Civs Rule Religious Victory Race in Civilization VI

Civ 6: Conquer the Faith – A Guide to Rapid Religious Victories

Securing a Religious Victory in Civilization 6 can be surprisingly swift, especially if you're the only civilization vying for religious dominance. Several Civ 6 leaders excel at generating Faith, swiftly claiming Holy Sites, and achieving a rapid Religious victory. While some civilizations offer more consistent religious victory paths, these leaders can achieve incredibly fast wins under the right conditions and with a focused Faith strategy.

This guide highlights the best Faith-focused civilizations in Civ 6, detailing their strengths and optimal strategies for a lightning-fast Religious Victory.

Theodora – Byzantine: A Master of Religious Warfare

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 to the controlling civilization or city-state.

Unique Units: Dromon (Classical ranged unit), Hippodrome (replaces Entertainment Complex, grants Amenities and a free Heavy Cavalry upon completion and for each subsequent building).

Theodora's strategy centers on religious warfare. The Byzantine ability boosts combat and religious strength with each converted Holy City, and eliminating enemy units spreads your religion. Hippodromes facilitate rapid conquest by providing free Heavy Cavalry. The Culture bonus from Holy Sites accelerates Civic tree progression; prioritize Theology and Monarchy for quick Policy Slots.

Theodora excels at a combined Domination/Religious strategy. Focus on combat encounters to spread your religion, even without conquering every city. The Crusades founding belief provides extra combat strength against units of your religion. Convert outlying cities before invasion, leveraging their religious influence and the damage vulnerability of enemy units following your religion. Combine military pressure with Missionaries and Apostles for rapid Holy City conversions.

Menelik II – Ethiopia: Faith from Hills and Resources

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 Hills tile; provides Tourism from Faith after Flight; spreads +1 Appeal).

Menelik II's strength lies in his Leader ability. Founding cities on Hills provides a significant boost to Science and Culture alongside Faith, preventing lags in these areas. Prioritize Faith buildings early to secure the first Pantheon and Religion. Construct Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains and hills for maximum Faith generation. Maximize Bonus and Luxury Resources, trading with civilizations rich in these resources. Prioritizing Culture alongside Faith accelerates Civic tree progression, unlocking policies that enhance religious influence.

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 is exceptionally strong for Religious victories. His Leader ability makes Holy Sites near rivers incredibly powerful, generating massive Faith, Housing, and Culture. The Khmer ability further enhances this with Aqueducts providing Amenities and Faith per citizen. Prasats significantly boost Faith and Culture. Prioritize Holy Sites near rivers, build Aqueducts, and utilize Wonders like the Great Bath and Hanging Gardens to enhance growth and mitigate river-related penalties. Rapid city growth, high Faith generation, and ample Housing and Amenities enable extremely fast Religious victories.

Peter – Russia: Tundra Domination

Leader Ability: The Grand Embassy – Trade Routes with more advanced civilizations grant +1 Science and +1 Culture per 3 technologies or civics they possess.

Civilization Ability: Mother Russia – +5 extra tiles when founding cities. Tundra tiles grant +1 Faith and +1 Production. Units are immune to Blizzards; 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).

Peter is arguably the most powerful leader for a Religious Victory. His civilization ability grants extra tiles, Faith, and Production from Tundra. The Lavra expands city borders when Great People are spent, enabling rapid territorial expansion. Combine this with the Dance of the Aurora pantheon for even greater Tundra yields. Prioritize Settlers (with the Magnus promotion) to expand widely across Tundra regions. The Lavra's expansion capabilities, coupled with high Faith output from Tundra tiles, make for incredibly fast Religious victories. St. Basil's Cathedral further enhances Tundra tile bonuses.

By mastering these strategies and leveraging the unique strengths of these leaders, you can significantly accelerate your path to a Religious Victory in Civilization 6. Remember that success depends on adapting to the specific game conditions and reacting to your opponents' strategies.