The Civilization series is one of the most popular turn-based games in the PC market. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it’s been around since the early 90s, with the first iteration of the game released in 1991. There have been six versions of Civilization released to the market, with the most recent – Civilization VI – hitting the market in 2016.
But what is Civilization V? And what are the units used during gameplay? I’m going to answer these questions thoroughly for you. So by the time you’re done reading this article, you know what units are available in Civ V, what they’re used for, and how they evolve throughout gameplay.
First, let’s take a few moments to talk about the game itself.
What is Civilization V?
Civilization V is the fifth iteration of the Civilization series, developed by Firaxis Games. The game launched in 2010, with two expansion packs – Gods & Kings and Brave New World – released a few years later. The purpose of Civilization games is to lead your civilization from the prehistoric era into the future while seeking to achieve one of many conditions that result in victory.
Users can win by becoming the dominant civilization in conquest, government, science, diplomacy, economic development, and exploration. Players control and move units throughout the game to achieve their goals while researching specific technology trees to improve their chances. The game is available for download on the Steam platform and was succeeded by Civilization VI in 2016.
Civilization V Units
There are many different types of units available during gameplay in Civilization V. These units are spread out in different eras, which means they have different functions and capabilities. While I will mention the unique units that each civilization offers, I’m not going to go into detail about them. Instead, if you want to learn more about them, check out the Civilization V gameplay pages.
With all that in mind, let’s jump right in. First up is the Civilian units.
Civilian Units
Units that fall under the civilian category are non-combatant. These units improve your civilization in a variety of ways and are usually defenseless if they come across enemy soldiers. Therefore, protect them during wartime so that another civilization does not abscond with them.
Settler
Settlers are used to establish new cities. All civilizations start the game with at least one Settler unit. To create new Settlers, your city must have a minimum of 2 citizens. However, if you’re playing on a lower setting, your units might discover Settlers in ancient ruins.
Worker
Worker units are vital for your civilization. They perform improvements on your land, repair damages, remove jungles, marshes, and forests, and can even scrub fallout from radioactive bombs. Workers create farms and mines and provide resources important to the advancement of your civilization. Additionally, these units construct roads or railways that connect your cities to one another.
Work Boat
The Work Boat is a Naval civilian unit that creates improvements on your water resources. These units can only be created in a city on the coast. They benefit your city and civilization by improving water resources like whales, fish, gold, oil, and pearls.
However, Work Boats are consumed if they construct an improvement, so if you want to create multiple water improvements, you’ll need multiple Work Boats. Keep in mind these units cannot enter the ocean until Astronomy is discovered on your technology tree.
Archaeologist (Brave New World expansion)
Archaeologists are special civilian units that convert Antiquity Sites into archaeological digs. These units are available only in the Brave New World expansion pack and don’t become options until later during gameplay. Additionally, they can only be created if your city has a University and cannot be purchased using Gold.
Their jobs are to find Antiquity Sites, dig up the site, and create the Archaeological Dig. Doing so consumes the archaeologist. However, you can create museums, palaces, or certain wonders when you do.
Inquisitor
These are religious units that you can only purchase using Faith. They are available to purchase in any city that has a majority religion. Inquisitors have two primary uses during gameplay. You can use them to protect Missionaries and Prophets as they spread your religion to other cities, or they can remove other religions from your cities.
Ancient Era
These units become available once you reach the Ancient Era. Some civilizations offer different variations on these units. Ancient Era units are among the first melee units you can use.
Warrior
The earliest combat unit you can get in Civilization V without technological research is the Warrior. These units are armed with either maces or clubs, which makes them perfect for fighting barbarians or defending your city early on. However, these units are not very powerful, so it’s probably not wise to use them to attack cities.
Variations on the Warrior include the Brute, which is a Barbarian unit, the Jaguar, which you get from the Aztec civilization, and the Maori Warrior, which is part of the Polynesian civilization.
Spearman
The first melee unit you’re able to create after the Warrior is the Spearman. This unit is armed with a shield and a spear and is a little more potent than the Warrior. However, it’s also a little more expensive. The Spearman’s weapon gives it a combat bonus when engaging with mounted units, specifically Horsemen.
