How Do You Play Rome in Civ 5?

By Alice Nichols

Are you ready to conquer the ancient world? In Civilization V, playing as Rome can be a thrilling and rewarding experience.

With their unique abilities and units, the Romans are a formidable force on the battlefield. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps of playing Rome in Civ 5.

Choosing Rome

If you want to play as Rome, start by selecting them from the list of available civilizations. Once you’ve chosen Rome, it’s time to dive into their unique abilities that make them such a powerful civilization.

Roman Unique Ability: The Glory of Rome

The Glory of Rome is a passive ability that provides a 25% production bonus toward any building that already exists in the Roman capital. This ability allows you to quickly develop your capital city and gain an early advantage over other civilizations.

Roman Unique Unit: Legion

Legions replace the standard Swordsman unit for Rome. They have higher combat strength and can build roads and forts, making them excellent for both offense and defense. Use Legions strategically to expand your empire and protect your borders.

Roman Unique Building: The Ballista

The Ballista is a unique building available only to Rome. It replaces the Catapult and has increased range and strength. The Ballista is essential for dominating enemy cities or defending your own.

Expanding Your Empire

Now that you understand Rome’s unique abilities, it’s time to focus on expanding your empire. As with any civilization in Civ 5, it’s important to balance growth, science, culture, and military power.

Cities and Infrastructure

Founding new cities: As Rome, you should focus on building a strong capital city before expanding. Once your capital is well-developed, start founding new cities near valuable resources or strategic locations.

Building infrastructure: Use the Glory of Rome ability to your advantage by prioritizing buildings that already exist in your capital. This will help you quickly develop your cities and increase their productivity.

Roads and trade routes: With the Legion’s ability to build roads, take advantage of this by connecting your cities with trade routes. Trade routes provide additional gold and help boost your economy.

Military Strength

Building an army: As Rome, it’s crucial to maintain a strong military presence. Use your production bonus to quickly build units such as Legions and Ballistas. This will deter potential aggressors and allow you to expand without fear.

Conquering enemy cities: With powerful units like Legions and Ballistas, Rome excels at capturing enemy cities. Use your military strength strategically to weaken enemy civilizations and expand your own empire.

Diplomacy and Victory

While military conquest may be tempting, it’s important not to neglect diplomacy and other victory conditions. Consider these strategies for a well-rounded gameplay experience:

Cultural Victory:

Rome can achieve a Cultural Victory by focusing on tourism and building wonders that generate culture. Use the Glory of Rome ability to rapidly construct cultural buildings in your cities.

Diplomatic Victory:

To win through diplomatic means, establish good relationships with city-states by completing quests and sending them gifts. The extra production from The Glory of Rome will help you complete city-state quests more efficiently.

The Legacy of Rome

Rome’s rich history makes them an exciting civilization to play in Civilization V. With their unique abilities and units, you have the potential to build a mighty empire that will be remembered for centuries to come. So, rally your legions and conquer the world as Rome!

Remember, strategy is key in Civ 5, so adapt your gameplay style according to the situation. Good luck, and may the glory of Rome shine upon you!