Civilization VII completes the Brush and Blade Collection with Hideyoshi, Yi Sun-sin and four East Asian civilizations

Civilization VII’s Brush and Blade Collection is now complete, bringing together two new leaders, four civilizations and four Wonders inspired by the cultural achievements and military conflicts of Japan and Korea.

The paid post-launch collection was released in two installments. Its first part arrived on June 23, 2026, with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Heian Japan, Sengoku Japan and all four of the collection’s additional Wonders. The second installment followed on July 28 alongside Update 1.4.2, adding Admiral Yi Sun-sin, Goryeo and Joseon.

Players who already purchased Brush and Blade received the second installment automatically. New buyers now gain access to the complete collection rather than waiting for its remaining packs to be released.

Brush and Blade is structured around the contrast identified by its title.

The “Brush” represents literature, scholarship, diplomacy, religion and artistic production. The “Blade” represents military unification, fortified settlements, naval warfare and the armies that shaped East Asian history.

That contrast is not confined to the collection’s presentation. Its leaders and civilizations support substantially different approaches to building an empire, ranging from Heian Japan’s dependence on beautiful terrain to Yi Sun-sin’s unusually early access to Fleet Commanders.

Brush and Blade was released as two connected historical chapters

Firaxis divided Brush and Blade into a Japanese chapter and a Korean chapter.

Part 1 focused on the transformation of Japan between the refined court culture of the Heian period and the prolonged warfare of the Sengoku era.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi connects those two extremes particularly well. He was both a military unifier and a patron of culture, making him a natural representative for a collection intended to explore the relationship between artistic prestige and political violence.

Part 2 shifts the geographical focus to Korea.

Goryeo represents a period associated with Buddhist scholarship, celadon production, movable-type printing and complicated diplomatic relationships with neighbouring powers. Joseon follows it with a highly structured society shaped by Confucian administration, specialist knowledge, fortifications and a strong tradition of organised defence.

Yi Sun-sin provides the military centre of the Korean chapter.

His abilities revolve around Fleet Commanders, naval victories and the conversion of military experience into Science and Gold. He therefore offers a more specialized strategic identity than Hideyoshi, who applies pressure through land warfare and cultural development.

The complete collection does not present East Asian history as one continuous or interchangeable identity.

Its four civilizations occupy different Apex Ages, reward different empire structures and emphasize distinct historical institutions.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi turns offensive warfare into cultural expansion

Toyotomi Hideyoshi is classified as a Militaristic and Cultural leader.

His Unique Ability, Great Unifier, increases the damage dealt by his land units when attacking units belonging to other civilizations. The trade-off is that those same units receive additional damage when defending against opposing civilizations.

This creates an intentionally aggressive military profile.

Hideyoshi’s armies are more effective when they control the timing of an engagement. They are less comfortable when exposed to retaliation or forced to absorb an enemy offensive from a static position.

The distinction rewards preparation.

A Hideyoshi player should use Commanders, terrain and concentrated force to remove enemy units before they can organise an effective response. Allowing weakened troops to remain exposed can quickly eliminate the advantage created by their stronger attacks.

Great Unifier also allows units to recover additional health while positioned on a Culture Building or Wonder.

This links Hideyoshi’s military operations to the cultural development of his settlements. Culture districts and Wonders are not merely sources of yields or victory progress; they can become recovery points supporting continued warfare.

His Production bonus toward Culture Buildings reinforces that interaction and becomes stronger in cities he did not originally found.

Conquered settlements can therefore be integrated into Hideyoshi’s wider strategy by developing the cultural infrastructure needed to support and rehabilitate his armies.

Hideyoshi is powerful because his bonuses do not require one specific civilization

Civilization VII separates leaders from civilizations, allowing Hideyoshi’s abilities to be combined with numerous historical societies.

He has clear thematic and mechanical connections to both Japanese civilizations included in Brush and Blade, but he is not restricted to them.

Heian Japan can provide the cultural infrastructure and Wonder-focused settlements needed to make greater use of his healing bonus.

Sengoku Japan offers the more direct military combination. Its Army Commander systems complement Hideyoshi’s preference for land warfare, while Samurai provide increasingly powerful units for sustained campaigns.

Other civilizations can reinterpret him completely.

A civilization with strong Production can create a more relentless military economy. A defensive civilization can compensate for the extra damage his units receive while defending. A Culture-focused society can exploit his building bonuses without committing to constant conquest.