Variations of the Spearman include the Greek Hoplite, the Persian Immortal, the Hunnic Battering Ram, and the Pictish Warrior.
Scout
Scouts are available as soon as the game starts. They are designed for exploration, which means they can move through any terrain with exceptional mobility. In addition, scouts have a melee attack, which can come in handy when encountering Barbarians. However, the attack is feeble, so it’s a good idea to avoid combat if at all possible.
Variations of the Scout unit are available with the Shoshone and are identified as Pathfinders.
Archer
The first ranged unit you can access in the game is the Archer, which is armed with simple bows. This unit can attack from 2 tiles away, which is important during the game’s early stages when Barbarians attack. However, the Archer is one of the weaker units, especially during melee combat.
Your best bet is to assign it as a garrison in your city or keep it behind other units. The variations available for this unit are the Babylonian Bowman, the Incan Slinger, and the Mayan Atlatlist.
Chariot Archer
The Chariot Archer is a ranged unit that is fast and deadly when fighting in open terrain. Chariot Archers are stranger than Archers and can quickly move twice the distance so long as it’s in open terrain. However, if you’re moving through the forest or jungle, your Chariot Archer will suffer a movement penalty unless there are roads already constructed.
There are several variations of the Chariot Archer unit throughout many civilizations. For example, barbarians have the Hand-Axe units, Egyptians have the War Chariot option, the Indian civilization has War Elephants, and the Hunnics have Horse Archers.
Galley
Galley units belong to Barbarians and move along coastal tiles to destroy embarked units. It is much weaker than any other naval unit in the game. However, if there is more than one, they can be dangerous. It is a melee unit that attacks either coastal cities or units at sea. If you choose to play at the Ottoman civilization, you can convert Barbarian Galleys to your side by destroying them.
Trireme
The first naval unit available in Civ V is the Trireme. This unit uses oars and sails to move about throughout the map. While the unit has decent speed, it is very unstable far beyond the coast, which means it can’t travel in the ocean. Triremes are melee units with decent combat strength, but you should only use them against other sea-faring vessels.
One of the best uses of the Trireme is to remove Barbarian ships or encampments along the coast. This aids your civilization in exploring along the coast. However, triremes are vulnerable to the ranged attacks of cities, so it’s probably not a good idea to attack them unless absolutely necessary. Variations of the Trireme include the Byzantine Dromon and the Carthage Quinquereme.
Classical Era
The second era you’ll enter in Civ V is the Classical Era. This era is based on the Greco-Roman period and focuses on developing and expanding your civilization.
Swordsman
The Swordsman unit is a potent melee unit during early game fighting. It is much stronger than the Warrior or the Spearman. Armed with weapons and armor forged from iron, the Swordsman can take a beating and still be an excellent line of defense. Whether you’re defending or attacking, the Swordsman is a reliable unit to have early on.
However, Swordsman are vulnerable to mounted units, so bear that in mind if you decide to take on the enemy. Variations of the Swordsman unit include the Roman Legion, the Indonesian Kris Swordsman, and the Iroquois Mohawk Warrior.
Horseman
The first cavalry unit available for melee combat is the Horseman. This unit offers fantastic speed along with a powerful attack. Horseman units move quickly through rough terrain and come with the speed and strength associated with horse units. Variations on the unit include the Greek Companion Cavalry, the Carthage Forest Elephant, and the Byzantine Cataphract.
Composite Bowman
Composite Bowman units are armed with an improved bow which makes them more potent than their Archer counterparts. This unit deals a fair amount of damage to units throughout the Classical and the early parts of the Medieval Eras. Once you’ve made it past these eras, updated armor makes the Composite Bowman obsolete. Many players place Composite Bowman in their cities to provide defense.
Catapult
The Catapult is the first siege unit available in the game. It is a very powerful unit to have when you want to assault an enemy city early in the game. Catapults fire projectiles onto enemy units, which lay waste to stationary defenses. However, Catapults are not as effective when firing on smaller, more versatile targets. Variations of the Catapults include the Roman Ballista and the Assyrian Siege Tower.
