Civilization VI: Fastest Religious Victory Civs, Ranked

Author: Claire Jan 19,2025

Civilization VI: Fastest Religious Victory Civs, Ranked

Civilization VI: Conquer Faith with These Top Religious Victory Civs

Securing a Religious Victory in Civilization VI can be surprisingly swift, especially if you're the only one vying for religious dominance. While many civilizations boast strong religious capabilities, some excel at achieving a rapid Religious Victory. This guide highlights the Civs best suited for a fast-paced religious conquest.

These top Faith civilizations generate Faith rapidly, swiftly seize control of Holy Sites, and generally boast the potential for the fastest Religious Victory in Civ VI. While others might offer greater reliability, these leaders can achieve victory quickly under the right circumstances, provided you prioritize effective Faith strategies.

Theodora - Byzantine: Domination and Religion Combined

Leader Ability: Metanoia (Holy Sites grant 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 unit)

Theodora's strategy centers on religious warfare. Byzantium's ability boosts combat and religious strength for each converted Holy City, and killing enemy units spreads your religion. Hippodromes facilitate rapid conquest by providing free Heavy Cavalry. Theodora's Holy Site Culture bonus accelerates Civic progression; prioritize Theology and Monarchy for quick Policy Slots. Theodora excels at a combined Domination/Religious strategy. Focus on combat engagements to spread your faith, utilizing the Crusades founding belief for extra combat strength against units of your religion. Convert cities before invading for a swift takeover.

Menelik II - Ethiopia: Hill-Based 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 grant +0.5 Faith per resource in the origin city; Archaeologists and Museums can be purchased with Faith)

Unique Units: Oromo Cavalry (Medieval Light Cavalry unit), Rock-Hewn Church (+1 Faith per adjacent Mountain or Hills tile; provides Tourism from Faith after Flight; spreads +1 Appeal)

Menelik II's strength lies in his Leader ability. Founding cities on Hills provides Science and Culture alongside Faith, allowing balanced development. Focus on building Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains and hills for maximum Faith. Maximize Bonus and Luxury Resources, trade with resource-rich civilizations, and settle on Hills to maintain a strong economy while prioritizing Faith. Prioritizing Culture alongside Faith accelerates Civic progression, enabling earlier access to powerful religious policies.

Jayavarman VII - Khmer: River-Based Faith Powerhouse

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 significant Faith, Housing, and Culture. Khmer's Aqueducts boost Amenities and Faith. Prasats provide substantial Faith and Culture. Prioritize placing Holy Sites near rivers, building Aqueducts, and securing Wonders like the Great Bath and Hanging Gardens to maximize growth and amenities. This combination leads to rapid city growth, Faith generation, and high Housing/Amenity caps, enabling exceptionally fast Religious victories.

Peter - Russia: Tundra-Based Faith 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)

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 there)

Russia is a formidable civilization in Civ VI, capable of any victory type. Peter's ability to gain extra Science and Culture through Trade Routes is beneficial, but his civilization's ability is truly potent. The extra founding tiles and Lavra allow for rapid expansion. Tundra tiles provide extra Faith and Production. Combine this with the Dance of the Aurora pantheon for amplified Tundra yields. Build Settlers with the Magnus promotion to prevent population loss during expansion. Lavras provide significant border expansion. The combination of rapid expansion, high Faith output from Tundra tiles, and Lavra expansion creates the potential for some of the fastest Religious Victories in Civ VI.