Civilization 7: How To Unlock And Use The Ranged Military Unit

At the start of a playthrough in Civilization VII, you only have access to some basic military infantry units. These units can’t move very far each turn and they’re only able to engage in combat from an adjacent tile. You can also unlock the Army Commander during the first stages of the Antiquity Age, but they’re only allowed to absorb and deploy units.

After your first taste of combat, you might wonder how to unlock ranged units that other leaders have deployed against you. Ranged units are fantastic since they can attack from two tiles away, essentially allowing you to deal free damage. Well, you don’t have to wait long, but there are specific actions you need to take to unlock ranged units in Civilization VII.

Unlocking ranged military units in Civilization 7

Every playthrough of Civilization VII is going to be different based on your difficulty, game length, map type, etc. However, in all of my playthroughs, the first time I was able to unlock the first ranged unit for my military was around turn 70. Playing on the standard game length, this should be roughly 35% through the Antiquity Age. If you start from another age, then you’ll already have some ranged units unlocked.

Ranged units are first unlocked by researching Animal Husbandry technology. You gain access to this technology after researching a few others, such as Navigation, first. When Animal Husbandry becomes available for research, it should only take a few turns and rewards you with a few bonuses.

The main bonus you’re interested in is the ability to produce the Tier 1 Antiquity Ranged Unit called the “Slinger.” This is a primitive ranged unit that uses makeshift slingshots to deal damage from one or two tiles away. In exchange for the ability to deal damage from farther away, the Slinger unit and all other ranged units feature lower defense compared to infantry units.

As you progress through the Antiquity Age, your specific leader and chosen civilization could allow you to unlock special types of ranged units. All players can upgrade their ranged units past the Antiquity Age, though. For example, in the Modern Age, you can produce the Rifle Infantry unit, which allows you to shoot enemies with guns at long ranges, but they also have a higher defense.

If you’re looking for more ranged units to unlock, just read through all the technologies available when you can research a new one. Sometimes, one technology comes with a free Commander or a new military unit that can be produced. If you’re unsure whether a unit can deal damage at range, use common sense. For example, the Trebuchet is a ranged unit since it’s a catapult of sorts, but it doesn’t explicitly say that in the unit’s description.

How to use ranged units in Civilization 7

When you produce a ranged unit, it works the same as any other military unit you’ve previously used. The unit moves every turn and can attack enemies if they approach your territory or if you approach an enemy’s tile. Ranged units can be absorbed by Commanders just as other units, and it’s often a smart idea to fill a Commander’s unit slots with different types of troops. Having access to two infantry units, two ranged units, and one other unit allows you to have some variation in combat.

You can attack from up to two tiles away with the ranged unit. This means if an enemy is standing two tiles away from your ranged unit, you can select the enemy tile when it’s the ranged unit’s turn and attack them. However, ranged units can’t attack from far away if their view is obstructed. So if a mountain or other environmental hazard blocks a ranged unit’s way to an enemy, you have to find a stretch of unobstructed tiles.

You want to avoid getting too close to an enemy with your earlier ranged units, as they have lower defense and will often get heavily hurt by enemy infantry units. If you have a tile separating you from an enemy, though, you’re in good shape in Civilization 7.