7 Wonders Duel: Strategy Guide to Win More Often (11 Tips)

7 Wonders Duel is the popular 2-player version of the original 7 Wonders board game. When I picked it up I was surprised to find that, while it certainly shares some of the flavor and mechanics of the original game, it offers a completely different experience that requires a separate set of strategies to win.

I quickly became addicted to playing 7 Wonders Duel on BGA due to its head-to-head nature, quick play time, and entertaining mechanics that encourage both strategic planning and tactical skill. Here, I’ll share with you everything I’ve learned to improve at the game through studying elite players, strategy guides, and my own experience in dozens of games. I’ll move in sequential order of everything you need to know, beginning with drafting Wonders and finishing with general tips and late-game strategies to win more often.

If you’re looking for a strategy guide for other games in the 7 Wonders collection have you covered there, too. Check out my series of articles here:

Draft Wonders that synergize well

Drafting your four Wonders at the beginning of the game is one of the most important aspects of the game. It can give you an advantage throughout the entire game or set you up for failure, depending on which Wonders you pick. You have to know which Wonders are the best and which ones work well together so that you can make the most of your opportunities.

Wonder Tier List

I’ll start with my Wonder tier list, which is just a quick rundown of which Wonders I think are best based on my own experience and what I’ve seen top players draft. My assessment seems to jive pretty well with other players’ opinions:

The best Wonders in 7 Wonders Duel grant an extra turn as part of their effects. I’ll go into the specifics of why the extra turn is so powerful later in this post, but it’s enough to separate these Wonders from all the others.

The next group of Wonders generally grants some resources or abilities that give you some play-making ability, while the bottom-tier Wonders give you a Military advantage or simply a large amount of Victory Points (VPs).

Here are my Wonder rakings for 7 Wonders Duel:

The Temple of Artemis

This is the best Wonder in the game by seemingly unanimous opinion. The extra turn automatically puts it in the top group of Wonders, but the 12 Gold can give you an enormous amount of flexibility and power early in the game. You can usually afford to go a little lighter on resource cards if you have The Temple of Artemis because the influx of Gold more than makes up for it.

The Hanging Gardens

The Hanging Gardens is a top-tier Wonder for the same reasons as the Temple of Artemis, but is a rung below because it only grants 6 Gold instead of 12. The 3 VPs are nice but aren’t really enough to make up for the flexibility another 6 Gold gives you.

The Appian Way

Arguably, this Wonder should be above the Hanging Gardens because you can put your opponent in a tight spot with a well-timed loss of 3 Gold, but in practice, this is difficult to make use of. Still, with an extra turn, 3 Gold, and 3 VPs this is one of the best Wonders in the game.

Piraeus

Piraeus is another top-tier Wonder simply because of the extra turn effect, but a lot of its power comes from the manufactured goods. By drafting this Wonder, you can usually go a little lighter on gray cards which gives you more flexibility when drafting.

The Sphinx

This is my lowest-rated Wonder with the added turn effect because it offers no other utility. 6 VPs are nice, but are only useful if the game comes down to a Civilian Victory. The extra turn is still enough to keep it ranked above all of the other Wonders, but it’s still a notch below its turn-granting brothers.

The Great Lighthouse

I really like taking the Great Lighthouse because it gives me a lot of flexibility with my basic resources. Play this Wonder as early in the game as is feasible to extract the most benefit from it.

The Mausoleum

The Mausoleum is one of the most fun Wonders to play with because of its potential play-making ability. The ability to play a card out of the discard pile is very strong when you’re going for a Science or Military victory because your opponent can’t safely discard a card that would be beneficial to you. You can use this ability to put you over the edge in Science or Military and win the game – and your opponent is powerless to stop you.

The Great Library

Similarly, the Great Library has the potential to completely change the game when its played. This was probably the hardest of the Wonders for me to rate because it’s very hit-and-miss. If you get the right Progress Token at the right time then it can easily be the difference in the game, but at other times it’s downright useless.

