Mastering Religious Victories in Civilization VI: A Guide to Faith-Focused Leaders
Achieving a Religious Victory in Civilization VI can be surprisingly swift, especially if you're not facing stiff competition for religious dominance. Several civilizations excel at generating faith, rapidly securing Holy Sites, and ultimately securing a quick religious victory. While some civilizations offer more reliable paths to religious victory, these leaders, with the right strategies, can achieve it remarkably fast.
Theodora – Byzantine: Conquering and Converting with Ease
- Leader Ability (Metanoia): Holy Sites gain Culture equal to their adjacency bonus. Farms gain +1 Faith from Hippodromes and Holy Sites.
- Civilization Ability (Taxis): +3 Combat and Religious Strength per converted Holy City. Killing a unit spreads your religion.
- Unique Units: Dromon (Classical ranged unit), Hippodrome (replaces Entertainment Complex, grants Amenities and a free Heavy Cavalry).
Theodora's strategy centers on religious warfare. Byzantium's ability boosts combat and religious strength for each converted Holy City, and enemy unit deaths spread your religion. Hippodromes facilitate rapid conquest through free Heavy Cavalry units. Prioritize Theology and Monarchy civics for faster policy slot acquisition. The Crusades founding belief enhances combat strength against units of your religion. Convert cities before invading; your religious influence will accelerate conversion. Combine military pressure with Missionaries and Apostles for swift Holy City conversions. This makes Theodora ideal for a combined Domination/Religious victory.
Menelik II – Ethiopia: Faith from Hills, Resources, and Trade
- Leader Ability (Council of Ministers): Cities founded on Hills gain Science and Culture equal to 15% of their Faith output. +4 Combat Strength for units on Hills.
- Civilization Ability (Aksumite Legacy): Resource improvements gain +1 Faith per copy. International Trade Routes gain +0.5 Faith per resource in the origin city. Archaeologists and Museums can be purchased with Faith.
- Unique Units: Oromo Cavalry (Medieval Light Cavalry), Rock-Hewn Church (+1 Faith per adjacent Mountain or Hill, provides Tourism from Faith after Flight, +1 Appeal to surroundings).
Menelik II's strength lies in his Leader ability. Founding cities on Hills provides a significant boost to Science and Culture, allowing for balanced development. Focus on building Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains and hills for maximum Faith generation. Maximize Bonus and Luxury Resource copies and engage in lucrative trade routes. This balanced approach ensures rapid faith generation without sacrificing other crucial aspects of your civilization's growth.
Jayavarman VII – Khmer: River-Based Faith Generation
- Leader Ability (Monasteries of the King): Holy Sites gain Food equal to their adjacency bonus, +2 adjacency from Rivers, +2 Housing near Rivers, and trigger a Culture Bomb.
- Civilization Ability (Grand Barays): Aqueducts provide +1 Amenity and +1 Faith per citizen. Farms gain +2 Food near Aqueducts and +1 Faith near Holy Sites.
- Unique Units: Domrey (Medieval Siege unit), Prasat (+6 Faith, Relic slot, extra Housing, Culture, and Food with certain beliefs). +0.5 Culture per citizen.
Jayavarman VII excels at rapid cultural victories, but his ability to generate faith is equally impressive. Position Holy Sites next to rivers for massive Faith gains, utilizing the added Housing and Culture Bomb. Aqueducts provide further boosts to Amenities and Faith. The Prasat unique building significantly contributes to both Culture and Faith. This combination leads to rapid city growth and faith accumulation, enabling a swift Religious Victory.
Peter – Russia: Tundra Domination and Faith Exploits
- Leader Ability (The Grand Embassy): Trade Routes with other Civilizations grant +1 Science and +1 Culture for every 3 Technologies or Civics they are ahead of Russia.
- Civilization Ability (Mother Russia): +5 extra tiles when founding a city. Tundra tiles grant +1 Faith and +1 Production. Units are immune to Blizzard; enemies suffer double penalties in Russian territory.
- Unique Units: Cossack (Industrial Era), Lavra (Replaces Holy Site, expands by 2 tiles when a Great Person is spent there).
Russia, under Peter, is a formidable contender for any victory type, but excels in Religious Victories. The ability to gain extra tiles on city founding, combined with the Lavra's expansion capabilities, allows for rapid territorial growth. The Tundra's Faith and Production bonuses, further enhanced by the Dance of the Aurora pantheon, fuel exponential faith generation. This, coupled with the Lavra's ability to expand your borders, allows for rapid faith generation and territorial control, leading to one of the fastest Religious Victory paths in the game.