Medieval Era
The third era in Civilization V is the Medieval Era. This era is based on the European Middle Ages and focuses on securing and utilizing resources and establishing trade routes with other civilizations.
Longswordsman
The Longswordsman is the next front-line unit available in the game. The unit is equipped with full-plate armor and carries a two-handed sword. Longswordsman are capable of overpowering even the most experienced Swordsman units. Furthermore, these units are so powerful they are useful even during the next era against gunpowder units. The Japanese Samurai and the Danish Berserker are both variations of the Longdswordsman unit.
Pikeman
The upgraded Spearman unit is the Pikeman, which offers a much deadlier and longer weapon than its predecessor. Pikeman is excellent for fighting mounted units and cavalry, making it the perfect unit for warding off the Knight unit. However, Pikeman aren’t as strong against other melee units and are vulnerable to siege weapons. The Zulu Impi and the German Landsknecht are both variations of the Pikeman unit.
Knight
The Knight is arguably the most powerful and reliable unit on the battlefield during the Medieval Era. Retaining the features reminiscent of the earlier cavalry units, the Knight is able to move after it attacks. Units from the Classical Era are no match for the Knight. However, keep an eye out for Pikeman as they are deadly against Knight units.
Variations of the Knight include the Arabic Camel Archer, the Songhai Mandekalu Cavalry, the Siamese Naresuan Elephant, the Mongolian Keshik, and the Spanish Conquistador.
Crossbowman
Crossbowmen are a result of advancements in technology which results in a new ranged weapon. The crossbow is plenty strong enough to stand up to the most formidable units in the game, with the exception of cavalry units. Like its ranged predecessors, Crossbowman units are best used on high ground or in a well-defended city. Variations of the Crossbowman include the Chinese Chu-Ko-Nu and the English Longbowman.
Trebuchet
If you’ve been using Catapults up to this point, it’s time to upgrade to a Trebuchet! This unit is significantly more powerful and offers much more firepower, which is perfect for destroying cities. However, like the Catapult, the Trebuchet has to use 1 Movement Point to get set up. So always be sure you have plenty of melee units with your Trebuchet to prevent it from being destroyed. The Korean Hwach’a is the only variation of the Trebuchet.
Galleass
Time to upgrade that Trireme. The Galleass is one of the most powerful ships in the Medieval Era. While it can’t enter the ocean, it does offer more firepower than the Trireme, which means you can better protect your cities and land units. Use Galleass units to support all your units and take control of the sea. The only variation of the Galleass is the Venetian Great Galleass.
Renaissance Era
The Renaissance Era is the next era in Civilization V and is based on the European Renaissance. This was the rebirth of Romand and Greek culture and is the fourth era of Civ V.
Musketman
The first gunpowder unit available in Civ V is the Musketman. Although it’s not much more potent than previous units, it is necessary to get to more powerful units later in the game. One nice thing about Musketman units is that they don’t need iron like Swordsman and Longswordsman. As a result, you can build them in large numbers when resources are scarce.
Variations of the Musketman include the American Minuteman, the French Musketeer, the Ottoman Janissary, and the Spanish Tercio.
Lancer
Lancers are an excellent unit if you need something that requires both power and precision. The Lancer gets a 33% strength bonus by default against mounted units, which means it’s a great unit to have no matter what situation you’re in. The Ottoman Sipahi, the Swedish Hakkapeliitta, and the Polish Winged Hussar.
Cannon
The Cannon is an excellent siege unit during the Renaissance Era and is the first one to use gunpowder. Cannon units offer significant power that’s plenty strong enough to turn even the most stubborn cities into rubble. Unfortunately, even though they’re stronger than previous siege units, Cannons still have to be set up before you fire them, and they’re essentially useless against moving units.
Caravel
Finally, a unit that can sail into the deep waters of the ocean! The Caravel is an excellent unit if you want to begin taking control of the seas. Caravels are much more compact and stable, which means they are perfect for exploring. They offer better vision than their sea-faring predecessors and are great for discovering the remainder of your map along with the remaining civilizations.