Circus Maximus

This is one of the most combative Wonders in the game, which can be fun since this is a competitive 2-player game. I rated Circus Maximus over The Statue of Zeus because I’ve found that eliminating a manufactured resource can be more impactful than a basic resource, but overall the cards are of similar power. The extra Military Shield is a nice bonus when paired with an overall Military strategy.

The Statue of Zeus

Very similar to Circus Maximus, and I find that the can be used well in conjunction with one another to deprive my opponents of resources and put pressure on them through Military combat.

The Colossus

The two Military Shields from The Colossus can be powerful in the right scenario, but I find that that scenario doesn’t come around often enough to make this Wonder very desirable. Still, if you need an extra couple of Shields late in the game it’s nice to have The Colossus there when called upon.

The Pyramids

This is the only Wonder that provides VPs and nothing else, earning it last place on the tier list. 9 VPs is nothing to sneeze at, but there is no utility with the Sphinx and the VPs are completely worthless if the game doesn’t end in a Civilian Victory.

Useful Combinations of Wonders

I usually draft my Wonders based almost entirely on the tier list above, but when choosing between two closely-rated Wonders I often look for synergy with the Wonders I’ve already drafted. You should also look for ways the Wonders can combine with the Progress Tokens visible on the board (more on that in just a minute). Keep in mind that you should still generally prioritize Wonders by their tier ranking.

Some useful combinations of Wonders to look for:

Circus Maximus & The Statue of Zeus (for Military supremacy and resource restriction)
The Mausoleum & The Great Library (for Science and Military supremacy)
The Great Lighthouse & Piraeus (for resource flexibility)

Look for opportunities with Progress Tokens

At the beginning of the game (even before you start drafting Wonders) you should take a quick look at the available Progress Tokens. They can give you a good idea of what kind of game you’re in for and which Wonders you should prioritize drafting.

For example, any time I see the Law token I know that a Science victory is very much in play. I will likely place some more importance on The Mausoleum, hoping to have the opportunity to revive a Science card from the grave.

Similarly, if I see Strategy token then I might want to place a little more emphasis on Wonders that grant Shields. Depending on whether I or my opponent acquire that token, those Wonders can be used offensively or defensively.

Know which cards to draft in each Age

The meat of 7 Wonders Duel is in the card drafting during the three Ages. Each age has different priorities, and even those priorities will change from game to game. In general, you should first focus on acquiring resources and building a foundation for Science. You’ll then transition into a more specialized victory path to put pressure on your opponent, and then make tactical decisions to finish off the win in Age 3.

Age 1: Acquire Resources, Gold, and Science

The first Age is all about establishing a base of resources to give you power and flexibility for the rest of the game. You should prioritize Gold, Gray, and Brown cards, with a couple of Green (Science) cards thrown in for good measure. Red (Military) and Blue (Civilian) should almost always be discarded for Gold.

Gold, Gray, and Brown cards are the most valuable, and generally in that order. These cards provide resources that you’ll use for the rest of the game or result in an influx (or long-term saving) of Gold. How many of each resource you need for your Wonders should guide your decision making on which of them to prioritize, if given a choice.

Green (Science) cards are about equally important – it really depends on your overall strategy for the game. If the Law token is available and you have The Mausoleum then you should probably start collecting Science symbols early to really put pressure on your opponent. I place even more emphasis on Science cards that chain into others in Age 2.

Military and Civilian cards are pretty useless in Age 1 and are usually more valuable when sold for Gold. Playing a Military card or two will really only put you at a disadvantage because in Age 2 your opponent will get to choose who plays first. Civilian cards in Age 1 aren’t worth that many VP, and the Gold you can get for them is usually more beneficial in the long run. You can use it to buy resource or Science cards that will net you more VPs in the long run.

Age 2: Top off resources & begin to specialize

In Age 2, you should aim to secure any additional resources you still need and start to apply pressure in at least one victory path. In general, I suggest that you have at least one of every basic resource (and probably 2 of at least one basic resource) and at least one each of Glass & Press. This is almost always enough to buy the cards you need when supplemented with Commercial (Gold) cards and Gold.

