I’ve spent a lot of time playing Civilization, and I’ve figured out a set of core strategies that have consistently led me to victory, even on the highest difficulties. It’s not about some secret formula, but about deeply understanding the game’s mechanics. So, I wanted to share my 15 foundational tips that can help you build a winning empire, no matter which victory path you choose. This isn’t just a build order checklist; it’s a way of thinking about the game that will help you make the smart decisions that lead to a win. Let’s dive in and get you ready to build an empire for the ages.
1. The Art of the Start: Your First 50 Turns as a Prophecy
The first 50 turns can make or break your entire game. A strong start sets you up for success, while a weak one can leave you struggling to catch up. Your first moves should be all about exploration, expansion, and getting some basic infrastructure online.
Send your warrior out immediately to see what’s around you. You’re looking for resources, good spots for new cities, natural wonders, and where your opponents are. Your first build should almost always be a scout to cover more ground and hopefully pop some goody huts for those early bonuses.
A solid opening build order I often use is Scout -> Slinger -> Settler. The scout explores, the slinger protects you from barbarians (and can be upgraded to an Archer), and the early settler lets you grab a great spot for your second city before anyone else can.
Pay attention to your government policies. Early on, Discipline is a lifesaver against barbarians, while God King can give you a nice faith or gold boost. Choosing the right policy for your immediate situation is a sign of a pro.
2. The Science of Settlement: Strategic City Placement
Where you place your cities is a huge deal. A bad city is a permanent drain, but a good one can become the heart of your empire. Never settle a city without a good reason.
Here’s what I look for:
* Fresh Water: Always settle on a river, lake, or oasis if you can. The housing bonus is too good to pass up, especially early on.
* Resource Diversity: Look for a spot with a good mix of food, production (hills, woods), and luxury resources.
* Strategic and Luxury Resources: You need to secure horses, iron, and other strategic resources for your military. Luxuries keep your people happy and productive.
* Defensive Terrain: Use hills, mountains, and forests to your advantage. A city that’s easy to defend is a city you don’t have to worry about.
* District Adjacency Bonuses: Before you settle, think about where your districts will go. A Campus next to mountains gets a science bonus, for example. Plan ahead!
For instance, if I find a spot on a river with deer for food, a hill for production, and some silk for a luxury, that’s an almost perfect place to settle.
3. District Synergy: The Heart of a Specialized Empire
Districts are what make your cities powerful. Don’t just place them randomly. You have to plan for adjacency bonuses to get the most out of them.
- Campus: Place next to mountains and rainforests.
- Holy Site: Loves mountains and natural wonders.
- Commercial Hub: A spot next to a river gives a +2 gold bonus. Next to a harbor is even better.
- Industrial Zone: Surround it with mines and quarries for a massive production boost.
- Theater Square: Place it next to your Entertainment Complex and any Wonders.
Think about it: if you have a city by a mountain and a river, you can place your Campus next to the mountain for a science bonus and your Commercial Hub next to the river for a gold bonus. That’s smart planning.
4. Tech and Civics: Charting a Deliberate Path to Victory
Don’t just randomly click on techs and civics. Your victory goal should guide your research. Rushing for key technologies gives you a massive edge.
- Science Victory: Go for techs that unlock Libraries, Universities, and Research Labs.
- Cultural Victory: Focus on civics that let you build wonders with Great Work slots.
- Domination Victory: Target military techs to get powerful units like Knights and Crossbowmen before your enemies.
- Religious Victory: The civics tree is your friend. Rush for Theology to get your religious units and buildings.
And don’t forget to chase those “Eurekas” and “Inspirations”! They cut down your research time significantly. Killing a unit with a slinger gives you the boost for Archery—it’s free research, so go get it.
5. Wonder-ful Decisions: When and Why to Build Wonders
Wonders are great, but they cost a ton of production. Don’t try to build all of them. Be selective and choose wonders that actually help you win.
Ask yourself:
* Does this help me win? If you’re going for a science victory, the Oracle is a great choice. The Eiffel Tower? Not so much.
* Can I actually build it? The AI gets cheats on higher difficulties, so they can build wonders fast. Scout them to see if you’re in a race you can’t win.
* Is it worth the cost? The production you spend on a wonder could be used for settlers or units that you need right now.
For example, if you’re playing as Greece, building the Potala Palace for the extra policy slot is a fantastic move that builds on your strengths.
6. The Art of War: Calculated Aggression and Defense
War is more than just having a big army. It’s about timing, having the right mix of units, and keeping them supplied.
