Civilization 6: Strategy guide to all victory types

In our Civilization 6 strategy guide you will learn:

  • How to achieve religious, cultural and scientific victories
  • Which civilizations are suitable for which victory type
  • The best build order for each victory type

Civilization 6 remains exciting and varied even after dozens of games and hundreds of hours of play. This is mainly due to the diverse victory conditions, which can only be achieved if strategy and build order are coordinated. We'll tell you how to achieve this.

How does point victory work in Civilization 6?

A point victory occurs when no other type of victory could be achieved and the specified number of rounds has been reached. Then the player with the highest score wins.

In principle, points are awarded for all activities and achievements: population, cities, research, wonders, major personalities, etc. Cities harbor the greatest potential, because they bring up to 20 or 30 points, depending on their inhabitants. Likewise, the number of technologies developed and alignments chosen is crucial. For each of them you get two points. Thus, at the end of the game, technologies and alignments add up to a considerable number of points.

What you need to consider for a domination victory

To win a domination victory, you must capture and control the capitals of all players. The best way to win a domination victory is with civilizations that are militarily strong and are already strong at the beginning of the game. The Aztecs, Sumerians, Macedonians or Scythians are recommended here.

In this Civilization 6 strategy, start by finding a weak player in your immediate surroundings. Don't start wars with multiple players at the beginning. Focus on one player who is militarily weak or already involved in a war. Whenever available, use a casus belli to declare war. By doing so, you will often escape the warmonger penalty.

Focus on research and production in addition to military units. A technological advantage and thus more advanced units are hugely important to maintaining your dominance on the map.

Build Order:

Craftsman -> Warrior -> Warrior (or Scout) -> Settler -> Monument ->3-4Slingers -> More Warriors

For this Civilization 6 strategy, you want to use the early Craftsman to unlock Craftsmanship as quickly as possible and, in the best case, trigger a Eureka. Use the politics card for 1 production. Together with the card for 50% faster production of ancient units, you'll have a powerful army in no time.

Develop archers as soon as possible and capture the nearest capital with all units. Keep an eye out for iron and horses and bring the resources under your control to be able to build better units in the coming ages.

Other civilizations:

  • America
  • England
  • Germany
  • Japan
  • Norway

The best wonders:

  • Venice Arsenal
  • Terracotta Army
  • Great Lighthouse

The best strategy for diplomacy victory in Civ 6

Diplomacy victory is only available with the Gathering Storm expansion. For a diplomacy victory, you need to collect 20 diplomacy victory points, which you can get from the World Congress, from building wonders, from civilian research in the alignment tree, or from aid requests.

The World Congress is especially important because it is here that all nations vote on who should become the leader. The more often you are elected leader, the more victory points you will receive. For this to happen as often as possible, you need a lot of diplomatic favor.

A diplomacy victory usually takes longer than any other type of victory.

Build Order:

There is no real Build Order because the World Congress does not begin until the Middle Ages, and a Diplomacy victory is not possible until the Post-Modern era. The way to get there is versatile and depends on many factors. Basically, it is important that you are suzerain of many city-states, form alliances, liberate city-states and provide first aid in global crises. Also, be friendly to all nations and trade. The more of these points you fulfill, the higher your diplomatic favor will rise.

The best civilizations:

  • Canada
  • Greece
  • America
  • India

Best Wonders:

  • Mahabodhi Temple
  • Potala Palace
  • Statue of Liberty

How to win a culture victory in Civilization 6

To win a culture victory, you must have more foreign tourists than any other civilization has domestic tourists. To do this, generate as much culture as possible and collect tourism points. Once you generate more tourism points than any other nation's culture points, you win the game.

Theater districts are your first choice to generate as much culture as possible. The more cities you have, the more theater districts you can build. This is the fastest way to explore the alignment tree, effectively increasing your tourism. The ultimate goal here should be the development of social media. The best form of government is democracy, as it lets you use many wildcards and economic cards.

Great personalities are your next most important source of culture. Writers, composers and artists provide great works that fuel your tourism. In addition, you should hire archaeologists to find artifacts to display in your museums.