This flexibility is one of the collection’s most important strengths.

Brush and Blade adds historically coherent combinations, but it does not turn them into mandatory pairings. Its leaders remain tools for constructing alternate histories rather than fixed commanders attached to predetermined empires.

Heian Japan transforms Appeal into a cultural resource

Heian Japan is a Cultural and Diplomatic civilization with Antiquity as its Apex Age.

Its Unique Ability, Pure Land, increases the Culture produced by Improvements placed on Breathtaking tiles.

The effect becomes stronger as the civilization moves through later Ages. In the Modern Age, cities containing a sufficient number of Breathtaking tiles can also generate Tourism from them.

This creates a terrain-dependent economic strategy.

Players need to evaluate Appeal before constructing their cities and Improvements. A tile that appears less valuable through conventional Food or Production yields may become strategically important because it can reach Breathtaking status.

District placement, environmental features and Wonder construction can all influence that calculation.

Heian Japan therefore encourages deliberate settlement planning rather than indiscriminate expansion.

A poorly positioned city may struggle to access enough high-Appeal land to activate the civilization’s strongest bonuses. A carefully cultivated settlement can transform natural beauty into Culture, Production, Happiness and eventually Tourism.

The civilization’s Jinja reinforces this approach by receiving Culture adjacency from Charming and Breathtaking tiles. It can also be placed on land or water, giving players additional flexibility when working around rivers, coastlines and restricted terrain.

Shijin and Yumi protect Heian Japan’s cultural development

Heian Japan’s unique civilian unit is the Shijin, a Great Person trained in settlements containing a Jinja.

The Shijin system represents the poets, artists and courtiers associated with the Heian period. Rather than treating cultural production as a passive number, the civilization can generate named figures connected to its infrastructure.

Its unique military unit, the Yumi, serves a different but complementary purpose.

The Yumi receives additional Movement and increased Combat Strength when it has not moved during the current turn.

This makes it particularly effective when established in a prepared defensive position.

Heian Japan is not naturally designed for constant territorial aggression. Its most valuable areas are carefully developed zones containing Breathtaking tiles, cultural buildings and Wonders.

The Yumi helps protect those investments.

Positioning ranged units before an enemy arrives allows them to exploit their stationary combat bonus. Moving them repeatedly during an engagement sacrifices part of their advantage, so terrain preparation and early information become important.

Heian Japan’s military is therefore most effective when defending the landscape that supports its cultural economy.

Hoo-Do turns Wonders into centres of natural beauty

Heian Japan’s associated Wonder is Hoo-Do Hall.

The Wonder increases the Appeal of adjacent tiles and improves the Production, Culture and Happiness generated by Breathtaking tiles in its settlement.

That makes Hoo-Do more than a thematic construction.

It directly supports Pure Land by helping surrounding terrain reach the Appeal level required by Heian Japan’s principal bonuses.

The Wonder must be placed on flat terrain beside a river, making site selection important from the beginning of a campaign.

A settlement containing attractive land but no suitable river tile may be unable to construct it. Conversely, a well-positioned Hoo-Do can improve several surrounding tiles and convert one city into the cultural centre of the empire.

This is a strong example of Brush and Blade’s “Brush” identity.

Heian Japan does not accumulate Culture only by constructing generic buildings. It creates a relationship between architecture, landscape, Happiness and artistic production.

Sengoku Japan converts military experience into national development

Sengoku Japan is a Diplomatic and Militaristic civilization with Exploration as its Apex Age.

Its Unique Ability, Shogunate, generates Culture and Science according to the experience earned by Army Commanders.

During the Exploration Age, the ability also produces Influence from Commander experience. Those yields increase further when Sengoku Japan is used outside its Apex Age through the collection’s later-tier bonuses.

The system makes Army Commanders central to the civilization’s economy.

Combat experience does not only improve an individual Commander. It contributes to technological development, cultural progress and diplomatic power across the empire.

Sengoku Japan therefore has a strong incentive to keep experienced Commanders active.

Losing one represents more than the temporary removal of a military asset. It can interrupt an economic engine created through repeated campaigns and accumulated XP.

Shogunate also removes the normal Mountain adjacency received by Culture Buildings and the Resource adjacency received by Science Buildings.

This prevents the civilization from receiving a complete economic advantage without compromise.

Players must replace part of the conventional district-planning value with yields generated through Commander progression.

