I published my first guide for Vox Populi[forums.civfanatics.com] on April 3rd, 2020. 43 guides, several revisions due to updates for the mod, and nearly 2 and a half years later, I had made a guide for every civ in Vox Populi. There is a lot of information spread across many sources. Not everyone wants to read through hundreds of thousands of words, so this guide exists to give a more general overview of every civ all in one convenient place. Whether you want a brief guide to get an idea of what civ to play, or just as a quick refresher. This guide, and all of my other guides, were inspired by Zigzagzigal's Civ Guides.

Links to in-depth guides of all the civs featured here are at the end of this guide


Each Civ section contains

• The Civ's start bias, if it has one. Start bias give civs a strong (but not guaranteed) chance to start in an area with the type of terrain given in the start bias. Avoid bias does the opposite
  
• The Civ's uniques. For those that replace generic things (Unique buildings, units, national wonders, and great people) only the differences of the uniques will be listed
  
• Advised strategy. A recommendation for what victory route the civ is best at, along with a brief gameplan on how to play them, plus the recommended social policies, and any important wonders

Beelining - Focusing on obtaining a technology early by only researching technologies needed to research it and no others. For example, to beeline Bronze Working, you'd research Mining and Bronze Working and nothing else until Bronze Working was finished.
Finisher - The bonus for completing a Social Policy tree (e.g. +33% Great Scientist rate and +25% growth in all cities from rationalism.)
GWAM - Great Writers, Artists and Musicians. These are the three types of Great People who can make Great Works, a major source of tourism for cultural Civs.
Opener - The bonus for unlocking a Social Policy tree (e.g. +25% Great Person Rate and +100% construction of guilds in Artistry)
Tall Empire - A low number of cities with a high population each.
UA - Unique Ability - the unique thing a Civilization has which doesn't need to be built.
UB - Unique Building - A replacement for a normal building that can only be built and used by one Civilization.
UI - Unique Improvement - A tile improvement that can be made by workers that doesn't replace any other improvement that can only be made by a single civilization
UU - Unique Unit - A replacement for a normal unit that can only be built by one Civilization or provided by militaristic City-States when allied.
Uniques - Collective name for Unique Abilities, Units, Buildings, Tile Improvements and Great People
Wide Empire - A high number of cities with a low population each.
XP - Experience Points - Get enough and you'll level up your unit, giving you the ability to heal your unit or get a promotion.

If you're new to Vox Populi, or even perhaps Civ V itself (probably a small minority, but who knows?) it is good to know that some civs are more complicated then others. So depending on your comfort level with the mechanics of Civ V and Vox Populi, you may want an easier or more difficult civ to play and understand. Either way, this is a quick breakdown of every civ's complexity before the individual overviews

Note that complexity is not the same as power. Just cause a civ is easier to play or understand does not make it easier to win nor does it strictly make them a better or worse civ. Do note however that it is possible to win as every civ with every victory condition, even on deity. This list is also entirely subjective, this is more as a general guideline rather then a comparison or hard and fast ruling, especially when playstyle preference is involved


The core strategies of these civs are easy to understand, and don't require a major deviation from a basic playstyle

• Austria(Easiest Diplomatic civ)
  
• Babylon(Easiest Scientific civ)
  
• Egypt(Easiest Cultural civ)
  
• Ethiopia(Easiest Religious civ)
  
• Huns
  
• India
  
• Korea
  
• Morocco
  
• Poland
  
• Portugal
  
• Sweden(Easiest Domination civ)
  
• Zulu

Certain aspects of these civs may not be realized on a first playthrough, whether it be through obscure/niche bonuses, or from requiring some deviation to fully utilize. Regardless, they should still be effective with little/no prior knowledge of them

• Arabia
  
• Aztecs
  
• Brazil
  
• Carthage
  
• Celts
  
• England
  
• France
  
• Germany
  
• Greece
  
• Inca
  
• Iroquois
  
• Japan
  
• Maya
  
• Netherlands
  
• Ottomans
  
• Persia
  
• Polynesia
  
• Rome
  
• Russia
  
• Shoshone
  
• Songhai

These civs hold complexities that may be difficult to grasp on a first playthrough without prior information. They often require an unusual playstyle to make the most out of, or may require often looking at a reference guide or the civiliopedia

• America
  
• Assyria
  
• Byzantium
  
• China
  
• Denmark
  
• Indonesia
  
• Mongolia
  
• Siam
  
• Spain
  
• Venice

None


Unique Ability: Manifest Destiny

• Military land units have +1 sight
  
• 25% discount on buying tiles, and settling cities resets tile purchase cost
  
• Purchasing a tile gives 25 production, scaling with era, and you can purchase tiles owned by other civilizations at increased cost

Unique Unit: Minuteman(Replaces the Musketman)

• Higher combat strength (23 instead of 22)
  
• Higher ranged strength (31 instead of 30)
  
• Obsoletes at Ballistics rather than Dynamite
  
• Ignores terrain cost
  
• +10% ranged combat strength. 10% ranged combat strength against units above 50 hp(Accuracy I)
  
• Earn golden age points from defeated enemy units

Unique Building: Independence Hall(Replaces the Hermitage)

• Has 2 Art/Artifact slots(Down from 3)
  
• +3 culture and gold if themed(Down from 4&4)
  
• Requires 40 national population to build(down from 45)
  
• Does not require an opera house to be built
  
• Cost of adopting policies reduced by 5%
  
• Unlocks access to the Smithsonian, West Point, and Hoover Dam mutually exclusive buildings in the modern era

Unique Building: Smithsonian

• Costs of tile purchases reduced by 25% in all cities
  
• +5 culture and science to all museums and research labs in your empire
  
• +2 culture & science for all world wonders
  
• Receive a free museum in all cities
  
• 10% of all gold produced in all cities is converted to culture

Unique Building: Hoover Dam

• Costs of tile purchases reduced by 25% in all cities
  
• +5 gold and production to all hotels and stadiums
  
• +2 gold and production to all world wonders
  
• Receive a free hydro plant in the city
  
• 10% of gold produced in all cities is converted to production
  
• 25% of the culture from world wonders, natural wonders, and tiles is added to the tourism output of the empire
  
• All trade units complete their routes 25% faster

Unique Building: West Point

• Costs of tile purchases reduced by 25% in all cities
  
• +5 production and science to all military academies and military bases
  
• +2 production and science to all world wonders
  
• Receive 3 free artillery and 3 free iron
  
• 10% of gold produced in all cities is converted to science
  
• All siege units receive the splash damage(Deal 5 damage to all units adjacent to the target within range) promotion

America does best with Domination but can do Culture and Science nearly as well

America's scouting bonuses allow them to better find ruins, city states, other civs and city spots in the early game, and allows them to see enemy armies better in the late game. Use the production bonuses from tile purchases to build early wonders or an early army, and continue to use them to build up your empire

Minuteman's high mobility let them easily get in to take a shot and get out without getting killed. Use them to pick off weak units for the golden age points. Get to military academies as fast as you can to allow fresh Minuteman to start with Range

Independence Hall gives minimal bonuses, it is the wonders it unlocks later on that give much more important bonuses. Since you can only build one, it is important to pick one that best fits what you are going for. The Smithsonian is best for science, but can support culture. Hoover Dam is best for culture, but can support both science and domination. West Point is best for domination but can support science

• Early Exploration
  
• Early Production
  
• Rapid Border Expansion

Desert


Unique Ability: One Thousand and One Nights

• When you complete a historic event, gain +1 culture and science in the capital, and 15% progress towards a random great person

Unique Unit: Camel Archer(Replaces the Heavy Skirmisher)

• Higher combat strength (17 instead of 15)
  
• Higher ranged strength (19 instead of 18)
  
• Obsoletes at Military Science rather than Metallurgy
  
• Does not require horses
  
• Deals 5 damage to all enemy units adjacent to the targeted unit(Splash Damage)
  
• May withdraw before melee combat

Unique Building: Bazaar(Replaces the Market)

• +2 science and faith
  
• When any Trade Route originating here and targeting another Civilization is completed, receive a Tourism boost with that Civilization based on your recent Culture and Tourism output.
  
• Increases the Range of this City's Land Trade Routes by 50%.

Arabia is best at Culture and Science

Building wonders and generating great people are the best ways to earn historic events. Focus on those two things and you'll generate lots of science, culture, and great people

Camel Archers aren't super strong, but they don't require horses. Use them defensively for hit and run or to pick off weak units. Don't worry too much if they get caught close to an enemy without movement, they have a high chance to withdraw from melee combat

Focus on getting up the Bazaar as fast as possible, the faith output is strong enough to give you a great shot at a religion. Make sure to send lots of trade routes as fast as possible for the bonus tourism, especially if you plan to go for a culture victory

• Solid Culture and Science Output
  
• Strong Tourism Through Trade
  
• Powerful Great People Generation

None


Unique Ability: Treasures of Nineveh

• When you conquer a City, gain either a Technology already known by the owner and not you or, if impossible, a large science boost.
  
• All great works give +3 science

Unique Unit: Siege Tower

• Cannot attack or defend itself
  
• Can't have more then 2 Siege Towers
  
• When adjacent to an enemy city, gives all units within 2 tiles +40% combat strength when attacking the city. Gives a 20% bonus when 2 tiles away from the city.(Sapper)
  
• -10% combat strength when defending. This unit and all adjacent units heal for 5 more hp(Medic)
  
• -10% combat strength when defending. This unit and all adjacent units heal for 5 more hp. This unit heals 5 hp per turn when outside of friendly territory(Medic II)

Unique Building: Royal Library(Replaces the School of Philosophy)

• +1 Great Scientist Point(Down from 2)
  
• +3 culture(Up from +1)
  
• Unlocks at Writing(instead of Philosophy)
  
• Does not require a library to be built
  
• Has 3 Great Works of Writing(Up from 1)
  
• +1 science from every 2 citizens
  
• All libraries give +3 science
  
• Gives a free library to the city it was built in
  
• Comes with the 'Flood Tablet' Great Work of Writing
  
• Every Great Work of Writing you own gives your unit +5 experience when built in any city, to a maximum of 45
  
• When themed, gives +3 science and production

Assyria is best at Science and Domination

Assyria wants to conquer cities. Focus on getting the best military techs to build an up to date army and use it to conquer. Don't worry about falling behind on domestic techs, as long as you are able to conquer, you'll get free techs to cover yourself.

