Putting some very slight changes in the list made earlier.
It's not like I've replayed every civ but I would like to make some updates regardless. Newly changed civs are being marked with
this color. I've also added a new dual scoring for certain civs
on a good day, and
on a bad day, BUT for the sake of concrete rankings, I'm keeping them exactly where they they would be on average.
New text is also marked with this color.
Certain numbers are subject to change.
Just like before, every civ below A rank gets my two cents on how they might be a better civ.
"Perfect Civ" Metric: UA/UB/UU = 15/10/5 based on relevance throughout the game.
S Rank 26-30:
Egypt (13+10+3) = 26/30 – Blah blah blah super great UB. UA’s also a very strong for production.
A Rank 21-25:
Aztecs (12+9+4) = 26/30 - A gold and faith making machine! What even is a shrine!?
Poland (
15+6+3)
+1 from UA = 25/30 –
They still have the best UA in the game, but with the slight nerf, I'm bumping them down a point.
Carthage (14+8+3) = 25/30 – SO MUCH MAHNY;
Inca (12+7+5) +2 slinger = 24/30 – Super mobile, with my favorite UU in the game.
Mongolia (9+10+4) = 23/30 – There UA’s great…but I’m not the type for excessive City-State grabbing.
Huns (14+6+3) = 23/30 Their UA is easily one of the best in the game. Conscription is amazing, and if Horse Archers could do it, they’d be an easy S rank.
Denmark (8+10+4) + 1 jelly = 23/30 - Jelly stones provides food, gold, culture, increased GP rates, AND city connections. It’s a beast of a UB.
Indonesia (11+10+3) = 23/30 – Heard Denmark talking about their UB like they’re hot s**t. Also, SOOO MUUUCH SPIIICE.
Babylon (12+8+3) = 23/30 – A tech heavy turtle and Korea’s rival for best science civ.
Korea (13+7+3) = 23/30 – Heard Babylon talking s**t about science like it wouldn’t hear. Big fan of the UU exclusively because of Logistics.
Shoshone (12+7+4) = 23/30 – F**K THE SHOSHONE GET OFFA MY CONTINENT.
Germany (9+11+3) = 23/30 – I like late bloomer civs due to their rarity, and I believe late game, Germany’s the strongest…if you can get there of course. Their Panzer would be a 5+2 if it actually came in to play more often.
Celts (13+5+4) = 22/30 – I don’t like that part of their UB bonus requires such a specific resource as Ivory and only Ivory, but I’m not asking for buffs when it comes to A rankers.
Polynesia (10+10+2) +1 for UB = 23/30 – I still think the moai needs to be retooled with an adjacency cap, but whatevs. It gets the job done.
Netherlands (11+8+3) = 22/30 – The best trade based civ in the game.
Greece (11+8+3) = 22/30 – The best, and beefiest diplomacy civ.
Maya (12+8+2) = 22/30 –
Oh hey, the Kuna issue WAS fixed. Neat.
Songhai (10+8+4) = 22/30 – A great warmongering civ, and amazing with a river heavy map like the real world maps. Situational however.
America (
10+8+4) = 22/30 –
I'm a little surprise to say this, but America's actually really good right now. The change in their UA is GREAT for upstarting new cities and buying enemy tiles at a cheaper cost doesn't hurt either. Did they need the nerf from 25 to 20...maybe not in my eyes, but regardless, I can finally say they don't need any changes.
Ottomans (9+8+4) = 21/30 – Very good, but not very standoutish.
England (10+7+4) = 21/30 – Their UA is more annoying than it is potent, but spying is spying, and I loves me some spying. That said ENGLAND GET OFF OF MY CONTINENT.
Zulu (9+9+3) = 21/30 – I wish they weren’t so 1 dimensional. I said I’d give suggestions for civs that were B and below, but I will say Shaka could use a little color in this options. With Shaka being a man that united the Nguni tribes via being a big tough guy and Chading it up, I think it’d be neat if he gained (or even stole) City-State influence from the friends and allies of enemy civs he gets a successful peace treaty off of. Alternatively, he could get fat yields every first time he makes an ally.
China (10+7+4) = 21/30 –
(One of) The best growth based civ in the game.
Spain (
9+8+4) = 21/30 –
In light of the fact that their UA's benefits kick in with religious conquest, I'm bumping them up a point. Congratulations, you have escaped B rank purgatory.
Japan (
11+7+3) = 21/30 –
In light of their recent tourism blocking buffs and that fact that tourism is less plentiful than it was in the past, I'm moving them up by 3 points in their UA.
Byzantium (
12+6+3) = 21/30 –
I hadn't realized that even if they lose their religion, they can still force a new, identical religion to happen. That in itself is a fantastic trait to have for a religious civ, so I'm pushing them into the As.
