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Xerxes, King of Kings, is a formidable leader inCivilization 7, best suited for an aggressive, domination victory. If you’re a player who likes to wage war and conquer all, Xerxes is the leader for you. He’s even largely well-suited for beginner players as his attributes and skills are not all that complicated.
However, whether you’re new to the Civilization franchise or not, there are some important tips and tricks to remember when playing this leader. For this guide, we’re breaking down Xerxes' attributes, the best civs to play as, and more. Here’s everything you need to know to rule the world as Xerxes in Civ 7.
Xerxes, King Of Kings Leader Overview
As mentioned,Xerxes is a relatively straightforward leaderwith simple but powerful attributes at his disposal. Here’s a breakdown of his starting abilities.
Details
Combat Strength
+3 Combat Strength for Units that are attacking in neutral or enemy territory.
Culture And Gold
Gain 100 Culture and Gold per Age when you capture a settlement.
Rich Settlements
+10 percent gold in all settlements, doubled in settlements not founded by you.
+1 settlement limit per Age.
How Do Xerxes' Attributes Work?
As you can see above,Xerxes' attributes lend themselves well to a militaristic and expansionist playstyle. You’re likely to have a rich treasury as Xerxes. You’ll also want tokeep the following tips in mindwhen playing as him.
What Civs Work Best With Xerxes, King Of Kings?
For Xerxes, there’s not much point in picking civs that round out his weaker attributes, thoughyou can attempt to pick civs that help bolster his science outputif you desire.
Ultimately, you’re going to want topick civs that strengthen his already powerful militaristic abilities. If you’re starting in the Antiquity Age,consider one of the following civs.
Persia
Beyond just being historically accurate, Persia is a great choice for Xerxes as you canearn two unique military units, the Immortal and the Hazarapatis.
Plus,Infantry Units gain +3 Combat Strengthwhen attacking, making this civ an all around great militaristic empire choice.
Maurya
The Maurya offer a huge advantage for Xerxes thanks to theirunique Settler unit, the Nagarika, which grants a +2 Happiness bonus.
Plus, the Maurya have aunique Cavalry unit called the Purabhettarah, which offers +5 Combat Strength against fortified districts, meaning your ability to take settlements will be easier early on.
Rome
Though not the strongest choice,Rome also offers two unique military units, the Legion and the Legatus, which is always helpful.
Plus, Rome allows the construction ofBasilicas, which can help increase your already high gold output.
Which Civs Should You Pick For The Exploration And Modern Ages?
Like many leaders in Civilization 7,Xerxes is rather flexible when it comes to which civs work best in later ages. You may start your campaign gunning for a Military Victory, but if you’ve pivoted to science, you might want to change your tune.
Ultimately, though,the below Exploration and Modern civs synergize best with Xerxes' attributesand are all great for military and expansionist playstyles.
Abbasid or Mongolia
Mughal or Russia
Spain
Prussia
Both Mughal and Russia are also great for secondary Victory Conditions, Economic Victories andScientific Victories, respectively.
What Is The Best Strategy For Playing Xerxes, King Of Kings?
As you can likely assume at this point,Xerxes, King of Kings, is great for primarily one thing: military domination. You’re going to want tofocus on one of two Victory Conditions.
Ultimately,while an Economic Victory is always possible, Xerxes is most fun to play as a ruthless military dictator, so lean into this playstyle if you’re considering Xerxes!
How To Get A Military Victory
Military Victories in Civ 7 are contingent on completing the Military Legacy Path. From the get-go,ensure you toggle your Military Advisor on to track your progressin this endeavor.
It’s also important to note thatyou can earn a third type of victory, the Domination Victory, simply by wiping everyone off the map!This is pretty difficult, but certainly attainable as Xerxes.
Beginning in the Antiquity Age, you’ll want tofocus on two things.
Maintaining both of these isessential for developing a strong military.
You’ll want to spend as much time as possible in this age befriending or conquering Independent Powers to prepare to take on an actual enemy civ.
In the Antiquity Age,your goal is to found new settlements and capture enemy civs, as well as develop siege units. You’ll need to research The Wheel tech to do this, and bolster your military early on.
Make sure you also found a Pantheon earlyso you’re able to prepare to found a Religion in the Exploration Age, as converting settlements is incredibly important for the Military Legacy Path in this age.
Lastly, verify tospend time developing Army Commanders and building their skill treesthrough combat. If you can level up these units, and eventake out one or two enemy settlements or Independent Powers early on in the game, you’ll be in good shape by the time you reach the Modern Age.
Remember,you’ll need a high science output in the Modern Ageto complete the Manhattan Project, essential for this victory, so don’t lag in science.
How To Get An Economic Victory
Though not as easy,an Economic Victory as Xerxes is also certainly achievablethanks to his high gold output. Forthis Victory Condition, you’ll want tofocus on a few things:
These four tricks will be your bread and butter throughout every agewhen it comes to achieving an Economic Victory.
For an Economic Victory,choose Persia in the Antiquity Age, then Mongolia, and then Mughal. This is your best bet for an economic landslide.
You’ll notice when playing for an Economic Victory thatyou’ll still need to play aggressive when it comes to military mightagainst other civs, as most of Xerxes' buffs (and your civ buffs) will require you to conquer settlements.
Ultimately, you mightstumble into a Military Victoryas well while pursuing an Economic one!