Siege Towers are the perfect support unit. Put them next to cities to make them fall fast, and/or keep them next to a recovering army to make them heal up significantly faster so they can get to fighting and conquering faster. Do note that you can only have two siege towers and they do obsolete at gunpowder. Siege Towers are still incredibly useful after they obsolete, but if they die, you can't build any more. Make sure to keep them safe, post-gunpowder especially

The Royal Library gives you a bit of domestic science, giving you a slight edge during lulls in conquest, but more importantly is the xp bonuses it gives. You'll want to get as many great writers and works of writing as fast as possible. Not only will that give your new units more xp, it also gives you more science thanks to your UA

• Can Focus Military Techs Without Sacrificing Domestic Ones
  
• Early Siege Bonuses
  
• Can Build Highly Upgraded Army From Scratch Late Game

None


Unique Ability: Hapsburg Diplomacy

• +50% rewards from city state quests
  
• Can use gold to arrange a marriage with an allied city state. While at peace with the city state, marriages cause influence to not decay, you gain an additional 1 delegate in the World Congress, and gain +15% great person rate in the capital

Unique Unit: Hussar(Replaces the Curaissier)

• Less ranged combat strength(26 instead of 27)
  
• Higher combat strength (25 instead of 23)
  
• +1 sight (Extra Sight (1))
  
• Obsoletes at Mobile Tactics rather than Military Science
  
• +15% combat strength when attacking. +1 movement. Ignores Zone of Control(Lightning Warfare)

Unique Building: Coffee House(Replaces the Grocer)

• No food from population(Normal grocer gives +1 food per 5 citizens)
  
• +3 food
  
• +1 happiness
  
• +33% great person rate in this city
  
• 10% of cities culture is converted into science
  
• 1 Merchant slot

Austria is best at Diplomacy but Culture can be a good backup

The extra influence from city state quests should earn you some friends or even allies that other civs would not have been able to get early on. 500 gold is a lot in the early game, but building up your economy and saving your money for buying a marriage is very important, as it secures the city state bonuses and gives you some extra great people rates. Later on the money cost will be less of an issue, the goal then is purely to get as many city state allies as possible

Hussars are highly mobile and have high attack strength. Use them on defense to take out enemy units without risk or use them to take out a pesky diplomatic rival. While strong, I wouldn't recommend going full domination, as it puts your city states and marriages in danger if everyone hates you.

Coffee Houses give even more great people bonuses. It won't make a massive difference in the capital if you've been doing well with your marriages, but your other cities can benefit a lot.

• Unrivaled City State Diplomacy
  
• Powerful Great People Generation
  
• Solid Mid-Game Warfare

Forest/Jungle


Unique Ability: Sacrificial Captives

• Receive gold and faith from each enemy killed
  
• When you complete a favorable peace treaty (25+ warscore) begin a golden age

Unique Unit: Jaguar(Replaces the Warrior)

• Higher combat strength (10 instead of 8)
  
• Obsoletes at Steel rather than Bronze Working
  
• +33% combat strength fighting in forest/jungle
  
• Double movement through forest/jungle. +10% combat strength defending in rough terrain(Woodsman)
  
• Heals 25 dmg if it kills a unit

Unique Building: Floating Gardens(Replaces the Watermill)

• +2 culture & +3 food(Up from +0 and +2 respectively)
  
• Does not require a nearby river
  
• +1 food per 4 citizens
  
• +10% food during golden ages
  
• Lake tiles give +2 food
  
• River tiles give +1 food

The Aztecs are best at Domination and Science

The Aztecs like fighting messy wars with lots of casualties. They still want to capture cities, but they are just as happy killing units unlike most warmongers. Even if you can't conquer the capital, try to only end a war once you have 25+ warscore so you can get a golden age.

Jaguars are your biggest advantage actually fighting. Move them through forests/jungles if you can for the combat boosts, and try to get final blows for both the healing and the yields from the UA. Try to build up an army of 4 or 5 jaguars early and use them to conquer your closest neighbor

The Floating Gardens are what make the Aztecs a somewhat more complicated civ. Not because the building is itself very complex, but because it's bonuses run somewhat counter to the rest of the Aztecs. The Floating Gardens give a very large amount of food, but the Aztecs want to do lots of conquest, so high food and therefore high population cities combined with lots of conquest tends to result in lots of unhappiness. Balance is important. Either keep your growth to a minimum in most cities, take as few cities in war as possible, or consolidate after your first or second conquest and focus on domestic growth, still maybe doing a war or two just to fight and kill units

• Early Warfare
  
• High Food Output
  
• Able to Gain From Wars Without Conquest

None


Unique Ability: Ingenuity

• Receive a free great scientist when you discover Writing
  
• Great Scientists are earned 50% faster
  
• Gold investments in buildings reduce their production cost by an additional 15%

Unique Unit: Bowman(Replaces the Composite Bowman)

• Higher combat strength (9 instead of 7)
  
• Higher ranged strength (10 instead of 9)
  
• Obsoletes at Machinery rather than Currency
  
• -10% combat strength while attacking. Ranged attacks may be performed over obstacles(Indirect Fire)

Unique Building: Walls of Babylon(Replaces the Walls)

• +1 science & +8 city defense (Up from +0 and +6 respectively)
  
• 1 Scientist specialist
  
• City has +150hp (up from +125)
  
• Scientists in the city provide +2 gold

Babylon is best at Science

Beeline straight to writing from the start of the game to get your free great scientist. This will technically put you behind in science for the short term, but you'll explode in tech research after you get it. Afterwards, you'll also be generating tons of scientists once you get up the specialists for them. Invest only in very important cities, usually production buildings, or defensive buildings in a pinch, as Babylon has almost no economic bonuses, and can't support investing in everything

Bowmen are a powerful defensive unit. Put them in rough terrain or even behind mountains where it is difficult for them to be attacked, as indirect fire means they can attack from anywhere. Do note that they still need vision to fire, so having units keeping vision is important to get the most out of Bowmen

Your defense is even further improved by the Walls of Babylon. Along with stronger cities, they give you even more science and even a bit of gold. Get them up fast to make sure no one can conquer you early, and to keep you further ahead in the science game

• Strong Early Science
  
• Strong Early Defense
  
• Ability to Rapidly Produce Buildings for Gold

Forest/Jungle


Unique Ability: Carnival

• When a golden age begins, 30% of your golden age points are converted into tourism and gold, and your cities gain 10 turns of carnival
  
• +25% culture and -50% unhappiness from needs during carnival

Unique Unit: Bandeirantes(Replaces the Explorer)

• Does not have the Embarkation With Defense promotion
  
• Higher combat strength (19 instead of 17)
  
• Obsoletes at Rocketry rather than Steam Power
  
• Can build Mines, Quarries, Brazilwood Camps, and Forts in owned territory
  
• Unit will heal every turn even if it performs an action. Can use enemy roads/railroads(Survivalism III)
  
• Gain gold, science and culture when you reveal tiles(Flag Bearers)

Unique Improvement: Brazilwood Camp

• Must be built in a forest/jungle adjacent to a luxury resource and not another Brazilwood Camp
  
• +1 gold, or +1 gold and +6 culture with enhancements
  
• Provides a copy of the luxury resource Brazilwood, which gives +1 gold, and also +2 culture if you have the monopoly bonus

Brazil is best at Culture

Brazil wants to generate as many golden ages as possible. Besides sources of direct golden age points, the best way to generate golden ages is to have lots of happiness. Obtain as many luxuries as possible and build buildings that give happiness. You further want to get lots of luxuries to trigger carnival, a replacement for we love the king day, when you aren't in a golden age

Bandeirantes are not at all a combat unit. They replace a unit which is poor in combat and it does little to change this. What Bandeirantes give is a lot of utility. Avoid exploring much before you get these, then send them out to earn lots of gold, science and culture.

You'll want to settle as many viable spots for Brazilwood Camps as possible, as the requirements to do so are quite strict. The amount of culture, and therefore later tourism they can give is ginormous, so the more you have the better.

• Powerful Tourism and Culture From Multiple Sources
  
• Little Unhappiness
  
• Solid Gold Output

None


Unique Ability: Patriarchate of Constantinople

• Is always eligible to found a Religion, receives an additional Belief when founding a Religion, and can choose Beliefs already present in other Religions
  
• -15% Faith costs, and may purchase unlocked Great People with Faith as early as the Classical Era

Unique Unit: Cataphract(Replaces the Knight)

• Less Movement (3 vs 4)
  
• Higher combat strength (28 instead of 24)
  
• Obsoletes at Combustion rather than Metallurgy
  
• Has a smaller penalty against cities (25% vs 33%)
  
• May benefit from defensive terrain
  
• +25% combat strength against ranged attacks (Cover I)
  
• +30% combat bonus in open terrain

Unique Building: Tetraconch(Replaces the Temple)

• +2 culture
  
• Double Religious Pressure from Trade Routes
  
• +1 faith per 3 citizens

Byzantium somewhat favor Domination but can easily do any victory route

Byzantium is all about religion, and both the power and freedom of choice it gives. Even though you can found a religion no matter what and can't get locked out of beliefs, you should still get some faith generation going early, as the faster you get your religion the faster you benefit from it. Choose religious beliefs wisely, there are powerful beliefs to help every victory route, so forge a religion that makes you powerful for one victory type. Cheaper faith purchases make sure you can stay ahead of other religions. Early great people purchasing can be useful, but use it sparingly. There's a lot to do with faith early in the game

Cataphracts are strong, all purpose units for the medieval. Invading at least one civ is highly encouraged once these come online. They are stronger then knights, fight better in both open and even rough terrain, and even have a better time against cities. With the support of a few ranged and/or siege units, Cataphracts are a force to be reckoned with

Tetraconches turn Byzantium from the most reliable and one of the strongest religious civs, to unquestionably the best. They give strong faith generation that actually scales with population, making the Tetraconch one of the only scaling faith bonuses not directly tied to a religious belief. Get these up quickly and you'll have easily the strongest religion in the world

• Able to Cherry Pick Religious Beliefs, and Can't Be Locked Out of a Religion
  
• Strong Mid-Game Warfare
  
• Unmatched Late-Game Faith Output

Coast


Unique Ability: Phoenician Heritage

• +125 gold when you found a city, scaling with era
  
• All owned coastal cities receive a free lighthouse
  
• The trade route diversity modifier is either doubled if positive, or halved if it is negative.