A peaceful Sengoku Japan can still function, but it will not exploit its defining system as effectively as an empire that regularly creates opportunities for military experience.

Samurai become stronger by surviving and defeating enemies

The Samurai is Sengoku Japan’s unique Infantry unit.

It begins with increased Combat Strength and does not unlock its later versions through the normal Technology Tree.

Instead, Samurai advance after defeating a specified number of enemy units.

Successful Samurai automatically upgrade through second and third tiers, creating a military progression system based on battlefield accomplishments rather than research alone.

This makes veteran units exceptionally valuable.

A Samurai that has accumulated several victories represents a greater investment than a newly trained replacement. Preserving experienced units becomes essential, especially when they are operating under a developed Army Commander.

The system also reinforces Sengoku Japan’s aggressive rhythm.

The civilization gains yields from Commander XP while Samurai gain power through eliminations. A successful campaign therefore improves both the individual army and the empire directing it.

The risk is that military momentum can collapse after a badly planned engagement.

Replacing destroyed Samurai does not immediately restore their accumulated battlefield progression. Sengoku Japan benefits from war, but it still needs to avoid exchanges that destroy its most experienced forces.

Shinobi attack the command structure rather than the army

Sengoku Japan’s Shinobi provides a more indirect military option.

The unit has Stealth and a limited number of charges for its Sabotage action. Sabotage forces an opposing Army Commander to respawn, temporarily removing it from its current position.

This can dismantle a prepared formation without requiring the Shinobi to defeat every unit inside it.

Army Commanders provide organisation, reinforcement and military bonuses. Removing one at the correct moment can leave an opposing army exposed, interrupt an offensive or create an opportunity for Samurai to attack unsupported units.

The Shinobi is not impossible to counter.

Military units sharing its tile can use the Disperse Shinobi Clan action to eliminate the infiltrators. Careless movement can therefore waste a limited and strategically valuable unit.

The mechanic gives Sengoku Japan a second interpretation of warfare.

Samurai win through direct battlefield dominance. Shinobi create advantages before the main engagement begins.

Himeji Castle makes fortified districts more dangerous

Sengoku Japan’s associated Wonder is Himeji Castle.

It increases Culture in fortified districts within its settlement and improves the Combat Strength of fortified districts throughout the empire.

The Wonder also functions as a fortified district that must be conquered directly.

This gives Sengoku Japan a defensive structure supporting an otherwise aggressive civilization.

Shogunate and Samurai encourage military activity, but an expansionist empire also needs to protect its captured territory. Himeji Castle makes the resulting defensive network more difficult to dismantle.

Its Rough Terrain placement requirement limits where it can be constructed, but the correct site can turn a strategically important settlement into a major obstacle.

The Wonder also demonstrates that Sengoku Japan is not simply a civilization built around attacking.

It rewards military preparation at every level: experienced Commanders, veteran Samurai, covert Shinobi and fortified centres capable of resisting retaliation.

Yi Sun-sin allows naval command to begin in Antiquity

Yi Sun-sin is a Militaristic and Scientific leader focused almost entirely on naval development.

His Unique Ability, Samdo Sugun Tongjesa, allows him to train Fleet Commanders after researching the Discipline Civic during the Antiquity Age.

He also receives a free Fleet Commander after meeting the necessary Antiquity requirements involving Discipline and a Harbor.

This is an unusually important timing advantage.

Fleet Commanders normally become relevant as naval warfare expands during later stages of a campaign. Yi Sun-sin can begin accumulating naval command experience considerably earlier.

An early Commander can organise ships, participate in coastal warfare and begin developing before rival civilizations have established comparable naval leadership.

The ability is naturally dependent on geography.

A landlocked start or a map with limited navigable water reduces the immediate value of Yi’s bonuses. Archipelago and coastal maps give him far more opportunities to convert early investment into strategic dominance.

Players selecting Yi Sun-sin therefore need to consider the map as carefully as the civilization accompanying him.

Naval victories generate Science instead of only territorial control

Defeating an enemy with one of Yi Sun-sin’s naval units provides Science based on a percentage of the defeated unit’s Combat Strength.

This turns successful naval warfare into technological progress.

Attacking weak or obsolete units still contributes, but defeating stronger enemies produces greater value. Yi is therefore rewarded for engaging meaningful naval targets rather than hunting only vulnerable units with no strategic importance.

