Suzeraining City-States in Civilization 7 is not a new concept and has been carried over from previous Civilization games but it works very differently in the latest addition to the series. This article will guide you through the complete process of becoming a Suzerain in Civilization 7 and tell you all the benefits that come with it.
What Is A Suzerain In Civilization 7?
Becoming a Suzerain of an Independent State in Civilization 7 means becoming its co-owner. As a Suzerain, you will be able to exercise your influence over the State but it won’t show up in your Settlements. Becoming a Suzerain of an Independent Power can be a much better option than incorporating it into your own Empire directly.
The primary advantage of becoming a Suzerain is that it prevents other rulers from claiming these Independent Powers for themselves but there are also a lot of other benefits that will be explained later on in the article.
How To Become A Suzerain In Civilization 7
The first thing you need to know about the Suzerain feature is that you can only become a Suzerain of an Independent Power in Civilization 7. These Independent Villages will be randomly found across the map as you explore more. Once you find one of these Independent Powers, you can click on their capital city to either choose to befriend them or to raid them. Both of these options will cost you Influence.
Choose the option of befriending these Powers, after which you can spend a certain amount of Influence to begin the Suzerainship process. You will then have to wait for a few turns for this process to complete after which the Independent Power will be converted to a City-State and you will become its Suzerain. You can also spend some extra Influence if you want to speed up this process and take fewer turns.
There can be a lot of competition to become Suzerain of these Independent Powers when you start a game as they can be great tactical locations, so it is recommended to complete the process as soon as possible before someone else gets to them. There will also be certain Independent Powers called Encampments, which will always be hostile to you and you won’t be able to Suzerain them in any way.
What Are The Benefits Of Becoming A Suzerain?
The first and most obvious benefit of becoming a Suzerain of a City-State is its strategic advantage. This is extremely important if the Independent Power is close to your base or in a key location on the map and it will completely stop your enemies from taking control of these States easily. It is also an important step if you want to establish your colonies on new lands and it can be a great first step towards getting settled in distant lands.
Some other advantages of Suzeraining a City-State are that you will be able to establish trade routes with them, use their military units, and grow them even further. You will also be able to receive certain Bonuses based on the type of the City-State, which can help bolster resources and set you up toward one of the Legacy Paths.
You also have the option of incorporating these City-States into your own empire, which will convert it into a town. Although this process usually costs more than 1000 Influence, it can be a good option if it has enough good resources or if it’s on a really key tactical position on the map. But if you are struggling to keep up with the Settlement Limit, you may just be better off keeping the Suzerained States not as part of your Empire.
It is usually a good idea to Suzerain most of the Independent Powers you come across even if it is just for the bonuses they provide.
While you are here, you may want to check our guide on trading in Civilization VII.
