- "Fix me deadlights, matey. We aim for plunder and profit, and give naught to king nor God."
Edward Teach (c. 1680 – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. He is a leader in Civilization VII.
He is available with the Edward Teach Pack within the Tides of Power Collection, which was released on November 4, 2025.
Intro[]
Admiral of the Black, you know well that it is the name, not the gun, that is the deadliest bullet, and though you were born Edward Teach, it is the name Blackbeard that caused sailors to quail. Cast off now, as there are ships and caravans alike heavy with plunder. Prepare the Queen Anne’s Revenge again for war - there’s booty to be had.
In-Game[]
Edward Teach has the 
Economic and 
Militaristic 
Attributes. His default colors are jet black and red.
His leader ability is Blackbeard. It increases the 
Gold maintenance costs of all his 
Naval Units but gives them the Pirate ability, which allows them to cross borders of other civilizations, Plunder Trade Route from non-allied civilizations, and attack Naval Units of non-allied civilizations without declaring 
War. It also allows him to capture any Naval Unit defeated by one of his Naval Units and provides him with Gold equal to a set percentage of the defeated unit's 
Combat Strength.
His agenda is Queen Anne’s Revenge. His relationship increases by a small amount with leaders that build Naval Units and decreases with leaders that do not build Naval Units.
Strategy[]
|
Share your wisdom!
How do you use Edward Teach? |
Lines[]
Edward Teach is voiced by Peter Wicks. He speaks West Country English and makes heavy use of pirate lingo and nautical terms.[1]
| Line | Quote | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Quote | Fix me deadlights, matey. We aim for plunder and profit, and give naught to king nor God. | The meaning here is unclear, as deadlights could either be shutters fastened over a ship's porthole(s) or slang for eyes. Fix may mean "to close" or "to adjust" whatever the deadlights might be. |
| Greeting | Hark ye to the Admiral of the Black, the scourge of the seven seas - Edward Teach, Blackbeard in the flesh. | |
| Attacked | Damnation seize my soul if I give you quarter or take any from ye! | This is a quote from Teach's final battle with Robert Maynard. |
| Declares War | Bring a spring on her cable, hearties! There's blood to be had. | When used in this context, this nautical term means to pivot the ship to bring its broadside (i.e., the side carrying the most cannons) to bear on an enemy. |
| Accepts Player's Deal | Done handsomely. | |
| Rejects Player's Deal | Scupper that! | This is an expression of anger or derision meaning "Throw that overboard!" More broadly, scupper means "to ruin, destroy, or cause something to fail," which comes from the nautical term for openings in a ship's deck that let water drain. |
| Defeated | Aye, ye've sunk me. 'Tween the Devil and Davey Jones, there's thee. | This may be a play on the idiom "between the devil and the deep blue sea," with Teach comparing the player to the likes of Satan and a malevolent sea spirit. The name "Davy" is misspelled in the subtitles. |
Leader Path[]
| Level | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| 2 |  Brace of Pistols
|
| 3 | Militaristic Attribute Node
|
| 4 | Exploration Militaristic Legacy Card
|
| Exploration Economic Legacy Card | |
| 5 |  Medicine Chest
|
| 6 | Edward Teach Badge 1
|
Edward Teach Banner
| |
| 7 | Economic Attribute Node
|
| 8 | Modern Militaristic Legacy Card
|
| Modern Economic Legacy Card | |
| 9 |  Figurehead of the Queen Anne's Revenge
|
| 10 | Edward Teach Badge 2
|
Blackbeard
|
Civilopedia entry[]
Fear is a weapon. It preceded the Mongol hordes, causing cities to surrender even at the rumor of their approach, and it was vital to Blackbeard’s campaign of piracy across the Caribbean. As his plain red "bloody flag" or his “death’s head flag,” black with a skull (not a devil skeleton piercing a heart as commonly claimed), ran up the mast, ships would give up their cargo rather than face what they feared. The tall, outlandishly-dressed pirate would famously wear lit fuses in his beard – the better to intimidate his foes. But this is Blackbeard, the pirate of imagination, rather than Edward Teach, the man.
Teach – occasionally written “Thatch” – appears in the historical record in New Providence, the base of the short-lived Republic of Pirates in the Caribbean. Before this is only speculation: that he was, for instance, a privateer during Queen Anne’s War (fought between France and Spain over control of North America). Blackbeard served in the short-lived Republic of Pirates under the command of Benjamin Hornigold and quickly acquired conquests and fame – notably taking over the crew of “Gentleman” Stede Bonnet, his former collaborator, when that captain’s authority was questioned.
But the Republic was to falter under pressures both internal and external. As it collapsed, Teach set out on his own, capturing a French vessel and renaming it the Queen Anne’s Revenge, and from its decks he menaced European trade across the New World. In perhaps his most famous exploit, he blockaded Charles Town, in what is now the state of South Carolina, and held its citizens for ransom.
Despite his reputation, Teach could be gracious in conquest, and rarely engaged in the kind of cutlass-swinging deck combat which he became famous for. His captives were well-treated, and he at times showed a great deal of mercy – the threat of violence, and not necessarily violence itself, was his most deadly weapon.
Blackbeard attempted to retire and started a more peaceful life in North Carolina, but his respite lasted only a few months. Though he had secured a royal pardon, he took the Queen Anne’s Revenge out to patrol the Atlantic waters again. On the morning of November 22, 1718, he was attacked and killed by Robert Maynard, a lieutenant in the British Royal Navy. Blackbeard’s head was, allegedly, hung from the bowsprit of Maynard’s flagship, and, North Carolina folklore attests, his ghosts still stalks the Outer Banks.
Trivia[]
- Edward Teach's leader ability is his nickname, while his agenda is the name of his famous ship.
Gallery[]
.jpg "Edward Teach promo (Civ7).jpg (278 KB)")
.png "Edward Teach three-quarter length (Civ7).png (200 KB)")
.jpg "Capture of the Pirate, Blackbeard, 1718 (Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, 1920).jpg (2.95 MB)")
Videos[]
First Look- Edward Teach - Civilization VII
First Look: Edward Teach