The Domination Victory inCivilization 6is one of the most basic victories in the game, but inCivilization 7, a Military Victory is more meaningful and nuanced. A Domination Victory is very straightforward inCiv 6and requires a complete scorched-earth approach in terms of strategy, which makes it appealing in some respects, but ultimately does not match the level of planning or strategizing required for other Victory types such as Science, Culture, or even Religion.Civilization 7’soverhauled gameplay mechanicsinclude a major update to the militaristic victory option that includes Ideologies and planning across the Ages.

There are five ways to win inCiv 7(so far) - through Culture, Science, Economic, or Military paths, or through Legacy Points. The Military Victory requires players to follow the Military Legacy Path from the Antiquity Age through the Exploration Age and ultimately into the Modern Age, reaching specific strategic milestones along the way. This is a far cry fromCiv 6’sDomination Victory, which simply involves conquering each opponent’s capital as quickly as possible. Here’s a look at why the Military Victory inCiv 7is going to be way better than the Domination Victory fromCiv 6.

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How Civ 7’s Military Victory Differs From Civ 6’s Domination Victory

Civ 7 Has Specific Military Objectives In Every Age

ADomination Victory inCiv 6obviously requires a strong military and production focus to produce a massive Army to send sprawling across the map. This victory is most easily won early on while opponentsare still getting a foothold, or in the Atomic Era if players are the first to research advanced technologies and nuclear weapons. While there is certainlysomestrategy involved in Civ 6’s Domination Victory, it’smostly about pumping out as many powerful units as quickly as possibleand sending them out to annihilate the opponentCivs’capital cities.

Civilization 7’s Overhauled Gameplay Systems Have Some Serious Pros - And Cons

Civilization 7 will overhaul most of the gameplay systems from previous Civ games, which comes with both pros and cons.

Civilization 7will completely change the significance of military strategy, and itsnew combat systemencourages the Military Legacy Path with powerful Commander units and updated Siege Warfare tactics. The new system encourages a finer focus on specific militaristic milestones throughout the Ages.

Leaders from Civilization 6 with mod villages

In the Antiquity Age, for example,conquering cities is incentivized but not strictly necessaryto progress down the Military Legacy Path. To complete the Military Legacy Path in the Antiquity Age in its entirety, players need to have 12 towns or cities in their empire, but conquered Settlements count as two.

Civ 7’s Military Victory Rewards Ideology Points

The Military Legacy Path In Civ 7 Requires Focused War Efforts

Militaristic prowess becomes more important as players advance through the Ages, with an even greater incentive to conquer Settlements, offering a quadrupled bonus for conquering Settlements in the Distant Lands that follow the player’s religion. The Military Legacy Path culminates in the Modern Age with the Ideology path,one of the biggest changes to military-based victories inCivgames yet.Players need to gain 20 Ideology points from conquering Settlements for the first time, but can gain up to three points against an opponent with an opposing Ideology. This means players will want to target specific opponents when they wage war.

Ideology Points can also be obtained by reclaiming a city after it has been conquered, meaning players could ostensibly win a strategic defensive Military Victory depending on the circumstances of the campaign. InCiv 7,each Legacy Path unlocks a unique Victory Condition that typically takes the form of a project. Once 20 Ideology points are acquired,the Military Legacy Path unlocks the Operation Ivy Victory Condition,which will take a number of turns to complete and will likely be contingent on how many settlements the player has conquered or liberated throughout the entire game, not to mention potential nuclear warfare.

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Military Strategy In Civ 7 Is More Nuanced Than Civ 6

A Civ 7 Military Victory Is More Focused And Deliberate Compared To Civ 6

Overall, the Military Victory inCiv 7is a refreshing overhaul of the Domination Victory fromCiv 6, adding layers of strategy and giving the victory more nuance and depth. From the emphasis on establishing an early empire in the Antiquity Age to the development of nuclear capabilities in the Modern Age,there is more to a Military Victory than simply sending waves of troops across the mapto wipe out anything in their path before swarming enemy capitals. The updated combat system will make targeted siege warfare more significant, and the Ideology system adds even further strategic opportunities.

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There are still surprises in store for players interested in a Military Victory, with specific Legacy Bonuses, new Leaders and Civilizations, and more that has yet to be revealed.An upcoming Dev Diary set around the time of launch will discuss each Legacy Path and Victory Condition in more detailto give players a chance to preview the various ways to win a campaign before they dive in and figure it out for themselves. For fans of Civ 6’s Domination Victory,Civilization 7’sMilitary Victorycanstill involve the scorched-earth approach, but it encourages a more focused and deliberate strategy and is frankly a massive improvement.

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