Civilization VI: Fastest Religious Victory Civs, Ranked

Civ 6's Fastest Religious Victory Paths: Top Faith Civs

Achieving a Religious Victory in Civilization 6 can be surprisingly swift, especially if you're not facing intense religious competition. Several civilizations excel at generating Faith, quickly securing Holy Sites, and ultimately dominating the religious landscape. While some Civs offer more reliable Religious Victory paths, these leaders, with the right strategies, can achieve a remarkably fast win.

Theodora - Byzantine: Conquer and Convert

Leader Ability: Metanoia – Holy Sites gain Culture equal to their 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), Hippodrome (replaces Entertainment Complex, grants Amenities and a free Heavy Cavalry).

Theodora's strategy centers on religious warfare. The Taxis ability provides significant combat and religious boosts for each converted Holy City. Combined with the Hippodrome's free Heavy Cavalry, conquest becomes efficient. The Culture bonus from Holy Sites accelerates Civic progression, allowing rapid access to Theology and Monarchy for more Policy Slots.

Key Strategy: Combine Domination and Religious strategies. Focus on eliminating enemy units to spread your religion, then convert cities. The Crusades founding belief enhances combat strength against units of your religion. Simultaneously, deploy Missionaries and Apostles to rapidly convert target Holy Cities.

Menelik II - Ethiopia: Hilltop Faith Generation

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

Menelik II's strength lies in his Leader ability. Founding cities on Hills provides a significant boost to Science and Culture alongside Faith, preventing imbalances.

Key Strategy: Settle on Hills. Construct Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains and hills for maximum Faith. Maximize Bonus and Luxury Resource copies and engage in lucrative trade routes. Prioritizing Culture alongside Faith ensures swift Civic progression.

Jayavarman VII - Khmer: River-Based Faith Boom

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 both Cultural and Religious victories. His Leader ability makes Holy Sites near rivers incredibly powerful.

Key Strategy: Place Holy Sites next to rivers. Prioritize Aqueducts for Amenities and Faith. Utilize Wonders like the Great Bath and The Hanging Gardens to boost growth and mitigate negative river effects. Generate Apostles and Missionaries 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.

Civilization Ability: Mother Russia – +5 city tiles on founding; 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 there).

Russia's strength lies in its ability to rapidly expand and exploit Tundra terrain.

Key Strategy: Utilize the Tundra bonus for Faith and Production. The Dance of the Aurora pantheon further enhances Tundra yields. Use Settlers (with Magnus promotion) for wide expansion. Lavras enable rapid territorial growth. St. Basil's Cathedral provides additional Tundra bonuses.

These strategies, when implemented effectively, can lead to some of the fastest Religious Victories in Civilization 6. Remember that success depends on map generation, opponent strategies, and adapting to unforeseen circumstances.