These are Civilization 7 best military leaders for players who are looking to dominate their foes across the board, and we’ve ranked them to really narrow down which one is the real King of the Hill.
A military victory in Civilization 7 can be obtained in one of two ways. One is by finishing Project Ivy once you’ve reached the Modern Age, and the other is by destroying every other opponent.
The strongest Leaders to achieve a Military Victory in Civilization 7 are those who can trample through enemy areas and effectively accomplish Military Victory objectives throughout all three Ages. This is because nearly all Military Legacy Path requirements are focused on establishing new settlements or conquering existing ones.
We carefully considered the potency of each leader’s distinct skills in enhancing the power and strength of their armies. This is the basis for this list of the top leaders in Civilization 7 for a Military Victory.
If you’re looking to crush your adversaries, strengthen your forces beyond what your opponents can withstand, and achieve Military Victory, these top Civilization 7 Domination Leaders can help you do just that!
Rank #5: Ashoka, World Conqueror—One of the Best Civilization 7 Domination Victory Leaders
Ashoka, the World Conqueror’s Leader Attributes are: Expansionist and Diplomatic. His Leader Ability is called “Devaraja,” which gives:
- +1 Production in Cities for every 5 excess Happiness.
- +10% Production in Settlements not founded by you.
- Declaring a Formal War grants a Celebration.
- +10 Combat Strength against Fortified Districts for all Units during a Celebration.
Ashoka has two Personas: World Conqueror and World Renouncer. The World Conqueror Persona emphasizes production and celebrations, whereas the World Renouncer Persona prioritizes development and happiness.
Declaring a formal war instantly grants a Celebration, which gives a Social Policy Slot and +10 Combat Strength against Fortified Districts. This is all possible if you are playing as Ashoka, World Conqueror. These bonuses are what makes Ashoka, World Conqueror a part of Civilization 7 best military leaders.
He earns +10% Production in all Settlements he didn’t find, thus it’s a good idea to try to take over those around you as quickly as you can. When a formal war is declared, a celebration is held. This leads to increased combat power being used against fortified districts, including the city center.
While the celebration is going on, use the increased Combat Strength to quickly blitz your opponent and destroy their Fortified Districts. After you’ve taken control of the settlement, turn it into a city. Then, use the additional production benefit to build more military troops and carry on your conquest.
Nuanced gameplay mechanics like these are one of the reasons why Civilization 7 was included in our list of “Most Anticipated Games of 2025.”
Rank #4: Machiavelli Civilization 7—A Formidable Military Leader
Machiavelli’s Leader Attributes are: Diplomatic and Economic. His Leader Ability is called “Il Principe,” which gives:
- +3 Influence per Age.
- Gain 50 Gold per Age when your Diplomatic Action proposals are accepted, or 100 Gold per Age when they are rejected.
- Ignore Relationship requirements for declaring Formal Wars.
- You can Levy Military Units from City-States you are not Suzerain of.
A leader who prefers the Diplomatic, Military, and Economic style of playing, Machiavelli provides skills that complement each of these aspects of the game. Players can totally disregard the relationship conditions for declaring formal wars when playing as Machiavelli. This means that gamers have the ability to betray Allies and Friends at any time when it appears most appropriate.
Since you don’t have to be the Suzerain, you can quickly build a standing army thanks to his ability to levy Military Units from City-States and his natural bonus to Influence per turn.
When using Machiavelli in-game, make diplomatic proposals to produce wealth. After that, betray the confidence of your newfound allies and purchase an army whenever necessary with your vast gold reserves.
But keep in mind that although Machiavelli is one of Civilization 7 best military leaders, he is a complex leader and challenging to learn. However, he performs well in the Military Victory course for all Ages as a result of these benefits.
Rank #3: Lafayette Civilization 7—An Impressive Leader for the Military Win
Lafayette’s Leader Attributes are Diplomatic and Cultural. His Leader Ability is called “Imperium Maius,” which gives:
- Gains unique “Reform” Endeavor, which grants an additional Social Policy slot. Supporting the Reform Endeavor also grants the other Leader an additional Social Policy slot.
- +1 Combat Strength for every Tradition, but not Policy, slotted in the Government.
- +2 Culture and Happiness per Age in Settlements, doubled to +4 in Distant Lands.