Unique Unit: Quinquereme(Replaces the Trireme)

• Unlocks at Fishing instead of Sailing
  
• Obsoletes at Astronomy rather than Compass
  
• Gains xp from revealing tiles(Reconnaissance)
  
• +25% combat strength when attacking. +25% combat strength when attacking cities(Heavy Assault)

Unique Building: Great Cothon(Replaces the East India Company)

• Unlocks at Currency(instead of Guilds)
  
• Requires a market to be built instead of a customs house
  
• Incoming trade routes generate +5 gold for the city(up from 4), and +3 gold for the trade route owner
  
• Resource diversity modifiers for the city increase by 25% if positive, or decrease by 25% if negative
  
• Grants 2 additional trade routes
  
• All harbors gain +3 production
  
• All lighthouses gain +2 culture

Carthage is best at Domination and Diplomacy

125 gold is a very large amount early in the game. It can allow you to invest or purchase anything you can build right at the start except for a worker, for which you are not far off. Buying a pathfinder or investing in a monument or a shrine is my recommendation for your capital. Make sure you build almost all cities coastal to benefit from the free lighthouse, although building some roads is still worth it for the movement bonuses. The nuances of the trade diversity bonus isn't too important, just know your trade routes are worth more money. All these combine to make Carthage probably the strongest gold civ in the game

Heavy Assault is probably the single strongest promotion in the game, making Quinqueremes incredibly powerful. Combined with how early they arrive, building up a few asap is a good idea. Send them out to scout and get xp, then once you find a coastal civ and are ready to attack, send them to the city and take it out. Your promotions carry over, so you'll maintain a powerful navy throughout the game

The Great Cothon builds on Carthage's strengths, further increasing the potency and even quantity of trade routes, and even effectively giving every city in your empire +2 culture, assuming they're all coastal.

• Insane Gold Output From Multiple Sources
  
• Strong Early Naval Warfare
  
• Strong Starting Cities

Hills


Unique Ability: Druidic Lore

• Has a unique set of pantheon beliefs that no one else can benefit from
  
• Owned cities with your religion can neither generate nor receive religious pressure
  
• +3 faith in owned cities where your pantheon or religion are the majority

Unique Unit: Pictish Warrior(Replaces the Spearman)

• Does not have Formation I(+33% combat strength against mounted units. +15% combat strength when defending in open terrain)
  
• Higher combat strength (13 instead of 12)
  
• Arrives at Mining instead of Bronze Working
  
• Obsoletes at Gunpowder rather than Steel
  
• Gains faith whenever they defeat a unit equal to 200% of its combat strength
  
• Double movement in hills, tundra, and snow tiles. +25% combat strength in snow, tundra and hill tiles without forest or jungle(Highlanders)
  
• Can pillage tiles for no movement cost

Unique Building: Ceilidh Hall(Replaces the Circus)

• 150 culture when completed(Compared to 500 tourism to all discovered civs)
  
• 1 Music slot
  
• 1 musician specialist slot
  
• +4 culture & +2 faith
  
• 15 turns of we love the queen day when completed(Up from 10)

The Celts are best at Domination and Culture although they can also go for Science

The Celtic pantheons are core to their gameplan, and choosing the right one is important. Some support domination, some culture, some science, and some give more general infrastructure boosts. Choosing the pantheon best to your situation determines how effective the Celts are. If you can make sure you found a religion yourself, you can keep these bonuses easily, as your cities will receive no foreign religious pressure. Do note you also don't give any either, so it is harder to convert other civs too.

Pictish Warriors are essential to the Celts due to the faith they generate on kill. They can easily get a pantheon going all on their own. Beeline Mining, upgrade your starting warrior, and build one or two more Pictish Warriors to go out barbarian hunting. Outside of the faith generation they are a strong, early arriving unit that can achieve a pretty strong early rush. An early rush that could get you even more faith.

The biggest benefit of the Ceilidh Hall is the extra musician slot it gives. This is the only GWAM slot in the game that isn't from tradition or a GWAM guild, meaning The Celts can generate more musicians then anyone else. This isn't massive if you don't plan to go for a culture victory, but is probably their biggest asset even including religion towards it.

• Unique and Powerful Pantheons For a Variety of Playstyles
  
• Strong Early Warfare
  
• Ignores Foreign Religious Pressure

None


Unique Ability: Mandate of Heaven

• Creating Great Works or gaining cities grants +1 food and gold to all of your cities. This also starts We Love the Empress Day in all of your cities. These bonuses decline by 50% every era
  
• We Love the Empress Day provides +10% food

Unique Unit: Cho-Ko-Nu(Replaces the Crossbowman)

• Higher ranged strength (20 instead of 19)
  
• Obsoletes at Dynamite rather than Metallurgy
  
• 25% combat strength when in or adjacent to a city. Deal 5 damage to all enemy units adjacent to target unit within range(Siege Volleys)

Unique Building: Paper Maker(Replaces the Library)

• +1 culture
  
• +1 gold per 4 citizens
  
• +10% gold during We Love the Empress Day

China is best at Domination but Culture can be a good backup

China is one of the most expansive civs in the game. You want to be settling and conquering as many cities as possible to trigger the Mandate of Heaven. There is a delicate balance in this however, as happiness will prove a big issue. Set less important cities to avoid growth, and raze any city that isn't a capital or has a wonder. Limit your expansion in the ancient era to limit the penalties of advancing eras, but once you hit the classical you should be expanding rapidly Generating great works is also very important, as they can trigger the Mandate of Heaven without the downsides of founding a city

The Cho-Ku-Nu is situationally one of the strongest units in the game. You want to keep them adjacent to cities if you can, especially when fighting units. Only push them forward once you have to, and make sure they stay well defended at all times. As long as they can maintain their positions next to a city they will hit incredibly hard

The Paper Maker simply builds on China's gold generating strengths, by giving them even more gold. With their UA and the Paper Maker, even with their wide, militaristic playstyle, they should be able to keep a strong economy

• Incredible Food and Gold Scaling With Expansion
  
• Strong Mid-Game Warfare
  
• Uniques Relevant at All Points of Game

Coastal


Unique Ability: Viking Fury

• Embarked Units have +1 movement and pay just one movement to disembark
  
• All melee land units gain the Viking promotion and all melee naval units gain the longboat promotion
  • Viking Promotion: Unit pays no movement to pillage, has +25% combat strength on pillaged tiles, and heals +5hp in neutral territory
    
  • Longboat Promotion: Unit pays no movement to pillage, has +15% combat strength on coastal tiles, and recovers HP twice as fast on coastal tiles

Unique Unit: Berserker(Replaces the Pikeman)

• Higher movement (3 instead of 2)
  
• Higher Combat Strength (19 instead of 17)
  
• Arrives at Metal Casting instead of Steel
  
• Obsoletes at Rifling rather than Gunpowder
  
• Ignores penalties attacking across a river or while embarked. Gains a movement bonus moving across rivers(Amphibious)
  
• +10% combat strength attacking into open terrain. +20% combat strength attacking wounded units(Charge I)

Unique Building: Runestone(Replaces the Lighthouse)

• +2 culture
  
• When a unit created by this city pillages a tile, the city gains 30 gold and culture scaling with era
  
• +25% production of melee and naval melee units
  
• +2 food(up from +1) & +1 gold from coast and ocean tiles
  
• Internal Trade Routes from this city generate +6 food(Up from +4)
  
• City does not have to be coastal in order to build a Runestone

Denmark is best at Domination

Denmark's biggest asset is their ability to rapidly embark and disembark. Position your army just off the coast of an enemy, then when you declare war disembark into their lands for a rapid attack. Pillage to gain extra combat strength and take them down with rapid force. On the seas make sure your units stay in coastal and not ocean waters and you will have the upper hand.

You want to make sure you settle get Metal Casting quickly for your Berserkers. The earlier you get it the longer Bersekers will be the dominant force on the battlefield. Berserkers are amazing at using the other Danish bonuses, mainly due to their extra movement effectively making them into mounted units. Hit hard and fast, just like you might have before and will continue to in the future

You'll most likely want to have Runestones up before your first war, as the yields it can give are quite good. Make sure you are doing as much pillaging as possible to get the most out of them.

• Highly Mobile Warfare
  
• Strong on Land and Sea
  
• Solid Gold and Culture Output From Warfare

Desert


Unique Ability: Monument Builders

• +20% production towards building wonders, increasing to +40% during Golden Ages
  
• Artifacts give +5 science and culture, and Landmarks give +5 gold and tourism

Unique Unit: War Chariot(Replaces the Chariot Archer)

• Arrives at The Wheel instead of Animal Husbandry
  
• Higher combat strength (9 instead of 8)
  
• Does not require horses
  
• Obsoletes at Physics rather than Mathematics
  
• Gain production in the capital when you defeat an enemy unit(Gift of the Pharoh)

Unique Building: Burial Tomb(Replaces the Caravansary)

• Land trade routes get +2 gold(down from 3)
  
• +1 faith
  
• Has an Art/Artifact slot
  
• Receive a free unique Egyptian artifact when constructed
  
• +1 food gold for every 2 desert or tundra tiles worked in this city(up from every 3 tiles)

Egypt is best at Culture

Egypt is king at building wonders. You will want to try to build as many wonders as possible. You can't get away with building every wonder, both due to the time it takes and the scaling production costs of wonders based on how many wonders you have built, but you will be able to build most wonders you'd want to.

War Chariots are a poor choice for war, even with them not needing horses. However, they can easily be gotten without going off of Egypts preferred tech path, meaning you can afford to build a few easily. The reason you'd want to is for the production they give on kill. Send one or two out to kill barbarians, and you'll get a decent bit of production.

The Burial Tomb is just as if not more powerful a tool for a culture victory as the Egyptian UA. The free artifact is a good amount of tourism but just as importantly gives a good bit of science. Science is important because without good science, all the production in the world won't matter because wonders will get built before you even have the tech researched. Because of this you'll want to build somewhat wide as Egypt, so you can get more Burial Tombs

• Unrivaled Wonder Builder
  
• Can Build Tall or Wide
  
• Solid Science and Culture Output

Coastal


Unique Ability: Perfidious Albion

• +1 movement for naval and embarked units
  
• Naval unit gold maintenance reduced by 25%
  
• Foreign Spies operate 25% slower in your cities
  
• Start the game with a spy, all spies are faster and operate at one rank higher then normal

Unique Unit: Ship of the Line(Replaces the Frigate)

• Higher combat strength (28 instead of 25)
  
• Higher ranged strength (38 instead of 35)
  
• Extra Sight(1)
  
• Obsoletes at Electronics rather than Dynamite
  
• Deals 5 damage to enemy units adjacent to target within range when attacking(Splash Damage)
  
• Deals 5 damage to enemy units adjacent to target within range when attacking(Splash Damage II)

Unique Building: White Tower(Replaces the Ironworks)

• +2 culture, gold & science
  
• +25 science and gold from spies stealing a great work, stealing a technology, rigging an election, killing an enemy spy, or by constructing a building. Gain +5 science and gold from advanced actions. Both scale with era
  
• Has 1 art/artifact slot
  
• Increases city defense by 3
  
• Provides "The Crown Jewels" work of art for free
  
• All Constabularies, Castles and Armories gain +1 culture

England is best at Domination and Diplomacy

England is master of the waves, and their UA gives them that dominance in the early game. The extra movement given to dromons and galleass' allow you to use them in much more effective ways, allowing them to move from outside of a city's attack range, fire, then move back out. England's early spies are best used to gain city state influence, although later in the game sending a few to major civs is a good idea

