1. Identify Your Preferred Victory Condition
Decide which type of victory you want to pursue before picking your civ. Each civilization has traits that align more closely with certain victory types:
Domination (Military Victory): Look for civilizations with strong unique units, early-game military advantages, or bonuses to production and strategic resources (e.g., the Zulu for land warfare, Scythia for early rush strategies).
Science Victory: Choose civs that excel at generating science or improving research efficiency, such as civilizations with unique campus adjacency bonuses or special science buildings (e.g., Korea, Babylon).
Cultural Victory: Opt for civilizations that produce extra culture or tourism through their unique buildings, districts, or abilities (e.g., Greece with extra culture from the Acropolis, France for tourism, Kongo for great works).
Religious Victory: Pick civs that have faith-based bonuses, unique temples, or early religious units (e.g., Arabia for religious synergy, Russia for huge faith generation from Lavras).
Diplomatic Victory: Consider civs that can generate large amounts of diplomatic favor, build alliances effectively, or secure city-states (e.g., Canada with diplomatic advantages, Sweden for great people that influence diplomacy).
2. Match Your Playstyle to the Civ’s Strengths
Some civilizations are tailored to specific playstyles. If you’re an aggressive player, go for a civ with military might. If you prefer a “tall” empire of a few highly developed cities, choose a civ with district cost reductions, bonus adjacency, or unique infrastructure. For “wide” players who build many cities, pick a civ that can handle expansion well, such as those with loyalty advantages or cheaper settlers.
3. Consider the Game’s Geography and Map Type
Certain civilizations have environment-based bonuses that shine in specific terrains or map settings:
Maritime Civs on Water Maps: Civs with naval bonuses (e.g., the Maori or the Phoenician Empire) perform exceptionally on archipelago or island maps.
Civs with Desert, Tundra, or Rainforest Bonuses: Some civilizations thrive in unusual terrains, converting what’s usually a disadvantage into a strength. For example, Russia profits from tundra, and Arabia or Mali can benefit from deserts.
Starting Bias: Many civs have a starting bias that places them near certain resources or terrain, giving you a more predictable early game.
4. Leverage Unique Units, Buildings, and Districts
Break down a civilization’s unique elements and see how they integrate into your plan:
Unique Units: A strong early unit can secure your borders or launch a quick offensive. A strong mid- or late-game unit can tip the balance in a stalemate.
Unique Buildings or Districts: If you want to focus on culture, a unique theater square replacement that’s cheaper or provides extra yields is invaluable. If you’re aiming for science, a unique building that boosts research is a clear plus.
Unique Infrastructure or Abilities: Some abilities increase yields from certain improvements, others provide extra policy slots or reduce district costs. Carefully read these abilities to see if they align with your chosen victory path.
5. Factor in Difficulty Level and Opponents
On higher difficulty levels, civs with strong early economies or solid defensive bonuses can help you survive aggressive AIs. If you know which civs your opponents are playing, pick one that counters their strengths. For example, if you face a known warmonger, choose a civ with defensive advantages (like the Inca’s mountain advantage or Ethiopia’s faith-based defense bonuses in Civ VI).
6. Adaptability and Flexibility
If you’re uncertain about which victory you’ll pursue, pick a civilization that offers balanced bonuses applicable to multiple paths. Some civs provide general economic and production advantages that can pivot into different victory types based on the situation (e.g., Germany with its strong industrial base can pursue science, domination, or even culture through robust infrastructure).
