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Movement is the process of moving units around the map by issuing them commands in Civilization VII and its expansions. This article will explain the game's 
Movement rules.
Mechanics[]
All units have a statistic called Movement (sometimes referred to as Movement Points, or MP for short), which determines the maximum number of tiles they can traverse in a single turn.
Compared to previous Civilization games, Movement in Civilization VII is relatively straightforward: every tile a unit moves onto costs exactly 1 Movement Point. For example, a unit with 3 Movement can move up to 3 tiles in one turn. This could involve moving back and forth or advancing up to 3 hexes in any direction. However, several game elements can instantly deplete a unit's Movement, regardless of how many MPs remain, demanding careful planning to avoid ending a unit's turn prematurely.
Terminology notice[]
Movement rules can vary greatly depending on the ownership of units or 
Settlements. To avoid confusion and ensure clarity, this article uses consistent terminology to distinguish between different types of entities:
- Friendly – refers to any unit or
Settlement you own, as well as those controlled by Allies (including allied civilizations and City-States). - Rival – refers to any unit or Settlement not under your control.
- Enemy – refers specifically to rival entities with which you are currently at war.
Entities that are exclusively under your control will simply be referred to as "your [unit/settlement/etc.]".
Note that 
Allied entities you do not directly control are considered both rival and friendly. Any unit or Settlement mentioned without one of these labels should be understood as applying generally to all entities, unless context suggests otherwise.
Movement input and pathfinding[]
Units can move by selecting the 
Move action, then clicking on the desired tile. An indicator will appear, displaying the projected path and the number of turns required to reach the destination. Movement restrictions — such as terrain penalties or impassable tiles — are automatically factored into this calculation. Attempting to move to an invalid or unreachable tile will cancel the command, requiring a new target.
Even tiles covered by the Fog of War can be selected. While their contents are hidden, the game will assume they are traversable and calculate the shortest known route. As your unit moves and uncovers the terrain, the path will dynamically update to account for newly revealed obstacles or impassable terrain.
This system effectively mimics auto-exploration: units will continue to move each turn toward their selected destination until they arrive, are blocked, or the tile becomes unreachable. However, pathing can sometimes change drastically in congested areas. If rival or friendly units block narrow passages, the unit may reroute entirely or oscillate between tiles as the shortest path constantly updates. In such cases, manual intervention may be necessary to avoid delays or unintended detours.
Currently, the dedicated "auto-exploration" action — as seen in previous Civilization games, where units are controlled by AI and autonomously explore the map — is not yet implemented. However, this feature is planned for a future update.
Movement punishments, restrictions, and unit stacking and blocking will be explained further in the article.
Movement values[]
Each unit type has its own base Movement value, reflecting its intended role and terrain capabilities. These values determine how far a unit can travel each turn and are carefully balanced to match the unit's function — whether it's exploring, engaging in combat, or supporting other forces. Understanding the Movement ranges of different unit types is essential for effective positioning, timely reinforcements, and executing strategic maneuvers.
Land[]
Most land units have a base Movement of 2. This allows for flexible tactical positioning while still encouraging thoughtful planning.
Certain units — such as cavalry or specific unique units — possess increased Movement values of 3 or even 4, granting them a notable advantage in:
- Redeployment across the map
- Flanking maneuvers in combat
- Rapid reinforcement of vulnerable positions
These high-mobility units are vital for fast-paced warfare and covering large distances quickly.
[]
Naval units generally feature a higher base Movement of 3 or higher to compensate for their restriction to water-based terrain. This enhanced mobility ensures that they can effectively patrol coastlines, discover new continents and distant lands, intercept enemy fleets, or respond swiftly to threats across seas and oceans.
Air[]
Air units possess the highest Movement values in the game, with some reaching up to 12. This reflects their ability to strike distant targets within their operational 
Range. Despite their immense Movement range, air units are still bound by operational limitations as they cannot freely roam the map.
Civilian[]
Civilian units, on the other hand, like Missionaries and Great People, often feature very high Movement values. This allows them to carry out tasks like spreading religion, boosting development, or perform other actions efficiently. However, to prevent unintended exploitation, these units typically have severely limited 
Sight, making them ineffective for Scouting or uncovering the map.
Additionally, Merchants and other trade units move automatically once a 
Trade Route is established. Upon selecting the "Establish Trade Route" action, the unit will follow the shortest available path between the chosen Settlement and your nearest owned Settlement. While moving autonomously, all standard Movement rules apply — with the exception that trade units cannot be blocked by other units under any circumstances.
Actions and combat[]
Movement is not only important for navigation, but also for units that want to engage in combat or perform certain actions like fortifying. These actions can only be performed if the unit has at least 1 MP remaining.
For example, a ranged unit with 2 MPs that wants to perform a ranged attack must ensure it has at least 1 MP left after moving. If it uses its full Movement on terrain that drains all MPs (such as entering a forest or crossing a river), the attack won't be possible that turn.