Variations for the Caravel include the Korean Turtle Ship and the Portuguese Nau.
Privateer
Even though the Privateer isn’t as powerful as the Frigate (which we’ll get to next), it’s great if you want to attack cities on the coast or take over other sea-faring vessels. Players like to roam the seas and capture enemy ships to add to their fleet.
Frigate
The dominant sea-faring unit of the Renaissance Era is the Frigate. It offers long-range cannons that are great against both land and sea forces. They’re also excellent against cities that reside on the coast. These iron-clad ships are faster than Caravels, can cross any ocean, and are the stoutest naval vessels available in the era. The only variation of the Frigate is the English Ship of the Line.
Industrial Era
The fifth era in the game is the Industrial Era, which is based on and named after the Industrial Revolution.
Rifleman
The Rifleman unit is the upgraded version of the powerful Musketman. If you can manage to produce the Rifleman before other civilizations, you’ll have a significant advantage over other armies. Variations of the Rifleman include the Norwegian Ski Infantry, the Swedish Carolean, and the Ethiopian Mehal Sefari.
Cavalry
The strongest pre-armored mounted unit in the game is the Cavalry. This unit offers much more mobility than previous mounted units and is powerful against ranged, siege, and melee units. You can use the Cavalry to overtake Musketmen and break through enemy defenses. However, Cavalry units are susceptible to Lancers, so be sure there are none lurking around before you attack.
There are several variations of the Cavalry unit, including the Russian Cossacks, the Austrian Hussar, the Moroccan Berber Cavalry, and the Shoshone Comanche Riders.
Gatling Gun
The Gatling Gun is the Crossbowman upgrade, however, its role is entirely different from its predecessor. This is the first repeating weapon that’s able to mow down incoming melee units. In addition, it can fire two tiles away like other ranged or siege units which make it an excellent weapon to have during the Industrial Era.
Artillery
Artillery is a much deadlier weapon than its earlier version, the Cannon. With Artillery units, you can fire over obstacles and shoot from further away. Civilization V refers to this as “Indirect Fire,” which lets you shoot over obstructions so long as you can see the target itself.
Ironclad
The first steam-powered vessels in Civ V come in the form of the Ironclad. These units are meant only for combat. Ironclads have strong short-range cannons that are perfect for attacking coastal cities. They are harder to destroy than any other sea-faring unit to this point in the game and are useful in taking control of the high seas.
Modern Era
The sixth era in Civilization V is the Modern Era. This era is based on the events that took place in the early 20th century, specifically between the 1910s and the 1940s.
Great War Infantry
The most basic combat unit available during the Modern Era is the Great War Infantry. These units are indicative of modern trench warfare. Great War Infantry units are more efficient than earlier combat units. They deliver significant amounts of damage while soaking up enemy attacks. The only variation of the Great War Infantry is the French Foreign Legion.
Infantry
It’s easy to confuse the Great War Infantry and Infantry units, but they are very distinct. Infantry units are armed with semi-automatic rifles, which gives them the power they need to fight against stronger units in the Modern Era. Therefore, these units are stronger than their predecessor, the Great War Infantry or Rifleman. The Brazilian Pracinha is the only variation of the Infantry unit.
Landship
The first tank unit available in Civilization V is the Landship. This unit is heavily armored and offers short-range cannons that are powerful enough to do significant damage to any enemy. In addition, the Landship provides excellent maneuverability and is surprisingly speedy. Earlier units are essentially useless when it comes to battling against these high-powered units.
As a result, the Landship is highly effective when fighting siege weapons and ranged units. However, keep in mind that these units require oil, so you’ll have to have that before you can build them.
Anti-Aircraft Gun
Anti-Aircraft Guns are units explicitly used to ward off air raids. These units include trackers that intercept enemy aircraft and fire on them when they are within two tiles. The Anti-Aircraft Guns are repeating guns that significantly damage all planes that come within striking distance.
