Civilization V: Units

In Civilization V, the term “unit” refers to anything that can move around the map. There are a number of different types of units in play – military units, Workers, Settlers, Great People, and the like, with military units forming the bulk of them.

1 Constructing Units
2 Unit Characteristics
3 Unit Special Abilities
4 National Units
5 Unit Movement
6 Unit Combat
7 Unit Promotions
8 Non-Combat Units
9 Combat Units
10 Unit Action List
11 New Units in Gods & Kings
12 Air Units List
- 12.1 Triplane
- 12.2 Great War Bomber
13 Melee Units
14 Ranged Units
15 Mounted and Armored Units
16 Naval Ranged Units
- 16.1 Dromon
- 16.2 Galleass
17 Naval Melee Units
18 Religious Units
- 18.1 Inquisitor
- 18.2 Missionary

Constructing Units[edit]

Units are built in cities. Each unit has a certain “Production Cost” which determines how many points of Production a city must expend to produce the unit. In addition, in order to construct a unit your civilization must have knowledge of the requisite technology (you must know the “Archery” technology, for example, to construct Archer units). Some units also require that your civ have access to certain resources to construct them (Swordsmen require Iron, for instance).

Unit Characteristics[edit]

All units have three basic statistics (stats): movement speed, combat strength, and promotions.

Movement Speed[edit]

A unit’s Movement Points (MPs) determines how many clear tiles a unit can move through. Most early units have 2 MPs. See “Movement” on page 52 for more details.

Combat Strength[edit]

A unit’s Combat Strength (CS) determines how powerful it is in combat. The Warrior, the earliest combat unit available, has a CS of 6. Non-combat units like Settlers and Workers have CS’s of 0 (zero). They are defeated (captured or destroyed) when attacked by any military unit.

Promotions[edit]

A military unit may earn “promotions” through advanced training or from hard-won experience gained through battle.

Unit Special Abilities[edit]

Many units have special abilities, allowing them to do things better than other units, or to do things that other units cannot do at all. Settler units can found new cities, for example, and no other units can do so. An Archer unit can deal “ranged” damage, allowing it to attack an enemy that is not adjacent to it, while most combat units cannot.

National Units[edit]

Each civilization in Civilization V has one or more special “national units.” These units are unique to that civilization, and they are in some way superior to the standard version of that unit. The American civilization, for example, has a Minuteman unit, which is superior to the standard Musketman available to other civs, and it also possesses the B17, replacing the Bomber unit. The Greek civ has the Hoplite and Companion Cavalry units, which replace the Spearman and Horseman other civs get.

Unit Movement[edit]

Generally, units move from hex to hex, paying the “Movement Cost” required to enter that new hex. Units are subject to “Stacking” limitations – two military units may not end their turn in the same hex, nor can two non-military units, but one military and one non-military unit may end their turn stacked in the same hex. Most units are limited in where they can move – land units cannot enter mountain hexes and naval units cannot enter land hexes (except for port cities). Improvements like roads and railroads speed a unit’s movement through land hexes.

Unit Combat[edit]

Military units can engage in combat against other units or against cities. Most military units are “melee units,” meaning that they can attack only enemies in hexes directly adjacent to them. Some military units are “ranged units,” meaning that they can attack enemies one or more hexes away

Unit Promotions[edit]

If a military unit survives combat, it may gain “Experience Points” (XPs), which can be used to purchase “promotions” for the unit. Promotions may improve a unit’s combat ability in certain circumstances – say, when defending in forests – or give it some other advantage in battle.

Non-Combat Units[edit]

There are four types of non-combat units: Settlers, Workers, Work Boats, and Great People. Each is critically important to a civilization’s success. As the name “non-combat” would suggest, these units cannot fight. If attacked by an enemy unit while alone in a hex, they are automatically captured or destroyed. Therefore it usually makes sense to escort them with a military unit when sending them out into the wilderness.

Combat Units[edit]

Combat units are divided into several categories. These include “Melee Units,” “Ranged Units,” “Naval Units,” “Air Units,” and “Missile Units.”