- Unit Composition: You need a mix of melee units to take cities, ranged units to soften them up, and siege units to break down walls.
- Timing Your Attack: The best time to attack is when you have a tech advantage. Imagine rolling up with Knights when your opponent still has warriors.
- Leverage Terrain: Use hills and forests for defensive bonuses. Don’t attack across a river if you can avoid it.
- Logistics and Reinforcements: You need a strong production base to build more units. One battle won’t win the war.
A classic example: use your catapults to knock down the city walls, then use your archers to clear out the defenders, and only then send in your swordsmen to take the city.
7. The Diplomatic Dance: Building Alliances and Managing Grievances
You need to play the diplomacy game no matter what victory you’re aiming for.
- Understanding Agendas: Every leader has goals. Figure them out and play to them to make friends.
- The Power of Trade: Trade routes build relationships as well as make you money.
- Alliances are Key: Alliances give you all sorts of benefits, from research boosts to defensive pacts.
- Managing Grievances: Every time you do something aggressive, other civs get mad. Keep an eye on your grievances so you don’t end up with the whole world declaring war on you.
8. The Gilded Empire: Maximizing Your Gold and Production
A strong economy is everything. You need gold and production to do anything in this game.
- Maximizing Gold: Build Commercial Hubs and Harbors everywhere. Get as many trade routes as you can. Sell your extra luxury resources.
- Maximizing Production: Place your Industrial Zones smartly. Build mines and lumber mills. Use internal trade routes to boost the food and production of your newer cities.
9. The Power of Faith: Religion as a Strategic Tool
Faith isn’t just for religious victories. It’s a flexible currency you can use to buy Great People, buildings, and even military units.
- Founding a Religion: Even if you’re not going for a religious win, some beliefs are incredibly powerful. Work Ethic gives you production from your Holy Sites, and Jesuit Education lets you buy campus buildings with faith.
- Religious Colonization: Spreading your religion can give you a cultural edge.
- Religious Combat: If you are going for a religious victory, you’ll need to get good at theological combat with your Apostles.
For a culture game, I love getting the Reliquaries belief. It triples the tourism from relics, which is a massive boost.
10. The Culture Crusade: Weaving a Tapestry of Tourism
A cultural victory is about being the most influential civilization on the planet.
- Great Works: Fill your museums with Great Works and try to theme them for a bonus.
- Wonders: Many wonders give a lot of tourism.
- Seaside Resorts and National Parks: These are your big tourism generators in the late game.
- Trade and Diplomacy: Open borders and trade routes with other civs boost your tourism to them.
11. The Final Frontier: A Methodical March to a Science Victory
The science victory is a race to space. You need to be all-in on science and production.
- Campus is King: Build a Campus in every city.
- Great Scientists: Get as many as you can. They can give you huge boosts.
- Production is Paramount: The space projects are expensive. You’ll need a few cities dedicated to just building them.
- Spycraft: Use your spies to steal tech boosts from your rivals.
12. The Governor’s Court: Strategic Appointments for Maximum Impact
Governors give unique bonuses to your cities. Use them wisely.
- Pingala: Great for your biggest city to boost its science and culture.
- Magnus: His ability to not consume a population when building a settler is amazing for expansion.
- Victor: Put him in a city on your border to make it much harder to attack.
13. The Ebb and Flow of Ages: Mastering Era Score and Golden Ages
Earning Era Score gets you Golden Ages, which give you powerful bonuses.
- Historic Moments: Actively chase these to get Era Score.
- Golden Age Dedications: Choose a dedication that fits your strategy for that era.
- Avoiding a Dark Age: Dark Ages are tough, but they give you access to special policy cards and the chance to earn a super-powerful Heroic Age next.
14. The Loyalty Litmus Test: Expanding and Maintaining Your Empire
You have to manage loyalty to keep your cities from rebelling.
- Population Pressure: Big cities exert loyalty pressure on smaller cities nearby.
- Governor’s Influence: A governor instantly boosts a city’s loyalty.
- Amenities and Happiness: Happy cities are loyal cities.
- Offensive Loyalty: You can use loyalty to flip enemy cities to your side without a fight.
15. The Unseen Hand: Espionage and Covert Operations
Spies are a great tool for messing with your opponents.
- Offensive Missions: Steal gold, sabotage production, or steal Great Works.
- Defensive Missions: Put spies in your own cities to protect them.
- Gaining Diplomatic Visibility: A spy in a foreign city tells you what they’re up to.
If you can internalize these 15 strategies, you’ll see your game improve dramatically. It’s a journey, but a rewarding one. Now go build an empire that will stand the test of time.