Quick Links
Tecumseh is all about Independent Powers inCivilization 7. Make friends with as many as you can as you’ll receive significantFood,Production, andCombat Strengthbonuses for doing so. This is often easier said than done, of course, especially when you’re playing on one of Civ 7’s higher difficulties. You’ll need to scout quickly, earn enough Influence to befriend the city-states,andtry to verify the opposing AI doesn’t get them first.
This guide mostly covers the Antiquity Age for Tecumseh. Here’s how to make the most out of the leader during the start of the game.
Updated July 07, 2025:We’ve updated this article to include in-depth look at the Diplomatic Mementos that can work for Tecumseh and more information on different city-states.
Tecumseh Overview
+1 Food and Production per Age in Settlements for every city-state you are a suzerain of.
+1 Combat Strength for all Units for every City-State you are a Suzerain of.
Tecemsuh’s entire leader bonus revolves aroundbefriending city states. Reaching suzerainty status with an Independent Power will grant you excellent bonuses for the entire game, but actually getting to that point can be a bit tricky.
The AI absolutely loves to become the suzerain of Independent Powers as well, which means in any given game you’re likely limited to just a handful (if that!) of city-states.
Tecumseh Strategy For The Antiquity Age
Tecumseh needs to relyheavilyon quick scouting to reveal as many city-states as possible. Then it’s all about generating enough Influence to actually befriend those city-states.
Scouting Strategy
You should buildthree Scoutsas Tecumseh. Use the map to figure out whereabouts you are in the world (you can view the ice wall to the north and south of the map to orientate yourself.)
If you are to the north, send scouts south, if you are in the south, sends scouts north.
Obviously, you are on the lookout forDiscoveriesto get early Culture, Science, and Gold, but you are also looking for city-states.
You can tell where a city-state might be by locatingenemy Scoutswhich spawn at the start of the game. Usually head in the opposite direction of the scout to find the Independent Power they came from.
Befriending City-States
Unlike many other leaders in Civ 7, you should ignore virtuallyalldiplomatic Endeavors with the AI and save your Influencesolelyfor befriending city-states.On Standard Difficulty,the first befriending action costs170 Influence.
We might not even have a Friendly Greeting the first time we meet an AI just to save more Influence.
There are several types of Independent Powers, fromEconomictoMilitaristic.Which ones you choose to become suzerain of depends on what sort of victory condition you’re pushing for. Generally, we like to takeEconomicfor the bonus GoldandScienceandCulturefor their boosts to research and civics.
Early Monuments
The early Monument strategy doesn’t apply to many of the leaders in Civilization 7 (Production is much more valuable in the early game), but as Tecumseh you want to prioritize grabbing theMasonrytech and building a Monument in your capitalas soon as possible.This is to make the most of the bonus Influence you receive from the Monument.
Pantheon
You want to get toMysticismas quickly as possible to grab theCity Patron GoddessPantheon as quickly as possible. This provides +3 Influence on the Altar.
If you may’t get City Patron Goddess, grabStone Circlesinstead for bonus production.
Wonders
The absolute best Wonder for Influence in the game is theWeiyang Palace, and although it arrives late in the game to make much use of it in the Antiquity Age, it will still be useful for befriending city-states in the Exploration and Modern Age.
Best Civilization For Tecumseh
We think the best civilization choice for Tecumseh isGreece.Forget all about historical accuracy; we’re going off track.
+3 Influence on the Palace.
+30% Production towards constructing the Oracle.
Greece has lots of Influence bonuses in the early game, including+3 Influence on the Palace.Combined with the Unique Parthenon building, you’re able to get some really fast Influence which will help Tecumseh befriend more city-states.
The goal is to get to the city-states before your enemies can, and Greece helps you secure them.
This is also helped by the Greek civicEkklesia.This comes with a policy that reduces the cost of befriending city-states by50 percent.Not only will you be generating more Influence, but you’ll also be able to become a suzerain for significantly less cost.
Best Mementos For Tecumseh
Here’s a look at Tecumseh’s unique Memento unlocks:
Out of these, we think that the Wampum Belt is the best,as Production is more valuable than Food.
The Warclub pairs nicely with theGreek civilization’s bonus to Combat Strength from city-state suzerainty.
Other Memento Choices
Tecumseh benefits mostly fromDiplomatic Mementos, which means the basicTreaty Of Kadesh(+1 Diplomatic Attribute Point) is actually very useful for earning extra Influence and reducing the cost of befriending city-states.
You could combine this with theGlobus Crucigerwhich grants +50 Influence when you spend an Attribute Point on the Diplomatic Attribute point tree.
Likewise, you could opt for theShisa Necklace(Gain 100 Influence when you become Suzerain of a city-state) which basically causes a knock-on effect. Suzerain a city-state, then start befriending another instantly.
