Top Civs for Ibn Battuta in Civ 7

Ibn Battuta stands out as a uniquely flexible leader in Civilization 7, possessing the Wildcard trait that allows for diverse playstyles. While adaptable, certain civilization pairings across different historical eras can particularly amplify his potential. This article explores the optimal civilization choices for Ibn Battuta in the Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Ages, focusing primarily on an economic legacy path.

Antiquity Age: Carthage

For the Antiquity Age, Carthage emerges as a surprisingly strong pairing for Ibn Battuta. Despite being a one-city civilization, Carthage excels in both economic and militaristic pursuits, aligning well with what is believed to be Ibn Battuta’s most effective playstyles. While his flexibility allows for leaning into militaristic or even scientific leader trees depending on the chosen Momentos, an economic focus in the early game can provide a robust foundation.

Utilizing Ibn Battuta’s increased sight and trade maps early on is crucial for establishing profitable trade routes. By prioritizing the economic legacy path, players can focus on acquiring abundant resources. The militaristic aspect of Carthage, particularly the Numidian cavalry, should not be neglected, offering defensive capabilities and the potential for offensive maneuvers. The Sicilian Wars legacy bonus, granting +2 settlement capacity, is also incredibly valuable for Ibn Battuta’s expansionist tendencies.

The primary drawback of starting with Carthage is Ibn Battuta’s flatlands starting bias, which may necessitate a few restarts to secure a coastal starting position. Coastal access is vital for maximizing Carthage’s potential, particularly the Punic Port, which benefits from the Wharf and Dockyard combination. A well-placed coastal capital will provide the optimal foundation for economic growth and set the stage for the Exploration Age.

Exploration Age: Spain

Transitioning into the Exploration Age, Spain presents a natural and powerful progression from Carthage. This shift should feel intuitive, as Carthage’s strengths flow seamlessly into Spain’s colonial and economic prowess. By this point, a commitment to the economic leader attribute tree is recommended. Points can be strategically invested to gain +2 gold on resources in towns in distant lands, in addition to the +1 gold on local resources, significantly boosting income.

Spain’s unique ability to quickly convert towns into cities on the home continent synergizes exceptionally well with the settlement capacity gained from Carthage’s Sicilian Wars. The gold accumulated through early trade and resource exploitation can now be used to rapidly develop these towns into productive cities at a reduced cost. Furthermore, the Exploration Age marks Spain’s expansion into the New World, providing ample opportunities to utilize Ibn Battuta’s trade map ability to identify prime settlement locations. This allows for strategically carving out a valuable portion of the map, which will be crucial in the Modern Age.

As Spain, players will naturally focus on establishing lucrative treasure fleets, further amplifying economic growth. The Conquistador unit, with its potential to unlock powerful Great Persons, offers additional strategic advantages. Christopher Columbus enhances trade map utility, revealing the world’s outline. Hernando de Soto can swiftly integrate valuable city-states into one’s suzerainty in distant lands. Ponce de León accelerates treasure fleet movement, optimizing the economic engine. Given Ibn Battuta’s inherent synergy with economics and the significant advantage of early map knowledge through his traits, Spain provides a perfect platform to solidify an economic empire.

Modern Age: America

For the Modern Age, America emerges as the ideal civilization to capitalize on the economic and expansionist foundations laid by Carthage and Spain under Ibn Battuta’s leadership. To effectively transition to America, players will need to secure at least three settlements on plains or grassland tiles, as neither Spain nor Ibn Battuta have a natural affinity for this terrain. This can be achieved through strategic conquest using Spain’s unique units or by establishing new settlements in these regions. Notably, some Conquistadors can even create settlements, offering another avenue for expansion.

Continuing down the economic attribute tree, aiming for the final +5 total gold bonus is advisable. Subsequently, focusing attribute points on the science tree, particularly the +15% production towards constructing buildings, will be crucial for industrialization. As America, the focus shifts towards leveraging accumulated wealth and production to sprint towards an economic victory. Prioritizing technologies such as Military Science, Industrialization, and Mass Production will unlock powerful economic traditions like Robber Barons.

Ibn Battuta’s trade maps remain valuable in the Modern Age, offering insights into other civilizations’ progress and potential vulnerabilities. However, the primary focus will be on maintaining a strong military to protect the burgeoning empire, utilizing Prospectors to acquire vital resources, and establishing efficient rail networks and factories. The numerous cities established throughout the previous eras, initially as Carthaginian settlements and later developed by Spain, will now serve as powerful production and economic centers under American rule. America’s inherent economic and production bonuses provide the final push needed to secure an economic legacy victory, perfectly complementing Ibn Battuta’s strengths and the strategic groundwork laid in the preceding ages.

By strategically selecting Carthage, Spain, and America across the Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Ages, players can harness Ibn Battuta’s unique flexibility and map awareness to build a powerful economic empire and achieve victory in Civilization 7.