Commander System: Redefining Armies

The Commander system is one of Civ VII's headline changes, redefining how armies are formed and moved. Commanders bundle units, grant experience, and project bonuses across a stack, turning loose soldiers into a coherent force. Mastering them is essential for any military plan.

What a commander does

A commander is a unit that other units attach to, forming a single moving stack with shared benefits.

• Attached units move with the commander as one, simplifying logistics.
• Commanders gain levels that buff every unit in the stack.
• A commander's aura grants combat or support bonuses to nearby troops.
• Promotions let you tailor a commander to offense or defense.

Building your first commander

Invest in a commander early so it levels up alongside your army rather than arriving late.

• Train a commander before you have a full stack to attach.
• Attach your best melee and ranged units to start earning XP.
• Keep the commander alive; losing it wastes all stacked experience.
• Promote for the aura that fits your war: attack, defense, or mobility.

Commander promotions

Promotions are the long-term power of the system. Choose them to compound.

• Offense promotions raise the whole stack's damage in attacks.
• Defense promotions make the stack a wall rivals cannot break.
• Mobility promotions let you strike and retreat before retaliation.
• Support promotions heal attached units faster between battles.

Using commanders in defense

Commanders are not only for offense. A defensive commander turns a border into a fortress.

• Station a defensive commander near your most exposed city.
• Its aura boosts garrison units beyond their base stats.
• Promote for healing so the garrison endures a long siege.

Quick reference: commander doctrine

One offensive commander per active front, one defensive commander at home, and never attach your last reserve to a losing stack. Following that simple rule keeps your army both flexible and survivable through every Age of the game.

Commanders and the Age transition

Because commander levels persist, planning them around transitions is a long-game advantage. A maxed commander entering a new Age arrives as a veteran while rivals train novices.

• Level your commander in Antiquity so it is strong by Exploration.
• Keep it alive through crises; a dead commander loses all that investment.
• Re-promote at each Age to match the new era's unit types.
• Attach the new era's best units to carry the bonus forward.

Common commander mistakes

New players misuse commanders constantly, and the losses add up across a match.

• Do not attach every unit to one commander and leave the rear empty.
• Do not promote randomly; pick a theme and commit to it.
• Do not leave a commander undefended; it dies easily alone.
• Do not waste a commander on a stack you will disband next Age.

Commanders versus single units

A stack under a commander is worth more than the same units loose, because the aura and shared experience compound. Always prefer attaching to a commander over sending units out alone, even when the detour costs a turn.

Two-commander opening

Once you can afford it, run two commanders so offense and defense never compete for the same stack.

• One commander pushes the front while the other guards the capital.
• Split experience gains so neither commander falls behind.
• Promote them differently to cover both attack and defense.
• Never attach your entire army to a single point of failure.

Above all, protect the commander above any single attached unit, because its persistent levels are worth more than the troops that die around it in a lost fight.