Melee Units[edit]

Melee units are land units which can attack enemies in adjacent land hexes. They cannot attack enemies at sea, nor can they attack enemies more than one hex away. Melee units include Warriors, Spearmen, Musketmen, Infantry, and more. Most of your military units are melee units.

Ranged Units[edit]

Ranged units are units that can attack enemies in adjacent hexes and in hexes one or more spaces away. The distance a unit can attack is determined by its “Range” statistic. The strength of its ranged attack is determined by its “Ranged Combat” statistic. An Archer unit, for example, has a Combat Strength of 6, a Ranged Combat Strength of 8, and a Range of 2. It can attack enemy units one or two hexes away with a Strength of 8. However, if an enemy unit attacks it, it defends with its Combat Strength of 4. Note that Ranged units always employ Ranged combat when attacking another unit, even if that unit is adjacent. The Ranged unit uses its Combat Strength only when it is defending against an attack by another unit.

Naval Units[edit]

Naval units are units that can move in water hexes. They cannot enter land hexes, except for coastal cities. Depending upon its type, a naval unit may be limited to travel in coastal waters, or it may be able to enter deep water Ocean hexes. Naval units are Ranged Combat Units

Air Units[edit]

Air units are units which, not surprisingly, travel through the air. They are critically important during the late game, as control of the skies often determines victory or defeat in modern warfare.

Nuclear Units[edit]

Nuclear units are the most powerful units in the game. They blow a lot of stuff up, destroying units, cities, improvements and pretty much everything else. Land that has been subject to nuclear attack is badly polluted, requiring major reclamation efforts before it can be made safe and useful once again.

Unit Action List[edit]

When a unit is active, it may have one or more “actions” available to it. Click on the unit’s action icon to order it to perform that action.

Move to: Order the current unit to move to the selected tile.

Sleep: Order the unit to remain inactive until the player provides it new orders. It will not become active again the next turn and must be manually selected.

Alert: Order the unit to remain in the current tile and sleep until it sees an enemy. The unit receives a defensive bonus.

Fortify: The Unit remains inactive until the player provides it new orders. The unit receives a defensive bonus.

Garrison: Garrison a unit in this city, improving its Combat Strength. This option will only appear if a unit is occupying the same tile as a city. Set Up for Ranged Attack: Required for Ranged Siege Units before they can attack.

Embark: Loads this unit onto a boat, allowing it to cross over water tiles. Embarking is only possible once specific technologies are known.

Disembark: Unload the unit from the boat back onto a land tile.

Intercept: This order will instruct the unit to attempt an interception with any incoming air attacks and neutralize them.

Fortify Until Healed: The unit remains inactive until it heals back to full strength. The unit receives a defensive bonus and heals 1HP per turn.

Nuke: Launches a nuclear weapon at the chosen tile. The target and all surrounding ones in the radius of the weapon will receive massive damage.

Paradrop: Order the unit to paradrop to the specified location. This mission is subject to interception.

Air Sweep: Order the air unit to attack enemy units in the selected tile.

Rebase: Order the air unit to rebase to a different city.

Range Attack: Perform a ranged attack on the selected tile.

Pillage: Order the unit to destroy the improvement on the current tile. The improvement must be repaired before it can be used again.

Found City: Order a Settler unit to found a new city in the current tile. The Settler is consumed in the process.

Discover Tech: This will have the Great Scientist help research a new technology. It consumes the Great Scientist.

Hurry Production: This order will hurry production on the city’s current Wonderbuilding effort. It consumes the Great Engineer.

Conduct Trade Mission: If the unit is inside a City-State’s territory, this order will have a Great Merchant conduct a trade mission, giving you a large amount of Gold and improving relations with the City-State. It consumes the Great Merchant.

Build Spaceship: Contribute a part to the Alpha Centauri Spaceship. The unit will be consumed and must be in your Capital City to use this.

Culture Bomb: This order will consume the Great Artist and make the tile this unit is on, as well as all adjacent tiles, become part of your borders, even if they belong to another player.

Start Golden Age: This order will consume the Great Person and initiate a Golden Age for 8 turns. Golden Ages give you extra Production and Gold for the period they are active.