Ship of the Line's extend England's dominance of the waves into the rest of the game. Make sure to position Ship of the Lines such that they can hit as many units as possible with Splash Damage, but be careful that this doesn't leave them vulnerable. Only go for aggressive plays if you have lots of ships and/or melee naval units to protect them

Build the White Tower in a slightly smaller but still major city, as the gives yields for every building you build in that city, so building it in a slightly smaller city means more buildings are there to build

• Strong Naval Warfare
  
• Early Spies Allows For Early City State Relationships
  
• Solid Yields From Spies and Producing Buildings

None


Unique Ability: Solomonic Wisdom

• When you complete a policy branch, adopt new beliefs, or adopt your first ideology, receive a free technology
  
• +1 faith from strategic resources

Unique Unit: Mehal Sefari(Replaces the Fusilier)

• Higher combat strength (42 instead of 38)
  
• Obsoletes at Combined Arms rather than Replaceable Parts
  
• +25% combat strength defending against ranged attacks (Cover I)
  
• +30% combat strength when fighting in the capital. Bonus decays by 3% for each tile away from the capital you are
  
• 25% combat bonus in friendly territory(Homeland Guardian)

Unique Building: Stele(Replaces the Monument)

• +2 faith
  
• +25% faith during a golden age

Ethiopia is best at Science

Ethiopia wants to focus on faith generation in order to get free techs. The faith from strategic resources help, but you will need to invest a decent bit into faith to be sure. The free techs are nice but you will still need conventional science output

The Stele covers most of your early faith needs, being a monument that also gives faith. You don't have to choose between a shrine and a monument as Ethiopia. Building some shrines later is still a good idea, but you can afford to wait a little

The Mehal Sefari is an incredible defensive unit. They have tons of bonuses for being in your territory and being near your capital. Once you research and build them they'll be all the defense you need, but don't neglect your defense before them.

• Powerful Faith Output
  
• Strong Late-Game Defense
  
• Solid Tech Rate Scaling With Faith and Culture

None


Unique Ability: Esprit De Corps

• +10% for each subsequent attack against a single target during a turn
  
• When you conquer a City, gain Great Artist, Writer, and Musician Points in your capital, and a temporary boost to production and culture in every city

Unique Unit: Musketeer(Replaces the Tercio)

• Higher combat strength (29 instead of 24)
  
• Obsoletes at Replaceable Parts rather than Rifling
  
• +15% combat strength when attacking, ignores zone of control, +1 movement(Lightning Warfare)

Unique Improvement: Chateau

• Must be built next to a luxury and not next to another Chateau
  
• +2 culture, and +3 food and gold, upped to +5 culture and gold and +3 food with enhancements
  
• 50% defense to units on tile

France is best at Culture and Domination

You want to focus fire on individual units as France, moreso then other civs. Ranged and mounted units are valuable as France, and later on air units are incredible. This bonus is best used against cities though. You'll want to conquer as many cities as possible too so you can get the GWAM, culture and production bonuses

Musketeers don't gel super well in theory with the French UA, but they are very strong. Use them exactly like you would mounted units, breaking into enemy lines for strong attacks against key targets

The Chateau is a decent infrastructure improvement, but the most important part of that is the culture. Plan your Chateaux placement to make sure you can fit as many as you can and they'll give lots of tourism later on

• Unrivaled Single Target and City Damage
  
• Strong Culture and Production Through Warfare
  
• Strong GWAM Generation

None


Unique Ability: Blood and Iron

• +3 culture in the capital per city state ally, and +3 science in the capital per friend, both scaling with era
  
• Gain +1 influence per turn for each unit gifted to a city state (lost when killed or upgraded)

Unique Unit: Landsknecht(Replaces the Tercio)

• Higher combat strength (26 instead of 24)
  
• Receives no experience penalty and can move immediately after being purchased
  
• +30% combat strength when attacking units at full health(Doppelsoldner)
  
• +33% combat strength against mounted units. +15% combat strength defending in open terrain(Formation II)

Unique Building: Hanse(Replaces the Customs House)

• +3 culture & +5 gold (Up from +2 and +0 respectively)
  
• 10% of the city's gold is added to the city's science every turn
  
• +5% production for every trade route your civilization has with a city state

Germany is best at Diplomacy but Science makes a good backup

You'll want to try and get relationships with as many city states as possible. Even if you can't get an alliance, keeping up a friendship is still very much worth it for the science. Of course, you also want to get up lots of alliances. Send at least 2 military units to a city state and they should passively gain influence up and past 60. In order to keep gaining influence above 100, you'll probably need more units, but still, you can keep up the passive pressure. While this does make it so you have to spend less diplomatic units maintaining all your city state allies, you will still need to invest plenty of diplomatic units into any contested city states.

Landsknechts are a strong defensive unit. They are very strong against mounted units due to having formation II. Try to attack a full health unit with a Landsknecht first before the rest of your units to deal lots of extra damage.

Once you get up your Hanses, make sure to send all of your trade routes to city states, and to keep up to your trade route cap. The amount of production you can gain is some of the highest in the game. With this production, you can pump out diplomatic and military units to keep up your influence

• Can Keep City State Allies With Minimal Investment
  
• Strong Mid and Late Game Production
  
• Solid Mid-Game Army Can Be Bought With Gold

None


Unique Ability: Hellenic League

• City State Influence decays at half and recovers at double the normal rate.
  
• Each City State alliance gives +5% combat strength to each friendly and allied unit(up to a maximum of 25%)
  
• City State territory considers your units as friendly

Unique Unit: Hoplite(Replaces the Spearman)

• Higher combat strength (14 instead of 12)
  
• Obsoletes at Gunpowder rather than Steel
  
• +10% combat strength, and +15% combat strength per adjacent friendly unit(Unity)
  
• +100% great general generation from combat(Great Generals II)

Unique Building: Acropolis(Replaces the Amphitheater)

• +3 culture+3 tourism and +3 defense (up from +2, +0 and +0 respectively)
  
• When a unit defeats another in combat, the city gains +5 border growth. The city also gains
  +25 culture if the unit was built in this city

Greece is best at Domination and Diplomacy, but they can take an unusual route for Culture

Greece is fantastic at keeping city state allies, they have to spend far less on maintaining their allies due to the halved decay rate. You'll still need to invest diplomatic units to get up to ally status, and to fight other civ's influence, but you need less for maintenance. Your city state allies are good for more then just diplomatic uses. Keep up several allies, and your army will have a very big boost to their combat strength

Hoplites are the perfect unit to take advantage of Greece's UA. They come early and are great for an early rush, and you should use them as such. They become stronger if you keep them close to eachother. Don't worry if you can't get any city state allies before you are ready for your first war, Hoplites are strong enough to take out a rival. They upgrade well too, so make sure to build plenty before they obsolete

For your normal playthrough of Greece, the Acropolis is a very nice source of culture. Build them fast and you'll get lots of culture from your warfare. However, the Acropolis can take you on an unusual path. The Acropolis gives flat tourism. The only other building before the industrial era that gives tourism is the arena. This gives Greece a unique ability to generate tourism far earlier then anyone else. A possible alternate path is to after your first war start focusing a lot more on GWAMs and other sources of tourism to push your early tourism forward into a culture victory

• Can Maintain City State Allies With Minimal Investment
  
• Strong Military Scaling With City State Allies
  
• Unorthodox Tourism Generation

Grasslands/Plains


Unique Ability: Scourge of God

• Friendly and enemy War Weariness reduced by 50%
  
• Your mounted melee and armor units can capture defeated enemy units
  
• Your Cities claim adjacent unowned land tiles when they earn a tile of the same type.

Unique Unit: Horse Archer(Replaces the Skirmisher)

• Higher combat strength (13 instead of 12)
  
• Higher ranged strength (11 instead of 10)
  
• Obsoletes at Metallurgy rather than Physics
  
• Does not require horses
  
• +10% Combat Strength, additional +10% against units above 50% hp(Accuracy I)

Unique Improvement: Eki

• +1 food, production, and culture, upped to +3 food, +5 production, and +1 culture and gold
  
• +1 production per two adjacent Ekis
  
• Can be built adjacent to Hunnic territory
  
• Must be built on a flat grasslands or plains tile with no freshwater

The Huns are best at Domination

The Huns can engage in somewhat longer wars with less happiness penalties, so you're able to spend less time not at war then some other civs. Mounted units should be the core of your army to capture some enemy units. Don't worry about keeping them alive, as they'll be captured with low health, likely to die the turn after capture. Even if they don't, it's ok to turn them right back at their former owner. Outside of war, the Huns can gain tons of land, as earning one tile automatically claims all adjacent tiles of the same type. This happens with minimal input on your end, so just enjoy your free land

Horse Archers aren't much stronger then normal skirmishers, but they are very useful simply due to their lack of a horse requirement. Use them to weaken units for your mounted units to kill, as well as to slowly but safely wittle down cities.

Ekis give a massive amount of production, and have fairly lax placement requirements. Try to build them in bunches to gain adjacency bonuses, you can even build them outside of your territory, but do so carefully, as they could get snatched up by another civ. Luckily, due to the land grabbing ability of the UA, this should rarely be necessary

• Rapid Border Expansion
  
• Strong Production
  
• Steals Enemy Units

Mountains


Unique Ability: Great Andean Road

• Units ignore terrain costs when on hills and may cross mountains
  
• Cities, Roads and Railroads may be built on mountains
  
• Mountains provide food, science and gold, scaling with era

Unique Unit: Waraq'ak(Replaces the Slinger)

• Higher combat strength (7 instead of 6)
  
• Higher ranged strength (7 instead of 6)
  
• Higher range (2 instead of 1)
  
• Obsoletes at Currency rather than Calendar
  
• Ranged attacks cause the target to have -15% combat strength for 5 turns. Ignore zone of control(Concussive Hits)

Unique Improvement: Terrace Farm

• +1 food and +2 production, upped to +6 food and +2 production with enhancements
  
• Must be built on a hill
  
• +1 food to adjacent farms
  
• +1 food per adjacent mountain

The Inca are best at Science and Domination

Inca can rapidly move through hills, and even mountains. This has great use for both scouting, and military. Put ranged units into mountains and they can't be attacked by melee units. Do note that units cannot heal in mountains. Units can also flee and chase through hills faster then almost anything else. You also can make great use of mountains domestically, which are normally mostly useless for other civs. Settling cities in mountains is often a good idea as they are easily defended, but don't always do so if there is an otherwise superior spot.

Waraq'ak have one of the best promotions in the game with Concussive Shots. However, as an slinger replacement, they are quickly made irrelevant by spearman and walls. Wait until you are about to unlock composite bowman before you build many of them.

