How to use army commanders in Civilization 7

Commanders play a crucial role in strengthening your military in Civilization 7. As they level up, they unlock various bonuses that enhance your army’s performance. They grow stronger by staying near battles, allowing them to provide better advantages over time.

Commanders can also improve unit movement across the map, making it easier to reposition forces quickly. In some cases, they even boost the productivity of city districts, helping your civilization thrive both on and off the battlefield.

This guide will break down everything you need to know about using army commanders in Civilization 7.

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A guide to army commanders in Civilization 7

Army commanders are a brand new unit that has been introduced to Civilization 7. They are a unique unit that will stay with your empire through multiple ages.

1) Recruiting army commanders

Exploration Civiv Tree in Civilization 7 (Image via 2K Games)

You can unlock them early in your campaign through the Discipline Civic. This makes them one of the first powerful tools you can use to strengthen your military. Your first unit is free, and getting one quickly can be a great advantage, allowing you to move your units efficiently.

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2) Using army commanders for combat buffs

Coordinated Attack in Civilisation 7 (Image via 2K Games)

Army commanders provide a buff to your troops through a zone of influence around them. When placed within this zone, your units will receive bonuses based on their character and, in turn, provide promotions to their commanders.

For example, the coordinated attack ability allows all infantry units within the command radius to attack a specific target in a single coordinated strike while gaining extra combat strength.

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3) Managing units using army commanders

Stacking units in CIvilisation 7 (image via 2K Games)

By default, an army commander can carry up to four units. However, two of these slots are locked initially. To unlock them, you must invest in the Regiments promotion within the Logistics tree.

Units can be packed or unpacked for deployment based on the situation. When adding a unit, it must have remaining movement points to join. However, when removing a unit, movement is only required on the commander’s side, while the unit itself does not need any.

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4) Army commanders special abilities

Commanders possess powerful abilities that can turn the tide of battle in a difficult situation. For example, the Reinforce ability lets you rapidly deploy troops to their designated position, even if they are several tiles away. This can be crucial for reinforcing a weakened front, responding to sudden threats, or seizing strategic opportunities.

Another useful function is the intake all units button, which instantly gathers all nearby troops into the group. This can be a lifesaver when you need to retreat from a dangerous fight quickly.

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5) Gaining experience for army commanders

Promoting army commanders in Civilisation 7 (Image via 2K Games)

Unlike regular units, commanders gain experience from battles fought within their command radius. Whenever a unit inside this radius attacks or defends, the experience is transferred to the commander instead of the unit. This system makes individual units more expendable, as their experience isn’t lost when they fall in battle — rather, the combat points continue to accumulate.

If a commander is defeated, they aren’t permanently lost. After a cooldown period of about 15 turns, they will respawn at your capital. However, during this downtime, you lose the valuable movement and combat bonuses they provide, which can leave your forces at a disadvantage.

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This guide covers the basics of army and fleet commanders in Civilization 7. Mastering their movement, combat buffs, and promotions will help you build a powerful military and dominate the battlefield. Experiment with different strategies and promotions to find what works best for your playstyle!