Commander (Civ7)

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The Commander is a new support unit introduced in Civilization VII and its expansions. Its primary role is to mobilize, deploy, and enhance military units, offering powerful support functions that can turn the tide of warfare when used effectively.

Mechanics[]

Commanders represent a major evolution in warfare mechanics compared to previous Civilization games. Multiple types of Commanders can be trained throughout the game, each with a unique specialty and promotion tree:

Field Commanders: lead ground and naval forces directly on the battlefield and serve as the core, mobile Commander types throughout most of the game.
- Army Commander: Available from the start of the game, specializing in commanding land forces.
- Fleet Commander: Available from the Exploration Age, specializing in commanding naval forces.
Aircraft Commanders: Available from the Modern Age, specializing in commanding air forces. Aircraft Commanders are further divided into three types:
- Aerodrome Commander: Commands aircraft operating from Settlements. Immediately available after completing an Aerodrome.
- Squadron Commander: Able to create a temporary airbase for airplanes. Has a unique Airlift Operations promotion tree.
- Aircraft Carrier: Able to carry airplanes across bodies of water. Has a unique Carrier Operations promotion tree.

Aircraft Commanders function differently from land or naval Commanders and are only available for a limited portion of the game. They are essential for operating aircraft, which must be assigned to one of the above types. Because Army and Fleet Commanders are far more prominent, complex, and persistent, this article focuses primarily on them.

Commander promotions[]

Main article: Promotion (Civ7)

Commanders are the only units in Civilization VII that can gain experience and be promoted. As they level up, they can invest in multiple promotion trees, allowing them to specialize in different tactical or strategic roles. Each tree offers a range of passive abilities and active actions that enhance the Commander's effectiveness in various aspects of warfare.

Upon reaching a top-tier promotion in any given tree, a Commander is awarded a Commendation Point. These points can be spent on powerful, unique upgrades known as Commendations, offering major benefits to seasoned Commanders. Each promotion tree grants only one Commendation Point, regardless of how many top-tier promotions it contains.

Field commanders[]

Field Commanders — a term used to refer to Army and Fleet Commanders — are the primary, mobile Commander types who, unlike their air-based counterparts, operate directly on the battlefield, leading ground or naval units, enabling mobilization, enhancing combat operations, and transporting civilian units that would otherwise be vulnerable to attack. These versatile units fulfill four primary roles that set them apart from any other unit in Civilization VII or previous games:

Mobilizing and maneuvering military units
Escorting vulnerable civilians.
Enhancing combat through leadership bonuses and commands
Supporting military logistics and empire sustainability

Commanders are classified as civilian units, and therefore cannot engage in combat. They can, however, be attacked and damaged by enemy units. Protecting a Commander is critical — when left unguarded, they are vulnerable. However, since Commanders can share tiles with military or civilian units, they are often protected by a "commander guard" (the unit sharing their tile), which takes damage first in combat.

Mobilization[]

One of the most impactful features of Commanders is the ability to pack and transport both military and civilian units inside them. Packed units are removed from the map and carried invisibly by the Commander, enabling more efficient and flexible army Movement.

Packing units[]

By default, Commanders can pack up to 4 military units and 1 civilian unit. These limits can be increased through specific promotions or unique abilities, depending on the Commander or civilization.

Note that Commanders can only pack units that share their native element:

Army Commanders can only pack land units.
Fleet Commanders can only pack naval units.

Cross-element packing (e.g., naval units into an Army Commander) is not possible.

Deployment actions[]

Commanders can use the following actions:

Assemble Army – Packs the Commander guard and all adjacent units into the Commander, provided all units (including the Commander) have remaining Movement points and enough unit slots are available. This action does not deplete Movement and can be used repeatedly.
Deploy Army – Deploys all packed units simultaneously. The first unit is placed on the target tile, the second becomes the new Commander guard, and additional units are placed left and right until all are deployed or space runs out. This action relies on an algorithm that prioritizes melee units at the front and ranged/siege units at the rear. It consumes all Movement from both the Commander and deployed units, making it risky to use in tactical situations unless mitigated by a promotion.

Alternatively, individual units can pack/unpack themselves using personal actions:

Add To Army – Allows a unit with remaining Movement points to join a nearby Commander with available unit slots. This action does not consume Movement.
Leave Army – Allows a unit inside the Commander to deploy to the current tile or an adjacent eligible tile. This does consume the unit's Movement, but not the Commander's — allowing all units to be deployed without affecting the Commander's ability to act.
Reinforce Army – Sends a unit from any location to join a selected Commander. The unit disappears from the map and arrives after the number of turns it would normally take to reach the Commander based on terrain and Movement. This is a useful quality-of-life feature for rallying reinforcements without manually navigating obstacles.

Mobilization usage and bonuses[]

Commanders drastically simplify army logistics. In previous games, moving large armies required micromanaging every unit and carefully ordering Movement to avoid blocking paths. Commanders negate this entirely — by carrying multiple units at once, they streamline Movement through narrow terrain and urban chokepoints, especially during sieges.

Packed Commanders can also benefit from Movement-related bonuses granted by Social Policies or promotions. These may include extra Movement, the ability to bypass terrain penalties or restrictions, or even letting units act immediately after deployment.

