The English empire in the video game Civilization 5 is one of many different types of civilizations in the game. This guide will give a brief overview of the benefits this civilization receives along with details on their leader, Queen Elizabeth I, the Sun Never Sets ability and their special units like the Longbowman and Ship of the Line. There are no unique structures for the English in Civ 5.
Civilization Leader: Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I was the Queen Regnant of both England and Ireland from the year 1558 until her death in 1603, known for establishing the English Protestant church which is now known in modern days as the Church of England. She was also known for being a moderate and tolerant ruler, especially when compared to her father, Henry the Eighth. Representing how England once laid claim to most of the world, Elizabeth I can be expected to field a large navy, giving her an advantage on water dominated maps like the archipelago. You can expect the AI to focus on taking full advantage of England’s strong ranged abilities and should do the same if playing as Elizabeth I.
Special Ability: Sun Never Sets
Named after the once relevant common saying, “The sun never sets on the British empire” this special ability augments England’s strong navy by providing +2 movement points to all naval units which can access ocean tiles. This ability means Elizabeth’s armies can quickly traverse stretches of water with ease, allowing her vast navies to reach enemy shores or new continents for settling quite quickly. Definitely a boon to the expansionist style of play.
Special Unit No. 1: Longbowman
The Longbowman is a Medieval era unit that serves as a replacement for the Crossbowman, having a significant strength that if used properly, can cause major grief for your enemies. All base stats such as damage, movement and cost are exactly the same as the unit it replaces, but the Longbowman receives its bonus in the form of +1 to its range, allowing it to attack from three tiles away. The reason why this is so significant, is that this allow you to range attack a city from outside it’s return fire range, which can be costly otherwise, which is not capable of any other regular unit until the Industrial era when players get access to the Artillery piece.
Special Unit No. 2: Ship of the Line
The Ship of the Line is the strongest sailing ship ever built, being a Renaissance era replacement for the Frigate, benefiting from a cheaper cost, longer sight range and more powerful ranged attack. The base cost of the Ship of the Line is 170 production, 15 fewer than the Frigate while its ranged attack is +2 damage points stronger, being 17 versus the latter’s 15. Finally its sight range boost comes in the form of +1 tile range visual, making it all around better. Like the unit it replaces, this vessel will eventually be replaced by the Industrial era Destroyer.