Machine Gun
One of the best-ranged weapons in the game is the Machine Gun, which offers significant improvements over the Gatling Gun. Players get a unit that provides double the strength but still must be within one tile to attack the enemy. These units are great for defending cities or on the front lines when you need the extra firepower.
Destroyer
A Destroyer is a naval unit available in the Modern Era. This unit is designed to protect your ships from all the dangers that exist with combat in the Modern Era. These ships are small and agile, which makes them great for moving quickly if you need reinforcements. Destroyers are particularly useful against submarines and can launch depth charges to eliminate them.
Battleship
Battleships are the primary ship of your modern fleet. These units offer long-range cannons so you can attack or defend anytime you need to. For example, with a range of three tiles, you can lay waste to units farther inland or attack coastal cities. Additionally, with indirect fire capabilities, you can bombard targets even if they’re behind an obstruction.
Carrier
If you have a lot of planes or bombers, a Carrier might be a unit you want to consider using. With the Carrier, you can bring your air power to the sea, which gives you the ability to deliver your units anywhere you need them. Carriers are unable to attack enemy units, however, with aircraft on board, they are very practical weapons to have at your disposal. Keep in mind that Carriers are weak defensively, so you’ll want to have Submarines or Destroyers nearby for protection.
Submarine
Speaking of Submarines, the next unit on our list is the game’s first underwater option. This unique unit remains invisible to nearly all other units until it launches its torpedoes. Even then, Submarines receive a significant attack bonus. As a result, the Submarine is one of the most dangerous units in the ocean. Players can radically change the course of the game with Submarines due to their power and invisibility.
Triplane
The first fighter unit you can build in Civilization V is the Triplane. This unit is lighter and faster than the Great War Bomber and is armed with machine guns that are great for fighting against other aircraft. Triplanes are excellent at delivering damage to enemy naval or ground units. However, they aren’t as effective at bombing cities.
Great War Bomber
The first bomber unit in the game is the Great War Bomber. This unit is large and slow but carries a significant payload. Great War Bombers are ideal for delivering significant destruction to cities or ground units. If you’re having trouble with a particular enemy, building a Great War Bomber could take care of the problem.
Atomic Era
The seventh era in Civilization V is the Atomic Era, which was introduced in the game’s Gods & Kings expansion. This era of the game represents events that took place between World War II and the 1980s.
Tank
The Tank unit in Civilization V is the modern version of the cavalry. This unit is both faster and more potent than the Landship unit it replaces. If you need a unit that can quickly punch holes in the enemy’s defenses, build yourself a Tank. However, be aware of anti-armor units like Gunship Helicopters that can cause significant damage to your Tanks.
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are units designed to breach enemy defenses. Paired with a transport airplane, you can drop your Paratrooper units behind enemy lines to begin destroying roads and other vital units. However, keep in mind that your Paratrooper can’t attack during the same move it is dropped. These units are especially effective against Artillery, so if your enemy is using these for defending a city, a Paratrooper might be your best bet.
Marine
When you get into the later stages of the game, you’ll want some high-powered units to get the job done. For example, the Marine unit is an excellent alternative to the Infantry. These units are able to operate in water and move across ocean tiles with decent defense. Additionally, when embarked on water, Marines gain extended sight functionality and can attack from both rive and sea tiles.
Anti-Tank Gun
Anti-Tank Guns are precisely what they say: units designed to fight against armored vehicles, like Tanks. Still, even though they’re meant for fighting against Tanks, Anti-Tank Guns will also work as standard Infantry units. Of course, they are much more effective when fighting armored units, but they’ll get the job done in any type of melee combat.
Mobile SAM
Mobile SAM (Surface to Air Missile) units are explicitly developed to destroy modern airplanes. These units replace older, rock-launching units. Mobile SAMs are powerful yet vulnerable to non-air attacks. If you have some of the units as part of your armed forces, be sure to protect them with Infantry.
Bazooka
Armed with shoulder-launched rockets, the Bazooka unit is the ultimate in ranged weapons. These infantry units are capable of delivering vast amounts of damage to enemy units. Bazooka units are effective against nearly all other units and are great on defense as well. If you really want to dole out severe damage late in the game, make sure Bazookas are part of your armed forces.
