Units Civilization 2

Units Civ2

There are 51 Units in MicroProse's TBS Game of 1996, Civilization 2. Units are divided into Epoch and type. Thus, Phalanx is an ancient ground unit and Stealth Fighter is a modern air unit.

In terms of sheer impact, the best Civ2 units are Engineers because no other units affect Civs as much as Engineers do.

Civ2 Units are constituted by five stats which govern their effectiveness in moving, attacking and defending. Units also have a Cost and an Advances prerequisite.

Units can be upgraded to Veterans via Barracks and battle. cf. Sun Tzu's War Academy.

The effectiveness of units is not only dependent upon their stats, but also what terrain they occupy, what enemy units they are battling and how they work in conjunction with other allied units.

Ground Units Civilization 2

Civ2 ground units include infantry, cavalry, artillery and mechanized units. Some ground units are offensive in nature, some defensive. There are 32 ground unit aka land unit types in Civ2.

The Legion and Knight are the strongest early-game units. Musketeers offer a notable breakpoint with the advent of Gunpowder.

Mid-game, look to Dragoons, Fanatics and Alpine Troops. Late-game, artillery, mechanized infantry and tanks.

I have highlighted the ground units that are best for the early game in bold-face type. Due to their mobility, Triremes, Horsemen and Chariots are excellent units for exploring and hut-hunting in the early game.

• Alpine Troops
• Archers
• Armor
• Artillery
• Cannon
• Caravan
• Catapult
• Cavalry
• Chariot
• Crusaders
• Diplomat
• Dragoons
• Elephants
• Engineers
• Explorer
• Fanatics
• Freight
• Horsemen
• Howitzer
• Knights
• Legion
• Marines
• Mechanized Infantry
• Musketeers
• Paratroopers
• Partisans
• Phalanx
• Pikemen
• Riflemen
• Settlers
• Spy
• Warriors

Naval Units Civilization 2

There are 12 naval unit aka sea unit types in Civ2. Naval units, sea units or seafaring units offer early-game troop-transport and exploration potential. Late-game, they offer firepower as well.

In the early game Triremes can transport two Horsemen around archipelagos (island hopping) as well as between two larger landmasses (if the body of water separating them is not vast).

• AEGIS Cruiser
• Battleship
• Caravel
• Carrier
• Cruiser
• Destroyer
• Frigate
• Galleon
• Ironclad
• Submarine
• Transport
• Trireme

Triremes move at twice the rate of any other ancient unit, though of course only at sea. Since they cannot mount any form of attack, their purpose is to transport troops and explore coastlines.

Air Units Civilization 2

There are seven air units in Civ2. Air units offer the highest movement rates and firepower, but come late-game.

• Bomber
• Cruise Missile
• Fighter
• Helicopter
• Nuclear Missile
• Stealth Bomber
• Stealth Fighter

Repairing Damaged Units

Civ2 units are repaired over time in the field or at cities and fortresses. In one turn, Ground Units are repaired at Barracks, Sea Units at Port Facilities and Air Units at Airports.

This unit has sustained combat damage, as indicated by the colored bar along the top of the unit's shield. Green indicates a relatively healthy unit; Yellow and Red show increasing levels of damage.

A unit may partially heal itself by skipping its entire turn (press the space bar). Units repair themselves more quickly in cities and fortresses. Cities with Barracks can repair ground units in a single turn. Other improvements (Port Facility, Airport) can repair ships and air units.

Unit Traits

• Two space visibility
• Ignore zones of control
• Can make amphibious assaults
• Submarine advantages/disadvantages
• Can attack air units (fighter)
• Ship must stay near land (trireme)
• Negates city walls (howitzer)
• Can carry air units (carrier)
• Can make paradrops
• Alpine (treats all squares as road)
• x2 on defense versus horse (pikemen)
• Free support for fundamentalism (fanatics)
• Destroyed after attacking (missiles)
• x2 on defense versus air (AEGIS)
• Unit can spot submarines

cf. SMAC Units.

Back to Civ2 Guide.