Civ 6 Tier List: All 53 Leaders And Civilizations Ranked

Civilization 6 is a massive game with dozens upon dozens of unique factions the player can control. And with our Tier List, we’re going to divide each of the game’s 53 different civilizations into five tiers. As much as this article is about the Civilizations themselves we will also discuss leader rankings.

Key Highlights

Unlike its former sibling Civ 5, Civ 6 features more than 50 (some 53) different Civilisations, a.k.a; action-packed storylines for you to explore.
Each Civilization also offers at least one leader, which plays an essential role in defining the entire Civilization.
Besides, in-civilization elements, how easily the Civilization itself propels players to a match victory remained our key factor while ranking each option in Civ 6.

With that said, Civilizations that are absolutely best include Persia, Australia, Germany, Russia, Maya, Rome, Korea, and Japan.

These picks have a fantastic overall mechanism that helps you dominate the gameplay quickly.
The weakest Civilizations are Georgia, Phoenicia, France, and Scotland.

All Nations In Civ 6 And Comparison Between Them

Comparison table of all nations in Civ 6:

Tier	Civilization	Leader	UniqueUnit(s)	UniqueAbility	UniqueBuilding/Improvement
S	Japan	Hojo Tokimune	Samurai	Meiji Restoration	Electronics Factory
S	Russia	Peter Alexeyevich	Cossack	Mother Russia	Lavra
S	Germany	Frederick Barbarossa	U-Boat	Free Imperial Cities	Hansa
S	Australia	John Curtin	Digger	Down Under Legen	Outback Station
S	Persia	Nader Shah	Immortal	Satrapies	Pairidaeza
S	Korea	Seondeok	Hwacha	Three Kingdoms	Seowon
S	Rome	Trajan	Legion	All Roads Lead to Rome	Bath
S	Maya	Lady Six Sky	Hul’che	Mayab	Observatory
A	Gran Colombia	Simón Bolívar	Llanero	Ejército Patriota	Hacienda
A	Sumerian	Gilgamesh	War-Cart	Epic Quest	Ziggurat
A	Hungary	Matthias Corvinus	Huszár	Pearl of the Danube	Thermal Bath
A	Macedon	Alexander the Great	Hypaspist	Hellenistic Fusion	Basilikoi Paides
A	Byzantium	Basil II	Dromon	Taxis	Hippodrome
A	Greece	Pericles	Hoplite	Plato’s Republic	Acropolis
A	Dutch	Wilhelmina	De Zeven Provinciën	Grote Rivieren	Polder
A	Ethiopia	Menelik II	Oromo Cavalry	Aksumite Legacy	Rock-Hewn Church
A	Maori	Kupe	Toa	Mana	Marae
A	Inca	Pachacuti	Warak’aq	Mit’a	Terrace Farm
A	Arabia	Saladin	Mamluk	The Last Prophet	Madrasa
A	Mali	Mansa Musa	Mandekalu Cavalry	Songs of the Jeli	Suguba
A	Spain	Philip II	Conquistador	Treasure Fleet	Mission
A	Indonesia	Gitarja	Jong	Great Nusantara	Kampung
A	Aztec	Montezuma	Eagle Warrior	Legend of the Five Suns	Tlachtli
A	China	QinShiHuang	Crouching Tiger	Dynastic Cycle	Great Wall
A	Ottoman	Suleiman	Barbary Corsair	Great Turkish Bombard	Grand Bazaar
A	Egypt	Cleopatra	Maryannu Chariot Archer	Iteru	Sphinx
A	Nubia	Amanitore	Pítati Archer	Ta-Seti	Nubian Pyramid
A	Khmer	JayavarmanVII	Domrey	Grand Barays	Prasat
B	America	Teddy Roosevelt	P-51 Mustang	Founding Fathers	Film Studio
B	England	Victoria	Sea Dog	British Museum and Workshop of the World	Royal Navy Dockyard
B	Babylon	Hammurabi	Sabum Kibittum	Enuma Anu Enlil	Palgum
B	Brazil	PedroII	Minas Geraes	Amazon	Street Carnival, Copacabana
B	Zulu	Shaka	Impi	Isibongo	Ikanda
B	Mongolia	Genghis Khan	Keshig	Örtöö	Ordu
B	Canada	Wilfrid Laurier	Mountie	Four Faces of Peace	Ice Hockey Rink
B	Kongo	Mvemba a Nzinga	Ngao Mbeba	Nkisi	Mbanza
C	Norway	Harald Hardrada	Berserker	Knarr	Stave Church
C	France	Catherine de Medici	Garde Impériale	Grand Tour	Château
C	Poland	Jadwiga	Winged Hussar	Golden Liberty	Sukiennice
C	Scythia	Tomyris	Saka Horse Archer	People of the Steppe	Kurgan
C	India	Gandhi	Varu	Dharma	Stepwell
C	Greece	Gorgo	Hoplite	Plato’s Republic	Acropolis
C	Vietnam	Bà Triệu	Voi Chiến	Nine Dragon River Delta	Thành
C	Mongolia	Kublai Khan	Keshig	Örtöö	Ordu
C	Portugal	João III	Nau	Casa da Índia	Navigation School
C	Cree	Poundmaker	Okihtcitaw	Nîhithaw	Mekewap
C	India	Chandragupta	Varu	Dharma	Stepwell
C	Gaul	Ambiorix	Gaesatae	Hallstatt Culture	Oppidum
C	Mapuche	Lautaro	Malón Raider	Toqui	Chemamull
D	Scotland	Robert the Bruce	Highlander	Scottish Enlightenment	Golf Course
D	France	Eleanor of Aquitaine	Garde Impériale	Grand Tour	Château
D	Phoenicia	Dido	Bireme	Mediterranean Colonies	Cothon
D	Georgia	Tamar	Khevsur	Strength in Unity	Tsikhe

