Age of Empires IV Best Civilizations Tier List 2026

Khizar Mundia

May 1, 2026

Age of Empires IV has a straightforward premise where you choose and build a civilization, and then make moves that either lead to growth or decline. The game can be played in solo mode against AI opponents, or you can play ranked, against human opponents. Regardless of the mode you choose, you must pick the right civilization and use its strengths. Here’s a tier list of the best Age of Empires IV civilizations that you can use to select the correct one for you.

How this tier list works

Below are the metrics used to rank each civilization in the game.

S-Tier: Dominant civilizations that have skills or other effects that make winning easy

A-Tier: Strong civilization that requires correct execution

B-Tier: Balanced civilizations that can win if you understand the mechanics

If you want to test the civilizations yourself and compare them to this tier list, you can get Age of Empires IV from LootBar.

S-Tier Civilizations

Civilization	Strengths	Win Strategy
English	Strong defensive civilization Longbowmen provide early ranged pressure Stable farming economy that scales well	Use Longbowmen early to pressure and control key areas Defend with Outposts and Keeps Transition into a strong farm economy
French	Strong offensive civilization Powerful Royal Knights for pressure Fast early game resource gathering, which boosts the	Produce more Royal Knights in the early game Use Royal Knights to raid villagers and control resources Transition into a trade economy
Ottomans	Consistent unit production Strong siege and military scaling	Build military schools early Apply pressure on the enemy economy Transition into siege-heavy and win through military pressure
Chinese	Strong economy scaling The Dynasty system provides power spikes	Focus on a safe early game Use dynasties for power spikes Scale into the Imperial Age with a strong economy

A-Tier Civilizations

Civilization	Strengths	Win Strategy
Holy Roman Empire	Powerful infantry Strong Castle Age timing potential Relic-based gold income	Secure relics early Build infantry timing Use siege and infantry pressure to control
Abbasid Dynasty	Flexible economy Strong scaling through the House of Wisdom	Focus on safe, early economic growth Use House of Wisdom upgrades
Mongols	Strong early game mobility Good map control and raiding	Use early mobility to pressure the enemy economy Conduct constant raids to maintain pressure
Japanese	Strong defensive stability Good economy scaling	Play defensively in the early game Build a stable economy

B-Tier Civilizations

Civilization	Strengths	Win Strategy
Rus	Strong early economy through hunting Good scouts	Build a hunting economy Use scouts for awareness
Malians	Strong mobile economy Make gold through buildings	Build Pit Mines early to generate gold Avoid direct fights
Byzantines	Strong defensive options Flexible economy	Play safe early game and stabilize the economy
Delhi Sultanate	Strong sacred site control Good late-game scaling potential	Secure sacred sites early Scale as you advance
Order of the Dragon	Strong combat units Strong late-game fighting potential	Focus on safe early growth Build combat units

Best civilizations for beginners

The following are the best civilizations to use if you’re just getting started with Age of Empires IV.

English

Strong defense
Longbowmen increase survival chance
Farming economy scales naturally

French

Aggressive gameplay
Royal Knights can handle most early threats
Map control is easy with combat

Rus

Balanced civilization
Hunting-focused economy
Good scouts for learning maps

Best civilization for ranked play

These are the best civilizations that you can use in ranked play in Age of Empires IV.

French

Royal Knights can be used for strong pressure
Aggressive gameplay can allow quick map control and raids

Ottomans

Build military schools and produce units
Apply pressure once you have enough units

Rus

Use infantry for sieges and pressure
Use relics to boost the economy

How to choose the right civilization

Choosing the right civilization depends on your playstyle:

Defensive: Choose a civilization that offers safer gameplay
Aggressive: Choose a civilization with a strong military
Balanced: Choose a civilization that is flexible

Avoid complex civilizations until you master the game.

Tips for improving your civilization choice

Here are some tips for how you can improve your gameplay.

Play with two or three civilizations in the beginning
Focus on learning what the win conditions of each civilization are
Observe how your civilization adapts from the early game to the mid and then the late game
Use the tier list as a starting point, but experiment

Conclusion

You now have a tier list for the best civilizations in Age of Empires IV, but you will still need to learn the game’s mechanics and win conditions. Each civilization has strengths that can be used to strategize a win, but if you don’t know how to play, you won’t be able to take advantage of the pros. This is why a beginner should start slow, learn, and continue experimenting with various civilizations. If you want to experiment with civilization, but don’t have the game, you can get the Age of Empires IV Steam key from LootBar.