Sid Meier's Civilization IV / Characters
Sid Meier's Civilization IV characters, factions and unit roles
Identify the people, opponents and playable roles in Sid Meier's Civilization IV, with their functions and relationships in compact tables.
Edition covered
The original 2005 Civilization IV base game. Warlords and Beyond the Sword add or change leaders, traits, units and systems; their additions are excluded. Images are publisher screenshots for the base PC game.
6 characters · one picture per entry · open a picture for full size.
Characters
Chinese leader
Qin Shi Huang
An original Chinese leader whose trait pairing changes in later expansions.
Quick notes
- Leaders and civilizations differ. A leader's traits are separate from a civilization's starting technologies and unique unit.
- Support civilian units. Workers improve tiles and Settlers establish cities.
- Use diplomacy as information. Leader conversations reveal trade possibilities, attitudes and disagreements.
- Check expansion differences. Some leader traits change in Warlords and Beyond the Sword.
Support civilian units
| Unit or leader feature | Function | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Leader traits | Provide lasting bonuses | Support a compatible economy |
| Civilization unique unit | Replaces a normal unit | Identify its useful era |
| Worker | Improves tiles | Match improvements to city needs |
| Settler | Creates a city | Budget for maintenance and defense |
| Great Person | Provides specialized effects | Choose the effect supporting the plan |
Useful tip
Some leader traits change in Warlords and Beyond the Sword. This directory names base-game leaders without importing expansion-only trait combinations.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Sid Meier's Civilization IV publisher listing | store.steampowered.com |
| Firaxis Civilization IV manual | store.steampowered.com |