In the realm of strategy gaming, some leaders are known for meticulously crafting a few prominent cities, while others view land as a canvas for rapid expansion, seizing it with relentless ambition.
In essence, expansion is a competitive race. The most successful leaders do not merely establish new cities; they strategically secure land, harness resources, and bolster influence, often before their rivals even notice.
While some leaders resort to military might to expand their territories through conquest, others focus on establishing settlements and infrastructure, rendering their growing empires undeniable.
A faction of leaders prefers to utilize diplomacy and trade as their instruments of expansion, enveloping new territories through alliances and cultural influence.
No matter the approach, these leaders are proactive, seeking what they need and capitalizing on opportunities as they arise.
This article is tailored for those poised to build an ever-expanding empire. Below is a curated list of the top expansionist leaders in Civilization 7, each distinguished by their unique strategies ensuring their mark is stamped across the map.
10 Ashoka, World Renouncer
Growth Through Stability
Ashoka embodies the philosophy of gradual growth—he cultivates an empire that flourishes organically. His bonuses, driven by happiness, lead to population surges, yielding an additional +1 food for every five units of excess happiness in each city.
His celebrations further amplify this effect, adding a remarkable +10 food to each settlement, ensuring consistent growth for his cities. His unique buildings also enhance happiness through adjacency bonuses from improvements, paving the way for enduring expansion without risk of decline.
In fact, his capital utilizes surplus happiness to create food, establishing a backbone that facilitates steady outward expansion.
Unlike leaders who rely on force, Ashoka’s cities expand sustainably. While patience is necessary when working with Ashoka, the longevity of his empire is a significant advantage.
9 Earth Shaker
The Mountain Builder
Pachacuti has a particular affinity for mountainous regions, and he transforms these terrains into powerful engines for empire development.
His cities receive a valuable +1 food adjacency bonus from mountains, enabling rapid population growth in advantageous locations.
Specialists operating near mountains do not incur happiness maintenance costs, which contributes to highly effective city planning. Furthermore, districts situated near mountains yield extra food, allowing cities to maintain significant populations while remaining productive.
While he excels in mountainous areas, his expansion strategy may slow if the initial terrain is unsuitable.Pachacuti is a formidable leader in high-altitude regions with an optimal map, ensuring his empire flourishes.
8 Confucius, Cheese
Expansion Through Population Growth
Confucius relies on indirectly expanding his territory; he allows his urban centers to propel population growth without aggressive territorial claims. His cities benefit from a +25% growth rate, quickly surpassing opponents in terms of population.
Moreover, each specialist contributes an additional +2 science, resulting in accelerated technological advancements to support further expansion.
By increasing the number of specialists in a city, the growth rate continues to stack, capping out at 25%.His empire thus evolves into a blend of intellectual prowess and urban expansion, achieving success without forceful land acquisitions.
Sometimes, playing a diplomatic game and settling in unoccupied territories proves beneficial. Confucius embodies this more measured approach, making him a viable choice for those preferring a gentler expansion style.
My strategy leans towards more tumultuous approaches, which is why I rarely opt for him—but he undeniably remains a strong leader.
7 Amina, Warrior Queen of Zazzau
Resource-Driven Expansion
Amina exemplifies resource-centric expansion, enabling her to establish self-sufficient cities more quickly than other leaders. Each city increases her resource capacity, allowing for aggressive trading and rapid settlement establishment.
Her economy progresses steadily with +1 gold awarded for each resource associated with her settlements, establishing long-term sustainability.
Amina’s military also enhances her expansion capabilities—units stationed on plains and deserts enjoy an additional +5 combat strength, easing the defense of captured territories.
Her warriors excel in open terrain, securing vital strategic locations faster than competitors.
Amina may not expand at the speed of others, but she presents a formidable challenge as an expansionist power.
6 Isabella, Queen of Spain
Expansion Through Exploration
Isabella intricately weaves exploration into her strategy, making early scouting crucial to her expansion efforts.
Discovering natural wonders nets her 300 gold, with earnings doubling if located in far-off lands, providing her with a financial advantage for settling and infrastructure development.
