01
Conclusion
The built-in ruleset has 34 civilizations. Each has one ability and usually two unique units or buildings that replace a standard one.
Reading the data side by side, one thing stands out: 24 of the 49 unique units have exactly the same strength and ranged strength as the unit they replace (a few differ in movement or cost). Their edge is in promotions and special abilities, which a plain stat table doesn't show — so don't judge a civilization by the numbers alone. The comparison table below lists those extra abilities next to each unit.
An analysis-based guide: this guide is based on our analysis of Unciv's Nations, Units and Buildings data files. It describes what the data shows and is not a guarantee of results.
02
All Civilizations
| Civilization | Ability | Unique units & buildings (replaces) | AI's preferred victory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babylon Nebuchadnezzar II | Ingenuity
| Bowman (Archer) Walls of Babylon (Walls) | Scientific |
| Greece Alexander | Hellenic League
| Hoplite (Spearman) Companion Cavalry (Horseman) | Diplomatic |
| China Wu Zetian | Art of War
| Chu-Ko-Nu (Crossbowman) Paper Maker (Library) | Scientific |
| Egypt Ramesses II | Monument Builders
| War Chariot (Chariot Archer) Burial Tomb (Temple) | Cultural |
| England Elizabeth | Sun Never Sets
| Longbowman (Crossbowman) Ship of the Line (Frigate) | Diplomatic |
| France Napoleon | Ancien Régime
| Musketeer (Musketman) Foreign Legion (Great War Infantry) | Cultural |
| Russia Catherine | Siberian Riches
| Cossack (Cavalry) Krepost (Barracks) | Scientific |
| Rome Augustus Caesar | The Glory of Rome
| Ballista (Catapult) Legion (Swordsman) | Scientific |
| Arabia Harun al-Rashid | Trade Caravans
| Camel Archer (Knight) Bazaar (Market) | Scientific |
| America George Washington | Manifest Destiny
| Minuteman (Musketman) B17 (Bomber) | Scientific |
| Japan Oda Nobunaga | Bushido
| Samurai (Longswordsman) Zero (Fighter) | Domination |
| India Gandhi | Population Growth
| War Elephant (Chariot Archer) Mughal Fort (Castle) | Cultural |
| Germany Otto von Bismarck | Furor Teutonicus
| Landsknecht (Pikeman) Panzer (Tank) | Scientific |
| The Ottomans Suleiman I | Barbary Corsairs
| Janissary (Musketman) Sipahi (Lancer) | Domination |
| Korea Sejong | Scholars of the Jade Hall
| Hwach'a (Trebuchet) Turtle Ship (Caravel) | Scientific |
| Iroquois Hiawatha | The Great Warpath
| Mohawk Warrior (Swordsman) Longhouse (Workshop) | Scientific |
| Persia Darius I | Achaemenid Legacy
| Persian Immortal (Spearman) Satrap's Court (Bank) | Scientific |
| Polynesia Kamehameha I | Wayfinding
| Maori Warrior (Warrior) | Cultural |
| Siam Ramkhamhaeng | Father Governs Children
| Naresuan's Elephant (Knight) Wat (University) | Diplomatic |
| Spain Isabella | Seven Cities of Gold
| Conquistador (Knight) Tercio (Musketman) | Domination |
| Songhai Askia | River Warlord
| Mandekalu Cavalry (Knight) Mud Pyramid Mosque (Temple) | Domination |
| Mongolia Genghis Khan | Mongol Terror
| Keshik (Knight) Khan (Great General) | Domination |
| Aztecs Montezuma I | Sacrificial Captives
| Jaguar (Warrior) Floating Gardens (Water Mill) | Domination |
| Inca Pachacuti | Great Andean Road
| Slinger (Archer) | Cultural |
| Denmark Harald Bluetooth | Viking Fury
| Berserker (Longswordsman) Norwegian Ski Infantry (Rifleman) | Cultural |
| The Huns Attila the Hun | Scourge of God
| Horse Archer (Chariot Archer) Battering Ram (Spearman) | Domination |
| The Netherlands William of Orange | Dutch East India Company
| Sea Beggar (Privateer) | Cultural |
| Sweden Gustavus Adolphus | Nobel Prize
| Hakkapeliitta (Lancer) Carolean (Rifleman) | Diplomatic |
| Austria Maria Theresa | Diplomatic Marriage
| Hussar (Cavalry) Coffee House (Windmill) | Diplomatic |
| Carthage Dido | Phoenician Heritage
| Quinquereme (Trireme) African Forest Elephant (Horseman) | Domination |
| Byzantium Theodora | Patriarchate of Constantinople
| Dromon (Trireme) Cataphract (Horseman) | Cultural |
| Celts Boudicca | Druidic Lore
| Pictish Warrior (Spearman) Ceilidh Hall (Opera House) | Domination |
| Ethiopia Haile Selassie | Spirit of Adwa
| Mehal Sefari (Rifleman) Stele (Monument) | Cultural |
| The Maya Pacal | The Long Count
| Atlatlist (Archer) Pyramid (Shrine) | Scientific |
“AI's preferred victory” is the preferredVictoryType field the AI uses for that leader — a hint at the design intent, not a rule for you. Data from the game's own files (Civ V: Gods & Kings ruleset that ships with Unciv), read from the source at the commit of 2026-10-02. Updates and mods can change these numbers.