One particularly powerful tactic is Commander hopping — a technique enabled by promotions like Initiative or Weather Gage, which prevent Movement from being consumed on deployment. This allows units to hop in and out of Commanders without losing Movement, effectively letting them relocate, retreat, or bypass Zone of Control entirely. Keep in mind that packed Commanders are vulnerable in combat. If unguarded, enemy attacks will damage both the Commander and the packed units inside.

Command[]

In addition to their powerful mobilization abilities, Commanders provide major stat bonuses and combat enhancements to nearby units. These effects can be further amplified through promotions, which Commanders earn by gaining experience as their associated units engage in combat.

Command radius[]

Units are considered "under command" when they are either packed within the Commander or positioned within the command radius.

The command radius defines the area around a Commander where their bonuses apply. It is relevant only to Army and Fleet Commanders, as these types command units directly on the map. The default radius includes the Commander's tile and all adjacent tiles. However, this can be expanded through certain Commendations.

Note: Units within the radius do not always grant experience to the Commander through their actions — specifics are detailed in the Promotion (Civ7) article.

Commands[]

Main article: List of unit actions in Civ7 § Commands

In addition to passive bonuses, the command radius enables Commanders to issue Commands — special orders that cause all eligible units within radius to act simultaneously.

Commands are exclusive to Commanders and typically provide powerful effects, such as Combat Strength boosts during immediate coordinated actions. Uniquely, Commands allow units to perform actions even when they've already used all their Movement points, making them a potent tool for tactical maneuvers and surprise plays.

Every Commander starts with a basic set of Commands, but more can be unlocked through certain promotion paths or Commendations.

Logistics[]

Due to all the previously mentioned advantages, Commanders are invaluable economic investments. By enhancing the Combat Strength and efficiency of military units, they reduce the number of troops needed to maintain a strong defense or exert military pressure — leading to significant savings in both training and maintenance costs.

These economic benefits can be further amplified by investing promotion points in the Logistics and Leadership trees. These trees offer bonuses such as increased yield output, faster unit training, and reduced maintenance costs across your military.

They also enhance army sustainability, with perks like the ability to upgrade units in enemy territory and bonus healing effects. This further reduces the need for additional Production or Gold to support ongoing campaigns.

Finally, Commanders play a crucial role in preserving your military during Age transitions. While many units are automatically deleted when moving to a new Age, Commanders are never removed, and if one is killed it will respawn in the Capital with all its promotions intact — each one protects up to four additional units from deletion. This makes them essential for any civilization relying on a strong standing army to maintain dominance across multiple Ages.

Aircraft commanders[]

As previously mentioned, Aircraft Commanders are less complex than their land and naval counterparts. They lack the tactical maneuvering, packing, and deployment mechanics that define Army and Fleet Commanders. Introduced in the Modern Age, Aircraft Commanders primarily serve as stationary operators of air units — with the exception of the Aircraft Carrier, which is the final available and only mobile Aircraft Commander. While they can gain experience and earn promotions like other Commanders, they do not participate in mobile logistics or strategic unit transport.

Air bases[]

Unlike other Commanders, most Aircraft Commanders — such as the Aerodrome and Squadron Commanders — are immobile and permanently stationed at airbases, which serve as both their operational hub and the base of operations for assigned air units. When an Aerodrome is constructed, an Aerodrome Commander is automatically spawned on top of it. These Commanders cannot be rebased and serve as the foundational support structure for all air units trained in that City, making the Aerodrome the main starting airbase for your air force.

Once trained, air units are automatically assigned to an available Aircraft Commander. However, they can be reassigned to other airbases using the Rebase Aircraft action to another Commander within range — such as a Squadron Commander, another Aerodrome Commander, or an Aircraft Carrier — as long as open unit slots are available.

For this reason, each airbase typically provides 4 Sight, as it inherits the vision stat from the air units assigned to it — though this only applies while those units are stationed there. This extended vision acts as a sentry system, essential both for operating air units and for detecting incoming threats. Maintaining visibility around an airbase is critical for anticipating enemy attempts to destroy it.

If an airbase is destroyed, the Commander assigned to it is immediately eliminated, and all associated air units will attempt to rebase to another available airbase within Range. If no eligible airbase exists, any remaining air units are automatically and instantly removed from the game.

Commanding air forces[]

When rebasing air units, the choice of Aircraft Commander is primarily determined by operational Range. All Aircraft Commanders form part of a deployment network that allows air units to be relocated across the map — so long as each target base is within Movement range of the previous one. With a well - established airbase network, air units become some of the most dangerous assets in the late game, capable of striking nearly any tile on the map.

In addition to range, the promotion tree of the target Aircraft Commander can also influence rebasing decisions. Both Squadron Commanders and Aircraft Carriers possess unique promotion trees and specialized abilities that distinguish them from standard Aerodrome Commanders, offering tactical advantages based on Movement, Range, or Combat Strength.

Unlike packed land or naval units — which must be deployed before acting — air units assigned to Aircraft Commanders can be selected and ordered to strike directly from their base, attacking enemy units or tiles within their Range. Aircraft Commanders also possess unique commands, similar to Army and Fleet Commanders, that enhance the performance, Combat Strength, or Range of all assigned air units.

So, while Aircraft Commanders may appear simpler and more straightforward at first glance, they are no less important. Once the Modern Age begins, players who invest in air infrastructure and Aircraft Commanders can experience a dramatic spike in military power and operational dominance.