Our Tier List Picks

Summary of Civ 6’s Tier List Ranking Leaders and Civilizations:

Civ 6 Tier List Leaders And Civilizations Ranking Table
Tiers	Leaders And Civilizations
S-Tier	Persia (Cyrus II), Australia (John Curtin), Germany (Frederick Barbarossa), Russia (Peter Alexeyevich), Maya (Lady Six Sky), Rome (Trajan), Korea (Seondeok), Japan (Hojo Tokimune)
A-Tier	Byzantium (Basil II), Macedon (Alexander the Great), Hungary (Matthias Corvinus), Sumerian (Gilgamesh), Gran Colombia (Simón Bolívar), Inca (Pachacuti), Maori (Kupe), Ethiopia (Menelik II), Dutch (Wilhelmina), Greece (Pericles), Aztec (Montezuma), Indonesia (Gitarja), Spain (Philip II), Mali (Mansa Musa), Arabia (Saladin), Khmer (Jayavarman VII), Nubia (Amanitore), Ottoman (Suleiman), Egypt (Cleopatra), China (Qin Shi Huang)
B-Tier	Zulu (Shaka), Brazil (Pedro II), Babylon (Hammurabi), America (Teddy Roosevelt), England (Victoria), Kongo (Mvemba a Nzinga), Canada (Wilfrid Laurier), Mongolia (Genghis Khan)
C-Tier	India (Gandhi), Scythia (Tomyris), Poland (Jadwiga), France (Catherine de Medici), Norway (Harald Hardrad), Cree (Poundmaker), Portugal (João III), Vietnam (Bà Triệu), Mongolia (Kublai Khan), Greece (Gorgo), Mapuche (Lautaro), Gaul (Ambiorix), India (Chandragupta)
D-Tier	Georgia (Tamar), Phoenicia (Dido), France (Eleanor of Aquitaine), Scotland (Robert the Bruce)

We will also mention that we will divide the civilizations according to how easy it is for them to achieve victory in a match. So entries in S-Tier will absolutely decimate the competition, while D-Tier will struggle even to survive.

S Tier

All of the following entries on our Civilization 6 Tier List are among the absolute best in the entire game. If you choose to play as them, you will be able to effortlessly dominate your enemies.

