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In Civilization 6, pursuing a Religious Victory can be one of the swiftest paths to triumph, especially when fewer competitors are vying for religious dominance. Certain civilizations in Civ 6 are particularly adept at generating Faith, swiftly capturing other Holy Sites, and achieving a rapid Religious Victory. While other civilizations may offer more consistent paths to a Religious Victory, the leaders highlighted here can secure it quickly under the right conditions and with a focus on Faith-centric strategies.
Theodora - Byzantine
Easily Convert Cities While Conquering Them
Theodora Leader Ability: Metanoia
Holy Sites also grant Culture equal to their Adjacency Bonus. Farms gain +1 Faith from Hippodromes and Holy Sites.
Byzantine Civ Ability: Taxis
+3 Combat and Religious Strength for all units for every Holy City you have converted, including Byzantium. Whenever you kill a unit, your Religion spreads to its controlling Civilization or City-State.
Unique Units
Dromon (Classical Ranged unit), Hippodrome (replaces Entertainment Complex, grants Amenities and a free Heavy Cavalry unit on completion and for every building in this district).
Theodora, the leader of the Byzantine civilization, excels in religious warfare, leveraging her abilities to spread her religion effectively. The Byzantine civilization's ability grants additional Combat and Religious Strength for each Holy City converted, including their own, and spreads their religion upon defeating enemy units.
The Hippodrome facilitates rapid conquest across all ages by providing free Heavy Cavalry units upon its construction and with each additional building. Theodora's bonus to Culture from Holy Sites accelerates progression through the Civics tree, making it crucial to prioritize Theology and Monarchy civics for more Policy Slots.
Theodora is ideal for a combined Domination and Religious strategy. Engaging in combat and defeating enemy units allows for easy religious spread without needing to conquer every civilization. Selecting the Crusades founding belief enhances combat strength against units following your religion, and converting outlying cities before invasion ensures continued religious influence and damage to enemy units, which further spreads your religion upon their demise. Regularly sending Missionaries and Apostles to target Holy Cities will expedite their conversion.
Menelik II - Ethiopia
Settle On Hills To Harvest Faith Without Sacrificing Culture or Science
Menelik II Leader Ability: Council of Ministers
Cities founded on Hills gain Science and Culture output equal to 15% of their Faith output. +4 Combat Strength for all units on Hills.
Ethiopia Civ Ability: Aksumite Legacy
All Resource improvements receive +1 Faith for every copy. International Trade Routes grant +0.5 Faith for every resource in the origin city. Archaeologists and Museums can be purchased with Faith.
Unique Units
Oromo Cavalry (Medieval Light Cavalry unit), Rock-Hewn Church (extra +1 Faith for every adjacent Mountain or Hills tile, provides Tourism from Faith after getting to Flight, spreads +1 Appeal to surroundings).
Menelik II, leader of Ethiopia, may seem complex but is straightforward in achieving quick Religious victories. His civilization gains extra Faith from multiple copies of non-strategic resources and from trading with cities rich in Luxury Resources.
The key to Menelik II's rapid Religious victory lies in his Leader ability. By founding cities on Hills, you gain 15% of your Faith output as Science and Culture, allowing you to focus on Faith without compromising other yields. This strategy enables early acquisition of the first Pantheon and Religion by prioritizing Faith buildings.
Construct Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains and surrounded by Hills or Mountain tiles to maximize Faith bonuses. Focus on acquiring as many copies of Bonus and Luxury Resources as possible, trade with civilizations possessing these resources, and settle on Hills to balance your outputs. Prioritizing Culture alongside Faith will expedite your progress through the Civic tree, unlocking policies that enhance your Religious influence earlier than other civilizations.
Jayavarman VII - Khmer
Place Holy Sites Next To Rivers For Enormous Faith Gains
Jayavarman VII Leader Ability: Monasteries of the King
Holy Sites grant Food equal to their Adjacency Bonus, gain +2 Adjacency from Rivers, +2 Housing if built next to a River, and trigger a Culture Bomb.
Khmer Civ Ability: Grand Barays
Aqueducts provide +1 Amenity, and +1 Faith for each Citizen in the city. Farms get +2 Food if placed next to an Aqueduct, and +1 Faith next to a Holy Site.
Unique Units
Domrey (Medieval Siege unit), Prasat (+6 Faith, Relic slot, extra Housing, Culture, and Food with certain beliefs). +0.5 Culture for every Citizen.
Jayavarman VII, leader of the Khmer civilization, is renowned for rapid Cultural victories through Relic collection but truly shines in achieving swift Religious victories. His Leader ability is exceptionally powerful; placing Holy Sites next to Rivers (which the Khmer are naturally inclined to start near) generates substantial Faith, adds Housing, and triggers a Culture Bomb to claim adjacent tiles.
The Khmer civilization benefits from extra Amenities from Aqueducts and a full point of Faith per citizen. The Prasat unique building boosts Culture based on population and provides a significant +6 Faith per turn.
To leverage Jayavarman VII's strengths, position all Holy Sites next to rivers, prioritize Aqueduct construction, and aim for Wonders like the Great Bath and The Hanging Gardens to enhance Growth and mitigate river-related challenges. Continuously develop your Holy Sites and produce Apostles or Missionaries to convert other Holy Cities quickly and peacefully.
Peter - Russia
Bonus Faith On Tundra + Dance Of The Aurora = Game Over
Peter 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.
Russia Civ Ability: Mother Russia
Gain 5 extra tiles on founding a city, Tundra tiles grant +1 Faith and +1 Production. Units are immune to Blizzard, but civilizations at war with Russia suffer double penalties inside Russian territory.
Unique Units
Cossack (Industrial Era), Lavra (Replaces Holy District, expand by 2 tiles in the nearest city whenever you spend a Great Person there).
Russia, under Peter's leadership, is a versatile civilization capable of achieving any victory type, but it excels in Religious victories. Peter's ability to gain extra Science and Culture from Trade Routes with more advanced civilizations is beneficial, but Russia's true strength lies in its civilization ability.
When playing as Russia, you receive additional tiles upon founding a city and can build the Lavra, which replaces the Holy Site and expands borders by two tiles when a Great Person is expended. Additionally, Tundra tiles provide extra Faith and Production.
Starting with a bias towards Tundra zones, you can immediately capitalize on these bonuses. Rush the Dance of the Aurora pantheon to further enhance Tundra yields, then expand widely across Tundra regions using Settlers with the Magnus promotion to prevent Population loss.
By the time you establish a Lavra in your fourth city, your Faith output should significantly surpass that of other civilizations. Continue developing Holy Sites, acquire St Basil's Cathedral for additional Tundra bonuses, and use Builders to harvest new resources as your Great People expand your territory.
Peter's strategy can lead to some of the fastest Religious victories in Civ VI, provided you maximize Tundra tile improvements and leverage your Lavras effectively.