Build Order:

Scout -> Settler ->Monument/Slinger -> Warrior/Slinger or Artisan (Depending on if there is danger ahead)

In principle, you want to expand as fast as possible to build theater districts. The idea behind this is simple: the more cities you own, the more theater districts can be built. Build a monument in each city and try to unlock Drama and Poetry in the alignment tree. Additionally, send your envoys to city-states that will improve your culture (countersigned in purple).

Also, try to believe in the same religion as most other civilizations to get bonuses on tourism. Alternatively, you can try to establish your own religion and distribute your faith among the peoples. However, such an endeavor can easily fail or even draw ill will towards you, ending in wars.

The best civilizations:

  • America
  • Aztecs
  • Brazil
  • China
  • England
  • France
  • Greece
  • Congo

The best wonders:

  • Bolshoi Theatre
  • Broadway
  • Chichen Itza
  • Colloseum
  • Cristo Redentor
  • Estadio de Maracanã
  • Forbidden City
  • Great Pyramids
  • Hermitage
  • Sydney Opera House

How do I start a religion and successfully spread faith?

For a religion victory, you must convert all civilizations to your faith. To do this, you must convert at least 50% of all cities.

Holy Places are the most important districts, which you build and develop as much as possible. From shrines and temples you produce missionaries and apostles who actively spread your faith. In a passive way, trade routes or settling near foreign cities influence the local faith.

Establish a religion quickly if you want to win a religion victory.

Before you decide on the religion path, keep in mind that the larger the game map and the number of civilizations, the harder it will be to win.

Build Order:

Slinger -> Settler ->Sanctuary -> Craftsman -> Shrine/Sanctuary Prayer

With this build order you are almost sure to get a great prophet and your own religion. First build a craftsman in the second city to speed up your production and then build the second holy place. In the early game, focus on missionaries to spread your faith. Apostles are better for upgrading your religion, starting an inquisition, or fighting enemy missionaries.

In the alignment tree, choose the fastest path to Theocracy. Opt for culture-enhancing developments along the way, as they accelerate your progress to theocracy. Additionally, send your envoys to city-states that improve your faith (countersigned in white).

The best civilizations:

  • Arabia
  • Egypt
  • India
  • Russia
  • Scythians
  • Spain

The best wonders:

  • Hagia Sophia
  • Mahabodhi Temple
  • Le Mont-Saint-Michel
  • Stonehenge

Civilization 6 strategy for a science victory

If you manage to colonize Mars, you will have won a science victory. Until that happens, you will need to accumulate a lot of science points to rush through the research tree.

The basis of the Mars expedition is researching rocket technology and building a spaceport. After that, you will send a satellite. After you have researched satellite technology, you can make a moon landing.

If you do NOT have the Gathering Storm expansion, you must now do the following:

  1. Research nuclear fusion and launch a Mars reactor.
  2. Research nanotechnology and start the hydroponics project.
  3. Research robotics and colonize Mars.

If you have the Gathering Storm expansion installed, you will need to do the following instead:

  1. Research nanotechnology and colonize Mars.
  2. Research smart materials and start the Exoplanet Expedition.
  3. Wait until the expedition is completed(50 turns).
  4. Optional: Researches outside world deployment and builds laser stations to speed up the expedition's flight.

Build Order:

Scout -> Craftsman -> Settler -> Slinger -> Settler ->Campus

Early expansion is the magic word in this Civilization 6 strategy. The idea behind the Build Order is that you want to have three to four cities as soon as possible, in which you build a campus. As with the Domination victory, you try to unlock craftsmanship with the help of the early craftsman and, in the best case, trigger a Eureka.

In the research tree, aim to research education so that you can quickly build universities. Additionally, send your envoys to city-states to improve your science (countermarked in blue). In addition to science, production is enormously important so that you don't have to wait too long for projects later in the game. Your second big goal in the research tree should therefore be industrialization. Great scientists and engineers also help enormously to get the science victory.

The best civilizations:

  • Arabia
  • Sumeria
  • Germany
  • Scotland
  • Korea
  • Inca
  • Australia

The best wonders:

  • University of Oxford
  • Great Library
  • Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

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