Rocket Artillery
The Rocket Artillery unit is the best siege weapon in the game. It is superior to any other artillery weapon you can build. Rocker Artillery launches self-propelled rockets that don’t require preparation like other siege units. It is also a unit with greater strength and range, which makes it very dangerous to enemy naval and land units. However, keep in mind that these units are vulnerable to armor-piercing units, so be sure you provide the appropriate units for defense.
Fighter
The Fighter is a more advanced version of the Triplane, with greater combat strength and improved weaponry. It also has improved hull design with a greater operational range. You can use it as you would a Triplane, but it’s more effective. This unit uses Interception mode to defend against the enemy’s aircraft. It can eliminate anti-aircraft weapons with Air Sweep and will monitor enemy border regions.
Bomber
This next-generation attack plane is much stronger than the one that came before it. It has a more extensive operation range so it can reach targets farther away from the base, but it does obey the same rules as the Great War Bomber.
Helicopter Gunship
This air unit works differently than airplanes. The flying system gives it the ability to stay in an open field, unlike an aircraft, but that means it’s vulnerable to attacks. However, helicopters aren’t restricted to bases and can move to any point on the map.
Machine guns and air-to-ground missiles reside on the Helicopter Gunship, and it can act like many other land units with quick, mobile responses. It can invade the enemy, regardless of the terrain. And while it can cross water using the Embarkation ability, it will sustain damage when landing on a mountain.
Atomic Bomb
The Atomic Bomb is the game’s first weapon of mass destruction. It can be based aboard a Carrier or in a player-owned city and works the same way as an airplane. It attacks targets within a 10-tile range and can move from base to base.
Upon detonation, it hurts units, damages cities within two tiles, and kills any unit occupying the tile it hits. That includes civilian units and aircraft. Tiles within the blast radius become radioactive, and any improvements will be destroyed. Opponents can shoot down atomic Bombs if they have Mobile SAMs or Anti-Aircraft Guns, but the bombers delivering the Atomic Bombs can’t be intercepted.
Information Era
Gods & Kings introduced this new era to represent modern society, computer-based technology, and high-tech machines. It’s the final era of the game.
Mechanized Infantry
This front-line unit in the game is the strongest unit in vanilla and Gods & Kings. It’s the strongest late-game unit that doesn’t need any additional resources to build until the SCOM Squad comes into the game. In addition, this unit is faster by 3 MP than other previous infantry units, which gives them better reaction opportunities and greater mobility.
Modern Armor
This modern times, next-generation tank can deal with other highly advanced units that appear in the late game. The Modern Armor design has improved drastically from old armor units. Heavier steel elements have been replaced by composite, which makes the tank much more fuel-efficient.
The weapons on the tank are also more efficient, and the Modern Armor unit uses aluminum instead of oil. As a result, this unit can be used the same strategic way as earlier Armored Units but will respond much better.
Giant Death Robot
This ridiculously awesome unit is a futuristic battle machine and is the most formidable unit in the entire game. It’s comprised of futuristic death rays, rockets, and a mass of guns. It’s 1.5 times stronger than the next strongest land unit, which is the Modern Armor and the XCOM Squad.
The Giant Death Robot can attach anything in the game, including cities that seem not to be outmatched. It’s also very strategically flexible because it can make quick moves after attacking. Unfortunately, it doesn’t obtain any benefit from defensive terrain, but it compensates with brute strength.
XCOM Squad
The XCOM Squad is made up of an elite team of soldiers. It’s based on the XCOM Initiative and the technology it pioneered. You can drop this squad up to 40 tiles away and should be deployed when the danger level is very high, thanks to their ability to create fantastic diversions, pillage areas, and attack weak cities.
This is one of the strongest units in the game, next to the Giant Death Robot, and requires no additional resources. While they lack the mobility of other late-game units, they form a powerful defensive line.
Missile Cruiser
This modern warship unit contains the most up-to-date naval combat technology. It combines the anti-aircraft and submarine detection abilities of a Destroyer with the lethality and range of a Battleship.