Terrace Farms give tons of food. Build as many as you can near mountains. Even on hills without any nearby mountains, a Terrace Farm is often better then a mine. You should still build a few mines, but the majority of your hills should have Terrace Farms

• Strong Food In Otherwise Desolate Terrain
  
• Rapid Movement Through Most Rough Terrain
  
• Powerful Ranged Units

River


Unique Ability: Font of Dharma

• Starts the game with a pantheon, and Great Prophets cost 35% less
  
• Each Follower of your primary Religion increases Religious Pressure and Growth
  
• Cannot build missionaries

Unique Unit: Naga-Malla(Replaces the Cuirassier)

• Adjacent enemy units have -10% combat strength(Feared Elephant)
  
• Does not require horses
  
• Unlocks at Gunpowder instead of Metallurgy
  
• Obsoletes at Ballistics rather than Military Science
  
• +10% ranged combat strength. +10% ranged combat strength attacking units with less then 50% hp (Barrage I)

Unique Building: Harappan Reservoir(Replaces the Aqueduct)

• +3 food(up from +1) & +3 production
  
• +20% food carried over from city growth (up from +15%) & +25% of the city's production is added to current production
  
• +1 production from flood plains
  
• +1 food and production from farms

India is best at Culture and Science

Your starting pantheon on top of the cheaper great prophets give you a huge head start on founding a religion, making it likely you found the first religion. Considering you probably have poor knowledge of your starting territory for your pantheon, Goddess of the Home is probably your best choice. Further keeping up your religion snowballs into tons of pressure and more importantly growth. Your passive pressure is very important though, as you cannot found missionaries. Focus your religion on more domestic beliefs rather then those that are based on spreading your religion

Naga-Malla don't require horses and have feared elephant, so you can use them to field a solid mid-game army. More importantly though is them having barrage I. If you can get up military academies you can build Naga-Mallas from scratch to get high tier promotions like Logistics

The Harappan Reservoir makes Indian farms very strong. Build as many farms as possible to get truly massive cities that also have good production

• Unrivaled Food and Production
  
• Near Guaranteed Religion
  
• Highly Upgraded Late-Game Army

None


Unique Ability: Sumpah Palapa

• When you found or conquer a city, one of 3 unique luxury resources spawn next to or underneath the city. The 3 possible resources are cloves, peppers, and nutmeg.
  
• +5% to yield and golden age bonuses from global monopolies
  
• +2 to yield and happiness from global monopolies

Unique Unit: Kris Swordsman(Replaces the Swordsman)

• Obsoletes at Gunpowder rather than Steel
  
• Receives a random promotion when entering first combat(Mystic Blade)

Unique Building: Candi(Replaces the Garden)

• +3 culture & +2 faith
  
• 2 gold maintenance(down from 3)
  
• Does not require an aqueduct in the city to be built
  
• A clove, pepper, or nutmeg resource will appear near or under the city when built
  
• +15% culture and faith during we love the king day

Indonesia can do Domination, Culture and Science

Even with just the bonuses from the 3 unique luxury resources, Indonesia has a strong infrastructure. You can consolidate just off of your own easy settlements, or you can try and expand even further, trying to claim as many monopolies as possible, as monopolies outside of your 3 unique ones are just as useful, they're just harder to get.

Kris Swordsman can be tricky to use, but are powerful. Once a Kris Swordsman has received their promotion, use them for whatever role best suits the promotion. Promotions that effect the unit when attacking should be used to attack, and vice versa to defend. Make sure to claim any nearby iron you see early on, otherwise you won't be able to build enough Kris Swordsman to conquer with.

To get the most out of Candis, try to invest a lot early on to be able to found a religion. Candis come too late to help in founding, but they do give a lot of faith, giving you a powerful religion if you can manage to found one

• Strong Early Infrastructure
  
• High Happiness
  
• Flexible Victory Path

Forest/Jungle


Unique Ability: The Great Warpath

• Units move through forests and jungles as roads, and these tiles establish city connections
  
• Land Units start with the Woodsman promotion(+10% combat strength when defending in rough terrain. Move through forests and jungles twice as fast)

Unique Unit: Mohawk Warrior(Replaces the Swordsman)

• Higher combat strength (17 instead of 16)
  
• Does Not Require Iron
  
• Obsoletes at Gunpowder rather than Steel
  
• +33% combat strength in forests/jungles

Unique Building: Longhouse(Replaces the Herbalist)

• +2 food(up from 1) & +1 culture
  
• +1 food production to all nearby forests and jungles(up from +1 food from every 2 forests or jungles) as well as to plantations(up from +1 production)

The Iroquois are best at Domination

Iroquois units have unparalleled movement through woods and jungles, as every military unit they have moves through them at more then double speed, thanks to both woodsman and treating them like roads. Use this mobility to chase down enemy units and flee from them if necessary.

Swordsman are easily the strongest unit of the classical era, but are held back due to their iron requirement. Mohawk Warriors are swordsman that don't need iron, meaning you can build as many of them as you want. Use them everywhere, but especially try to position them in forests/jungles for even extra damage

The Longhouse gives you a domestic reason to keep around forests and jungles, as it increases the yields of both fairly substantially, giving the Iroquois one of the best early infrastructures. Settle your cities in forests/jungles, and don't cut them down unless it is for a resource.

• Unrivaled in Forests/Jungles
  
• Strong Early Warfare
  
• Strong Early Infrastructure

None


Unique Ability: Shogunate

• +1 culture and faith from defense and military training buildings
  
• When a Great General or Admiral is born, gain Great Writer, Artist and Musician points in the capital

Unique Unit: Samurai(Replaces the Longswordsman)

• Higher combat strength (25 instead of 22)
  
• Obsoletes at Rifling rather than Gunpowder
  
• Gains Great Generals 100% faster (Great Generals II)
  
• Gain XP 50% faster (Quick Study)

Unique Building: Dojo(Replaces the Armory)

• +3 culture & +5 science (Up from 0 and 2 respectively)
  
• +25 xp to all units created in this city (up from 20)
  
• Increases Military Supply Cap by 2 (Up from 1)
  
• Mounted melee, melee, armor and gun units trained in this city receive the Eight Virtues of Bushido promotion, which will randomly turn into 1 of 8 promotions after a unit enters its first combat
  
• When units are promoted, gain culture and science based on the unit's current level
  
• Does not require a barracks to build

Japan is best at Domination and Culture

Earning a great general gives you 50% progress towards each GWAM, making a great general effectively worth 2 and a half great people. Do your best to earn them, any opportunity to pick a free great person should be used to pick a great general. Build military training and defensive buildings early, as they give some small yields, making them less of a burden for your cities

Samurais combo really well with the other Japanese uniques. Build many of them, and fight lots with them, and you'll earn generals exceptionally fast.

Dojos make your units very strong. The differences between the promotions are minor, but they generally make your units tankier and otherwise better at combat. So don't worry about keeping track of each unit's promotion. This is your biggest military strength, so waiting to war until you get up Dojos is probably a good idea

• Gain GWAMs through Great Generals
  
• Gains Many Yields Through Conquest and Fighting
  
• Strong Mid-Game Warfare

None


Unique Ability: Scholars of the Jade Hall

• +1 science from all specialists, increasing by 1 in the Medieval, Industrial and Atomic Eras.
  
• +30% Great Person rate during Golden Ages
  
• Gain 50 golden age points whenever a great person is born, scaling with era.

Unique Unit: Hwach'a(Replaces the Trebuchet)

• Higher combat strength (13 instead of 12)
  
• Higher ranged strength (21 instead of 20)
  
• Obsoletes at Rifling rather than Gunpowder
  
• Has 2 sight(up from 1)
  
• Does not have Siege Inaccuracy(-33% combat strength against land units)
  
• -30% ranged combat strength when attacking. May attack twice(Logistics)

Unique Building: Seowon(Replaces the University)

• +2 faith
  
• When a citizen is born gain 50%(up from 25%) of the city's science towards your current research
  
• +1 science production from Great Works in the city
  
• +15% science in the city during Golden Ages
  
• Arrives at Philosophy instead of Education

Korea is best at Science, but can do Domination well

You'll want to build tall as Korea in order to make the most of the science from specialists. Equally as important, and for similar reasons, you'll want to secure as many golden ages and golden age related bonuses as possible.

Hwach'as serve as a solid defensive unit in the medieval, but their true potential comes up once upgraded. Hwach'as do well against units, but poorly against cities. Once upgraded, this flips, and they become a force against cities unlike anything else. You can ignore this potential and do fine as a peaceful science Korea, but some conquest is possible. If you do decide to conquer with upgraded Hwach'as, don't keep many cities, as to preserve your tall nature to keep up happiness for golden ages.

Seowons may come early, but they still cost the same production as a university, and can prove difficult to produce with the production you'll likely have. Build up some production buildings first if you feel it'll take too long to build them in a city, but they should still be a high priority building

• Powerful Mid and Late Game Science
  
• Unrivaled Mid-Game Siege
  
• Solid Golden Ages

Forest/Jungle


Unique Ability: The Long Count

• After researching mathematics, receive a free great person at the end of every Mayan Long Count Calendar Cycle(every 394 years). You may only choose each great person once.

Unique Unit: Atlatlist(Replaces the Composite Bowman)

• Higher combat strength (13 instead of 12)
  
• Arrives at Mathematics rather than Currency
  
• Obsoletes at Metallurgy rather than Machinery
  
• +33% ranged combat strength when attacking wounded units(Atlatl Strike)

Unique Improvment: Kuna

• +1 science and +2 faith, upped to +7 science, +2 faith and culture with enhancements
  
• Built in a forest or jungle not adjacent to another Kuna

The Maya are best at Science and Domination

You'll want to beeline mathematics from the very start of the game. Since as the game goes on each turn takes less years, It takes longer for each 394 years to pass, and therefore more time to get great people. Once you have founded a religion, use the next great person you get for a great prophet, and you can enhance immediately

Atlatlists come with a very strong promotion, effectively increasing their offensive strength by 33%. Use this to the fullest, making Atlatlists the bulk of your army. An invasion, especially into a well forested/jungled neighbor, is recommended

Kunas are the Mayas biggest (and only major) scientific boost. Your city spots should be based around how many Kunas can go there, so settle into heavily forested/jungled areas. After mathematics you should quickly go to construction to get these up so they can help you found your religion.

• Free Great People
  
• Strong Faith and Science Output
  
• Powerful Early Warfare

Grasslands/Plains


Unique Ability: Mongol Terror

• Mounted ranged units get +2 movement and ignore zone of control
  
• +100% yields from bullying city states.

Unique Great Person: Khan(Replaces the Great General)

• May construct a Ordo
  
• Higher movement (5 instead of 2)
  
• Units adjacent to and on the same tile heal an extra +10hp per turn. Deals 10 damage to any adjacent enemy units at the end of the turn

Unique Building: Ger(Replaces the Granary)

• +1 faith
  
• No maintenance cost
  
• -25% culture and gold needed for acquiring new tiles
  
• +1 food from cows, sheep, and horses

Mongolia is best at Domination

City state tribute can be a powerful boost to your early empire, and having that doubled helps even further. Build up a small force early and send them around to gather tribute. Your biggest strength is in your mounted ranged units. Make sure to settle horses early so you can build up enough units. Use hit and run tactics, you should have the movement to almost never get attacked back, even against cities. When arsenals come around, you'll need to build some siege to actually take down cities, as hit and run will no longer easily work.

