Wonders in Civilization 6 grant their owners a variety of different bonuses, and obtaining them can give players a huge edge over their opponents. That said, not every Wonder in Civ 6 is created equal, and while some can be completely game-changing others are simply not worth building in almost any instance. For players that would like to have a better understanding of where each of these mega-buildings falls in that spectrum, the following Civilization 6 Wonder tier list looks to assist.
This Civ 6 Wonder tier list attempts to consider both power level and how situational each Wonder is. This means that an S-tier Wonder is something that is extremely powerful, and perhaps game-changing, in almost every situation, and an F-tier Wonder is one that is almost always useless.
Updated on December 31st, 2021 by Hodey Johns: With years passing and the game only becoming more popular, readers are starting to look up lists like this once again. While some civilizations can build many wonders, others are restricted and can build only a few. In either case, it's important to build the wonders that give an undeniable advantage, since they take up so many resources. With multiple DLCs and expansions coming out, it was time to update this list with all the latest wonders. Additionally, the entries have been rearranged based on the modern metagame, factoring in win percentage and how strongly a certain wonder correlates with a specific type of victory condition.
Civilization 6 Wonder Tier List
S Tier
- Oracle
- Pyramids
- Colosseum
- Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
- Kilwa Kisiwani
- Forbidden City
- Ruhr Valley
- Etemenanki
The Forbidden City is the wonder most associated with a victory of any kind. The +5 culture might make it look like an exclusively cultural victory, but, more importantly, it allows for an extra wildcard policy slot. This is a colossal advantage that will help any condition out significantly.
The desert has some pretty nice natural wonders, but most leaders will steer clear due to the reduced resources per tile. That said, the Pyramids make it so builders can improve an extra tile. Since each leader will eventually want all of their tiles improved, this is another wonder that every victory condition should compete for.
A 20% bonus to production and extra production from mines and quarries for a single city might not seem like much, but it is absolutely game-breaking in the late game. At this stage, making military units or production rocket ship parts is going to be key for about everyone.
A Tier
- Temple of Artemis
- Jebel Barkal
- Mahabodhi Temple
- Petra
- Chichen Itza
- Mont St. Michel
- St. Basil's Cathedral
- Oxford University
- Big Ben
- Eiffel Tower
- Cristo Redentor
Most late-game wonders are close to useless since they have fewer rounds to contribute than previous wonders. But Big Ben ranks highly anyhow because it provides a bunch of gold and then increases treasuries by 50%. Gold is extremely valuable for civilizations that are struggling to keep up.
The Temple of Artemis is available for construction very early, so because of the rush to build some of the S Tier wonders, it's often left out of the wonders race. That's a shame because the food and housing provided are huge benefits to city building early on. In the end, using it can lead to a Diplomatic victory with the right tactics.
Many wonders on this list are penalized for being only useful for one condition. Oxford still ranks very high despite its heavily-favored science hops due to two slots for great writers. It can produce both culture and science and is important to a victory in either category.
B Tier
- Great Library
- Hagia Sophia
- Alhambra
- Angkor Wat
- Potala Palace
- Venetian Arsenal
- Orszaghaz
- Amundsen-Scott Research Station
- Estadio Do Maracana
The Great Library was once at the top of everybody's tier list because it provides benefits to science and culture, but it has fallen off a little bit. Its primary bonus rewards players with Great Scientist points when another nation builds a Great Scientist, but those going for a science victory will likely want a monopoly of Great Scientists, thereby wasting this wonder's primary purpose.
The Orszaghaz gives double the culture of most wonders, which can be handy for getting a cultural victory, but its benefit isn't quite as impressive. It gives 100% Diplomatic Favor when acting as Suzerain of a city-state. It attempts to do two victories at once and is likely better off just focusing on one.
The Potala Palace probably seems like it should be higher up the tier list since it is beneficial to culture, diplomacy, and religious victories. But the bonuses provided to each are so low that only a true frontrunner should consider burying production into it.
C Tier
- Terracotta Army
- Meenakshi Temple
- University of Sankore
- Great Zimbabwe
- Casa de Contratacion
- Taj Mahal
- Bolshoi Theatre
- Statue of Zeus
If this were a list that purely measured cultural victories, the Bolshoi Theatre would be much higher up. It's got extra work slots for writers and musicians, which are often a limiting factor for Great Persons. But it's useless to every other victory condition and completing one sends up a signal to warmongering civilizations to attack.
If executing a perfect build order for the early game, the Terracotta Army is fantastic for nations that intend to spend some time engaged in war. But it's got this odd bonus that allows archeologists to enter foreign lands. Helpful, sort of, but not for the domination victory this wonder seems geared toward.
The Statue of Zeus has an oddly low rate of victory despite some seemingly good benefits. Extra gold helps with everything and a bunch of free military units looks like an impossible option to pass up. Unfortunately, unless players are very ahead of the curve, the units provided can potentially be outclassed by the time the construction is completed.
D Tier
- Apadana
- Colossus
- Huey Teocalli
- Kotoku-In
- Statue of Liberty
- Broadway
- Torre de Belem
The Colossus grants a bit of money and some Great General points, but it has to be built along the coast. Early on, successful civilizations usually crave freshwater and landlocked resources, making the Colossus a consolation prize for those who lost the battle of positioning.
The fact that Broadway gives a free Atomic Era civic boost reveals just how late-game this wonder is. Cultural victories are the least likely to see this era at all, usually achieving victory well before this point. Broadway's bonuses are jaw-dropping, but they're just too late. Scientific-minded nations will have access to Broadway well before cultural nations.
Unless the start location is ideal, the Huey Teocalli isn't going to knock anyone's socks off. It provides Amenities for each lake tile. But even the most lake-filled areas will find that there are other cheaper ways to keep happiness up. The extra food and production for each lake tile aren't bad either, but it does require a very lake-heavy territory to make the Huey Teocalli pay for itself.
E Tier
- Hanging Gardens
- Hermitage
- Biosphere
The Hermitage is all about Great Artists and works of art. Again, useful for cultural victories and nothing else. The Hanging Gardens increase growth by 15%, which is a little low considering how much must be invested. It's better to get big chunks of growth early instead, the 15% bonus is most noticeable in the late-game when excess population can actually be a problem.
The Biosphere is a self-contained contradiction. Most science-based empires that survived until the atomic era have chopped down their rainforests and built over their marshes thanks to the use of industry tiles. Giving a one-time boost to science based on rainforests and marshes isn't enough to compensate for leaving these tiles up for the previous eras.
F Tier
- Great Bath
- Stonehenge
- Great Lighthouse
- Machu Picchu
- Panama Canal
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Sydney Opera House
Aside from the late-game wonders that are here for obvious reasons, Macchu Picchu is an unfortunate inclusion in the bottom tier. The bonus gold as an adjacency reward for mountain tiles seems great, but mountain tiles are generally to be avoided due to their lack of other resources. Making use of Macchu Picchu means building cities that are likely unprofitable in every other resource besides the gold provided by the wonder.
The Great Lighthouse ranks among the worst when it comes to association with victory conditions because naval units are only a small piece of the game. The extra mobility for naval vessels is quickly outdated after the exploration phase of the game.
Civilization 6 was released on October 21st, 2016, and is available for PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Android.