With our Civ 5 tier list, we’re going to divide each of the game’s 43 different civilizations into five different tiers. This article is based on our preferences and playstyles.
Key Highlights
Civilization V Civilizations Tier List:
- Top-Tier Civilizations:
- Poland
- Zulu
- Babylon
- Arabia
- Korea
- Persia
- Comparatively Lower-Tier Civilizations:
- France
- Byzantium
- Carthage
- Indonesia
- Iroquois
- Rome
- Portugal
- India
Considerations for Rankings:
- Playing Preference: Based on popular player choices.
- Victory Achievement: How easily a civilization achieves victory.
- Entertainment Value: The amount of fun and engaging experience for gamers.
- Unique Elements: Unique gameplay ability, units, and leaders.
Note: While beginners may benefit from top-tier civilizations, veterans can strategically utilize the perks of any civilization in Civilization V.
Civ 5 Tier List Summary
Here’s a complete summary of Best Civilizations:
| Civilizations Ranking Table | |
| Tiers | Civilizations |
| S-Tier | Zulu, Poland, Babylon, Korea, Arabia, and Persia |
| A-Tier | Songhai, Greece, Maya, Venice, Inca, Germany, Mongolia, Huns, England, and America |
| B-Tier | China, Spain, Morocco, Ethiopia, Russia, Sweden, Celts, Polynesia, Shoshone, Aztec, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, and the Netherlands |
| C-Tier | Assyrian, Austria, Japan, Ottoman, and Siam |
| D-Tier | France, Carthage, Byzantium, Indonesia, Rome, Iroquois, Portugal, and India |
Tier List Ranking
Now that you’ve seen our rankings, here’s a quick info comparison of each nation in Civ 5:
| CIVILIZATION | TIER | LEADER | UNIQUE UNITS(s) | UNIQUE ABILITY | UNIQUE BUILDING/ IMPROVEMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zulu | S | Shaka | Impi | Iklwa | Ikanda |
| Poland | S | Casimir III | Winged Hussar | Solidarity | Ducal Stable |
| Babylon | S | Nebuchadnezzar II | Bowman | Ingenuity | Walls of Babylon |
| Korea | S | Sejong | Turtle Ship | Scholars of the Jade Hall | Hwach’a |
| Arabia | S | ement Harun al-Rashid | Camel Archer | Bazaar | Vanilla and Trade Caravans |
| Persia | S | Darius I | Immortal | Achaemenid Legacy | Satrap’s Court |
| Inca | A | Pachacuti | Slinger | Great Andean Road | Terrace Farm |
| Venice | A | Enrico Dandolo | Merchant of Venice | Serenissima | Great Galleass |
| Maya | A | Pacal | Atlatlist | The Long Count | Pyramid |
| Greece | A | Alexander | Companion Cavalry | Hellenic League | Hoplite |
| Songhai | A | Askia | Mandekalu Cavalry | River Warlord | Mud Pyramid Mosque |
| America | A | Washington | B17 | Manifest Destiny | Minuteman |
| England | A | Elizabeth | Longbowman | Sun Never Sets | Ship of the Line |
| Huns | A | Attila | Horse Archer | Scourge of God | Battering Ram |
| Mongolia | A | Genghis Khan | Keshik | Mongol Terror | Khan (Great Person) |
| Germany | A | Bismarck | Vanilla and GodsKings, Landsknecht, Panzer | Furor Teutonicus | Hanse |
| China | B | Wu Zetian | Chu-Ko-Nu | Art of War | Paper Maker |
| Sweden | B | Gustavus Adolphus | Hakkapeliitta | Nobel Prize | Carolean |
| Russia | B | Catherine | Cossack | Siberian Riches | Krepost |
| Ethiopia | B | Haile Selassie | Stele | Spirit of Adwa | Mehal Sefari |
| Morocco | B | Ahmad al-Mansur | Berber cavalry | Gateway to Africa | Kasbah (Improvement) |
| Spain | B | Isabella | Tercio | Seven Cities of Gold | Conquistador |
| Brazil | B | Pedro II | Pracinha | Carnival | Brazilwood Camp (Improvement) |
| Aztec | B | Montezuma | Jaguar | Sacrificial Captives | Floating Gardens |
| Shoshone | B | Pocatello | Pathfinder | Great Expanse | Comanche Riders |
| Polynesia | B | Kamehameha | Maori Warrior | Wayfinding | Moai (Tile Improvement) |
| Celts | B | Boudicca | Pictish Warrior | Druidic Lore | Ceilidh Hall |
| Netherlands | B | William | Sea Beggar | Dutch East India Company | Polder (Improvement) |
| Egypt | B | Ramesses II | War Chariot | Monument Builders | Burial tomb |
| Denmark | B | Harald Bluetooth | Berserker | Viking Fury | Norwegian Ski Infantry |
| Siam | C | Ramkhamhaeng | Naresuan’s Elephant | Father Governs Children | Wat |
| Ottoman | C | Suleiman | Janissary | Barbary Corsairs | Sipahi |
| Japan | C | Oda Nobunaga | Samurai | Bushido | Zero |
| Austria | C | Maria Theresa | Hussar | Diplomatic Marriage | Coffee House |
| Assyrian | C | Ashurbanipal | Siege Tower | Treasures of Nineveh | Royal Library |
| Rome | D | Augustus Caesar | Ballista | The Glory of Rome | Legion |
| Indonesia | D | Gajah Mada | Kris Swordsman | Spice Islanders | Candi |
| Byzantium | D | Theodora | Cataphract | Patriarchate of Constantinople | Dromon |
| Carthage | D | Dido | African Forest Elephant | Phoenician Heritage | Quinquereme |
| France | D | Napoleon | Foreign Legion, Musketeer, Musketeer | Vanilla and GodsKings, Ancien Régime, City of Light | Chateau (Improvement |
