Civ 6: Fastest Religious Victory Paths – Top Faith Civs
Achieving a Religious Victory in Civilization 6 can be surprisingly swift, particularly if you're not facing heavy religious competition. While many Civs boast strong Faith generation, some excel at achieving this victory type faster than others. This guide highlights the Civs best suited for a rapid Religious Victory, focusing on strategies to maximize their Faith output.
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.
Civ Ability: Taxis – +3 Combat and Religious Strength per converted Holy City; killing a unit spreads your religion.
Unique Units: Dromon (Classical ranged), Hippodrome (replaces Entertainment Complex, grants Amenities and a free Heavy Cavalry).
Theodora's strategy hinges on aggressive religious expansion through conquest. The Taxis ability provides significant combat and religious boosts for each converted Holy City, while unit kills spread your religion. The Hippodrome generates free Heavy Cavalry, facilitating rapid expansion. Prioritize Theology and Monarchy civics for policy slots. Combine domination and religious strategies: use the Crusades founding belief for extra combat strength against units of your religion, and convert cities before invading. Simultaneous missionary/apostle deployment with combat will rapidly convert Holy Cities.
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.
Civ 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, spreads +1 Appeal).
Menelik II's strength lies in his ability to balance Faith, Science, and Culture. Found cities on Hills to leverage his Leader ability. Maximize Faith from multiple resource copies and trade routes. Construct Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains and hills for maximum Faith generation. Prioritize Culture alongside Faith to accelerate Civic tree progression.
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.
Civ 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 city growth and Faith accumulation. Place Holy Sites next to rivers to maximize Faith, Housing, and Culture. Build Aqueducts for extra Amenities and Faith. The Prasat provides significant Faith and supports a strong Culture game. Utilize Wonders like the Great Bath and Hanging Gardens to boost growth and amenities. Focus on Apostle production for rapid, peaceful conversion of Holy Cities.
Peter – Russia: Tundra Domination
Leader Ability: The Grand Embassy – Trade Routes with advanced civilizations grant +1 Science and +1 Culture per 3 technologies or civics they are ahead of Russia.
Civ Ability: Mother Russia – +5 founding range; Tundra tiles grant +1 Faith and +1 Production; units are immune to Blizzards; warring civilizations 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).
Peter's strategy centers on exploiting Tundra terrain. The Lavra's expansion mechanic allows for rapid territorial growth, while Tundra tiles provide significant Faith and Production. The Dance of the Aurora pantheon further enhances Tundra yields. Prioritize Settlers with the Magnus promotion to prevent population loss during expansion. St. Basil's Cathedral provides additional Tundra bonuses. This combination can lead to exceptionally fast Religious Victories.