Civilization	WHY S TIER?
Japan (Hojo Tokimune)	Adaptable civilization with unique Divine Wind ability, granting bonuses to district construction and combat strength on coastal tiles. Suited for various victory conditions.
Russia (Peter Alexeyevich)	Rapid expansion civilization gaining additional tiles for each city, bonuses from Tundra tiles, and immunity to damage from Blizzards. Versatile for most victory types.
Germany (Frederick Barbarossa)	Suited for Domination or Science victory with Free Imperial Cities ability, strong production bonuses from Hansa District, and combat strength bonus against city-states.
Australia (John Curtin)	Thrives in defensive wars with Production bonuses, gains Housing from coastal cities, and triggers Culture Bomb with Pastures. Versatile for different victory paths.
Persia (Cyrus II)	Favors cultural victory with Trade Route bonuses and advanced roads, excels in warfare with Surprise War bonuses.
Korea (Seondeok)	Strong focus on Science victory with Seowon district bonuses and Governor promotion benefits. Starting bias towards Hills ensures suitable spawn areas.
Rome (Trajan)	Expands rapidly with free buildings and Trading Posts in newly founded cities, gains extra Gold from Trade Routes, and benefits from the Legion unique unit.
Maya (Lady Six Sky)	Incentivizes compact empire building with yield bonuses and combat strength for cities near the capital, focusing on defense and Science Victory.

A Tier

Civilization 6 Tier List — **A – Tier.**

The A Rank entries on our tier list are not the greatest civilizations in the entire game, but they are the next best thing. There are quite a few unique characters in this Civ 6 Leader Tier List, and playing as any of them is enough to easily carry you to the finish line.

Civilization	WHY A TIER?
Gran Colombia (Simón Bolívar)	Specializes in domination victories, with unique units that boost combat strength and movement.
Sumerian (Gilgamesh)	Offers strong early game units and benefits for allying with other civilizations, with bonuses in combat when fighting a common enemy.
Hungary (Matthias Corvinus)	Focused on domination, can leverage city-state units with enhanced movement and combat strength, alongside cost-effective unit upgrades.
Macedon (Alexander the Great)	Tailored for domination, with perks for capturing cities, immunity to war weariness, and full healing when capturing wonders.
Byzantium (Basil II)	Combines religion with combat, spreading religion through victories and benefiting from religiously uniform cities.
Greece (Pericles)	Excels in culture, with bonuses for city-state suzerainty and a unique district that boosts cultural output.
Dutch (Wilhelmina)	Aimed at diplomatic victories, enhances trade routes, and district production, especially on river tiles and through harbors.
Ethiopia (Menelik II)	Strong in generating faith, which also boosts culture and science, especially in cities on hills.
Maori (Kupe)	Begins at sea with early bonuses to science and culture, and has advantages in naval exploration and expansion.
Inca (Pachacuti)	Utilizes mountain tiles for production and food, benefiting from internal trade routes.
Arabia (Saladin)	Combines religion with science, with bonuses for spreading their religion and unique science buildings.
Mali (Mansa Musa)	Rich in funds with a unique economy, trading production for gold, and enhancing international trade.
Spain (Philip II)	Boosts trade and expansion benefits, especially between continents, with production bonuses for overseas cities.
Indonesia (Gitarja)	Versatile, with a focus on naval and religious strengths, and benefits for coastal and lake tiles.
Aztec (Montezuma)	Geared towards domination, using luxury resources to boost combat strength and employing builders for rapid district construction.
China (Qin Shi Huang)	Focused on production and wonders for a cultural victory, with bonuses for builders and ancient/classical wonders.
Ottoman (Suleiman)	Specializes in siege warfare and city conquest, maintaining city population and loyalty upon conquest.
Egypt (Cleopatra)	Favors diplomacy, with trade route bonuses, flood immunity, and production bonuses for riverside constructions.
Nubia (Amanitore)	Focuses on ranged units and district construction, with production and experience bonuses for ranged units, and enhanced district production near their unique improvement.
Khmer (Jayavarman VII)	Excels in land and population growth, with bonuses for holy sites and aqueducts, boosting food, housing, and amenities.

B Tier

Each of the B Rank factions on this tier list are decent civilizations, but your skill with the game will determine how well you do. A moderately skilled player can do tremendously well with these, while an inexperienced one can fail badly.

