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Civilization’s combat has always thrived in the late-game, thanks in large part to aircraft, andCivilization 7is no exception. Much of the more modern Civ titles' mechanics have been ported over in this regard, even as so much else has shifted. But the three-ages systemhasshaken things up to some extent.
In this quick guide, we’ll tell you what you’ll be getting yourself into once the world takes to the skies, as well as why you might want to get into the clouds with the rest of them even if you aren’t pursuing a Military Victory.
If more is added to aerial warfare in future DLC, we’ll be sure to update our article.
How To Unlock Planes In Civ 7
Unsurprisingly,planes are only available during the Modern Age. Since Civ 7 splits the game into three sprawling eras, you’ll not be seeing aerial bombardments from one particularly advanced civilization launched upon hapless archers from an especially elementary one.
This meansyou will almost certainly be contending with enemy aircraft, which, in turn, makes the system more of a guaranteed thrill.
Plane types are unlocked intwo waves. The first is via theFlight tech, which providesthe following aircraft types and all their unique unit equivalents:
The second wave comes through theAerodynamics tech:
Don’t think of Flight as entirely within the realm ofMilitary Victory. You’ll also need it forScience Victory, as Flight unlocks theAerodrome(which is necessary for constructing aircraft!) and theTrans-Oceanic Flightproject, andAerodynamicsunlocks theBreak the Sound Barrierproject.
As the Flight technology comes later into the Modern Age,there are only Tier 2 and Tier 3 Aerial units, so don’t feel confused if you “miss” Tier 1.
How Aerial Combat Works
Once you’ve builtAerodromesin cities within which you intend to buildaircraft, you’ll want to get yourself familiar with theseveral attack types:
As with Land and Naval units,Civilization 7’s Commanders system is also included for Aerial units. As such, you’ll want to have a Commander accompany any groups of aircraft you’ve dispatched for offensive and/or defensive play.
Unique to Aerial units is theRangestat. This dictatesthe distance from an Aerodrome or other plane-carrying facility that the unit can traverse. The limited range - in addition to be realistic! -prevents players from simply launching these rapid military units across the map in no time.
