Back to Civilization VII
Back to Diplomacy (Civ7)
Combat (Civ7)
War is a central gameplay feature in Civilization VII and its expansions, representing direct military conflict between civilizations. When diplomacy reaches its limits and negotiations break down, War becomes the ultimate means of resolving disputes, expanding territory, or asserting dominance.
Mechanics[]
Players can declare War at any time — even against their 
Allies. The only exception is when 
Peace was negotiated within the last 10 turns. There are three distinct types of War declarations:
Formal War – Can be declared against any leader with whom you have a Hostile relationship.- Surprise War – Can be declared against any leader, regardless of Relationship. However, this results in additional diplomatic penalties and a loss of War Support, which scales with the prior relationship.
- Joint War – Whenever an Ally is at War, you have the option to join them. Declaring War this way carries no War Support penalties, regardless of the Relationship you had with the opposing side beforehand.
When War is declared, the following occur immediately:
- All existing Endeavors between both parties are cancelled.
- All Trade between the two civilizations ceases.
- All Military and most Civilian Units can now be attacked by enemy forces.
- All Units can enter each other's borders freely.
- All City-States will join the War alongside their involved suzerain.
- All Allies of both civilizations must immediately decide whether to join the War and back their Ally or break their Alliance.
- Relationship status with the target leader will decrease significantly, depending on the type of War and the circumstances leading up to it.
Once War begins, Peace cannot be proposed until no less than 10 turns have passed, making it a high-risk decision that requires careful planning. Poorly prepared Wars can lead to devastating losses in resources, 
Settlements and, of course, military power. To ensure stability and success, players should secure the following before going to War:
- Combat Readiness: Having a strong army is essential. Analyze which Settlements and borders are exposed and vulnerable, and reinforce them with garrisoned Units and Fortifications to prevent enemy invasions.
- Intel & Strategy: Knowledge is power. Gather intelligence on your opponent's Unit numbers and quality, Alliances, and potential invasion routes to anticipate their movements and avoid surprises.
- Gold Reserves: War is very costly. Most Units have a maintenance cost, and having a strong economy allows for emergency Unit recruitment or Fortifications in case of unexpected developments.
- Influence & Stability: War impacts your people. Unrest and Unhappiness can lead to revolts, reduced yields, and economic stagnation. Maintaining a high public support is critical for all your war efforts.
After 10 turns of War, players can negotiate Peace. A Peace deal may involve demanding enemy Settlements as leverage or ceding Settlements to appease opponents. The likelihood of a successful Peace agreement increases if one side has inflicted significant damage or has a strong military presence within enemy borders.
War Support[]
One of the most influential aspects of War is 
War Support — a measure of how much your people believe in the War and whether they consider it justified. High War Support boosts army morale and combat effectiveness, while low War Support results in penalties, including -1 
Combat Strength per negative War Support point for 
Military Units and increased war weariness among 
Citizens.
The following elements can alter the War Support value you have during an ongoing War:
- Declaring a Surprise War: Surprise wars are seen as dishonorable and cause a massive War Support penalty:
- Helpful: -5
- Friendly: -4
- Neutral: -3
- Unfriendly: -2
- Spending Influence: Players can spend Influence to rally their people behind the War effort, though the cost increases with each War Support point gained. Additionally, once per War, each leader may choose to either support or oppose an ongoing conflict, even if they are not directly involved.
- Militaristic Attribute: Early on, players can spend 1 Militaristic Attribute Point to permanently gain +1 War Support on all Wars.
- Militaristic City-State bonus: In each Age, players may select a bonus that grants +1 War Support on all Wars. This option is also available for all civilizations.
- Wonders:
- Gate of All Nations: +1 on all Wars.
- Brandenburg Gate: +1 on all Wars.
- Gate of All Nations: +1
- Leaders:
- Simon Bolivar: +1 on all Wars.
- Harriet Tubman: +5 on all Wars declared against her.
- Simon Bolivar: +1
Most War Support penalties and bonuses expire at the end of the War, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
War weariness[]
As mentioned earlier, a negative War Support value leads to war weariness, which represents the public's growing disapproval of a prolonged War. It is measured as a raw point value derived from the difference in War Support between the warring sides. The player with the lower Support receives penalties that scale with the size of that difference.
Each point of war weariness applies the following penalties:
- -3 Happiness in Settlements you founded.
- -5 Happiness in Settlements founded by a power with which you are not currently at War.
- -7 Happiness in Settlements founded by a power with which you are currently at War.
- -1 Combat Strength for all Military Units (to a maximum of -20).
War weariness effects stack when engaged in multiple Wars, though the capped limits remain unchanged. All accumulated War weariness is removed once a war ends.
Wars that continue without sufficient Support — and without achieving either Peace or victory — can eventually drive an empire into complete societal stagnation.
Legacy Path & Victory[]
TBA
Strategy[]
|
Share your wisdom!
How do you use War? |
See also[]
- War in other games