Civilization 7: Best Modern Civs

The Modern Age in Civilization 7 is the decisive phase where victory conditions crystalize. This critical period demands strategic leveraging of advantages gained during the Exploration Age while making pivotal decisions.

Your civilization choice profoundly impacts Modern Age success. Twelve options exist (including Crossroads of the World DLC), each offering distinct synergies when paired with optimal leaders. Below is our expert-tiered evaluation of Modern Age civilizations in Civ 7.

Modern Era Civilization Rankings

Elite Tier: America, Meiji Japan

Premium Tier: French Empire, Mexico, Qing

Competitive Tier: Buganda, Prussia, Russia, Siam

Specialist Tier: Mughal

Elite Modern Civilizations

These civilizations represent Civilization 7's pinnacle, offering superior military assets and resource advantages capable of securing map dominance.

Elite Tier: America

- Receive 100 Gold per improved Resource. Statue of Liberty construction gains 30% production boost.Marine - Exclusive infantry unit with Amphibious capability and reduced training costs.Prospector - Special civilian unit claiming distant land resources beyond standard settlement range.Industrial Park - Unique district combining Railyard and Steel Mill. Provides +2 Food per city resource allocation.Railyard - Production specialist (+5 Production) with district/wonder adjacency bonuses. Permanent structure.Steel Mill - High-output production hub (+6 Production) featuring resource/wonder adjacency benefits. Permanent structure.

America's exceptional resource utilization makes it a Modern Age powerhouse. Frontier Expansion delivers significant gold windfalls, while the Industrial Park creates an economic engine combining Food, Production, and Gold output. The versatile Prospector secures critical resources, and the amphibious Marine provides tactical flexibility. This combination delivers rapid expansion supported by robust infrastructure.

The Prospector's resource acquisition fuels economic expansion, while the Marine's amphibious capabilities create naval assault opportunities. America presents few weaknesses with its well-rounded capabilities.

Elite Tier: Meiji Japan

- Refund 50% building production cost as Science when overbuilding. Dogo Onsen construction receives 30% production acceleration.Mikasa - Resilient naval unit that respawns at 50% HP after initial destruction.Zero - Superior air combatant with extended range and +4 strength against enemy fighters.Zaibatsu - Specialized district (Ginko + Jukogyo) boosting adjacent district building outputs.Ginko - Financial institution (+5 Gold) with wonder/gold building adjacency. Permanent structure.Jukogyo - Industrial complex (+5 Production) benefiting from coastal terrain/wonder proximity. Permanent structure.

Meiji Japan combines economic flexibility with military potency. The Goisshin trait enables district optimization while recouping scientific investment. Zaibatsu districts generate exponential production and gold yields when properly positioned. These economic advantages can snowball into late-game dominance.

The Mikasa battleship's resurrection capability creates tactical resilience, while the Zero fighter establishes air superiority. This combination of economic momentum and military quality makes Meiji Japan a formidable end-game contender.

Premium Modern Civilizations

Premium civilizations deliver reliable performance across victory conditions, featuring balanced military capabilities and resource access.

Premium Tier: French Empire

- Unlocks all standard Modern Age government celebration effects. Eiffel Tower construction receives 30% production acceleration.Garde Imperiale - Versatile infantry capable of ranged attacks with command radius bonuses.Jacobin - Limited-charge specialist recruitable exclusively in Avenue districts.Avenue - Cultural district (Jardin + Salon) enhancing city happiness.Jardin a la Francaise - Cultural institution (+5 Culture) benefiting from happiness structure proximity. Permanent.Salon - Social hub (+5 Happiness) gaining culture bonuses from adjacent wonders. Permanent.

The French Empire excels in cultural development through its self-reinforcing district system. Avenue districts create cultural/happiness synergies that amplify celebration effects from the unique government trait. While military options are limited, the Garde Imperiale provides competent defense during cultural expansion.

This civilization thrives when focusing on cultural victory conditions, though requires careful happiness management to maximize celebration benefits.

Premium Tier: Mexico

- Begins with unique government granting 30% Culture boosts. Locked to this government type. Palacio de Bellas Artes construction receives 30% production acceleration.Soldaderas - Support infantry enabling adjacent unit healing (non-stacking).Revolucionario - Random specialist recruitable in Zocalo districts with escalating costs.Zocalo - Cultural district (Catedral + Portal) scaling with government traditions.Catedral - Religious center (+5 Culture) benefiting from cultural structure proximity. Permanent.Portal de Mercaderes - Trade hub (+5 Culture) adjacent to financial structures/wonders. Permanent.