Based on the progress of the game so far, you should make a decision about which victory path you’re aiming for. Start deliberately collecting Science tokens or picking up double Shield cards to make progress in at least one of those categories and put your opponent on the defensive. If you already have enough Gold, don’t feel shy about building some Civilian structures and playing for a Civilian victory in Age 3.

By the end of Age 2 you should hopefully have all of the resources you need and your opponent should be worried about you gaining either Military or Scientific supremacy. This will force them to make suboptimal draft choices in Age 3 to defend against your tactics.

Age 3: Control the draft and play to win

Age 3 is all about making tactical decisions to make use of the resources, abilities, and pressure you’ve accumulated throughout the game. Ideally, you will have a clear path to a Scientific or Military supremacy victory that your opponent will find difficult (or even impossible) to stop, with options for a Civilian victory if that should fail.

Now is the time to use your extra turn Wonder abilities to control the draft and secure any cards you need for a Scientific or Military win. If there is no clear way to advance your goals there, simply choose Blue or Purple (Guild) cards that are worth the most VPs. You will find that your opponent’s options will be limited because they’ll be afraid of revealing Green or Red cards that will allow you to win the game.

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Make your opponent reveal new Age Cards

When given the option between two otherwise equally valuable cards, draft the card that will force your opponent to reveal new Age Cards. This will give you the first crack at the newly revealed cards (unless your opponent uses an extra turn ability). This policy applies to all Ages. Nothing is more frustrating in 7 Wonders Duel than getting locked into a cycle of revealing new cards only for your opponent to grab the best ones.

Time your Wonders to get maximum value

The Wonder tiers listed above are only valid if you make proper use of each Wonder’s abilities. Some Wonders are best played early, while others are best when used very late in the game. Remember that these are just guidelines, as tactical decisions might supersede the general rule for each Wonder.

Wonder	Best Age(s) to Play	Comments
Temple of Artemis	1	12 Gold is valuable early
Hanging Gardens	Any	Best late for extra turn, but valuable at any time
Appian Way	Any	Best late for extra turn, but valuable at any time
Piraeus	1, 2	Early access to manufactured goods
The Sphinx	3	Make tactical plays with extra turn late
Great Lighthouse	1, 2	Early access to basic resources
The Mausoleum	3	Make tactical plays with discarded cards late
Great Library	2	Choose a Progress token that fits your strategy
Circus Maximus	2, 3	Supplement Military conflict
Statue of Zeus	2, 3	Supplement Military conflict
The Colossus	2, 3	Good finisher for Military conflict
The Pyramids	Any	VPs are worth the same in any age

Best time to play each Wonder

Rush Wonders so your opponent can only build 3

One of the reasons you might want to play your Wonders earlier than normal is to deprive your opponent opportunity to play all four of theirs. For example, if you notice that your opponent is going to need to combine the abilities of his last two Wonders to have any shot of winning, you can go ahead and play your fourth Wonder. This makes your opponent have to choose just one of his remaining Wonders which can leave him with no shot at winning the game.

Hold extra turns in reserve to make plays late

I’ve touched on the importance of the ‘extra turn’ mechanic some of the Wonders have, but it’s only powerful if you use it at the right time. Most games of 7 Wonders Duel (especially between similarly skilled players) come down to the last few cards in the third Age. Being able to seize control of the draft order to play a winning card (or deny one to your opponent) is critical, and the best way to do that is with an extra turn.

You should always try to hold at least one extra turn Wonder until very late in the game for that critical moment. Ideally, you should aim to have one more extra turn available than your opponent (so if they have one, you have two at the ready).

If you’ve already blown through all of your extra turns and the game is close, one way to get around this is to try to acquire the Theology Progress Token, which gives any of your newly constructed Wonders the extra turn effect.

