evolve more than most. Science buildings fuel warfare and military buildings generate additional research.
He thrives in an empire that pushes science and war together, but if research slows, his war engine starts to sputter. A leader who turns knowledge into firepower—aremarkable achievement—, but one who needs continuous investment to keep both moving forward.
3Ashoka, World Conqueror
The Siege Master
Ashoka crushes cities faster than anyone—his name pretty much spells it out. Every celebration grants +10 combat strength against districts, making him the undisputed master of siege warfare.
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Cities don’t fall to ruin after they’ve fallen under his rule—they’re immediately productive, gaining +10 production after capture, ensuring his empire expands without losing momentum.
His armies never stop moving,producing units fasterwith +1 production per five excess happiness.
His strategy demands consistent celebrations, but when the stars align, his forces roll through cities like they were never meant to stand.
2Trung Trac, Hai Ba Trung
Relentless Battlefield Control
Trung Trac fights with momentum and unrelenting force. She starts with a level 3 army commander right away; she dominates the battlefield from the start.
Her armies level up 20% faster, making them stronger with every engagement.
Science feeds directly into her military, with +10% research in tropical cities, doubled in war. Commander levels generate science, meaning every victory pushes her empire ahead technologically.
She thrives in aggressive, nonstop conflict, forcing opponents to either keep up or be crushed beneath her expanding front lines.
1Xerxes, King of Kings, Crusher of Rebellions
The Ultimate Military Leader
Xerxes is eternal. He never stops growing, and he’s unlikely to lose a conflict.
His empire gains +1 settlement limit per age, ensuring that conquest never has to slow down.While other leadershit borders, he expands beyond them.
Every battle feeds his empire, with +10% gold in all settlements, doubled in conquered cities.His forces hit harder in enemy and neutral lands, gaining +3 combat strength when attacking.
Commanders generate gold with every XP earned, turning war into the economy that fuels everything else.
Xerxes doesn’t settle. He marches, he conquers, he expands. Nothing else comes close. This is the strongest military leader in Civ7—unstoppable in every sense.
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