Use the enhanced movement of Khans to have them keep up with the mobile hit and run tactics of your army. Ordos should be used sparingly, but if you can get a border with a well defended city, they can allow you to take them out easier then you might otherwise have been able to

The Ger's faith allows you to delay shrines and still get up a decently fast pantheon and potential religion. Build them early for both the religious and early infrastructure benefits.

• Highly Mobile Warfare
  
• Early Faith Generation
  
• Powerful City State Tribute

Desert


Unique Ability: Gateway to Africa

• +1 to all Yields in your Capital per unique Trade Route partner, scaling with Era.
  
• Trade Route Yields to or from Moroccan Cities are not affected by distance.
  
• Can plunder Trade Units connected to unowned Cities without needing to declare war.

Unique Unit: Berber Cavalry(Replaces the Cavalry)

• Higher combat strength (34 instead of 33)
  
• Higher ranged strength (42 instead of 41)
  
• Obsoletes at Mobile Tactics rather than Ballistics
  
• 25% combat bonus in friendly territory (Homeland Guardian)
  
• Ignores terrain cost

Unique Improvement: Kasbah

• +1 food, +2 production, gold, and culture, upped to +1 food, +2 production, +3 gold and +4 culture with enhancements
  
• Built in a tile adjacent to a city
  
• +2 gold to adjacent fishing boats
  
• +1 culture to adjacent coastal tiles
  
• +30% defense bonus to units stationed on a Kasbah
  
• Deals 5 damage to any adjacent enemy units
  
• Connects any luxury or strategic resources it is built on

Morocco is best at Culture, but Diplomacy can be a good backup

You'll want to send out trade routes to every city state you can before you send out routes to major civs, as major civs can send their own routes to you, which triggers the bonus. Pillage other civ's trade routes sparingly, as it will make people angry if you do so too much

Berber Cavalry are a very strong defensive unit. Use them for hit and run like other mounted ranged units, and they should be most of the land defense you need

Kasbahs are your strongest assest, as they push you towards a culture victory. Build as many as you can. Position your cities such that they can build as many as possible. You'll want at least a few coastal cities but the majority of your cities should be inland. Only build a city coastal if it is your capital, and/or if it can get some fishing boat resources by being coastal.

• Strongest Capital in the Game
  
• Disrupt Other Civ's Trade
  
• Strong Tourism Output

Coastal


Unique Ability: Dutch East India Company

• +3 gold and culture for every unique luxury resource you import or export to other Civilizations and City States, scaling with era
  
• Can import duplicate resources, and major civilization imports count towards monopolies

Unique Unit: Sea Beggar(Replaces the Corvette)

• Higher combat strength (42 instead of 40)
  
• Arrives at Astronomy instead of Navigation
  
• Obsoletes at Rocketry rather than Industrialization
  
• May capture defeated enemy units(Prize Ships)
  
• May heal outside of friendly territory. Heals +5hp per turn(Supply)
  
• +100% combat strength against cities. Damage from cities reduced by 50%(Vanguard)

Unique Improvement: Polder

• +2 gold, +1 production, and +3 food, upped to +4 gold, +2 production, +3 food and +1 culture with enhancements
  
• Built on a fresh water or marsh tile
  
• +1 gold to adjacent villages and towns

The Netherlands are best at Diplomacy and Domination

Make sure you are selling and buying at least one of every luxury resource you can for lots of culture and gold. Try to achieve some monopolies by buying duplicate luxuries, but only do so for monopolies that actually help you, namely the +10% to a yield or the +25% golden age monopolies. Monopolies that add yields to a resource are only helpful if you have some of that resource and you should be doing great with happiness

Sea Beggars are a terror on the sea, largely because they come early. Build a small fleet of Sea Beggars to take out a few cities, you don't need many to fight cities due to Vangaurd. You'll need more to fight units but you should still have the upper hand

Polders give good yields and can be built on a lot of tiles. Try to settle freshwater and especially marsh areas early, and then build as many Polders as you can.

• Strong Gold and Culture Output
  
• Solid Mid-Game Infrastructure
  
• Powerful Mid-Game Naval Conquest

None


Unique Ability: Kanuni

• Completing a trade route grants 150 food and science to the origin city if international, and +150 gold and culture if internal. Bonuses scale with era

Unique Unit: Janissary(Replaces the Musketman)

• Higher combat strength (24 instead of 22)
  
• Higher ranged strength (31 instead of 30)
  
• Obsoletes at Ballistics rather than Dynamite
  
• -15% combat strength when defending. Unit will heal every turn, even if it performs an action(March)
  
• 25% combat bonus when attacking

Unique Building: Siege Foundry(Replaces the Forge)

• Copper gains +1 production and gold(Changed from just +2 gold)
  
• +3 production
  
• +50% production towards siege units
  
• All siege units made in this city gain the Volley promotion(+50% ranged combat strength against cities and fortified units)
  
• When you construct a unit in this city, gain science equal to 20% of the units production cost

The Ottomans are best at Science and Domination

Early on in the game, international trade routes are more valuable then internal due to the very high amount of science it gives, but later on in the game you will want to have more or less an equal amount of internal and international routes

Once you get up your Siege Foundries, start producing an army, with a healthy amount of siege. Even if you don't strictly have a good war target, you'll get a nice bit of science out of it plus a defensive force to deter attackers. If you do have a potential target to invade however, you siege units start out much stronger then most, so use them to tear down enemy cities.

Janissaries are best used to take out enemy units while your siege takes out cities. Be aggressive with them, as they are stronger on the offense and have march to keep healed up.

• Strong Trade Bonusees
  
• Powerful Siege
  
• Converts Production Into Science

None


Unique Ability: Achaemenid Legacy

• Golden Ages last 50% longer, and 10% of your gold income (after expenses) converts into golden age points every turn
  
• During a Golden Age, your units get +1 movement and +15% combat strength

Unique Unit: Immortal(Replaces the Spearman)

• Higher combat strength (13 instead of 12)
  
• Obsoletes at Gunpowder rather than Steel
  
• Heals 10 extra hp per turn when healing(Faster Healing)
  
• 25% combat strength when defending(Armor Plating I)

Unique Building: Satrap's Court(Replaces the Courthouse)

• Can be built in any city
  
• Has no maintenance cost
  
• +1 gold
  
• +1 gold and golden age point per 5 citizens
  
• 1 merchant specialist slot
  
• +1 happiness
  
• +1 gold for each engineer, scientist, and merchant specialist in the city
  
• Production cost increases by 5% for every Satrap's Court in your empire(Down from 10% per courthouse)

Persia is best at Domination but Culture can be a good backup

You are almost guaranteed to get a golden age sometime between turns 40-50. Use the time before then to build up an army and scout for a vulnerable neighbor. Once your golden age triggers, be ready to strike, as you have a limited time before the golden age ends. Afterwards, make sure to secure every golden age bonus you can, and try to time your wars with your golden ages. Generating Great Artists is a reliable way to do this

Immortals are the perfect unit to use for your first war. Beeline Bronze Working from the beginning of the game, and get up an army of them to be ready for your first golden age. Immortals with the Persian golden age buff should mow over nearly any defense that is possible at this stage of the game.

The Satrap's Court is one of your best sources of golden age points. After your first war, consolidate a bit, and wait to research these. Build them everywhere, and you'll be earning golden ages much more frequently.

• Powerful Timing Based Warfare
  
• Solid Gold Output
  
• Solid Happiness Bonuses

Avoid Forest/Jungle


Unique Ability: Solidarity

• Gain a free social policy in the classical era, and one every other era afterwards
  
• Gain 2 additional tenets whenever you adopt an ideology for the first time

Unique Unit: Winged Hussar(Replaces the Lancer)

• Higher combat strength (40 instead of 37)
  
• Higher Movement(5 instead of 4)
  
• Obsoletes at Combined Arms rather than Combustion
  
• Forces defender to retreat if it takes more damage then it deals. If defender can't retreat it instead takes 50% more damage(Heavy Charge)
  
• +33% damage against mounted units. +15% combat strength while defending in open terrain(Formation I)

Unique Building: Ducal Stable(Replaces the Stable)

• 100 culture when completed
  
• Provides 1 free horse resource
  
• +50% towards mounted melee units(up from 33%)
  
• +15xp to mounted melee units
  
• Internal trade routes from this city gain +4 production(up from +2)
  
• Nearby Horse, Sheep and Cattle resources gain +3 production gold(up from +2 production and +0 gold)

Poland is best at Domination

You'll want to get strong science so you can advance quickly to get your free social policies. Of course this will also get you to your uniques faster and keeps you on unit tech

Use Winged Hussars carefully. Forced Retreat can be tricky to work around, always be aware of where a Winged Hussar will be positioned when they move up after attacking, it could leave them in a vulnerable position, or it could push an enemy out into a vulnerable spot. Make sure to bring siege though, as cities are the one thing your Winged Hussars struggle against

Try to settle near lots of pasture resources, the Ducal Stable may seem to eliminate the need for horses, but you still want horses, as you can easily get a strategic if not even global monopoly, and the yields the Ducal Stable gives all pasture resources is very good

• Strong Social Policy Generation Without Culture
  
• Solid Mid-Game Infrastructure
  
• Strong Mid-Game Mounted Warfare

Coastal


Unique Ability: Wayfinding

• Your units can always embark and move over ocean. Embarked units have +1 sight
  
• +2 food from fishing boats and atolls. Melee naval units can construct fishing boats
  
• No unhappiness from isolation

Unique Unit: Maori Warrior(Replaces the Longswordsman)

• Does not require iron
  
• Obsoletes at Rifling rather than Gunpowder
  
• -15% combat strength to all adjacent enemy units(Haka War Dance)

Unique Improvement: Moai

• +1 culture and production, upped to +3 culture, +2 production, and +1 gold with enhancements
  
• Built on a coastal tile
  
• +1 culture for each adjacent Moai
  
• Polynesian units gain +20% combat strength if within 3 tiles of a Moai

Polynesia is best at Culture

Use your immediate deep ocean embarking ability to the fullest, explore as much as possible in the early stages of the game. Make sure to settle any spots you want that other civs can't get to before they get to Astronomy. Build up a few melee ships early and you won't need to build any fishing ships

Maori Warriors are an incredible defensive unit, and should be all the land defense you need. Do note that your empire is likely spread across several islands and landmasses. Maori Warriors are not capable of defending you on the water. Make sure you keep up a good navy