As a military leader, Lafayette gains a great deal by gaining access to distinctive civic civics that open up traditions. Every force under Lafayette’s command receives +1 Combat Strength for every slotted Tradition (unique Civ Social Policy). He also has the ability to initiate a special endeavor that gives him and a target an additional Social Policy Slot.
Lafayette also improves happiness and culture in every settlement. However, the Tradition synergy that he has is what truly gives him a seat as one of the best Domination Leaders in Civilization 7.
If you’re playing as Lafayette, you must unlock unique Traditions, by rushing Civ-specific civics. You won’t have much of a hard time doing this because his inherent gift of Culture bonus for every settlement makes the job a lot easier.After you unlock those unique Traditions, you can then slot them to increase the strength of your army.
Give yourself extra social policy slots by using the Reform Endeavor. Utilize whatever tradition you can without compromising beneficial social policies. Your army will be able to advance through enemy communities as if they were from a bygone era.
Oh, and don’t forget to select combat-proficient Civs, such as the Maya. Knowing this trick is absolutely great news for any player out there.
Rank #2: Charlemagne Civilization 7—A Powerhouse of Might
Charlemagne’s Leader Attributes are Scientific and Militaristic. His Leader Ability is called “Father of Europe,” which gives:
- Military and Science Buildings receive a Happiness adjacency for Quarters.
- Gain 2x free Cavalry Units, once unlocked, when entering a Celebration.
- +5 Combat Strength for Cavalry Units during a Celebration.
Charlemagne’s powerful Celebration bonuses make him one of Civilization 7 best military leaders for those wanting a Domination Victory. Placing any Military or Science structure near a quarter grants it a Happiness Adjacency, which greatly accelerates your advancement to the following Celebration.
Two free Cavalry Units of the present Era are created by Charlemagne when you enter a Celebration. Additionally, during a celebration, all cavalry units receive a massive +5 Combat Strength boost.
You will enter Celebrations a lot as Charlemagne, earning free Cavalry Units and Social Policy Slots in the process. Make the most of this by assembling military units and appointing an army commander. Oh, and time your wars by declaring them on an adversary just before you enter a celebration. Then, deploy your free cavalry troops to the front to breach the settlement you have targeted.
To earn more Happiness, place the Military and Science buildings near the Quarters. This will allow you to enter Celebrations more frequently and receive free combat reinforcements more frequently.
Rank #1: Xerxes, King of Kings—At the Top of the Ranking for Military Leaders
Xerxes, the King of Kings’ Leader Attributes are Militaristic and Economic. His Leader Ability is called “Crusher of Rebellions,” which gives:
- +3 Combat Strength for Units that are attacking in neutral or enemy territory.
- Gain 100 Culture and Gold per Age upon capturing a Settlement for the first time.
- +10% Gold in all Settlements,+20% Gold in Settlements not founded by you.
- +1 Settlement limit per Age.
Xerxes, King of Kings, has the number one spot for Civilization 7 best military leaders. You will complete the Military Legacy Path Victory requirements much before you meet the first prerequisite for any other Legacy Path since this Leader is so optimized for Domination.
Every one of Xerxes’ units gains +3 Combat Strength whenever they’re in neutral or enemy territory. This means that since your units spend the majority of the game in hostile territory, they will be continuously exploited.
For every age, Xerxes will receive 100 Culture and Gold upon capturing a settlement. This enables you to integrate Settlements, fix tiles, and buy new Units more quickly.
When you take over settlements, Xerxes receives 20% more gold, which helps you provide a steady stream of revenue to support your armies. There’s also an additional Settlement Limit for every age (three additional Settlement Limits in the modern era).
When it comes to the greatest Military Victory Leaders, Xerxes is unrivaled since the requirements for Military Victory are nearly entirely focused on capturing Settlements during each Age. Continue capturing settlements and investing gold to strengthen your forces until you eventually finish Operation Ivy after building the Manhattan Project.
That’s if you don’t accomplish a traditional Domination Victory by eliminating every other leader first.
Make Use of This Civilization 7 Best Military Leaders Ranking on Your Next Game
Civilization 7 is a fun game. But if you’re having trouble getting a Domination Victory, or just want to feel the power of being an unstoppable military force, then we highly recommend using this ranking.
We hope that this list will serve you well, and do tell us how your experience was in the comments below.
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