His Fleet Commanders also receive XP when Science Buildings are constructed.

The relationship works in both directions.

Naval combat produces Science. Science infrastructure improves Fleet Commanders. Those Commanders then support more effective naval warfare, potentially generating additional Science and combat XP.

Yi also receives Gold for each point of Fleet Commander experience earned through combat, with the amount scaling by Age.

A veteran Commander can therefore become a military, scientific and economic asset simultaneously.

This makes losing experienced naval leadership particularly costly.

Replacing ships may require Production, but replacing the history accumulated by a developed Fleet Commander can be considerably harder.

Yi Sun-sin’s Agenda expects other empires to prepare for war

When controlled by the AI, Yi Sun-sin follows the 13 Ships Agenda.

He improves his relationship with civilizations maintaining a minimum number of naval units and fortification buildings. He dislikes civilizations that fail to meet those expectations.

The Agenda reflects his historical emphasis on preparedness and defence.

It also means that diplomacy with Yi can depend on infrastructure a player might otherwise ignore, particularly on maps where naval warfare appears unimportant.

Constructing ships purely to satisfy another leader is not always efficient.

However, maintaining a credible navy and several fortifications may prevent a deteriorating relationship with Yi while also providing practical security.

His Agenda is consequently more demanding on land-heavy empires than on civilizations already investing in coastal defence.

Goryeo turns diplomacy into Culture

Goryeo is a Cultural and Diplomatic civilization with Exploration as its Apex Age.

Its Unique Ability, Byeongjo, increases the Culture received from active Endeavors that Goryeo initiated or supported.

Unique Improvements also provide different benefits depending on the settlement in which they are located.

Those in Towns generate additional Culture, while those in Cities contribute greater Influence. In the Modern Age, all Unique Improvements can also provide Tourism.

This creates a clear relationship between diplomacy and internal development.

Endeavors are not simply tools for improving relationships or exchanging temporary benefits. They become part of Goryeo’s cultural economy.

The civilization has an incentive to remain actively involved in international cooperation rather than accumulating Influence without using it.

Its settlement structure also requires planning.

Towns can become cultural production centres, while Cities use similar unique infrastructure to strengthen diplomatic resources. Converting every Town into a City may therefore be less efficient than maintaining a deliberate balance between the two.

Goryeo is strongest when external relationships and internal specialisation support one another.

Hwacha punish tightly grouped armies

The Hwacha is Goryeo’s unique Siege unit.

Its attacks deal splash damage based on a percentage of the total damage inflicted on the primary target.

This makes the unit especially effective against concentrated formations.

Army Commanders frequently encourage players to group several military units around a central leader. The Hwacha can punish that concentration by damaging adjacent forces rather than attacking only one unit at a time.

Its effectiveness depends on positioning and target selection.

Firing at an isolated unit wastes the defining advantage of the splash effect. Attacking the centre of a dense formation can weaken several opponents and prepare them for cavalry or infantry follow-up attacks.

Siege units are generally vulnerable when left unsupported.

Goryeo must protect the Hwacha long enough for repeated area attacks to influence the engagement. The unit is most valuable as part of a coordinated army rather than as an independent offensive force.

Tobang convert military occupation into Influence

The Tobang is Goryeo’s unique Cavalry unit.

It receives increased Combat Strength while stationed in or occupying a district.

Goryeo also gains additional Influence for every City Center containing a stationed Tobang.

This gives the unit both a military and administrative role.

On the battlefield, the Tobang is effective when fighting for developed settlements and district tiles. Outside direct combat, it can be positioned in City Centers to support the civilization’s diplomatic economy.

The player must decide when the unit is more valuable as a mobile combat asset and when it should remain stationed.

Keeping every Tobang inside a City Center may maximise Influence but reduce the army’s ability to respond to threats. Deploying all of them to the front improves military mobility while sacrificing part of their passive value.

That tension fits Goryeo’s wider design.

The civilization repeatedly asks players to balance culture, diplomacy and military security rather than maximizing one resource in isolation.

Buseoksa rewards empires capable of maintaining Happiness

Goryeo’s associated Wonder is Buseoksa.

It provides Happiness and improves Unique Improvements in nearby settlements according to their Happiness stage.

Joyous settlements receive additional Influence from their Unique Improvements. Ecstatic settlements gain both Influence and Gold from them.

Buseoksa therefore rewards more than constructing the Wonder itself.