03
Unique Units vs What They Replace
| Unique unit | Civilization | Replaces | Strength | Ranged | Move | Cost | Extra abilities (vs the unit it replaces) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlatlist | The Maya | Archer | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | -4 | — |
| Bowman | Babylon | Archer | +2 | +2 | ±0 | ±0 | — |
| Jaguar | Aztecs | Warrior | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Maori Warrior | Polynesia | Warrior | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Slinger | Inca | Archer | -1 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Quinquereme | Carthage | Trireme | +3 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | — |
| Dromon | Byzantium | Trireme | -2 | +10 | ±0 | +11 |
|
| Hoplite | Greece | Spearman | +2 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | — |
| Horse Archer | The Huns | Chariot Archer | +1 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Persian Immortal | Persia | Spearman | +1 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Pictish Warrior | Celts | Spearman | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| War Chariot | Egypt | Chariot Archer | ±0 | ±0 | +1 | ±0 | — |
| War Elephant | India | Chariot Archer | +3 | +1 | -1 | +14 | — |
| Battering Ram | The Huns | Spearman | -1 | ±0 | ±0 | +19 |
|
| Ballista | Rome | Catapult | +1 | +2 | ±0 | ±0 | — |
| Cataphract | Byzantium | Horseman | +3 | ±0 | -1 | ±0 |
|
| Companion Cavalry | Greece | Horseman | +2 | ±0 | +1 | ±0 |
|
| Legion | Rome | Swordsman | +3 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Mohawk Warrior | Iroquois | Swordsman | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| African Forest Elephant | Carthage | Horseman | +2 | ±0 | -1 | +25 |
|
| Landsknecht | Germany | Pikeman | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | -45 |
|
| Mandekalu Cavalry | Songhai | Knight | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | -10 | — |
| Berserker | Denmark | Longswordsman | ±0 | ±0 | +1 | ±0 |
|
| Camel Archer | Arabia | Knight | -3 | +21 | ±0 | ±0 | — |
| Chu-Ko-Nu | China | Crossbowman | ±0 | -4 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Hwach'a | Korea | Trebuchet | -1 | +12 | ±0 | ±0 | — |
| Keshik | Mongolia | Knight | -5 | +16 | +1 | ±0 |
|
| Longbowman | England | Crossbowman | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Naresuan's Elephant | Siam | Knight | +5 | ±0 | -1 | ±0 |
|
| Samurai | Japan | Longswordsman | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Conquistador | Spain | Knight | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | +15 |
|
| Turtle Ship | Korea | Caravel | +16 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Janissary | The Ottomans | Musketman | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Minuteman | America | Musketman | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Musketeer | France | Musketman | +4 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | — |
| Sea Beggar | The Netherlands | Privateer | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Tercio | Spain | Musketman | +2 | ±0 | ±0 | +10 |
|
| Hakkapeliitta | Sweden | Lancer | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Ship of the Line | England | Frigate | +5 | +7 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Sipahi | The Ottomans | Lancer | ±0 | ±0 | +1 | ±0 |
|
| Mehal Sefari | Ethiopia | Rifleman | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | -25 |
|
| Carolean | Sweden | Rifleman | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Cossack | Russia | Cavalry | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Hussar | Austria | Cavalry | ±0 | ±0 | +1 | ±0 |
|
| Norwegian Ski Infantry | Denmark | Rifleman | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Foreign Legion | France | Great War Infantry | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| B17 | America | Bomber | +5 | +5 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
| Panzer | Germany | Tank | +10 | ±0 | +1 | ±0 | — |
| Zero | Japan | Fighter | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
|
- Biggest raw upgrades: Korea's Turtle Ship (+16 strength), Germany's Panzer (+10 strength, +1 move), England's Ship of the Line (+5 / +7 ranged), America's B17 (+5 / +5) and Korea's Hwach'a (+12 ranged).
- Cheaper instead of stronger: Germany's Landsknecht costs 45 less than a Pikeman, and Ethiopia's Mehal Sefari 25 less than a Rifleman.
- Different role: Arabia's Camel Archer and Mongolia's Keshik replace the melee Knight but are ranged units, so their “−strength / +ranged” numbers reflect a role change, not a downgrade.
04
Picking a Civilization (a Reading of the Data)
- Bonuses that work with no setup are the easiest to feel as a new player: Egypt's +20% production on wonders, Babylon's free Great Scientist on Writing, Korea's +2 science per specialist, Rome's +25% production on buildings your capital already has.
- Situational bonuses depend on the map or your plan: Spain needs natural wonders, Polynesia and Denmark shine with water, Celts need unimproved forest next to cities, Austria and Greece revolve around city-states.
- The AI's preferences split 11 scientific, 9 cultural, 9 domination and 5 diplomatic — a rough map of what each civ was built for.
05
FAQ
Which civilization is the strongest?
The data can't settle that by itself — many unique units' strengths are in abilities, and map and difficulty matter a lot. Bonuses that need no setup are a sensible start.
Why do some unique units look identical to the normal unit?
Their advantage is a promotion or ability (for example extra combat bonuses), not base stats. Check the unit's details in the in-game Civilopedia.
Are these the same as Civ V?
They follow Civ V: Gods & Kings closely, but Unciv's data is the authority for Unciv.
Where do the Japanese ability texts come from?
The Japanese version of this page uses the game's own Japanese translation file.
Continue reading
More Unciv guides
Unciv guide home · City Growth and Happiness · City-States: Bonuses and Quests · Combat: Damage Formula and Calculator · Difficulty Levels Explained · Early Game: Key Numbers and Ancient Ruins · Every Building: Cost, Upkeep and Effects · Every Promotion and Effect · Every Religion Belief · Every Unit's Stats by Era · Every World and National Wonder · Game Speed and Starting Era · Great People: Points and the Shared Pool · Mods: Installing and Popular Picks · Multiplayer: Playing Online · Social Policies and Policy Cost · Tech Tree: Every Tech and Unlock · Terrain, Resources and Improvements · Unciv vs Civilization V · Victory Conditions