Moais are an incredible source of culture and tourism, as they can be placed fairly easily, and improve themselves when built next to eachother. Since your cities ignore isolation, consider putting some cities inland that you otherwise wouldn't so you can fit more Moais. I wouldn't recommend this if the city would lose out on some fishing boat resources, but it is otherwise a good idea

• Early Exploration
  
• Strong Land Defense
  
• Strong Tourism and Culture Output

Coastal


Unique Ability: Mare Clausum

• When a trade unit moves, receive +4 science, gold and great admiral points (for cargo ships) or great general points (for caravans), scaling with era

Unique Unit: Nau(Replaces the Caravel)

• Higher combat strength (30 instead of 25)
  
• May sell goods to gain xp, gold and place a Feitoria when adjacent to city state lands, scaling with distance to the capital. Each Nau can do so twice(Exotic Cargo)
  
• Extra Sight(1)
  
• Obsoletes at Industrialization rather than Navigation
  
• Withdraw before melee

Unique Improvement: Feitoria

• +3 production and gold, upped to +5 production and gold, and +2 culture
  
• Must be built on a coastal tile not adjacent to another Feitoria, or by a Nau
  
• +1 gold to adjacent coast and lake tiles
  
• +1 production to adjacent fishing boats
  
• Can be built by a Nau's Exotic Cargo ability in city state territory
  
• Gives 1 copy of all the luxury resources in the city state it is built in
  
• Trade routes to the city state it is built in give bonus food, production & gold based on the gold output of the trade route and your relationship status with the city state

Portugal is best at Science, but Diplomacy can be a good backup

Get your trade routes up early and keep them up. Early game you'll want to send them to as safe a route as possible, usually internal, but later on you can afford to send them on the best routes, which are often to city states. Don't be afraid to use most of your generals for citadels, although keep at least one around for defense, whatever neighbor(s) you citadel probably will be upset

Once you get Naus you should build several of them to explore and sell cargo to every city state you can. Only stop building Naus once you have enough to get a Feitoria in every city state. This should give you more or less the navy you'll need for the rest of the game

Feitorias give solid yields when built in your own territory, but they are best in city state territory. The happiness and bonuses you'll get from the resources it gives, especially if you have statecraft, are very good

• Strong Science and Gold Through Trade
  
• High Happiness
  
• Strong Great General and Admiral Generation

Hills


Unique Ability: The Glory of Rome

• When you conquer a city, the city retains all buildings, and you immediately claim additional territory around the city
  
• +15% production towards buildings already constructed in the capital

Unique Unit: Legion(Replaces the Swordsman)

• Higher combat strength (18 instead of 16)
  
• Obsoletes at Gunpowder rather than Steel
  
• When fortified, adjacent enemy units takes 10 damage at the beginning of the turn(Pilum)
  
• May construct roads and forts
  
• +25% combat strength when defending against ranged attacks(Cover I)

Unique Building: Colosseum(Replaces the Arena)

• +3 culture and +3 production (Up from 1 and 0 respectively)
  
• +1 tourism from every 3 population(up from 1 per 4)
  
• When a unit defeats an enemy unit in battle, gain 5 golden age points in the city, scaling with era. If the unit was made in the city, also gain +10 great general points(if land) or +10 great admiral points(if sea), scaling with era.
  
• City Connections give +2% gold

Rome is best at Domination and Science

You'll want your capital to be as strong as possible. You'll almost always want it to be producing buildings, so get up a second city early to be your main unit producer. In your first conquest especially, make sure to get any good cities the enemy has settled, as they well retain all their buildings and get some extra land

Legions are you big punch early on. Make sure you settle iron early. If you have a legion or two sitting around, use them to help build roads, either domestically or towards your next conquest. Use them to fight units as normal, but when sieging, fortify them right next to the city, and they'll deal passive damage with Pilum

While you shouldn't wait to war before you get up Colosseums, you should try to get them up quickly as you can get quite a lot of yields out of killing units from them.

• Strong Production Outside of Capital
  
• Conquered Cities Much Stronger
  
• Strong Early Warfare

None


Unique Ability: Siberian Riches

• All strategic resources provide double their normal quantity(This does not include paper)
  
• 25% faster border growth
  
• +20 science whenever you expand your borders naturally, scaling with era

Unique Unit: Cossack(Replaces the Cavalry)

• Higher combat strength (35 instead of 33)
  
• Higher ranged strength (44 instead of 41)
  
• Obsoletes at Mobile Tactics rather than Ballistics
  
• +33% combat strength attacking wounded units
  
• 25% chance to force a unit to retreat after it takes ranged damage. If the unit can't retreat it takes 50% more damage(Withering Fire)

Unique Building: Ostrog(Replaces the Arsenal)

• +3 production
  
• Costs 5 gold maintenance (down from 6)
  
• Costs 800 production (down from 1000)
  
• Arrives at the renaissance tech Metallurgy instead of the industrial tech Rifling
  
• Does not require a castle in the city
  
• +1 production and gold to all camps, lumbermills, mines, and strategic resources
  
• Enemy units spend 1 extra movement per tile if they move onto a tile worked by this city

Russia is best at Science and Domination

You can easily get strategic monopolies on strategic resources without even conquering a single city. While you can use the extra resources to build up a massive army, if you do have any strategic resources you aren't using, sell them for a lot of money. Nab any tile expansion cost reductions that you can to increase your science output

Cossacks are very strong. They basically have Poland's WInged Hussars unique promotion, but arguably better as they don't move forward with the enemy. They also hit very hard. Cossacks can be used purely defensively or you can go to war with them, both are valid

The Ostrog gives Russia one of the strongest defenses in the game, as well as a lot of production and gold. Unlike Arsenals which you usually only build in border cities until you have nothing else to build, Ostrogs should be built ASAP.

• Strong Science through Border Expansion
  
• Solid Military Strength Throughout Game
  
• Incredible Late-Game Defense

Grasslands/Plains


Unique Ability: Great Expanse

• Founded Cities start with additional territory, and your land units receive a 15% combat bonus when fighting in friendly territory.
  
• All Recon units may choose rewards from ancient ruins

Unique Unit: Comanche Riders(Replaces the Heavy Skirmisher)

• Higher combat strength (34 instead of 33)
  
• Higher ranged strength (42 instead of 41)
  
• Obsoletes at Mobile Tactics rather than Ballistics
  
• May withdraw from melee attacks
  
• +1 Movement
  
• No movement cost to pillage

Unique Improvement: Encampment

• +2 food and production, and +1 culture, upped to +3 food, +2 culture and production, and +1 science with enhancements
  
• Built on a flat tile not next to another encampment
  
• +15% defense bonus to units stationed on a encampment
  
• Deals 5 damage to any adjacent enemy units

The Shoshone are best at Culture, Science, and Domination

Early on, build an extra recon unit or two to make sure you can get as many ruins as possible. If possible when fighting, either on offense or defense, lure enemy units into your territory, where you will have a significant advantage.

Comanche Riders are excellent for hit and run attacks. With 5 movement, they can start 3 tiles away from a unit, move 2, shoot, then move back to where they started. Use them to pick off weak units, and to pester enemy armies and force them to move forward, preferably into your terrain

Try to settle in flatter areas to allow you to build more encampments. They further reinforce the idea of leading enemy units back into your territory, giving a further defensive bonus

• Early Border Expansion
  
• Flexible Rewards From Ruins
  
• Powerful Defense

Forest/Jungle


Unique Ability: Father Governs Children

• Influence with city states starts at 40
  
• Yields from friendly and allied city states increased by 100%
  
• +25% combat strength of allied City State capitals
  
• +10 xp to units gifted by City States

Unique Unit: Naresuan's Elephant(Replaces the Knight)

• 3 Movement(down from 4)
  
• Higher combat strength (26 instead of 24)
  
• +50% Combat Strength against Mounted Units
  
• Adjacent enemy units have -10% combat strength(Feared Elephant)
  
• Does not require horses
  
• Obsoletes at Combustion rather than Metallurgy
  
• +25% combat strength if great general is on the same tile.

Unique Building: Wat(Replaces the Constabulary)

• +2 science, +4 culture & +1 faith
  
• Enemy spies stealing rate reduced by 50% (up from 25%)
  
• Costs 2 gold maintenance(down from 4)
  
• Has 1 scientist specialist slot
  
• +2 science from temples and shrines in the city
  
• +1 culture from nearby jungles and forests
  
• Costs 350 production(Down from 500)
  
• Arrives at Theology instead of Banking

Siam is best at Culture Science and Diplomacy

Early scouting is important to get as many enhanced city state yields as possible for your early civilization. Afterwards, you will need to put in a lot of effort to keep up city state allies, as you have no bonuses to get or keep city states outside of the initial 40 starting, which matters little in the long run. If you find little competition in city states, go diplomacy, but if you are getting outcompeted consolidate in a few city state allies and go for another route

Naresuan's Elephant is the ultimate defensive unit. With just a few of them you will be almost completely safe in the medieval era. However, they upgrade poorly, so you will need to get up a good conventional defense after Naresuan's Elephant becomes irrelevant

Try to settle in a lot of forests/jungles to get the most out of the culture given by Wats. Also make sure to stay on top of building shrines and temples to get even more science. With Wats coming as early as they do, you should find yourself well prepared against spies before they even become available

• Strong Infrastructure Through City States
  
• Strong Mid-Game Defense
  
• Early Spy Defenses

River


Unique Ability: River Warlord

• Triple gold from pillaging barbarian encampments and cities
  
• Land units gain the Amphibious promotion, and move along rivers as if they were roads
  
• Rivers create city connections

Unique Unit: Mandekalu Cavalry(Replaces the Knight)

• Has no combat penalty against cities
  
• Obsoletes at Combustion rather than Metallurgy
  
• Flank attack bonus increased by 150%. Steal gold equal to 50% of the Damage inflicted on a City, capping at the City's Defensex10. Is able to use enemy Roads(Raider)

Unique Building: Tabya(Replaces the Stone Works)

• Salt provides +1 production and gold (Changed from just +2 gold)
  
• +1 culture
  
• Does not required an improved quarry resource to be built
  
• +1 production to all river tiles in the city
  
• +10% production when constructing buildings in this city

Songhai is best at Domination

Songhai is all about snowballing one conquest into another, but to get the ball rolling, you'll need to do some preparing. Build a small force to take out barbarian encampments for the extra gold to be able to build up a great force in the medieval. Try to position your units such that there is a river in between yourself and the enemy. You get no combat penalty, but the enemy will. Despite the triple gold on all city conquest, still only focus on major cities, as the payout from those will be more then enough to snowball into the next war

Mandekalu Cavalry are the best unit to start your snowball with. They have massively increased flanking bonuses, such that even 2 can easily wreck havok on an army. They can also easily take down walled cities on their own, although they need support to take on castled cities.