Players need to maintain high Happiness in nearby settlements to unlock its strongest economic effects.

The Wonder must be placed on Tropical or Grassland terrain adjacent to a Mountain.

That placement requirement reflects its historical landscape while also forcing Goryeo to identify an appropriate regional centre before beginning construction.

When properly supported, Buseoksa connects several of the civilization’s systems.

Happiness improves Unique Improvements. Those Improvements produce Culture or Influence depending on the settlement type. Influence supports more Endeavors, which generate additional Culture through Byeongjo.

Joseon concentrates knowledge and population in the capital

Joseon is a Cultural and Expansionist civilization with Modern as its Apex Age.

Its Unique Ability, Munchi, increases the Specialist Limit in the capital while reducing it in other Cities.

The civilization begins each Age with a defined City Limit and can purchase first-tier Science and Culture Buildings in Towns.

This creates an empire with a highly developed centre and a supporting network of settlements.

The capital can contain more Specialists than would normally be possible, allowing it to become an exceptionally productive scientific or cultural hub.

Other Cities face greater restrictions unless they are developed around Joseon’s unique infrastructure.

The Seowon Unique Quarter becomes increasingly important during the Modern Age because non-capital Cities containing one can support more Specialists than those without it.

Joseon therefore does not simply reward building one enormous city and neglecting everything else.

It rewards a deliberate hierarchy.

The capital remains dominant, while selected secondary Cities receive Seowon development and Towns provide purchasable buildings, resources and territorial support.

Purchasing buildings in Towns changes Joseon’s expansion logic

Civilization VII normally distinguishes sharply between Cities and Towns.

Cities construct buildings and units directly, while Towns serve more specialised economic functions and purchase much of their development.

Joseon’s ability to buy Tier 1 Science and Culture Buildings in Towns expands what those settlements can contribute.

A Town does not need to become a full City before participating meaningfully in scientific and cultural development.

This can reduce the pressure to convert every useful settlement.

Joseon can maintain a larger network of Towns while concentrating Specialists and advanced infrastructure in the capital and selected Seowon Cities.

The system supports expansion without requiring every part of the empire to follow the same development model.

The limitation remains economic.

Purchasing multiple buildings requires Gold, so Joseon needs a reliable economy to turn theoretical flexibility into actual infrastructure.

Turtle Ships dominate coastal combat rather than open water

Joseon’s unique military unit is the Turtle Ship, a Heavy Naval unit associated with the fleets commanded by Yi Sun-sin.

Its base Ranged and Bombard Strength are lower than those of other Heavy Naval units.

When operating on Coast terrain, however, both values increase.

The unit is therefore designed for coastal defence and contested shorelines rather than unrestricted open-ocean combat.

This distinction is historically and mechanically appropriate.

Turtle Ships can defend ports, bombard coastal districts and fight enemy vessels attempting to operate near Joseon’s territory.

They are less efficient when drawn away from the terrain supporting their bonuses.

Combining Joseon with Yi Sun-sin creates an obvious naval strategy.

Yi provides early Fleet Commanders, Science from naval victories and Gold from Commander combat experience. Joseon later supplies Turtle Ships capable of dominating the coast.

The pairing is powerful on a suitable map, but it still depends on access to water and opponents willing or able to contest it.

Jangyongyoung reinforce the capital’s military importance

The Jangyongyoung is Joseon’s unique Commander unit.

Land units located in a capital receive increased Combat Strength while inside its Command Radius.

This makes Joseon’s capital more difficult to capture and reinforces its central role within the empire.

A capital containing additional Specialists, key buildings and concentrated yields is an obvious target during war. The Jangyongyoung provides a military system designed to protect that investment.

Its bonus is geographically restricted.

It does not turn every Joseon army into a stronger expeditionary force. Its greatest value appears when defending the political and economic centre of the civilization.

This encourages opponents to attack Joseon elsewhere or isolate the capital before attempting a direct assault.

For the Joseon player, it creates a strong defensive anchor but not permission to ignore the rest of the empire.

Hwaseong combines policy capacity with physical defence

Joseon’s associated Wonder is Hwaseong.

It provides Culture, Tradition Slots and Social Policy Slots.

It also functions as a fortified district that must be conquered rather than disappearing when an enemy enters the settlement.

The Wonder must be placed on flat terrain adjacent to at least one Rough tile.

Hwaseong supports Joseon at both the strategic and tactical levels.

