Military Victory: Conquest & Commander System Guide

Military Victory in Civ VII is won by conquest: capture the capitals of every other major civilization before they fill another victory bar. It is the most direct path, but also the most demanding on production, positioning, and timing. This guide covers how to build an army that actually closes the game.

Preparing for war

Conquest starts long before the first attack. Build the economy that funds a standing army.

• Settle a production city early to pump out units continuously.
• Research siege and anti-cavalry techs before you commit.
• Train a commander and level it with border skirmishes.
• Stock gold so you can upgrade units the moment tech lands.

The conquest plan

Attack in an order that minimizes your own risk while maximizing pressure.

• Take the weakest neighbor first to build momentum and land.
• Then the science leader, whose win is the most dangerous.
• Leave the militarist rival for last when you are strongest.
• Always leave one city of each rival alive until you can finish in one push.

Combined arms for conquest

A conquest stack needs every role, not just the biggest sword.

• Melee to take cities, ranged to soften them, siege to break walls.
• Cavalry to raid trade and cut off reinforcements.
• Anti-cavalry to stop the rival's own riders cold.

Holding captured land

Capturing is half the job; keeping it wins the game.

• Garrison each captured capital with a defensive unit.
• Use the captured city's districts rather than razing everything.
• Keep a reserve army to suppress uprisings and counterattacks.

Quick reference: conquest order

Build production, level a commander, take the weak neighbor, then the science leader, then the militarist last. Following that order turns a bloody brawl into a controlled campaign that ends before any rival can sneak another victory.

War and the Age transition

Conquest across an Age transition is awkward because units and cities convert. Plan the transition so your army does not lose its edge mid-campaign.

• Upgrade your stack fully before the transition hits.
• Avoid capturing a capital the turn a crisis weakens you.
• Swap to a conquest-flavored civ at the transition for bonuses.
• Keep a reserve of gold to re-upgrade after the conversion.

Endgame conquest

The final pushes decide the game, so commit fully once you are strongest.

• Stack all your armies on the last rival's capital region.
• Use commanders to keep the stack as one moving fist.
• Deny the rival's alternate victory with a sanction or war.
• Take the last capital in a single turn if you can.

Defense while conquering

A conqueror's home front is a target, so defend it while the army is away winning.

• Garrison the capital with a defensive stack and walls.
• Keep a rapid-response army near your core cities.
• Use terrain chokepoints to multiply a small garrison's value.
• Sign non-aggression pacts so no one attacks mid-campaign.

Economic fuel for war

War is paid for by economy; starve the economy and the army stops.

• Keep one gold city running trade throughout the war.
• Use war spoils to fund the next front, not just hoard.
• Protect trade routes so gold keeps flowing to the army.
• Avoid long stalemates that drain gold with no gain.

Choosing the right casus belli

The justification you use for war affects diplomacy and war weariness, so pick it with care.

• Use a formal war only when you can finish the rival quickly.
• Lean on emergencies and liberated cities to soften the penalty.
• Avoid wars that spike global grievances against you.
• Keep at least one ally neutral so they do not join the defense.