Ethiopia (
8+10+2) +1 stele =
21/30 –
I think I underestimated the science bonuses of Ethiopia, so I'm bumping them up a point.
India (12+8+3) = 23/30, (8+8+3) = 19/30, AVG (10+8+3) = 21/30 –
Due to the constant insisting that India's UA is better than I typically put it (happened last time too), I've decided to bump their UA quality by a couple of points, and move them out of the Bs into the As. I'm not taking back what I said about inquisitors, mostly because it's for the sake of the AI more than anything, but I doubt India's going to get changed any time soon.
Portugal (
8+8+5) = 21/30 –
Nice to see that Portugal got that "oomph" it was looking for!
Iroquois (12+9+3) = 23/30, (7+7+3) = 17/30, AVG (9.5+8+3) = 20.5/30 –
You only get two kinds of games with Iroquois, games where you're spawned smack dab in the middle of a massive array of forest/jungle where you're a happy little civ, or games where you spawn next to a few tiles and you're a not so happy civ. At least you get an okayish bonus from natural wonders.
B Rank 16-20:
Austria (11+7+2) = 20/30 – Austria is a civ that takes out a LOT of gold to attempt to ensure a victory that’s not too hard to achieve in the first place. I believe increasing the gold from the luxury aspect of the UB would help with the gold you’re investing while also making Austria more interesting to play as, due to a higher luxury dependence.
Rome (8+8+4) = 20/30 – Early war feels a bit discouraged considering their UA wants you to wait things out until your enemies get nice and building-y.
That said...actually, there's not much that can be done about that, is there? 
Maybe a buff in city production for puppets and annexed cities? 20% instead of 15%.
Venice (11+7+4) = 22/30, (7+7+4) = 18/30, AVG: (10+7+4) = 20/30 Their 1 city handicap is the only thing that keeps them from being a solid A rank. Can’t think of many things I’d change about them currently, but I will say a small buff to the base yields of the Piazza San Marco would be nice, and something to beef up city states would be good. That said, they still snowball harder than most civs in the game, so I’d put buffing them low on the list of things that should happen, if at all.
Russia (11+5+3) = 19/30 – Ostrog is “good” but very late and not worth the wait. It’d be a much better building without the castle requirement as the reduced tile purchasing cost, and movement penalties are great on later, less developed cities.
France (7+
9+3) =
19/30 – A little hard to pin any 1 thing that holds France back, but if I had to make a request, maybe gain golden age points when conquering enemy cities as to tie in with the first part of their UA.
Persia (8+7+4) = 19/30 – Considering how crazy golden ages get in the late game, an additional bonus to the “during golden ages” part of their UA would be great. What should it be? I dunno, maybe a flat bonus like +5 production or something, that way they shine brighter in the early game, when they historically should.
Siam (10+6+3) = 19/30, (7+6+3) = 16/30, AVG (8.5+6+3) = 17.5/30 – Kinda hard requesting improvements for a civ with a purely city-state based UA. I guess something independent of City-States for a starter. Also, bumping the Wat’s faith from +1 to +2 wouldn’t hurt no one
Brazil (8+
8+2) = 18/30 –
I bumped the Brazilwood camp by a point, because dspite my bias towards Brazil, I still think it's worth an 8. Seeing as the Bandeirantes’ original missions often involved slave trades and attacking native villages (which is nodded to somewhat by their brute force promotion) what if they gave production and culture when defeating bards/clearing encampments? Just a thought?
Arabia (8+7+
3) = 18/30 – Make Camel Archers great again! Give them some form of mobility bonus and I’d easily bump Arabia to a
21.
Morocco (12+7+2) = 21/30, (6+7+2) = 15/30, AVG (
9+7+2) = 18/30 – Being isolated can RUIN this civ, but that is a very rare scenario. Having only a few neighbors however is not, so how about the UA’s reworked a little:
The current UA's bonuses are split. Receives +2 Gold, Golden Age Points and Culture for each active Trade Route, and an additional +2 Gold, Golden Age Points and Culture for each Trade Route to or from a different Civ or City-State. That way you're bonus is at it's finest when you have diverse trade partners, but in case you're limited with neighbors, you still have an okay UA. The second part of the UA remains the same.
Sweden (10+5+2) = 17/30 – I gave my criticisms earlier in this exact same thread. The Carolean should have the Great General promotion and the Skola could use a little love.
Assyria (8+6+3) = 17/30 – I’ll admit, I don’t have much to say about Assyria, because they’re one of my least played civs, so the criticisms and gripes I have are not the most valid. Anyways, the Royal Library starting with The Epic of Gilgamesh for free would help set things in motion a lot faster for the civ, and just seems super appropriate, did I steal this idea from supracseduch…maaaybe.