Build Citadel: This order will consume the Great General and construct a citadel improvement on the current tile.

Construct Landmark: This order will consume the Great Artist and build a landmark improvement on the current tile. Build Custom House: This order will consume the Great Merchant and construct a custom house improvement on the current tile.

Construct Manufactory: This order will consume the Great Engineer and construct a manufactory on the current tile.

Cancel: Cancel the last order given to the unit. You may find this to be very useful if you accidentally queue up the wrong order or actions.

Automate Explore: Order the unit to explore uncharted regions of the map. This unit will continue to move every turn until you cancel its automation.

Wake: Wake up the sleeping unit.

Delete: Permanently delete the active unit and receive a small amount of gold in return.

New Units in Gods & Kings[edit]

The expansion Gods & Kings introduced several new units:

Air Units List[edit]

Triplane[edit]

Strength: Ranged 35

Range: 5

Cost: 325

Technology Required: Flight

Resources Required: Oil

Special Abilities: None

Great War Bomber[edit]

Cost: 320

Technology Required: Replaceable Parts

Resources Required: None

Special Abilities: None

Marine

Strength: 65

Movement: 2

Cost: 400

Technology Required: Penicillin

Resources Required: None

Special Abilities: Possesses promotions that enhance its Sight and attack Strength when embarked at sea.

Mehal Sefari[edit]

Strength: 34

Movement: 2

Cost: 200

Technology Required: Rifling

Resources Required: None

Special Abilities: An Ethiopian Unique Unit; specializes in fighting in rough terrain and defending near the Ethiopian capital.

Pictish Warrior[edit]

Strength: 11

Movement: 2

Cost: 56

Technology Required: Bronze Working

Resources Required: None

Special Abilities: A Celtic Unique Unit; it has a combat bonus outside of friendly territory and can pillage enemy improvements at no additional movement cost. Earns 50% of opponents’ strength as Faith for kills.

Special Abilities: Can move after attacking

Naval Ranged Units[edit]

Dromon[edit]

Strength: 8, Ranged 10

Range: 2

Movement: 4

Cost: 56

Technology Required: Sailing

Resources Required: None

Special Abilities: A Byzantine Unique Unit. Receives +50% against other naval units.

Galleass[edit]

Strength: 16, Ranged 17

Range: 2

Inquisitor[edit]

Movement: 3

Cost: 200 Faith

Technology Required: None

Resources Required: None

Special Abilities: Used to remove other religions from cities. May only be purchased with Faith.

Missionary[edit]

Movement: 4

Cost: 200 Faith

Technology Required: None

Resources Required: None

Special Abilities: Used to spread a religion to other cities. May only be purchased with Faith.

Civilization V: Units

Contents

Constructing Units[edit]

Unit Characteristics[edit]

Movement Speed[edit]

Combat Strength[edit]

Promotions[edit]

Unit Special Abilities[edit]

National Units[edit]

Unit Movement[edit]

Unit Combat[edit]

Unit Promotions[edit]

Non-Combat Units[edit]

Combat Units[edit]

Melee Units[edit]

Ranged Units[edit]

Naval Units[edit]

Air Units[edit]

Nuclear Units[edit]

Unit Action List[edit]

New Units in Gods & Kings[edit]

Air Units List[edit]

Triplane[edit]

Great War Bomber[edit]

Melee Units[edit]

Battering Ram[edit]

Carolean[edit]

Great War Infantry[edit]

Mehal Sefari[edit]

Pictish Warrior[edit]

Tercio[edit]

Ranged Units[edit]

Atlatlist[edit]

Composite Bowman[edit]

Gatling Gun[edit]

Horse Archer[edit]

Machine Gun[edit]

Mounted and Armored Units[edit]

African Forest Elephant[edit]

Cataphract[edit]

Conquistador[edit]

Hakkapeliitta[edit]

Hussar[edit]

Landship[edit]

Naval Ranged Units[edit]

Dromon[edit]

Galleass[edit]

Naval Melee Units[edit]

Quinquereme[edit]

Privateer[edit]

Sea Beggar[edit]

Religious Units[edit]

Inquisitor[edit]

Missionary[edit]