Air unit (Civ7)

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An air unit is a type of military unit in Civilization VII and its expansions that specializes in long-range attacks but lacks free movement across the map. These units become available in the Modern Age and can only operate from Aircraft Commanders.

Mechanics

Air units function similarly to standard ranged units but excel in every statistical aspect. They have 4 Sight and an average attack Range of 10, with their exact combat effectiveness depending on their type:

Class	Combat Strength	Ranged Strength	Bombard Strength	Range
Fighters	High	Lower	Minimal	Slightly reduced
Ground attackers	Reduced	High	Average	High
Sieges	Reduced	Average	High	High

Additionally, air units ignore terrain obstacles when attacking and can always target city centers hidden by the fog of war, ensuring no enemy within their Range is ever truly safe.

Due to their advanced technological nature, air units only become available in the Modern Age after researching the Flight Technology. This unlocks the ability to construct Aerodromes, which in turn spawn Aerodrome Commanders. Once such a Commander is present, Cities can begin constructing air units, which are automatically assigned to them.

Deploying air units

As mentioned before, air units can only be deployed on Aircraft Commanders. There are three such types of Commanders from which they can operate. Air units can use the Rebase Aircraft action to relocate from any Commander to another, as long as both are within Movement range.

Aerodrome Commander

Main article: Aerodrome Commander (Civ7)

This unit commands the Aerodrome depot and spawns automatically upon the completion of an Aerodrome. Once present, air units can be trained and will be assigned to this Commander upon completion, as long as their are open unit slots left. The Aerodrome Commander serves as the base Commander for air units, overseeing their operations from the Aerodrome. Unlike other Commanders, this unit is stationary, meaning air units under its command can only operate from the Aerodrome tile. This makes it primarily useful for defending your empire rather than conducting offensive operations.

Squadron Commander

Main article: Squadron Commander (Civ7)

This Commander can be manually recruited after constructing the first Aerodrome. It functions similarly to the Aerodrome Commander but with expanded deployment and mobility capabilities. The key difference is that the Squadron Commander can establish a temporary air base on any neutral or friendly land tile within Movement range, making it essential for aggressive air-based military operations. Constructing such air bases using the Establish Air Base action is instant, allowing air units to rebase and operate on the very next turn.

Additionally, the Squadron Commander can reposition its air base again, bringing all assigned air units with it. This makes air units extremely mobile, allowing for flexible repositioning across the front lines. It also has the ability to heal and deploy packed land units, serving as a multi-functional warfare support platform.

However, unlike Aerodromes, these air bases lack fortifications, making them vulnerable to enemy attacks. If a Squadron Commander is defeated, all associated air units will attempt to relocate to the nearest available Aerodrome within their Movement. If no such Aerodrome is in range, all air units are destroyed, requiring careful planning and risk management when operating deep in hostile territory.

Aircraft Carrier

Main article: Aircraft Carrier (Civ7)

Aircraft Carriers are unlocked after researching Mobilization. This unit is a naval support unit, serving as the maritime counterpart to the Squadron Commander and functioning similarly to the Fleet Commander. Like naval units, it uses Movement to traverse water, but instead of engaging in direct combat, it provides an essential mobile air base for deployed air units.

Unlike land-based Aircraft Commanders, Aircraft Carriers do not establish stationary air bases but instead move freely across the sea while carrying assigned air units. This grants unparalleled flexibility in air operations, allowing for rapid redeployment and strategic maneuvering over vast distances. Some air units can launch an attack from the carrier, after which the carrier itself can reposition before the remaining air units initiate their strikes, offering dynamic combat potential.

Additionally, Aircraft Carriers can possess unique advantages:

• Detecting stealth units like submarines.
• Granting bonuses to air strikes against naval units.
• Healing in enemy territory, making them more self-sustaining on long-range missions.

These features make Aircraft Carriers crucial for maintaining naval superiority and supporting amphibious assaults, offering both offensive and defensive advantages in maritime warfare.

Air attacks

Each Aircraft Commander has a default capacity of 4 air units, which can be increased to a maximum of 6 through promotions. Packed air units can be deployed in group attacks using any available command the Commander possesses, or individually by using the Air Strike action from within the Commander.

As mentioned before, air units can attack tiles — like the city center — within Range, even if they are hidden in the fog of war. Furthermore, when launching an attack, air units temporarily reveal surrounding tiles, enabling "chain-attacks" — where an initial strike exposes new enemy positions for follow-up attacks by additional planes. This makes air units highly effective for both scouting and precision strikes.

Types of air units

Air units serve both offensive and defensive roles, excelling in various combat scenarios when utilized effectively. The game features three primary types of air units, each with distinct mechanics and strengths.

Fighter

Fighter units specialize in aerial combat, boasting high Combat Strength for intercepting enemy aircraft. When stationed, fighters visibly circle their deployed area, signaling their presence to other civilizations. Fighter jets come with the following mechanics and specializations:

• Interception – Automatically engages enemy air units attempting to strike within its Range, preventing direct attacks on its territory.
• Dogfighting – Deals melee damage to enemy aircraft in aerial battles based on Combat Strength, making them the best counter to bombers and other planes.
• Air Patrol – Provides constant air surveillance by visibly circling their deployed tile, deterring enemy air strikes.
• Tactical Strikes – Can individually target only the city center or visible units within Range. However, when acting through their Commander's Fighter Sweep command, all packed fighters can strike any tile within Range — including hidden ones. This makes them ideal for scouting unknown areas or baiting enemy fighters into aerial duels.

Ground attack

Ground attack units are specialized in eliminating land units, possessing the highest Ranged Strength among all air units. Their primary role is defending against land invasions, as they can reach nearly any enemy force and deal unretaliated damage across vast distances. The Ground Attack planes excel in the following purposes:

• Anti-Infantry and Anti-Tank Role – Designed to eliminate land units quickly, dealing heavy damage to both mechanized and foot soldiers.
• Long-Range Firepower – Can strike deep behind enemy lines, targeting key military units without risk of counterattacks or terrain obstruction.
• Border Defense – Ideal for protecting Cities and fortifications from land-based threats, ensuring that armies struggle to approach defended territory.
• Precision Attacks – Can be used to weaken enemy frontlines before a major offensive, softening up targets for land-based forces.

Siege

Siege aircraft (commonly referred to as Bombers) serve both offensive and defensive functions, featuring the highest Bombard Strength among all air units. Their power lies in their ability to dismantle enemy defenses, cripple infrastructure, and pave the way for invasion. Siege aircraft excel in the following roles:

• Anti-Naval Operations — Effective at patrolling coastlines and destroying incoming fleets, helping prevent naval invasions.
• Fortification Suppression — Able to strike any District within Range, including hidden ones, making them invaluable in City sieges.
• Wall Bypass — Capable of directly damaging units stationed within fortified positions, due to their siege classification.
• Infrastructure Demolition — Ideal for crippling enemy economies by targeting critical Improvements and Buildings, reducing war-time effectiveness.

List of air units

• Fighters
  • Biplane
    • Zero (Meiji Japan only)
  • Fighter
• Ground Attackers
  • Trench Fighter
    • Stuka (Prussia only)
  • Dive Bomber
• Sieges
  • Bomber
  • Heavy Bomber

See also

• Air unit in other games

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