Civilization	WHY B TIER?
England (Victoria)	Colonial power with benefits for overseas expansion, bonuses to resource production, and naval unit production.
America (Teddy Roosevelt)	Late-game powerhouse with different personas offering bonuses to combat strength, appeal, and culture from units.
Babylon (Hammurabi)	Strong in science with a unique mechanic that instantaneously unlocks technologies through Eurekas, at the expense of halved Science per turn.
Brazil (Pedro II)	Benefits from Rainforest tiles for adjacency bonuses and can recruit Great Persons frequently.
Zulu (Shaka)	Upgrades units to Corps or Army upon city conquest and gains loyalty from garrisoned units.
Mongolia (Genghis Khan)	Enhances diplomatic visibility and combat strength through trade, with cavalry units capable of capturing defeated enemy units.
Canada (Wilfrid Laurier)	Excels in Tundra with bonuses to food and production, focusing on Diplomacy for additional Favor.
Kongo (Mvemba a Nzinga)	Cannot construct Holy Sites or establish a religion but gains benefits from Artifacts, Relics, and Sculptures.

C Tier

As we enter the lower brackets of our tier list, we’ll look at some of the less-than-great civilizations in the game. If you don’t have a great grasp of the mechanics, we don’t recommend that you play as any of these.

Civilization	WHY C TIER?
Norway (Harald Hardrad)	Updated to be more effective with bonuses for naval melee units and coastal raiding.
France (Catherine de Medici)	Suited for Cultural victories with bonuses to Wonder production and Tourism, along with espionage benefits.
Poland (Jadwiga)	Combines military power and religion, converting territory with Culture Bombs and gaining adjacency bonuses from Holy Sites.
Scythia (Tomyris)	Militaristic, provides free light cavalry units and bonuses for attacking wounded units.
India (Gandhi)	Strong at securing Religious victories, benefiting from Follower Beliefs and boosting Trade Route religious pressure.
Greece (Gorgo)	Encourages combat-oriented approach, rewarding Culture for unit kills and enhanced by Military Policy cards.
Vietnam (Bà Triệu)	Defensive, with bonuses for settling on challenging terrain and advantages for units starting turns on those tiles.
Mongolia (Kublai Khan)	Similar to Genghis Khan’s Mongolia with added benefits from Trading Posts and Economic Policy slots.
Portugal (João III)	Focuses on Trade with restrictions and bonuses for coastal or Harbor city trades.
Cree (Poundmaker)	Benefits from trading, with mid to late game effectiveness issues but early territorial expansion through Traders.
India (Chandragupta)	Shares religious benefits with Gandhi’s India but emphasizes territorial expansion and military bonuses.
Gaul (Ambiorix)	Valued for experienced players with Culture and adjacency bonuses from Mines, and military strength for nearby units.
Mapuche (Lautaro)	Benefits from domination strategies, especially against civilizations in Golden or Heroic Ages.

D Tier

And finally, we come to the most weakest civilizations in our Tier List. We honestly don’t know why anyone would want to play as any of these.

Civilization	WHY D TIER?
Scotland (Robert the Bruce)	Benefits from city happiness for Science and Production boosts, but limited increases even with Ecstatic cities. Domination victory and War of Liberation benefits are underwhelming.
France (Eleanor of Aquitaine)	Focuses on Loyalty mechanics with Great Works causing nearby foreign cities to lose Loyalty. This strategy’s effectiveness is limited as players typically maintain happy cities.
Phoenicia (Dido)	Versatile in victory paths but lacks specialization. Features like increased Settler Movement and Sight, and the ability to move the Capital city, are not significantly impactful.
Georgia (Tamar)	Struggles with lack of impactful abilities despite the potential to chain Golden Ages. Lacks compelling reasons for play due to no strong abilities or fun gameplay elements.

Changes Due To Latest Update

Last Update: December 15th, 2022.

The developer has revamped the “Last Best West” ability of Canada’s leader Wilfrid Laurier which now grants a +2 Production bonus instead of the previous +1. This happens for the faction-special Tundra Hills and Snow Mines also.