Establishing cities near natural wonders greatly enhances productivity, doubling tile yields and transforming these new settlements into economic powerhouses. Her fleet thrives on the water, with lower naval unit costs and maintenance, making her exceptional for cross-continental ventures.
Her success hinges on the map configuration; abundant wonders make her a force to reckon with, while scarce resources may impede progress.
5 Tecumseh, Nicaakiyakoolaakwe
Expansion Through City-States
Tecumseh adeptly incorporates city-states into his empire, transforming them into vital sources of food, production, and military might. Gaining suzerainty provides him with +1 food and production per age, supporting his cities’ growth without overwhelming economic pressure.
By drawing smaller states into his influence rather than overt conquest, he enjoys diplomatic expansion.
This strategy further enhances his military; increased combat strength from each suzerainship results in a formidable army without the need for relentless recruitment.
His influence burgeons as more city-states align with him, though the independent settlements’ availability dictates his pace of expansion.
4 Trung Trac, Hai Ba Trung
Expansion Through Military Power
It comes as no surprise that Trung Trac possesses formidable military strength; she expands her territory through forceful means without hesitation.
Beginning with a level 3 army commander, she sets herself up for early military success as opponents scramble to build defenses.
Her commanders gain experience at an enhanced rate of 20%, ensuring her forces become increasingly powerful with every encounter. With a +10% science boost in tropical cities, escalating to 20% during wartime, her empire remains technologically advanced.
Every commander level directly contributes to her research, establishing conquest as a pathway to continual innovation. As her armies mobilize, territory expands rapidly, and once her forces begin their advance, they are challenging to stop.
Augustus 3 , Imperial May
Expansion Through Infrastructure
Augustus constructs his empire akin to the Roman model—with robust infrastructure and organization that ensures growth outmatches his rivals. Each new settlement bolsters the capital, contributing an additional +2 production, harmonizing development and expansion.
His cities can purchase cultural buildings immediately, facilitating faster growth, and a +50% gold bonus on building acquisitions allows for accelerated establishment of thriving centers.
With each progressive era, Augustus increases his settlement limit, continuously creating opportunities for growth. While towns require time to evolve into cities, his economic foundation transforms patience into a formidable strength. Augustus builds a civilization designed for durability, avoiding reckless land grabs.
2 Ibn Battuta, The Marvels of Traveling
Expansion Through Adaptability
Ibn Battuta exemplifies the ability to adapt, adjusting to challenges while capitalizing on every opportunity. His empire flourishes due to its flexibility, receiving +2 wildcard attribute points after achieving each civic, permitting gradual shifts in strategy as the game evolves.
This adaptability ensures he remains competitive—his scouts benefit from an additional sight range, streamlining exploration and enabling informed expansion decisions.
With the ability to trade maps, he maintains an awareness of prime land locations, often surveying territories before his rivals even consider them. Every attribute point invested yields supplementary benefits, ensuring his growth momentum remains unbroken.
While some leaders favor rigid strategies, Ibn Battuta navigates a path uniquely tailored to his empire, continuously adjusting course to stay ahead. His dominion not only expands globally but also evolves along with it.
1 Xerxes, King of Kings, Crusher of Rebellions
The Unstoppable Expansionist
Describing Xerxes’ approach as ‘expansion’ seems almost reductive—the term ‘consume’ better encapsulates his insatiable appetite for land. He continuously increases his settlement limit as the ages progress, ensuring no ceiling for his ambitions.
Xerxes excels where adversaries falter, enjoying a +3 combat strength advantage when assaulting neutral or enemy territory, transforming aggressive maneuvers into powerful offensive tactics. His conquests enrich his economy, generating +10% gold from all settlements and even greater yields from captured cities, effectively turning warfare into a prosperous enterprise.
Interestingly, Xerxes’ commanders experience a unique leveling up process; each victory contributes gold rather than experience points, presenting a cycle where success yields financial gain. Some leaders may expand quickly, while others are efficient; Xerxes does so without obstruction.
Ultimately, he is unparalleled in the scope of his empire, as no leader expands as fast, broad, or strong as he does. This makes Xerxes the most formidable leader in Civilization 7. If he’s operating in your game and you’re not commanding him, expect to receive regular updates on his latest territorial conquests—it may quickly become a running joke!
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