Civilization VII: Every Leader's Unique Abilities Explained

Civilization VII may not officially launch until next week, but if you've bought the game's Deluxe or Founders Editions, you'll be getting five days of early access, which means essentially the game is out without being out, if that makes sense. In any case, when you're starting up your Civilization VII game, you'll have to pick a leader, alongside your civilisation depending on the Age you're in. Your leader will go through the game with you from the Antiquity Age to the Modern Age, though, so you'll want to make the right choice. Without further ado, here are all of the Civilization VII leaders and what they do, so you know which one to pick:

Amina - Economic/Militaristic

+1 Resource Capacity in Cities
+1 Gold per Age for each Resource assigned to Cities
+5 Combat Strength for Units in Plains and Desert

Ashoka, World Conqueror - Diplomatic/Militaristic

+1 Production for every 5 excess Happiness in Cities
+10% Production in Settlements not founded by you.
Declaring a Formal War grants a Celebration
+10 Combat Strength against Districts for all Units during a Celebration

Ashoka, World Renouncer - Diplomatic/Expansionist

+1 Food in Cities for every 5 excess Happiness
+10% Food in all Settlements during a Celebration
All Buildings gain a +1 Happiness Adjacency for all Improvements

Augustus - Cultural/Expansionist

+2 Production in the Capital for every Town
Can purchase Culture Buildings in Towns
+50% Gold towards purchasing Buildings in Towns

Benjamin Franklin - Diplomatic/Scientific

+1 Science per Age on Production Buildings in Cities
+50% Production towards constructing Production Buildings
+1 science per Age from active Endeavours you started or supported
Can have two Endeavours of the same type active at a time

Catherine the Great - Cultural/Scientific

+2 Culture per Age on displayed Great Works
Buildings with Great Work slots gain 1 additional slot
Cities settled in Tundra gain Science equal to 25% of their Culture per turn

Charlemagne - Militaristic/Scientific

Military and Science Buildings receive a Happiness adjacency for Quarters
Gain 2 free Cavalry Units when entering a Celebration
+5 Combat Strength for Cavalry Units during a Celebration

Confucius - Expansionist/Scientific

25% Growth Rate in Cities
+2 Science for each Specialist

Friederich, Baroque - Militaristic/Cultural

Gain a Great Work when you capture a Settlement for the first time
Gain an Infantry Unit when you construct a Culture Building

Friederich, Oblique - Militaristic/Scientific

Army Commanders start with the Merit Commendation
Gain an Infantry Unit when you construct a Science Building

Harriet Tubman - Diplomatic/Militaristic

+100% Influence towards initiating Espionage Actions
Gain 5 War Support on all wars declared against you
Units ignore movement penalties from Vegetation

Hatshepsut - Cultural/Economic

+1 Culture for every imported Resource
+15% Production towards constructing Buildings and Wonders in Cities adjacent to Navigable Rivers

Himiko, High Shaman - Cultural/Diplomatic

+2 Happiness per Age on Happiness Buildings
+50% Production towards constructing Happiness Buildings
+20% Culture but -10% Science. These effects are doubled during a Celebration

Himiko, Queen of Wa - Diplomatic/Scientific

Gain a unique Endeavour called Friend of Wei that can be performed in an alliance to grant you and your ally +25% Science
+4 Science per Age for every Leader you are Friendly or Helpful with
Can Support Endeavours for free

Ibn Battuta - Expansionist/Wildcard

Gains 2 Wildcard Attribute Points after the first Civic in each Age
+1 Sight for all Units
Gain a unique Endeavour called Trade Maps that allows you to gradually see other Leaders' explored areas

Isabella - Expansionist/Economic

Gain 300 Gold every time you discover a Natural Wonder. Bonus 100 Gold if it's in Distant Lands
+100% tile yield from Natural Wonders
+50% Gold towards purchasing Naval Units
-1 Gold maintenance for Naval Units

José Rizal - Cultural/Diplomatic

When gaining rewards from a Narrative Event, gain an additional 20 Culture and Gold per Age
Has additional Narrative Events
+50% Celebration duration
+50% Happiness towards Celebration

Lafayette - Cultural/Diplomatic

Gains a unique Endeavour called Reform, granting an additional Social Policy slot.
+1 Combat Strength for every Tradition, but not Policy, slotted in the Government. +2 Culture and Happiness per Age in Settlements. These effects are doubled in Distant Lands.

Machiavelli - Diplomatic/Economic

+3 Influence per Age
Gains 50 Gold per Age, when your Diplomatic Actions are accepted, or 100 Gold when they're rejected
Ignores Relationship requirements for declaring Formal Wars
Can Levy Troops from City-States you are not Suzerain of

Napoleon, Emperor - Economic/Diplomatic

Gains a unique Sanction called Continental System. Reduces Trade Route limit of the targeted leader to all other leaders by one
+8 Gold per Age for every Leader you are Unfriendly or Hostile with
Can reject Endeavours for free

Napoleon, Revolutionary - Militaristic/Cultural

+1 Movement for all Land Units
Defeating an enemy Unit provides Culture equal to 50% of its Combat Strength

Pachacuti - Economic/Expansionist

All Buildings receive a +1 Food Adjacency for Mountains
Specialists adjacent to Mountains have no Happiness maintenance

Tecumseh - Militaristic/Diplomatic

+1 Food and Production per Age in Settlements for every Ciy-State you are Suzerain of
+1 Combat Strength for all Units for every City-State you are Suzerain of

Trung Trac - Militaristic/Scientific

Gain 3 free Levels on your first Army Commander
20% Commander experience
+10% Science in Cities in Tropical. This is doubled when in a Formal War you declare

Xerxes, King of Kings - Economic/Militaristic

+3 Combat Strength for Units that are attacking in neutral or enemy territory
Gain 100 Culture and Gold per Age when you capture a Settlement for the first time
+10% Gold in all Settlements. Doubled in Settlements not founded by you
+1 Settlement Limit per Age

Xerxes, The Archaemenid - Cultural/Economic

+1 Trade Route limit with all other Leaders
Gain 50 Culture and 100 Gold per Age when you build a Trade Route or Road
+1 Culture and Gold per Age on Unique Buildings and Improvements

If you also want to check out the civilisations you can play, check out the video below: