This week in the Beginners Guide part 4, we are going to take another look at the Civilizations and their Leaders. A week ago we covered the first batch, now it’s the turn for the other leaders that come standard in the game. What are their Leader Bonuses are and what the Civilization unique abilities are. And what each of them means in your quest for victory.
If you like these weekly beginners’ tips, you can find them all under Civilization 6 Beginners Guide.
French Empire: Catherine de Medici
First one, Catherine de Medici
Leader Bonus: Catherine’s Flying Squadron, Catherine has one level of diplomatic visibility higher than normal, Able to build one extra Spy with the Castle Technology.
Unique Unit: Garde Impériale, Industrial era melee unit with 10+ combat strength when fighting on the same continent as France has a city. Great general points are earned for killing units.
Civilization Unique Ability: Grand Tour, Medieval, Renaissance, Industrial era wonders get 20% towards production, wonders from any era get double Tourism.
Civilization Unique Building: Chateau Unlocks the Builder ability to construct a Chateau. +1 Culture. +2 Culture if next to a wonder. +1 Gold if next to a Luxury resource. Can only be built adjacent to Rivers.
Leader Agenda: Black Queen, Gains as many Spies and as much Diplomatic visibility as possible.
Likes other Civilization who do the same, dislikes Civilization that ignore espionage.
A culture victory is possible with Catherine with the builder abilities to build chateau and Catherine’s Black Queen agenda she is ahead in diplomacy. With gaining a spy earlier than other Civilization she can find out how other
Egyptian Empire: Cleopatra
Leader Bonus: Mediterranean Bride, Trade routes to other Civilizations give +4 gold for Egypt, +2 gold received from other Civilization who trade with Egypt. +2 food to Civilization trading with Egypt.
Unique Unit: Maryanne Chariot Archer, Ancient era unit which has 4 movement when starting in open terrain.
Civilization Unique Ability: Iteru, +15% production towards districts and wonders if placed next to a river. Floodplain do not block placement of wonders and districts.
Civilization Unique Building,: Sphinx, Builder ability to construct a Sphinx with +1 faith +1 culture +2 faith if Sphinx is built next to a wonder.
Leader Agenda: Queen of the Nile, like Civilization with a powerful military, dislikes Civilization who have a weak military.
Settling Egypt beside a river to get the bonuses for districts and wonders gives Egypt a boost, starting trade routes quickly with powerful Civilization since they are receiving extra food through the trade with Egypt, which in turn will help build those Sphinx and other wonders.
Cleopatra is strong for a culture victory but really any type of victory is achievable.
Russian Empire: Peter
Leader Bonus: The Grand Embassy, receives culture or science from trade routers to Civilization that are more advanced that Russia.
Unique Unit: Cossack, Industrial era unit, gains +5 combat strength when fighting in or adjacent to its home territory. Can move after attacking if movement points remain.
Civilization Unique Ability: Mother Russia. Extra territory when founding cities +1 faith +1 production from Tundra.
Civilization Unique Building,: Lavra, border city grows by one tile each time a great person is expended in this city. Replaces holy site.
Leader Agenda: Westernizer, Likes Civilization that are ahead in civics and technology. Dislikes backwards Civilization that are behind in civics and technology.
Peters bonuses allow for large city building with gaining an extra tile when settling a city and with the Lavras granting an extra tile when ever you use a great person it’s the perfect combination for growing a large empire. Peter and Russia are suitable for Domination or for any type of victory.
Indian Empire: Gandhi
Leader Bonus: Satyagraha, +5 Faith for each Civilization including India they have met that has founded a religion and is not at war. Opposing Civilization receive double war weariness points for fighting against Gandhi.
Unique Unit: Varu, Classical era mounted unit which has 2 movement and a 40 melee attack. Inflicts -5 combat strength on all adjacent enemy units.
Civilization Unique Ability: Dharma, Receives follower belief bonus in a city from each religion that has at least 1 follower.
Civilization Unique Building, Stepwell. Builder ability to construct a Stepwell which gives 1 food and 1+ housing and 1+ faith if adjacent to a holy site. +1 additional food if adjacent to a farm.
Leader Agenda: likes to never declare war which he can be branded a warmonger, likes peaceful Civilizations. Dislikes warmongers.
Settle your city and send out scouts to find other Civilization and start getting that faith bonus. Religion is one of the ways to achieve victory with India but don’t forget to build up your military as well, science and a culture victory can also be achieved.
Norwegian Empire: Harald Hardrada
Leader Bonus: Thunderbolt of the North, Allows coastal raiding for all naval units +50% production towards all naval melee units.
Unique Unit: Viking Longship. Ancient era naval unit that can pillage enemy coastal lands and capture civilians.
