Civilization 7 is making the Mongols the terrifying force of nature they’re meant to be

After a disappointing Civ 6 stint, the Khans are out for blood

Firaxis / 2K Games / Take-Two Interactive

The Mongolian Empire was one of history’s largest realms and the Khans were feared in an area even greater than their domain, but the Mongols felt a little underwhelming in Civilization 6 – after all, technology made their cavalry obsolete often sooner than later. Civilization 7 and its new Age system is a major chance to represent the Mongols the right way and now that Firaxis has given us the juicy details on how the horse lords play, it’s pretty safe to say that the developers relished the opportunity to show the Mongols as the force of nature they were.

Summarizing it in a single word, their playstyle will be based on conquest – conquest will lead to more conquest and that will result in even more conquest.

Their unique ability, Bokh, allows the Mongols to gain the strongest cavalry unit they currently can build for free upon conquering a settlement. In exchange, settlers take longer to produce, so you will be incentivized to expand by force. What’s more, the Mongols gain additional points towards the Non Sufficit Orbis Victory – that’s Latin for “the world is not enough” – from occupying cities. They are destined to set you up for a domination victory, essentially.

What really propels the Mongols forward, though, is their unique improvement, the Ortöö. When a unit moves onto the Ortöö, its movement points are restored. Place these improvements in a clever way and you’ll be able to shift entire armies from one end of your territory to the other at a mere moment’s notice. This makes the Mongols’ logistics almost unmatched in the game – you can easily fight wars on several fronts and send reinforcements where they are needed quickly.

Naturally, the Mongols come with access to a unique cavalry unit, the Keshig. The horse archers feature an increased movement speed and heal after defeating enemy units, enabling them to keep pushing and retain offensive momentum.

Rounding out this terrifying kit is a unique commander unit, the Noyan. It boasts an increased movement speed and provides a buff to flanking attacks for all cavalry units under its command.

This military machine is enhanced by several traditions that increase the Mongols’ city limit and bolster the economical effects of captured cities.

Seeing your neighbor switch to the Mongols in the Exploration Age in Civilization 7 will be very bad news – they’ll be highly incentivized to be aggressive and relentlessly attack you, and the more successful they are with that, the greater the next tide of horsemen will grow.

Find all leaders and civs in Civilization 7 in our linked overview and read how Civilization 7 almost scrapped its iconic settler start, but the team couldn’t let it go.