Commanders can also initiate a group attack by issuing commands to eligible units within their command radius. Units may participate in this coordinated strike even if they have already expended their Movement (... note: this aspect may be a bug, and might be patched out in future updates), allowing for tactical use of Commander abilities regardless of unit readiness.
fixed-cost actions[]
Actions with a cost greater than 1 require the unit to have its full MP available at the moment the action is performed. The action cannot be executed if the unit has already used any Movement during that turn. However, units with a maximum Movement lower than the action's cost are still allowed to perform the action, as long as they haven't moved yet.
The following examples illustrate this behavior for units using the 
Pillage action, which has a Movement cost of 3:
- A Tank with 4/4 MP can perform a Pillage action, leaving it with 1/4 MPs remaining and allowing it to move to another tile after.
- A Swordsman with 2/2 MP can perform a Pillage action, using up its full movement and thus leaving it with 0/2 MP remaining, disabling the unit to perform any other actions.
- A Swordsman with 1/2 MP can not perform a Pillage action.
Movement depletion[]
The following situations instantly drain all remaining MPs of a standard unit:
- Crossing a river tile.
- Embarking or disembarking.
- Entering vegetated terrain.
- Entering wet terrain.
- Entering rough terrain.
- Moving into Open Ocean (before Shipbuilding is researched).
- Attacking.
- Performing certain actions (e.g., Fortify, Coastal Raid).
Importantly, these actions only deplete Movement after being executed. This means that even with just 1 MP left, a unit can still perform all of the above, although they will not be able to act further that turn.
Some units have abilities that bypass Movement penalties. For instance, Scouts can traverse rough, vegetated, and wet terrain without Movement loss. These traits make them valuable for exploration and tactical maneuvering.
Roads[]
Tiles with roads completely nullify all original Movement penalties, except for those imposed by navigable rivers. Roads passing through Vegetation, Rivers, Rough, and other terrains will only consume 1 MP, providing a reliable means of transportation to and from Settlements.
Restrictions[]
Not all units can freely traverse every tile or territory on the map. Movement is limited by a variety of restrictions, including political borders, terrain type, unit stacking rules, or Zone of Control. These limitations are crucial for maintaining strategic depth and territorial control, forcing players to consider unit composition, diplomatic agreements, and map positioning when planning Movement and deployments. Understanding how and where units are allowed to move is essential for both defense and expansion.
Borders[]
Military and support units cannot traverse tiles within the borders of rival civilizations or 
City-States unless:
- They have an Open Borders agreement.
- They are Allied.
- They are at war.
Most civilian units can enter foreign borders, except for Settlers and Scouts, which follow the same rules as military units. During wartime, even civilians like Missionaries are restricted from entering enemy fortified districts to prevent free scouting behind walls.
Zone of control[]
Zone of Control (ZOC) is a mechanic that prevents units from passing through or avoiding enemy units. It essentially forces confrontation, making it an effective method for setting up defenses and controlling key areas.
ZOC is exerted by nearly every military unit and, by default, applies to all tiles adjacent to that unit. However, this radius can be expanded through specific Commander promotions or unique unit traits. When an enemy unit enters a ZOC, it is immediately prevented from moving to any other tile except the tile occupied by the unit exerting the ZOC, allowing that unit to be attacked. This mechanic ensures that frontline units can effectively protect those behind them, as enemies must deal with the unit exerting ZOC before reaching the backline. The Movement restrictions only apply to units that enter the ZOC, meaning that units starting their turn next to an enemy unit can still move away.
For these reasons, understanding ZOC is essential for effective maneuvering, as entering one accidentally can render a unit unable to act for the remainder of the turn. However, some unique units possess traits that allow them to bypass ZOC entirely, meaning that their Movement is completely unaffected when entering. These units are exceptional for flanking, retreating, or slipping through enemy lines — making them valuable tactical and mobility assets.
Outside of these units, there is a technique called Commander hopping, which exploits the use of packing and deploying to bypass Zone of Control altogether, as explained further in the article.
Unit stacking and blocking[]
Units cannot end their turn on a tile occupied by another unit of the same class. For instance, a Swordsman cannot occupy the same tile as a Slinger, as both are land units. However, they may move through each other freely if their remaining Movement allows it. If both are under your control, attempting to move one unit on the same tile as the other will swap locations of both units simultaneously instead, as long as they both have MPs left and are adjacent to each other. Some civilian units, like Explorers, form the exception and can stack endlessly.
Units from different civilizations that possess any kind of Strength stat — such as military units or Settlers — can never share a tile, regardless of their type or class. This rule plays a crucial role in controlling Movement and map space. Strategic positioning can be used to block rival armies from advancing, prevent rival Settlers from claiming valuable locations, or deny deployment near your borders. Note, however, that rival units can still move through yours unless the path is entirely obstructed, making this tactic most effective in narrow terrain such as mountain passes, shorelines, or along borders with limited entry points.