| India | D | Gandhi | War elephant | Population Growth | Mughal Fort |
| Portugal | D | Maria I | Nau | Mare Clausum | Feitoria (Improvement) |
| Iroquois | D | Hiawatha | Mohawk Warrior | The Great Warpath | Longhouse |
S TIER
| Civilization | WHY WE RANKED IT IN S-TIER? |
|---|---|
| Poland | Known for its versatility, excelling in achieving various victory types, particularly domination, with its powerful Winged Hussar units. |
| Babylon | Focused on achieving a Science Victory, Babylon gains early advantages in technology with the ability to build an Academy and increased Great Scientist birth rates. |
| Korea | Another Science-focused civilization, Korea benefits from increased science from specialists and Great Person tile improvements, along with access to the effective Hwach’a unit. |
| Arabia | Suited for a Cultural Victory, Arabia’s trade routes spread religion effectively and provide economic advantages with bonus gold and extended caravan range. |
| Zulu | Geared towards Domination Victory, the Zulu civilization benefits from reduced unit experience requirements, encouraging aggressive playstyles and quicker military advancement. |
| Persia | Excelling during Golden Ages, Persia enjoys extended Golden Ages, granting bonuses to culture, gold, production, and military strength, making them formidable during these periods of prosperity. |
A Tier
| Civilization | WHY WE RANKED IT IN A-TIER? |
|---|---|
| Inca | Excel on hills with no maintenance costs for roads and railroads and units ignoring terrain costs on hills. The Slinger unit offers early-game tactical advantages. |
| Venice | Unique gameplay revolves around not being able to create settlers or found new cities, instead relying on purchasing city-states. Can be powerful if managed well. |
| Maya | Tricky to master but rewarding, the Maya gain bonus Great People through The Long Count ability. |
| Greece | Suited for Diplomatic Victory with the Hellenic League ability, which maintains and recovers influence with city-states more effectively. |
| Songhai | Focused on Domination Victory, benefits from cheaper Mandekalu Cavalry for city sieges. |
| America | Offers increased sight for land military units and extra spies during the Renaissance Era, aiding in exploration and espionage. |
| England | Strong naval capabilities with +2 movement for naval units, along with an extra spy in the Renaissance Era, making them formidable in maritime affairs and espionage. |
| Huns | Ideal for early-game city sieges with powerful units like the Battering Ram and Horse Archer, allowing for swift domination. |
| Mongolia | Boasts the formidable Keshik unit, capable of rapid movement, ranged attacks, and swift retreats, making them a dominant force in early-game warfare. |
| Germany | Suited for Domination Victory, gains barbarian units by defeating them, bolstering their army and providing additional gold. |
B Tier
| Civilization | WHY WE RANKED IT IN B-TIER? |
|---|---|
| China | Flexible option suitable for Science and Domination victories, excelling in military strength and gold generation with unique abilities. |
| Sweden | Focused on Diplomatic Victory, gains significant boosts to Great Person generation and can gift them to City-States for influence. |
| Russia | Thrives in tundra terrain, with bonuses to resource yields and reduced costs for acquiring land tiles, balancing initial challenges. |
| Ethiopia | Encourages limited expansion for combat bonuses against civilizations with more cities, challenging traditional expansion strategies. |
| Morocco | Strong Cultural Victory potential, earning gold and culture from trade routes, fostering long-term cultural growth. |
| Spain | Excellent explorers, gaining substantial gold bonuses for discovering Natural Wonders, encouraging map exploration. |
| Brazil | Weak in the early game but excels later with increased Tourism during Golden Ages, fostering a strong cultural influence. |
| Aztec | Capable of pursuing both Domination and Cultural Victory with combat bonuses and increased faith generation from combat. |
| Shoshone | Benefits from expanded city territory upon founding, allowing for strategic resource access and versatile city placement. |
| Polynesia | Early ocean navigation capabilities provide access to prime territories, facilitating rapid expansion across continents. |
| Celts | Quick to establish religion with faith generation from forests and bonuses from the Pictish Warrior unit, emphasizing early faith accumulation. |
| Netherlands | Retains happiness benefits when selling luxury resources, allowing for strategic resource trading without sacrificing happiness. |
| Egypt | Specializes in Wonder construction with increased production, enabling rapid monument building and significant cultural development. |
