Table of Contents
- Gilgamesh’s Leader Abilities In Civilization 7
- Best Civilizations For Gilgamesh
- Strategy For Playing As Gilgamesh In Civilization 7
Fan-favorite leader Gilgamesh has returned to Civilization in the latest free update, with familiar themes and new tricks that are sure to make him a frequent pick. His alliance-centric playstyle from Civ 6 carries over into Civ 7, but with a twist; this time, Gilgamesh is at his best when he’s got exactly one ride-or-die ally to fight alongside through thick and thin.
If you’re eager to don the immaculately-braided beard of humanity’s earliest hero-king, this guide will take you through the best strategies for forging a legacy worthy of the clay tablets of Uruk.
Gilgamesh’s Leader Abilities In Civilization 7
Gilgamesh grants his civilization the Once Mortal, Twice Divine ability throughout every age, which provides three important effects:
Diplomatic Endeavors
Gilgamesh always has access to all of the basic Diplomatic Endeavors, not just the ones from his Diplomatic and Militaristic affinities. That means he can always propose Research Collaboration, Cultural Exchange, Open Markets, Local Festival, Farmers’ Market, and Military Aid with any Leader with whom he’s at neutral or better relations. Better yet, any of these Endeavors that he has in place with his allies don’t count toward the usual limit of one, so it’s possible to have multiple copies of the same Endeavor going at the same time!
TIP: Gilgamesh’s allies also get to support his Endeavors for free, so you don’t need to worry about whether they have enough Influence to keep up with your litany of proposals.
Influence From Combat
Whenever one of Gilgamesh’s units defeats an enemy unit, he gains Influence equal to half the defeated unit’s Combat Strength. Gilgamesh needs a lot of Influence to make full use of his impressive diplomatic abilities, so it’s important to do a lot of fighting to supplement your per-turn income. Note that you only get Influence from units fighting units, so kills by other means, like city defenses, don’t count.
War Support
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Gilgamesh gets +2 War Support for all his wars when he’s in exactly one alliance. Since War Support translates directly into a Combat Strength buff against your opponent, this is a major boon – especially when you start stacking other bonuses like Military Aid from multiple empires.
TIP: The Gold Snuff Box Memento, unlocked by leveling up Simon Bolivar, provides an impressive 20% Food bonus while you have a single alliance, making it a great addition to Gilgamesh’s kit.
Put it all together, and while Gilgamesh is a consummate diplomat, he’s also a brawler; you’ll need to master both aspects to win as him. Gilgamesh focuses squarely on victory through conquest, so be ready to pick an ally and fight everyone else.
Best Civilizations For Gilgamesh
It’s generally best to focus on military gameplay as Gilgamesh. Since you’re going to be doing a lot of fighting, look for civs with strong unique units or unique Commanders that can benefit from all the extra experience they’ll be getting from your frequent wars.
Antiquity Age
In Antiquity, Achaemenid Persia, Assyria, and Rome all have aggressive playstyles and powerful militaries that perfectly set Gilgamesh up for long-term success. If you’re playing on a naval map, Tonga is great for seaborne conquest, and they have powerful diplomatic options including the ability to ally a leader in the Distant Lands while you crush your nearby rivals.
TIP: In the early game, it’s always best to ally the farthest empire from your borders if possible, while conquering your neighbors. Border friction makes it hard to maintain good relations, and trying to be friendly with nearby civs can often leave you boxed in.
Exploration Age
In the Exploration Age, conquerors like Normandy and Spain are always solid choices, as is Mongolia if they’re available. Chola is an unorthodox but very viable choice as well; their powerful Kalam ships and unique Fleet Commander, the Ottru, can help you seize control of the seas, and their extra trade routes give you more benefits from your ally(and anyone else you aren’t currently fighting).
Modern Age
Gilgamesh has lots of good civilizations to choose from in the Modern Age, but three in particular stand out. Prussia is practically tailor-made for Gilgamesh, who is likely to have a single friend and lots of enemies by this point; their stacking combat bonus for every unfriendly nation will make your troops a force to be reckoned with. The Ottoman Empire has powerful Janissaries to continue your conquests, and if you’ve already taken control of most of the world you can easily coast to a Cultural Victory by digging up extra Artifacts within your borders. Finally, the French Empire has excellent infantry in the Garde Imperiale, and their ability to choose any Celebration regardless of their Government combines with Gilgamesh’s freeform diplomacy to give unmatched versatility in a shifting geopolitical landscape.
TIP: The Modern Age is also when long-term alliances tend to break down thanks to the introduction of Ideologies and the tendency of the AI to turn on anyone who looks like they might win. Even if your ally has been with you since the beginning, don’t be surprised if you have to make a new friend late in the game.
Strategy For Playing As Gilgamesh In Civilization 7
Start by trying to build up as many Combat Strength and War Support bonuses as you can. Once you have the army to do so, disperse nearby Independent Powers until you get a Militaristic Attribute Point, and rush Discipline Mastery so you can recruit Army Commanders and build the Gate Of All Nations. Use the Influence from your wars against the barbarians to build up relations with your prospective ally, or to befriend far-off city-states for their bonuses.
Once you have an ally, the Gate and the Militaristic Attribute for extra War Support will give you a net bonus of +4 in any wars you fight. Combined with any additional bonuses you can scrape together, like the attack buff on Persian Immortals, you should have a significant combat advantage over whichever civ you decide to fight. The only foes you should watch out for are Egypt, whose Medjay get a nasty combat bonus of up to +6 when defending their territory, and Harriet Tubman, who gets a +5 to her War Support in defensive wars. If Harriet Tubman is leading Egypt, stay away and ally her instead if you can.
TIP: Other good allies include Himiko, Queen of Wa and Lafayette, who have unique Endeavors they can offer. Just be careful not to let them get too powerful; Himiko in particular can run away with the game in the Modern Age, racing to a Science Victory while everyone else is still figuring out airplanes.
Exploration Age
When the game shifts to the Exploration Age, either finish off your remaining rivals in the Homelands or get to neutral relations with them so you can send Merchants to trade with them; your focus in the midgame should be on conquering the Distant Lands. You can keep your old ally or, once you’ve discovered them, pick a new friend in the Distant Lands and work with them to defeat their neighbors. Keep using your extra Influence to maintain as many Endeavors as you can afford, particularly Military Aid and Research Collaboration to keep your armies and navies in top form.
Modern Age
In the Modern Age, there’s a chance that you’ll have been too successful to keep advancing. If you’re well above the Settlement Limit you might find it hard to maintain your economy if you go for a Military Victory; in that case, it’s safe to forego the single-ally bonus and try to build a coalition. With multiple allies, you can get several copies of each Endeavor, turbo-charging your economy to push for the alternate victory condition of your choice. Of course, if you still have room to conquer, then by all means continue doing what Gilgamesh does best until the world is yours… with a little help from your buddy, of course.