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unit moving through other units
The image on the right illustrates an example of a unit with 3 MPs navigating through rival units. As shown, the amount of units within your path don't matter, as long as the target destination is unoccupied.
War[]
When at war, moving a friendly military unit onto an enemy unit's tile will initiate an attack instead. If the target gets killed, the attacker may move onto the vacated tile. Passing through enemy units is never allowed, regardless of whether the attacker is immune to Zone of Control. Any attempt to cross an enemy-occupied tile will always trigger combat and consume all remaining Movement. Civilian units cannot engage in combat and are completely blocked, forcing them to find an alternate route.
Terrain[]
Every unit type has unique Movement restrictions based on class and terrain compatibility, encouraging diverse army compositions for effective map control.
Land[]
Although "land units" generally refers to military units operating on land, most civilian units follow the same Movement rules and are therefore subject to the following terrain restrictions. Land units face a wide range of terrain features. The following tiles are impassable to standard land units:
- Mountains and volcanoes
- Most natural wonders
- Coast and navigable rivers (before Sailing is researched)
- Open Ocean (before Cartography or Shipbuilding is researched)
- Ice
- Cliffs that block elevation changes
- enemy fortifications (before they are destroyed)
Embarkation[]
While land units are primarily designed to move and operate on land, they gain the ability to traverse marine and navigable river tiles after researching Sailing in the Antiquity Age. At that point, units may embark onto an adjacent eligible coastal or navigable river tile, transforming into a small boat model to indicate their embarked state.
Embarked land units cannot perform attacks (except amphibious) or any actions that normally drain MPs. Military units, in particular, suffer a significant reduction in 
Combat Strength when embarked, making them highly vulnerable while at sea.
As mentioned before, moving from land to water (embarking) or water to land (disembarking) consumes all remaining MPs, so players must plan these transitions carefully to avoid placing units in compromised positions.
[]
Naval units can only move over marine and navigable river tiles. They cannot traverse:
- Any land tile
- Open Ocean (before the Exploration Age)
- Ice
Air[]
Air units do not move tile-by-tile like land or naval units. Instead, they perform actions within a certain Range — attacking or Scouting a target tile and then returning to their base (such as an Aerodrome or Aircraft Carrier).
Air units still display a Movement stat for consistency, which always matches their Range. They have no terrain-based Movement restrictions.
Teleportation[]
Beyond traditional Movement, Civilization VII introduces advanced methods of instant transportation that become available later in the game. These features significantly reshape how players deploy units, manage reinforcements, and access distant regions of the map, adding new strategic layers to mobility and warfare.
Some civilian units possess unique abilities that allow them to teleport independently. For example, the Great Banker can instantly teleport to any 
Capital once per turn. These teleportation actions still require at least 1 MP and will consume all remaining Movement upon use.
Railroads[]
Starting in the Modern Age, after researching Industrialization, players gain access to railroads — a transformative upgrade to traditional roads.
Unlike in earlier Civilization games, railroads do not provide incremental tile-based Movement bonuses. Instead, they function as a teleportation network between Settlements.
Squadron Commander[]
The Squadron Commander is a specialized support unit that can carry and deploy up to 4 land units within its command radius.
Once available, the commander can:
- Instantly deploy carried units to any tile within 8 hexes.
- Experienced commanders gain the ability to allow deployed units to act immediately after deployment — potentially enabling surprise attacks, flanking maneuvers, or swift reinforcements.
The synergy between commanders and railroad logistics allows for highly mobile land forces capable of reacting to threats or exploiting openings almost instantly.
Commander hopping[]
A less conventional but powerful way of teleporting units involves Army and Fleet Commanders. By unlocking the Initiative or Weather Gage promotions respectively, units no longer lose Movement upon unpacking. This enables them to repeatedly use the 
Add To Army and 
Leave Army actions to hop in and out of Commanders and be deployed adjacent to them.
This technique essentially allows units to teleport up to 2 tiles for only 1 MP, making maneuvering, flanking, repositioning, and retreating absurdly efficient — especially since this method also bypasses Zones of Control entirely.
Even more powerful, multiple Commanders with these promotions can be chained together. With careful positioning and available unit slots, units can traverse vast terrain effortlessly, as long as there are enough Commanders to hop between. Because packed units retain their Movement when the Commander moves, the commander effectively acts as a "taxi".
However, it's crucial to use the Leave Army action rather than the 
Deploy Army action from the Commander. The latter consumes all remaining Movement of the Commander, making him unusable and preventing units from hopping in and out for the rest of the turn. On the other hand, 
Assemble Army — which packs all adjacent units instantly — can be used safely, as it does not deplete the Commander's Movement.
Movement bonuses[]
TBA
See also[]
- Movement in other games
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