This unit can carry Nuclear Missiles and Guided Missiles, so you can transport these weapons directly onto enemy shores. It also has the ability to intercept enemy aircraft, which makes it a great all-in-one naval unit. The only weak point for a Missile Cruiser is its lack of indirect fire. This shouldn’t be a problem when bombing coastal cities or fighting ships, but it can limit their usefulness when targeting inland cities.
Nuclear Submarine
While there’s a Modern Era Nuclear Submarine as well, this unit is stronger. It has updated battle systems and engines. It’s invisible to most other units, but it can see other submarines. Like the Missile Cruiser, it can carry Nuclear Missiles and Guided Missiles, giving you one of the most potent and dangerous units in the game.
You can use this weapon in a naval invasion, it can destroy cities and other units, and afterward, you can use them as long-range defenders. This ensures your troops will be moved to the battlefield without being attacked by naval warships. The Nuclear Submarine is weak against Missile Cruisers, Destroyers, and other submarines, so other units should be sent to scout the path of attack first.
Jet Fighter
The Jet Fighter has superiority in the air with improved combat systems and flying capability. It also has a lot of combat strength and great range. Use this unit to keep up with most other deadly war machines and defend the sky from air attacks. You can also clear the enemy sky for your air attacks.
Stealth Bomber
This is the ultimate bomber unit with an increased Ranged Combat Strength and the ability to avoid anti-aircraft defenses and enemy fighters, thanks to its next-generation radar-avoidance technology. It also has Air Recon ability, so everything within six tiles is visible at the beginning of your turn.
The downside to this unit is that Carriers cannot transport it, but it does have a rebase range of as much as 40 tiles, so that’s frequently enough to fly over the ocean, as long as you have a city on the other side.
Guided Missile
This weapon only has one shot, so it gets destroyed after attacking the target. It can be based on a Nuclear Submarine, Missile Cruiser, or in a friendly city. It can move from base to base or attack an enemy city or unit within eight tiles. While they don’t cost Maintenance, they do count toward your limit of supplies. So one of the best things you can do is fill your unused capacity with them and rebase them to frontline cities or ships as needed.
Nuclear Missile
This unit is an upgraded Atomic Bomb delivered by a guided missile instead of a bomber plane, making it nearly impossible to stop. It can be stationed in any friendly city or aboard a Missile Cruiser or Nuclear Submarine. It has a range of 12, so it can critically damage enemy cities and obliterate all units within a radius of 2 tiles, after which the Nuclear Missile is destroyed as well. In addition, it renders land unusable and destroys all cities with a Population of 6 or less.
FAQs
Here are some additional frequently asked questions about Civilization 5 and the units contained within the game.
Answer: Civilization 5 allows you to gift units by moving them to a civilization or city-state territory you want to gift them to and then click the Gift button. You can also click on the name of the city-state, click Gift Unit, and then select the tile your unit is on.
Answer: To figure out the number of turns in a game, you can add up the number of turns for each speed. For example, Marathon has 1500 turns, Epic has 750 turns, and Standard has 500 turns. It depends on which type of game you want to play.
Answer: Civilization 5 is already a generation old, with the release of Civilization 6. Many people wonder if there will be a Civilization 7, and at this time, the answer is no. There’s nothing in development right now, which may be disappointing to the avid player.
However, there are some new games planned for 2021 and beyond. Plus, there was a 6-year gap between the release of Civ V and Civ VI, so you might just need to be patient.
Answer: Sid Meier continues to be a director on each new Civilization game, but there has been a long list of successors that have worked as designers on every new release. While Meier is the founder of Firaxis games, he describes his current role as a repository of knowledge rather than a hands-on contributor.
Final Thoughts
With the release of Civilization, V came plenty of units and weapons with new and upgraded capabilities. As a result, there are plenty of options when it comes to defending your units and cities or attacking others, and every unit has its strength.
Hopefully, now you have some insight into each unit and how it works so you can increase your success and enjoyment of the game. Then, from Civilian units to the Information Era, you can play the Civilization game you love with all of the familiar units you love and improved weapons of choice.