Additional policy capacity gives the civilization greater flexibility when configuring the empire. The fortified district protects the settlement containing it and can complicate an enemy assault.

That combination is particularly valuable for a civilization with a concentrated urban structure.

Joseon’s strongest cities contain Specialists, Seowon development and important cultural or scientific infrastructure. Hwaseong allows one of those centres to contribute more policies while becoming harder to occupy.

Seongsan Ilchulbong supports cavalry production

Brush and Blade adds two Natural Wonders.

The first is Seongsan Ilchulbong, a volcanic formation located on Jeju Island.

In Civilization VII, it provides Happiness that scales according to the current Age.

Controlling it also increases Production toward Cavalry units.

The effect applies when Seongsan Ilchulbong lies within the territory of at least one of the player’s settlements.

This makes the Natural Wonder valuable beyond its immediate tile yields.

A civilization planning to rely on cavalry receives a permanent military-production advantage simply by bringing the formation inside its borders.

The bonus has obvious synergy with Goryeo’s Tobang but is not limited to Goryeo.

Any leader or civilization using cavalry can benefit, creating another reason to contest the territory surrounding the Wonder.

Nachi Falls turns natural beauty into free Happiness infrastructure

The second Natural Wonder is Nachi Falls.

It produces Culture that scales by Age.

A player controlling Nachi Falls can also purchase two Happiness Buildings for free during each Age.

This effect is valuable because Happiness Buildings normally compete with other economic priorities.

Receiving two without paying their purchase cost allows the empire to stabilise developing settlements or support systems that depend on high Happiness.

Goryeo can use that Happiness to strengthen the settlements affected by Buseoksa. Heian Japan benefits thematically and mechanically from another source connecting landscape and Culture.

The effect remains broadly useful regardless of civilization.

Happiness influences settlement performance, Celebrations and several systems revised in Civilization VII’s recent updates. Free infrastructure can therefore create value throughout an entire campaign.

Mireuksa rewards developed Antiquity districts

Mireuksa is an Antiquity Age Wonder.

It provides Happiness and increases the Culture and Production of districts containing an Antiquity building and at least one point of Happiness.

The Wonder rewards broad urban development.

Its strongest settlements are not those containing one isolated district built purely to satisfy the construction requirement. Players need several productive districts with appropriate Antiquity infrastructure.

Mireuksa can consequently become the centre of a capital or another major early city.

The Culture accelerates civic progress, while the Production helps construct subsequent buildings, units and Wonders.

Its dependence on Happiness prevents the bonus from functioning entirely automatically.

Players need to maintain stable districts rather than accepting severe local discontent in exchange for rapid expansion.

The Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace strengthens industrial mining

The Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace is a Modern Age Wonder.

It provides Production and increases the Science generated by Mines in its settlement.

Mines placed on Resources receive an even greater Science increase.

This makes the Wonder particularly effective in a production-heavy industrial city.

The ideal settlement contains multiple hills, mineable resources and enough population to exploit the surrounding terrain. Constructing it in a flat cultural centre with few Mines would waste much of its potential.

The Furnace also gives industrial expansion a scientific dimension.

Mines normally support Production, allowing a city to construct infrastructure and military units more quickly. The Wonder turns those same tiles into contributors to technological progress.

That combination can support a late-game empire attempting to build expensive projects without falling behind in Science.

The four additional Wonders are not all associated with the new civilizations

Brush and Blade’s four advertised Wonders should not be confused with the associated Wonders included in the individual civilization designs.

Heian Japan is associated with Hoo-Do Hall. Sengoku Japan receives production toward Himeji Castle. Goryeo is connected to Buseoksa, while Joseon favours Hwaseong.

Those associated Wonders are part of the broader Civilization VII roster and interact directly with their respective civilization bonuses.

The four collection additions are separate.

Seongsan Ilchulbong and Nachi Falls are Natural Wonders generated by the map. Mireuksa and the Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace are constructible Wonders assigned to specific Ages.

This distinction gives Brush and Blade a wider influence on campaigns.

Players do not need to select one of the four new civilizations to encounter or exploit the collection’s additional Wonders.

The collection supports cultural, military, diplomatic and scientific victories

Brush and Blade does not concentrate all its content around one victory path.

Heian Japan is the clearest cultural option. Breathtaking terrain, Jinja placement and long-term Tourism reward careful development of beautiful settlements.

