Civilization VI: Fastest Religious Victory Civs, Ranked

Civilization 6: Conquer Faith with These Top Religious Victory Civs

Securing a Religious Victory in Civilization 6 can be surprisingly swift, especially if you're not facing stiff religious competition. While many Civs can pursue a religious path, some excel at rapid Faith generation and Holy Site domination. This guide highlights the Civ leaders best suited for a quick Religious Victory.

These Civs generate Faith exceptionally fast, readily seize Holy Sites, and generally achieve Religious Victory quicker than others. While other Civs might offer more consistent Religious victories, these Leaders provide a speed advantage under the right conditions and with focused Faith strategies.

Theodora - Byzantine: Conquest and Conversion Combined

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 for each 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 strength lies in religious warfare. The Byzantine ability boosts combat and religious strength with each converted Holy City, and conquered units spread your religion. Hippodromes fuel rapid conquest with free Heavy Cavalry. The Culture bonus from Holy Sites 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 religion; you don't need total conquest. The "Crusades" founding belief provides extra combat strength against units of your religion. Convert cities before invasion to accelerate the process. Combine military pressure with Missionaries/Apostles for swift Holy City conversions.

Menelik II - Ethiopia: Hilltop Faith for Balanced Growth

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 (All 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), Rock-Hewn Church (+1 Faith per adjacent Mountain or Hill tile; provides Tourism from Faith after Flight; spreads +1 Appeal).

Menelik II simplifies Faith generation. Found cities on Hills to gain Science and Culture alongside Faith, preventing imbalances. His ability provides bonus Faith for resource copies and trade routes.

Build Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains and hills for maximum Faith. Prioritize resource acquisition and trade to maximize Faith income. A secondary focus on Culture accelerates Civic progression, enabling earlier Religious influence.

Jayavarman VII - Khmer: River-Side Faith Bonanza

Leader Ability: Monasteries of the King (Holy Sites gain Food equal to their adjacency bonus; +2 Adjacency from Rivers; +2 Housing near Rivers; triggers 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 is strong for both Culture and Religion. His Leader ability makes Holy Sites near rivers incredibly powerful, generating massive Faith, Housing, and Culture. The Khmer ability boosts Amenity and Faith from Aqueducts. The Prasat provides significant Faith and Culture.

Prioritize Holy Sites next to rivers, build Aqueducts, and utilize Wonders like the Great Bath and Hanging Gardens to enhance growth and mitigate river penalties. Generate Apostles (or Missionaries) to quickly and peacefully convert Holy Cities.

Peter - Russia: Tundra Triumph: Faith and 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 tiles on founding a city; 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 excels in all victory types, and Peter is exceptionally strong for Religious Victories. His ability boosts Science and Culture from Trade Routes with advanced Civs. Russia's ability grants extra tiles, Faith, and Production on Tundra.

The Lavra's expansion capabilities are key. Combine this with the "Dance of the Aurora" Pantheon for even more Tundra yields. Use Settlers (with the Magnus promotion) to expand rapidly across Tundra. The Lavra, combined with St. Basil's Cathedral, makes Tundra incredibly productive.

These strategies, when applied effectively, can lead to remarkably fast Religious Victories in Civilization 6. Remember that success depends on map generation, opponent strategies, and your ability to adapt.