Civilisation VII: Guide to commander promotion points

Commanders are very important in Civilisation 7, especially when it comes to the military expansion of your empire. Here you have a recommendation as to which direction you should develop your commanders, especially at the beginning.

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Commanders play a crucial role in the growth and military success of your empire in Civilization VII. Without it, managing numerous military units can quickly become overwhelming, especially during a war. Commanders provide an efficient way to control units, gain experience points through combat and unlock promotions that grant powerful abilities.

Each commander follows five skill trees, each with five to six skills. While all promotions can eventually be unlocked, it makes strategic sense to unlock certain skills earlier. Below we explain the most important promotions that should be unlocked first for the army and fleet commander.

Armee-Kommandant - Initiative

The first promotion point for your army commander should be in Initiative that are in the red category "Attack" is located. This promotion allows your units to move immediately after deploying from the commander.

Why this is important:

• Eliminates delays in the mobilisation of units and enables immediate action after deployment.
• Prevents units from remaining unprotected by allowing them to attack or reposition directly.
• Gives a strategic advantage as your troops can strike before the enemy.
  
  

Fleet commander - Weather advantage

Weather advantage, from the green category "Commitment", offers the same advantage as Initiative, but for naval units. This promotion allows your ships to move and attack immediately after deploying from the fleet commander.

Why this is important:

• Allows faster naval operations, avoids delays that could make ships vulnerable.
• Enables strategic positioning to combat enemy fleets or effectively destroy fortified coastal areas.
  
  

Army Commander - Mobility

The next step should be Mobility that are in the orange-coloured category "Moves" is located. This promotion significantly improves your commander's movement speed.

Advantages:

• Grants the commander one additional movement tile per round.
• Ignores terrain restrictions when units are packed with the commander.
• Ideal for mobile commanders who move around the map instead of staying stationed in a settlement.

Alternative : If the commander is to remain stationary in a settlement, the Eifer from the blue "Management"-category is the better choice. Zeal increases the production yield of a settlement by 5% as long as the commander is stationed there.

Fleet Commander - Naval Artillery

For combat orientated promotions Naval Artillery (red category "Attack") an indispensable choice for fleet commanders. This ability grants naval units a +5 combat bonus when attacking fortified districts within the commander's sphere of movement.

Why this is important:

• Increases the damage output against enemy capitals and fortified positions.
• Supports land forces by weakening enemy settlements before an attack.
  
  

Army commander - Assault

For infantry-led battles Assault (red "Attack"-Category) an essential promotion. It increases the combat strength of infantry units by +2 as long as they are within the commander's radius.

Why this is important:

• Improves effectiveness in close combat.
• Can turn a stalemate into a decisive victory when infantry is deployed against enemy units.
  
  

Fleet Commander - Warships

The last important promotion that should be unlocked early is Warships from the yellow "Logistics"-Category. This ability increases the production rate of naval units by 15 % if the fleet commander is stationed in a city.

Why this is important:

• Significantly reduces the production time of naval units, especially in the modern age where production often takes 10+ turns.
• Ensures that the fleet is reinforced quickly to maintain maritime dominance.

Important tip: Station your fleet commander in a Coastal town, not in a small town in order to utilise the production bonus. Small towns only allow the purchase of naval units, while cities can actually produce them.

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Prioritising these important promotions early on will significantly increase the effectiveness of your commanders.

By focussing on mobility, efficient deployment and combat strength, your army and fleet commanders offer a significant advantage in combat and city management. As your empire grows, you can further customise your promotion strategy to ensure continued success on land and sea.

 (Image source: Firaxis Games)