Civilization VI: Fastest Religious Victory Civs, Ranked

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. Several civilizations excel at generating Faith, but some significantly outperform others in speed. This guide highlights the Civ 6 leaders best suited for a rapid Religious Victory. While others might offer more consistent wins, these leaders prioritize speed under specific conditions and strategic approaches.

Theodora – Byzantine: Conquest and Conversion

Leader Ability: Metanoia (Holy Sites gain Culture equal to adjacency bonus; Farms gain +1 Faith from Hippodromes and Holy Sites).

Civilization Ability: Taxis (+3 Combat and Religious Strength per converted Holy City; killing a unit spreads your religion).

Unique Units: Dromon (Classical ranged unit), Hippodrome (replaces Entertainment Complex, grants Amenities and a free Heavy Cavalry).

Theodora's strategy centers on religious warfare. Byzantium's ability boosts combat and religious strength for each converted Holy City, while enemy unit kills spread your religion. The Hippodrome facilitates rapid conquest through free Heavy Cavalry. The Culture bonus from Holy Sites accelerates Civic tree progression, enabling quick access to Theology and Monarchy for more Policy Slots.

Winning Strategy: Combine Domination and Religious strategies. Focus on combat engagements to spread your religion. The "Crusades" founding belief enhances combat strength against units of your religion. Convert cities before invading for a swift takeover. Missionaries and Apostles, alongside combat, rapidly convert Holy Cities.

Menelik II – Ethiopia: Hill Settlements for Balanced Growth

Leader Ability: Council of Ministers (Cities 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 grant +0.5 Faith per resource in the origin city; Archaeologists and Museums purchasable 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 his Leader ability. Founding cities on Hills provides a balanced approach, generating Science and Culture alongside Faith, preventing lags in other areas. Prioritize Faith buildings early to secure a quick Pantheon and Religion. Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains maximize Faith bonuses.

Winning Strategy: Settle on Hills, maximize Bonus and Luxury Resource copies, trade with resource-rich civilizations, and build Rock-Hewn Churches strategically. Prioritizing Culture alongside Faith speeds up Civic tree progression.

Jayavarman VII – Khmer: River-Based Holy Sites for Explosive Faith

Leader Ability: Monasteries of the King (Holy Sites gain Food equal to 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, +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 both Cultural and Religious victories. His Leader ability makes Holy Sites near rivers incredibly powerful, generating massive Faith, Housing, and Culture. Aqueducts further boost Amenities and Faith. The Prasat provides significant Faith and Culture.

Winning Strategy: Place Holy Sites next to rivers, prioritize Aqueducts, and utilize Wonders like the Great Bath and Hanging Gardens to boost growth. Continuously produce Apostles and Missionaries to peacefully convert Holy Cities.

Peter – Russia: Tundra Domination and Lavra Expansion

Leader Ability: The Grand Embassy (Trade Routes with advanced civilizations grant +1 Science and +1 Culture per 3 Technologies or Civics they are ahead).

Civilization Ability: Mother Russia (+5 extra founding tiles; Tundra tiles grant +1 Faith and +1 Production; units immune to Blizzard; 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).

Russia's strength lies in its ability to rapidly expand and generate significant Faith from Tundra tiles. The Lavra allows for massive territorial expansion with Great Person spending.

Winning Strategy: Utilize the Tundra bonus, the "Dance of the Aurora" Pantheon for even greater yields, and the Magnus promotion to prevent population loss during expansion. Build Lavras and use Great People to expand borders, maximizing Faith output. St. Basil's Cathedral further enhances Tundra tile bonuses.

These strategies, when executed effectively, can lead to remarkably fast Religious Victories in Civilization 6. Remember that success depends heavily on map generation and opponent actions.