| Denmark | Suited for Domination Victory with coastal combat advantages, gaining movement and embarkation bonuses for naval raids. |
C Tier
| Civilization | WHY WE RANKED IT IN C-TIER? |
|---|---|
| Siam | Specializes in diplomatic relations with City-States, gaining increased rewards when becoming friendly with them. While lacking impressive unique units or buildings, their diplomatic approach can provide strategic advantages. |
| Ottoman | Focuses on naval warfare, gaining gold and the chance to convert defeated Barbarian ships to their side. With reduced naval unit maintenance, they can quickly assemble a sizable navy in the early game. |
| Japan | Suited for aggressive playstyles, Japanese units maintain full combat strength regardless of damage taken, providing a significant advantage in combat situations. While capable of pursuing Cultural victory, their strength lies in military endeavors. |
| Austria | Can quickly acquire new cities through diplomatic means using their unique ability, Diplomatic Marriage, which allows them to spend gold to annex allied City-States without fighting. This provides a non-military method of expanding territory and influence. |
| Assyrian | Specializes in city sieges, with the unique Siege Tower unit granting significant damage bonuses against cities and boosting nearby units’ effectiveness in city attacks. While lacking in broader strengths, their focus on conquest can be advantageous in specific situations. |
D Tier
| Civilization | WHY WE RANKED IT IN D-TIER? |
|---|---|
| Rome | Lacks prominent advantages, with the only unique ability providing a modest production bonus for constructing buildings already present in the capital. Offers no exceptional strengths compared to other civilizations. |
| Indonesia | Rewards expansion to other landmasses with Luxury Resources, but the mechanism for obtaining them is convoluted and lacks significant benefits. |
| Byzantium | Not recommended for new players, as it lacks notable units or buildings. Allows the choice of one additional Belief when establishing a Religion, which requires a deep understanding of religious mechanics to fully leverage. |
| Carthage | Starts with coastal cities equipped with Harbors, facilitating trade routes early on but offers little else of significance. The benefit diminishes if water is scarce, limiting its utility beyond the early game. |
| France | Geared towards achieving a Cultural Victory, but its unique ability providing additional Culture per turn per city becomes less effective as the game progresses. Progression past certain technological eras reduces its effectiveness, making the late game challenging for cultural dominance. |
| India | Faces unique challenges due to its doubled unhappiness from the number of cities but halved unhappiness from population growth within cities. Encourages managing large populations within a few cities, which can be both challenging and less engaging. |
| Portugal | Focuses on trade for Diplomatic Victory, with trade routes granting increased Gold. However, the advantage provided is modest compared to other civilizations like Morocco, limiting its effectiveness in generating significant diplomatic influence. |
| Iroquois | Possesses mobility advantages, allowing units to move through forests and jungles as if they were roads in friendly territory. However, this ability is restricted to friendly terrain, limiting its utility. The unique Longhouse building provides a modest production boost but fails to compensate for the civilization’s overall lack of significant strengths. |
What Is The Best Civilization In Civ 5?
The short answer to this question is Poland. But depending on your playstyle, any of the A and S ranks on our list can classify as the best.
Hopefully, we’ve made it clear with this article that Civ 5 is a highly varied game that supports a number of different playstyles. An experienced player can dominate a match with a D rank nation, while a beginner can flop hard with an S rank.
There’s also a factor of randomness to the whole equation. A high-rank civilization could start out in a terrible terrain with no resources, and their unique abilities could serve no purpose. A veteran can still make it work, but it all depends on the level of skills they possess.
What Is The Worst Civilization In Civ 5?
Iroquois is arguably the worst civilization in the entire game.
Selective movement capabilities are not something that you truly require in a match. It’s hard to play as Iroquois when so many better options are available.
This has been eXputer’s Civilization 5 tier list. While you’re here, why not also check out our For Honor Tier List.
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