Tabyas allow you to build your empire a bit while preparing for your first war. Make sure to settle most cities if possible by rivers to allow for a lot of production. Even without rivers Tabyas still add a lot of production, so get construction early and have these built soon

• Strong Gold Output Through Warfare
  
• Strong Production
  
• Strong Mid-Game Warfare

Coastal


Unique Ability: Reconquista

• Gaining tiles generates gold and faith scaling with era
  
• Inquisitors are stronger, unlock earlier, and you gain a free inquisitor when you conquer a city
  
• May purchase naval units with faith

Unique Unit: Conquistador(Replaces the Knight)

• Higher combat strength (26 instead of 24)
  
• Extra Sight(2)
  
• Can Found an Overseas City
  
• Has no penalty attacking cities(as opposed to the normal 33% penalty)
  
• Obsoletes at Combustion rather than Metallurgy
  
• Embarkation with Defense

Unique Improvement: Hacienda

• +1 food, production, and gold, upped to +2 food, production, and gold, and +1 culture with enhancements
  
• Built on any tile not adjacent to a Hacienda
  
• +2 food for each adjacent bonus resource
  
• +2 production for each adjacent strategic resource
  
• +2 gold for each adjacent luxury resource
  
• +2 culture for each adjacent city center

Spain is best at Domination and Cultural

Spain wants to expand rapidly in order to get lots of tile expansion for gold and faith. Don't worry too much about using that faith to convert conquered cities either, the free inquisitors you get should do that job easy enough. Instead, use that faith to build a powerful navy.

Conquistadors are very strong at taking down enemy cities, as they lack the penalty knights normally have. Use them along with siege to take down cities fast. Just as important though is their ability to found pioneer level cities. These cities cannot have a land connection to the Spanish capital however, so make sure to research astronomy quickly so Conquistadors can get to far away lands

Haciendas, despite having some of the most lax placement requirements in the game, require careful planning to get the most out of. Make note of spots adjacent to lots of resources, and build your Haciendas there. A Hacienda with even 1 adjacency is usually better then a different tile improvement, but Haciendas are generally worse then a generic improvement with no adjacencies.

• Strong Early Faith and Gold Output
  
• Rapid Mid-Game Expansion
  
• Strong Navy Through Faith

None


Unique Ability: Lion of the North

• Land melee units have +20% combat strength when attacking
  
• Siege units have +1 movement
  
• Units gain +15xp and are fully healed whenever a great general is born. The great general bonus is increased by 15%

Unique Unit: Carolean(Replaces the Fusilier)

• Has no air strike defense
  
• Higher combat strength (41 instead of 38)
  
• Obsoletes at Combined Arms rather than Replaceable Parts
  
• -15% combat strength when defending. Heals every turn, even if the unit performs an action(March)
  
• When this unit advances after killing an enemy unit, all newly adjacent enemy units take 15 dmg(Grenadiers)

Unique Building: Skola(Replaces the Public School)

• No base science yield(Down from 3)
  
• 1 science per citizen(Up from 1 for every 4)
  
• 1 culture per 3 citizens
  
• 5 gold maintenance(Down from 6)
  
• 800 production build cost(Down from 1000)

Sweden is best at Domination

Sweden has powerful bonuses to every non archery unit. Use melee units, mounted or not, offensively, hitting harder then nearly anyone else. Use the extra movement on siege units to flee from attacks, or to get them into position to fire on cities much faster. Make sure to keep your great generals closer and safe for an even greater boost. If you have the option to pick a free great person in the middle of a war, choose a great general for an instant heal on your army

Caroleans build on Sweden's offensive strengths. Use them exactly as you've been using your melee units before, now with even greater effectiveness

Skolas may come late, but the science they give cannot be underestimated. Caroleans are more important to get then Skolas, but make sure to go for Scientific Theory as soon as you have Caroleans. Once you get enough Skolas built, you should have enough science to propel you into the late game, making sure you are never far behind on unit tech

• Strong Military Throughout Game
  
• Strong Late-Game Science
  
• Mid-War Healing From Generals

Coastal


Unique Ability: Serenissima

• Cannot found or annex cities
  
• Trade route cap is doubled, and all target restrictions are removed
  
• Receives a free Merchant of Venice after researching Trade
  
• Puppet cities have -30% to their yield penalties, and you can spend gold in them
  
• All puppet cities gain happiness like normal cities

Unique Great Person: Merchant of Venice(Replaces the Great Merchant)

• 100% bonus gold from trade missions. +2 movement while embarked(Trade Mission Bonus)
  
• May found a City
  
• May buy a City State

Unique Building: Piazza San Marco(Replaces the National Monument)

• Requires a Palace to be built instead of a monument
  
• No culture when a citizen is born(Down from 15 scaling with era) and no golden age points when you unlock a policy (Down from 50 scaling with era)
  
• No Great work of Art/Artifact slot(Down from 1)
  
• +2 food, production, and gold, and +1 science
  
• Unlocks at Writing(instead of Drama and Poetry)
  
• Increases Military Supply Cap by 5
  
• +33% great person rate(up from 25%)
  
• Unlocks access to the Murano Glassworks, Arsenale di Venezia, and Rialto District Buildings once Guilds is researched, although only one of those can be built.

Unique Building: Rialto District

• Cost of gold purchases in all cities reduced by 10% (15% in the capital)
  
• Gives 1 additional World Congress Delegate per 100 gold per turn you produce, capping at 25% of all cities states ever alive
  
• Incoming trade routes give +3 gold for both the sender and the city
  
• Cannot be built if the Arsenale Di Venezia or the Murano Glassworks are built in the city
  
• Production and population requirements increase based on the number of cities you own

Unique Builiding: Arsenale Di Venezia

• +3 city defense
  
• +15% production
  
• Increases Military Supply Cap by 5 and the Military Supply cap from population by 25%
  
• All naval units gain the 'Venetian Craftsmanship' promotion (+10% combat strength and +1 movement)
  
• Cannot be built if the Rialto District or the Murano Glassworks are built in the city
  
• Production and population requirements increase based on the number of cities you own

Unique Building: Murano Glassworks

• 1 Artist Specialist
  
• 2 art/artifact slots
  
• Great Person Improvements and Villages give +2 food and tourism
  
• +5 science if themed
  
• Cannot be built if the Arsenale Di Venezia or the Rialto District are built in the city
  
• Production and population requirements increase based on the number of cities you own

Venice can do Diplomacy Culture and even Domination

You'll want to beeline trade in order to get your first Merchant of Venice, which you should use to settle a city immediately. Your puppet cities, while inferior to regular cities, are stronger then you might think, and still significantly contribute to your empire. Trade routes are the name of the game with Venice though. Get trade techs and wonders, build trade routes, and send them out.

The Merchant of Venice can settle cities, but you should use this sparingly unless you intend to go for a culture win. Probably 4 or 5 cities is enough for Venice otherwise. They can also annex a city state into your empire, but this should also be done sparingly. You should only do this to a city state that you cannot make an ally, and even then, you should probably do it no more then once or twice. This rule is loosened if you are going for domination however, as a city state annex could make for a good launch point for your invasion, not to mention a small bump to your army strength

The Piazza San Marco gives little benefit, but similar to America, it's all about the buildings it unlocks later. They are mutually exclusive, so choose wisely, they absolutely determine Venice's best victory route. The Rialto District is best for Diplomacy, and deviates the least from Venice's regular playstyle. Murano Glassworks is best for Culture, and works best if you can settle a lot of land, challenging but not impossible for Venice. Finally, the Arsenale Di Venezia is best for Domination, and works best on water heavy maps, where Venice can have a navy that rivals even England and Denmark

• Unrivaled Trading
  
• Can Annex City States
  
• Flexible Mid-Game Victory Route Choice

None


Unique Ability: Ilkwa

• Melee and Gun units require 50% less gold maintenance, and all units require 25% less xp to get to their next promotion
  
• Your military is 50% more effective at intimidating City States. Ignores Alliance and Protection penalties when bullying.

Unique Unit: Impi(Replaces the Tercio)

• Higher combat strength (27 instead of 24)
  
• Obsoletes at Replaceable Parts rather than Rifling
  
• Provides Ranged Support Fire
  
• +25% combat strength against gunpowder units

Unique Building: Ikanda(Replaces the Barracks)

• +1 culture
  
• Melee & gun units receive the Iklwa promotion
  
• Military Supply Cap increased by 2(up from 1)

The Zulu are best at Domination

The Zulu are all about using Melee and Gun units to maximum effect. They can afford to amass a large army due to the reduced maintenance. Due note that while your melee/gun units can do all the fighting, you will still need siege to take down cities

Ikanda are what give Zulu melee/gun units their punch. The Buffalo line of promotions are incredibly strong, giving extra movement, defense, and a lot of extra offense. This allows Zulu melee units to completely usurp the role of mounted units, and be the only unit type they need on land save for some siege for cities

Impis are simply the apex of all of the Zulus strengths. The extra ranged attack means they'll start nearly all fights at an advantage if they weren't already. The gunpowder bonus carrying over on upgrade means that it is near impossible to fight the Zulu with on tech gunpowder units.

• Strong Military Throughout Game
  
• Cheap Army Maintenance
  
• Unrivaled Melee/Gun Units

• America (Domination/Science/Culture)
  
• Arabia (Culture/Science)
  
• Assyria (Science/Domination)
  
• Austria (Diplomacy/Culture)
  
• The Aztecs (Domination/Science)
  
• Babylon (Science)
  
• Brazil (Culture)
  
• Byzantium (All)
  
• Carthage (Domination/Diplomacy)
  
• The Celts (Domination/Culture/Science)
  
• China (Domination/Culture)
  
• Denmark (Domination)
  
• Egypt (Culture)
  
• England (Domination/Diplomacy)
  
• Ethiopia (Science)
  
• France (Domination/Culture)
  
• Germany (Diplomacy/Science)
  
• Greece (Domination/Diplomacy/Culture)
  
• The Huns (Domination)
  
• The Inca (Science/Domination)
  
• India (Science/Culture)
  
• Indonesia (Domination/Culture/Science)
  
• The Iroquois (Domination)
  
• Japan (Domination/Culture)
  
• Korea (Science/Domination)
  
• The Maya (Science/Domination)
  
• Mongolia (Domination)
  
• Morocco (Culture/Diplomacy)
  
• The Netherlands (Diplomacy/Domination)
  
• The Ottomans (Domination/Science)
  
• Persia(Domination/Culture)
  
• Poland (Domination)
  
• Polynesia (Culture)
  
• Portugal (Science/Diplomacy)
  
• Rome (Domination/Science)
  
• Russia (Science/Domination)
  
• The Shoshone (Domination/Science/Culture)
  
• Siam (Diplomacy/Science/Culture)
  
• Songhai (Domination)
  
• Spain (Domination/Culture)
  
• Sweden (Domination)
  
• Venice (Diplomacy/Culture/Domination)
  
• The Zulus (Domination)