Mexico's cultural focus combines with economic elements for a versatile development path. The permanent cultural buff requires happiness maintenance, while Zocalo districts compound benefits through government customization. The Soldaderas provide defensive utility during cultural expansion phases.

Optimal for players pursuing cultural victories who can maintain happiness thresholds to exploit the permanent cultural modifier.

Premium Tier: Qing

- Trade bonuses (+4 Gold, +3 Culture, +2 Influence) with -1 Science penalty per import. Chengde Mountain Resort construction receives 30% production acceleration.Gusa - Formation-dependent infantry gaining +4 strength when adjacent.Hangshang - Specialist trader generating gold from naval import routes.Huiguan - Economic district (Qianzhuang + Shiguan) boosting settlement influence by 35%.Shiguan - Scientific institution (+6 Science) benefiting from happiness structure proximity. Permanent.Qianzhuang - Financial center (+5 Gold) adjacent to economic structures/wonders. Permanent.

The Qing civilization presents lucrative trade opportunities requiring scientific counterbalancing. While import penalties demand management, the economic and cultural benefits can propel development. Huiguan districts amplify territorial influence, while the Shiguan partially offsets scientific drawbacks.

Gusa formations provide military viability, though success depends on maintaining technological parity through careful resource management.

Competitive Modern Civilizations

Specialized civilizations that deliver situational advantages, requiring specific strategies to maximize their potential.

Competitive Tier: Buganda

- Converts pillaged yields into Culture. Land units gain amphibious capability. Muzibu Azaala Mpanga construction receives 30% production acceleration.Abambowa - Raiding specialist healing +10 HP from pillaging actions.Mwami - Commander amplifying pillage yields within operational radius.Kabaka's Lake - Unique improvement (+3 Happiness) preserving warehouse benefits while enhancing lake yields. Single placement per settlement.

Buganda rewards aggressive playthroughs with cultural conversion of plunder. The civilization demands constant military engagement to compensate for limited conventional yield generation. While Kabaka's Lake provides happiness, successful campaigns require sustained raiding to maintain competitiveness.

This playstyle carries inherent risk - unsuccessful campaigns may leave Buganda resource-starved in critical Modern Age metrics.

Competitive Tier: Prussia

- Combat strength scales with diplomatic tensions (+1 per hostile relationship).Hussar - Mobile cavalry gaining strength from remaining movement points.Stuka - Ground attack aircraft (+3 vs land units).Staatseisenbahn - Railroad improvement boosting rural tile output (+2 Gold/Production).

Prussia thrives in perpetual conflict, gaining strength from diplomatic hostility. The civilization excels militarily but faces challenges maintaining technological and cultural parity. While Staatseisenbahnen provide economic foundation, aggressive expansion becomes necessary to compensate for scientific and cultural deficiencies.

Competitive Tier: Russia

- District cultural bonuses (+1) enhanced in tundra (+1 Science). Hermitage construction receives 30% production acceleration.Cossack - Territorial defender gaining +4 strength in friendly lands.Katyusha Rocket Launcher - Mobile artillery with splash damage capability.Obschchina - Agricultural improvement (+2 Food from farms) providing tundra cultural bonuses. Limited placement.

Russian civilization benefits from district-focused development, particularly in tundra regions. While science and culture yields exist, they require geographical specialization that may limit expansion options. Military units favor defensive postures and area denial strategies.

Competitive Tier: Siam

- Accelerated city-state suzerainty at premium influence cost. Doi Suthep construction receives 30% production acceleration.Chang Beun - Mobile ranged unit capable of repositioning after attacks.Uparat - Conditional specialist recruitable after befriending independent powers.Bang - Riverine improvement combining cultural and happiness benefits.

Siam's city-state specialization creates diplomatic opportunities but demands substantial influence investment. Without native influence generation, success depends on external factors and leader synergies. The Chang Beun provides tactical flexibility, though overall civilization strength remains situational.

Specialist Modern Civilizations

Niche civilizations requiring advanced strategies and specific conditions to unlock their full potential.

Specialist Tier: Mughal

- Massive gold boost (+75%) at significant other yield cost (-25%). Red Fort construction receives 30% production acceleration.Sepoy - Hybrid infantry capable of bombard attacks.Zamindar - Enhanced settler increasing new settlement populations.Stepwell - Agricultural improvement (+2 Food from farms) with placement restrictions.

The Mughal civilization presents high-risk economic potential. While gold generation becomes extraordinary, maintaining scientific and cultural competitiveness requires careful gold reallocation. The settlement advantages from Zamindars help compensate for yield deficiencies, though success demands precise economic management.