Put your opponent on the defensive

Applying pressure in Science, Military, or both is critical to success in 7 Wonders Duel. If you make your opponent worry about you winning the game through supremacy in either of those categories then you put them at an extreme disadvantage. They’ll have to make suboptimal card drafting choices to deprive you of game-winning chances, which allows you to milk your advantage by drafting better cards.

The flip side of this coin is that you should avoid letting your opponent gain a significant advantage in either Science or Military. Discard Science cards (or play them yourself) even if you don’t plan on going for a Science Supremacy victory. Play a Military card or two at an opportune moment to slow down their Military progress – especially if they take the Strategy Progress Token.

Know when a victory path is out of reach

At a certain point in many games of 7 Wonders Duel, victory through Scientific or Military Supremacy becomes impossible. If and when this point is reached you have to realize it and pivot to another victory path.

Science is particularly vulnerable to this weakness because Scientific victory might be completely unobtainable as soon as the second Age ends. In order to obtain Scientific Supremacy, you have to have 6 different Science symbols. The availability of the symbols breaks down like this:

Age	# of Symbols	# of Cards of each Symbol	Comments
1	4	1	Same Symbols in Ages 1 & 2
2	4	1	Same Symbols in Ages 1 & 2
3	2	2	Different Symbols than Ages 1 & 2

Science Symbols in each Age

If there is no Law token or the possibility of saving a Science card from the discard pile with Mausoleum, you must have all 4 Science tokens from Ages 1 and 2 before Age 3 begins. Otherwise, the most Science symbols you can acquire is 5, making Scientific Supremacy completely unobtainable. Similarly, if one of the symbols happens to have been completely eliminated from the game when cards were randomly discarded from each Age Card pile during setup then Scientific Supremacy is impossible without the Law token.

Military Supremacy is similar but is usually much easier to predict. If there aren’t enough Shields left on the board for one player to win through Military might then you needn’t worry about winning or losing through conflict. Military cards can still hold value, though, because you can win VPs and hurt your opponent’s Gold reserve.

Eliminate your opponent’s path to victory

You can put this knowledge to your advantage by simply eliminating your opponent’s best path to victory. Suppose your opponent is significantly behind in Civilian structures and it’s clear that they are clinging to the sole hope of a Scientific or Military Supremacy victory. In that case, you should devote your complete attention to eliminating that hope altogether.

Let’s say your opponent got all four Science symbols in Ages 1 and 2, but is severely behind in resources and Civilian development. Clearly, the only way they’ll win the game is by claiming the remaining two Science symbols. Your eventual victory through Civilian supremacy is all but assured if you can prevent your opponent from gaining those symbols. Expanding your lead is therefore secondary to the primary goal of claiming or discarding Science cards in Age 3. If you discard two of the same Science symbol then you know you’ve sealed the deal.

Keep a strong reserve of Gold

Gold is incredibly important in 7 Wonders Duel. It gives you flexibility, allowing you to build structures you don’t have the resources for. As discussed earlier, you should devote several turns in Age 1 to selling cards (probably Blue and Red cards) for Gold to build up your reserves. Claiming Gold Cards also helps to generate a lot more Gold throughout the game.

In general, I like to always keep at least 6 or 7 Gold on hand. This number can increase or decrease depending on how many resources I have, but that’s a pretty good baseline to keep in mind.

Deprive your opponent of one or more resources

One way to hurt your opponent’s pocketbook is to deprive them of one or more resources. By claiming a monopoly on a resource, you force your opponent to spend Gold at an uncomfortable pace. This strategy is particularly useful if you notice your opponent needs a lot of one specific resource for multiple Wonders.

For example, if your opponent has The Great Library, Hanging Gardens, and Piraeus, restricting their access to Wood would be a great move. They’ll have to spend quite a bit of Gold to complete their Wonders, limiting their ability to build other structures.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out my strategy guides for the original 7 Wonders and 7 Wonders Architects here:

Thanks for reading! If I missed something or you have your own opinions, please drop a comment below.