Civilization Unique Ability: Knarr, unit’s cain ability to enter ocean tiles once shipbuilding technology is researched, naval units heal in neutral territory. Units ignore movement costs from embarking and disembarking.
Civilization Unique Building: Stave Church, required to train apostles, holy site districts get an additional standard adjacent bonus from woods. Replaces temple.
Leader Agenda: Last Viking Standing, Likes to build a strong navy, dislikes Civilizations that neglect their navies.
Take advantage of the ability Knarr and build a strong navy fleet, use the melee ships raiding ability to capture Civilization units that get to close the coast, Norway is good for a Domination victory but can be successful in other victories.
Greek Empire: Pericles
Leader Bonus: Surrounded By Glory, +5 culture per city state you are Suzerain of.
Unique Unit: Hoplite: Ancient era unit +10 combat strength if there is at least one adjacent Hoplite unit.
Civilization Unique Ability: Plato’s Republic, One extra Wildcard policy slot in any Government
Civilization Unique Building: Acropolis, +1 culture from each adjacent wonder +1 culture form each adjacent district +1 culture from each adjacent city centre.
Leader Agenda: Delian League, Likes Civilizations that don’t compete for city state allegiance. Dislikes Civilization that are directly competing for city state allegiance.
The extra wild card in any government makes Greece flexible to support any victory, though a culture victory can be the way to go as well, with the Acropolis giving a boost to culture points.
Spanish Empire: Philip II
Leader Bonus: El Escorial, Inquisitors can remove heresy one extra time, Combat unit’s have a bonus of +4 combat strength against Civilization following other religions.
Unique Unit: Conquistador, Renaissance era unit, +10 combat strength when there is a missionary Inquisitor or Apostle in the same hex. If this unit captures a city or its adjacent to a city when it is captured the city will automatically adopt the player religion.
Civilization Unique Ability: Treasure Fleet, Can Build fleets and Armadas sooner than usual. Trade routes between multiple continents receive bonus gold for routes to other Civilization, and bonus food and production for routes between Philips own cities.
Civilization Unique Building: Mission, Builder ability to construct a Mission which gives +1 faith +2 faith is on a different continent than your capital. +1 science if built next to a campus district.
Leader Agenda: Counter Reformer, Likes Civilization who follow the same religion as him and wants his cities to follow the same religion. Dislikes those who spread their religion to his cities.
Build a strong navy and send them out with religious units and spread Philip II religion, with the bonus to cross continent trade routes and the quick expansion of religion, Spain and Philip are great for a religious victory.
Brazilian Empire: Pedro II
Leader Bonus: Magnanimous, After recruiting a Great Person 20% of the points cost of the Great Person is refunded.
Unique Unit: Minas Geraes, Modern era naval unit stronger then battleship which it replaces. +10 melee strength +10 ranged strength +10 anti air strength requires Nationalism to unlock,
Civilization Unique Ability: Amazon, Rainforest tiles provides +1 adjacent bonus for Campus, Commercial hub, holy site and Theatre Square districts. Rainforest tiles provide +1 housing for Neighborhoods built adjacent to them.
Civilization Unique Building: Street Carnival, Replaces Entertainment Complex district, gives +2 amenities, unlocks the Carnival project will which gives and additional +1 Amenity when underway and a variety of Great person points once finished.
Leader Agenda: Patron Of the Arts.
Recruits as many Great People as possible and likes Civilization who do not complete for Great People, dislikes Civilization who take Great People from him.
With Brazil bonus on rainforest clever planing of districts is required to get the most out of the bonus. Those bonus who’ll help with the purchase of Great people and add to a culture win for Pedro II or any other victory as well.
That’s all for Leaders and their agendas for this week, we hope you find it useful.
Greek Empire/ Pericles is now on my ‘want to play’ list!
I’m just now discovering how the whole city state/ Suzerain think works, and I like it!
The extra culture is a cherry on top of the suzerain pie. 🙂
But the extra Wildcard policy slot in any Government is the real gem! That’s really powerful!
I love the one where you get 2 extra charges for your builder. Or the one that lets you buy land for 20% less. (I love snatching away the best hexes from a neighbor civilization/ city)
I would like to try Brazilian Empire/ Pedro II to!
A real challenge to find places that have water but with as much rain forest as possible!
And the Great Person Refund Bonus and extra Amenity is great to,
Hi Ronja, Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
It’s interesting trying out all the different leaders.
Greece is great for a culture win, I’ve used them a few times.
Keep an eye out for this weeks guide as it’s about Envoys, City States and Suzerains.
Hopefully you will find it useful.
Looking foreword to it!