Sengoku Japan converts military activity into Culture, Science and Influence, allowing conquest to support several strategic objectives simultaneously.

Goryeo uses Endeavors and Unique Improvements to build Culture and diplomacy before transitioning toward Tourism in the Modern Age.

Joseon concentrates Specialists, Science Buildings and Culture Buildings within a structured settlement network.

Hideyoshi favours aggressive land warfare but still invests heavily in cultural infrastructure.

Yi Sun-sin turns naval combat into Science and Commander experience into Gold.

The collection’s strongest combinations therefore cross conventional victory categories.

A player may begin with cultural expansion, use military conflict to accelerate research and finish through Tourism or another late-game objective.

That flexibility is more valuable than simply adding four civilizations with isolated numerical bonuses.

Brush and Blade benefits from Civilization VII’s leader system

Civilization VII’s decision to separate leaders from civilizations remains controversial among players who prefer historically fixed combinations.

Brush and Blade demonstrates what the system can achieve when used carefully.

Hideyoshi can lead Heian Japan, creating an alternate version of the unifier supported by courtly culture and attractive settlements. He can lead Sengoku Japan and pursue a more direct military history. He can also command Goryeo, Joseon or any compatible civilization from the wider roster.

Yi Sun-sin can be paired with Joseon and Turtle Ships for the most obvious historical combination.

He can also lead Goryeo, using diplomacy and culture to support an increasingly experienced navy. Selecting a non-Korean civilization may provide stronger naval infrastructure, better Production or a completely different economic foundation.

The result is not always historically plausible.

That is an intentional part of Civilization’s alternate-history model.

The strategic question is whether the selected leader ability and civilization systems create an interesting empire, not whether the combination reproduces one exact historical government.

Brush and Blade is a content collection rather than a traditional expansion

Players should distinguish Brush and Blade from a large mechanical expansion.

The collection adds leaders, civilizations, Wonders and profile customization items.

It does not introduce a separate campaign, new victory condition or universal system affecting every Civilization VII owner.

Major systemic changes have instead arrived through free updates such as Test of Time, Update 1.4.1 and Update 1.4.2.

Brush and Blade launched alongside those updates, but its paid content remains separate from features such as revised Governments, Hotseat multiplayer, expanded Peace Deals and improved Leader Relationships.

This separation is important when evaluating its value.

The collection is primarily intended for players who want more strategic combinations and stronger representation of Japanese and Korean history.

Someone expecting an expansion that fundamentally restructures every campaign may find its scope narrower.

The complete collection is stronger than either installment alone

Part 1 already provided a substantial combination of content.

Hideyoshi, Heian Japan and Sengoku Japan represented the central Brush and Blade contrast, while the four Wonders expanded the map and city-building systems for every campaign using the DLC.

Part 2 completes the idea.

Yi Sun-sin introduces a highly specialised naval leader. Goryeo provides a diplomatic cultural economy, while Joseon offers a distinctive capital-focused structure and one of the collection’s most thematic naval units.

The Korean additions also prevent Brush and Blade from becoming exclusively a Japanese history pack with a broader East Asian label.

Together, the six playable additions cover courtly culture, military unification, feudal conflict, Buddhist scholarship, Confucian administration and naval defence.

Not every part of the collection will appeal equally to every player.

Yi Sun-sin’s value depends heavily on water. Heian Japan needs suitable high-Appeal terrain. Sengoku Japan requires active Commander development. Joseon demands careful control of Specialists and settlement hierarchy.

Those constraints are also what give the collection its strategic identity.

Art and war now share the same Civilization VII campaign

Brush and Blade succeeds when its cultural and military systems stop functioning as opposites.

Hideyoshi builds Culture Buildings to support conquest.

Heian Japan uses military units to protect beautiful terrain.

Sengoku Japan produces Science and Culture through experienced Commanders.

Yi Sun-sin transforms naval victories into research.

Goryeo converts diplomatic cooperation into Culture while using cavalry to generate Influence.

Joseon concentrates scholars inside cities protected by Commanders, Turtle Ships and fortified Wonders.

The collection’s title is therefore more than promotional language.

Its civilizations repeatedly demonstrate that art, administration, diplomacy and warfare developed together rather than along separate historical paths.

With Update 1.4.2 now available, the complete Brush and Blade Collection can be played in Civilization VII.

The Brush can define an empire’s legacy.

The Blade can determine whether that empire survives long enough to create it.