On this page, we’ve chosen to compile the most comprehensive Civilization 6 tier list. We will be rating everything from leaders and civilizations to pantheons to marvels and natural wonders for the whole game, including the game’s leaders and civilizations (vanilla plus Rise and Fall, Gathering Storm, and New Frontier).
With a slight modification, this page was last updated in February 2022. The update will provide comprehensive answers to all of the most frequently asked questions regarding the game. A substantial upgrade to the tier list occurred in May 2021, and it mirrored the large April balancing and update patch that had been applied.
Because of the several expansions that have been released, Civilization 6 gamers now have a large number of civilizations and leaders to choose from before beginning the game.
When all of the expansions are taken into consideration, there are 58 leaders / CIVs in the game as of Gathering Storm (including New Frontier Pass). Different leaders clearly have different strengths and weaknesses, and when you combine this with other aspects of the gameplay (such as which victory condition you are pursuing or which pantheon you should choose), this game becomes even more complex, which is what prompted us to create this Civ 6 Tier List.
The good news is that Civilization is famously addicting and one of the most replayable games we’ve ever played, thanks in large part to the game’s layers of complexity and flexibility to play in your own manner. Add in a little bit of chance with each new map you go on, and you’ve got yourself a riveting experience every time you press the “Start Game” button.
Here is the ultimate Civ 6 Tier List, where we have rated 58 leaders and CIVs to determine who is the greatest and worst of the best and worst of the worst. Continue reading to view a breakdown of the victories by category.
In S Tier
| Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Hojo Tokimune | Divine Wind | Meiji Restoration | Samurai | Electronics Factory |
| Macedonia | Alexander the Great | To the World’s End | Hellenistic Fusion | Hypaspist | Basilikoi Paides |
| Russia | Peter I | The Grand Embassy | Mother Russia | Cossack | Lavra |
| Germany | Frederick Barbarossa | Holy Roman Emperor | Free Imperial Cities | U-Boat | Hansa |
| Gran Colombia | Simon Bolivar | Campaña Admirable | Ejercito Patriota | Llanero | Hacienda |
In A Tier
| Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rome | Trajan | Trajan’s Column | All Roads Lead to Rome | Legion | Bath |
| Greece | Pericles | Surrounded by Glory | Plato’s Republic | Hoplite | Acropolis |
| Greece | Gorgo | Thermopylae | Plato’s Republic | Hoplite | Acropolis |
| Maya | Lady Six Sky | Ix Mutal Ajaw | Mayab | Hul’che | Observatory |
| Dutch/Netherlands | Wilhelmina | Radio Oranje | Grote Rivieren | De Zeven Provincien | Polder |
| Korea | Seondeok | Hwarang | Three Kingdoms | Hwacha | Seowon |
| Brazil | Pedro II | Magnanimous | Amazon | Minas Geraes | Street Carnival, Copacabana |
| Sumeria | Gilgamesh | Adventures of Enkidu | Epic Quest | War-Cart | Ziggurat |
| Canada | Wilfrid Laurier | The Last Best West | Four Faces of Peace | Mountie | Ice Hockey Rink |
| Maori | Kupe | Kupe’s Voyage | Mana | Toa | Marae |
| Aztec | Montezuma | Gifts for the Tlatoani | Legend of the Five Suns | Eagle Warrior | Tlachtli |
| Ottoman | Suleiman | Grand Vizier | Great Turkish Bombard | Barbary Corsair | Grand Bazaar |
| Nubia | Amanitore | Kandake of Meroe | Ta-Seti | Pitati Archer | Nubian Pyramid |
| Arabia | Saladin | Righteousness of the Faith | The Last Prophet | Mamluk | Madrasa |
| Mongolia | Genghis Khan | Mongol Horde | Ortoo | Keshig | Ordu |
| Hungary | Matthias Corvinus | Raven King | Pearl of the Danube | Huszar | Thermal Bath |
In B Tier
| Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Cleopatra | Mediterranean’s Bride | Iteru | Maryannu Chariot Archer | Sphinx |
| Phoenicia | Dido | Founder of Carthage | Mediterranean Colonies | Bireme | Cothon |
| Zulu | Shaka | Amabutho | Isibongo | Impi | Ikanda |
| America | Teddy Roosevelt | Roosevelt Corollary | Founding Fathers | P-51 Mustang | Film Studio |
| Australia | John Curtin | Citadel of Civilization | Land Down Under | Digger | Outback Station |
| Persia | Cyrus | Fall of Babylon | Satrapies | Immortal | Pairidaeza |
| France | Catherine de Midici | Catherine’s Flying Squadron | Grand Tour | Garde Imperiale | Chateau |
| France | Eleanor of Aquitane | Court of Love | Grand Tour | Garde Imperiale | Chateau |
In C Tier
| Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mali | Mansa Munsa | Sahel Merchants | Songs of the Jeli | Mandekalu Cavalry | Suguba |
| Sweden | Kristina | Minerva of the North | Nobel Prize | Carolean | Open-Air Museum |
| England | Victoria | Pax Britannica | British Museum / Workshop of the World | Sea Dog | Royal Navy Dockyard |
| Indonesia | Gitarja | Exalted Goddess of the Three Worlds | Great Nusantara | Jong | Kampung |
| Poland | Jadwiga | Lithuanian Union | Golden Liberty | Winged Hussar | Sukiennice |
| Inca | Pachacuti | Qhapaq Nan | Mit’a | Warak’aq | Terrace Farm |
| China | Qin Shi Huang | The First Emperor | Dynastic Cycle | Crouching Tiger | Great Wall |
| India | Chandragupta | Arthashastra | Dharma | Varu | Stepwell |
| India | Gandhi | Satyagraha | Dharma | Varu | Stepwell |
| Khmer | Jayavarman VII | Monasteries of the King | Grand Barays | Domrey | Prasat |
In D Tier
| Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | Robert the Bruce | Bannockburn | Scottish Enlightenment | Highlander | Golf Course |
| Kongo | Mvemba a Nzinga | Religious Convert | Nkisi | Ngao Mbeba | Mbanza |
| Scythia | Tomyris | Killer of Cyrus | People of the Steppe | Saka Horse Archer | Kurgan |
| Spain | Philip II | El Escorial | Treasure Fleet | Conquistador | Mission |
| Mapuche | Lautaro | Swift Hawk | Toqui | Malon Raider | Chemamull |
In F Tier
| Civilization | Leader | Leader Bonus | Unique Ability | Unique Unit | Unique Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Tamar | Glory of the World, Kingdom of Faith | Strength in Unity | Khevsur | Tsikhe |
| Norway | Harald Hardrada | Thunderbolt of the North | Knarr | Berserker | Stave Church |
| Cree | Poundmaker | Favorable Terms | Nihithaw | Okihtcitaw | Mekewap |