Civilization VI: Fastest Religious Victory Civs, Ranked

Mastering Religious Victory in Civilization VI: A Guide to Swift Faith Generation

Securing a Religious Victory in Civilization VI can be surprisingly swift, especially if you're not facing heavy competition. Several civilizations excel at Faith generation, but some significantly outperform others in achieving a rapid Religious victory. This guide highlights the top Faith-focused civilizations, detailing their strengths and strategies for a quick win.

Theodora – Byzantine: A Force of Faith and Conquest

• Leader Ability (Metanoia): Holy Sites gain Culture equal to their adjacency bonus. Farms receive +1 Faith from adjacent 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, provides 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 conquered units spread your faith. Hippodromes fuel rapid conquest with free Heavy Cavalry. Focus on Theology and Monarchy civics for policy slots. The Crusades belief enhances combat strength against units of your religion. Convert cities before invading for a swift religious takeover.

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 Hill tile, provides Tourism from Faith after Flight, spreads +1 Appeal).

Menelik II's strength lies in efficient resource management. Found cities on Hills to leverage the Leader ability, balancing Faith with Science and Culture. Maximize Faith from multiple resource copies and trade routes. Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains dramatically boost Faith. Prioritize Culture alongside Faith to unlock beneficial policies early.

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 city growth and Faith generation. Place Holy Sites near rivers to maximize the Leader ability's benefits. Aqueducts enhance Amenity and Faith. The Prasat provides significant Faith and Culture boosts. Prioritize Wonders like the Great Bath and Hanging Gardens to support growth. Rapidly spread your religion with Apostles and Missionaries.

Peter – Russia: Tundra Domination and Lavras

• Leader Ability (The Grand Embassy): Trade Routes with more advanced civilizations grant +1 Science and +1 Culture per 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 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 there).

Peter's strategy revolves around exploiting Tundra terrain. The extra tiles from city founding and Tundra bonuses enable rapid expansion. Lavras dramatically increase territory control. The Dance of the Aurora pantheon further enhances Tundra yields. Prioritize building Builders to utilize expanded territory. This combination allows for incredibly fast Faith generation and an early Religious victory.