Civilization VI: Fastest Religious Victory Civs, Ranked

Conquer the World of Faith: Top Civ VI Leaders for a Speedy Religious Victory

A Religious Victory in Civilization VI can be surprisingly swift, especially if you're the only one pursuing it. While many civilizations in Civ VI boast strong religious elements, some are far more efficient at achieving a religious victory than others. This guide highlights the best faith-focused civilizations, capable of generating faith rapidly, securing holy sites, and ultimately, achieving a fast religious victory. Note that while other civs can win religiously, these leaders excel at speed under the right conditions and with a focused strategy.

Theodora - Byzantine: A Master of Religious Warfare

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 to its owner.

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

Theodora's strategy hinges on religious warfare. Byzantium's ability boosts combat and religious strength for each converted Holy City, while enemy unit kills spread your faith. The Hippodrome provides free Heavy Cavalry, facilitating rapid conquest. Theodora's Holy Site Culture bonus accelerates Civic progression; prioritize Theology and Monarchy for quick Policy Slots.

Winning Strategy: Combine Domination and Religious strategies. Focus on combat engagements to spread your religion. The Crusades founding belief provides extra combat strength against same-religion units. Convert cities before invading; your religious influence will persist, weakening enemies and spreading your faith on their deaths. Combine military pressure with Missionaries and Apostles for swift Holy City conversions.

Menelik II - Ethiopia: Faith from Hills and Resources

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 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 a balanced approach to Faith, Science, and Culture. Focus on Faith buildings early to secure the first Pantheon and Religion. Build Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains and hills for maximum Faith. Maximize Bonus and Luxury Resource copies and trade with resource-rich civilizations. Prioritize Culture alongside Faith to unlock beneficial Religious policies early.

Jayavarman VII - Khmer: River-Based Faith Generation

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 excels at both Cultural and Religious victories. His Leader ability makes Holy Sites near rivers incredibly powerful, generating massive Faith, Housing, and Culture. Khmer's Aqueduct bonus further boosts Faith and Amenities. The Prasat provides significant Faith and Culture.

Winning Strategy: Place Holy Sites next to rivers. Prioritize Aqueducts and Wonders like the Great Bath and Hanging Gardens to boost growth and mitigate river drawbacks. Generate Apostles (or Missionaries) to rapidly and peacefully convert Holy Cities.

Peter - Russia: Tundra Domination

Leader Ability: The Grand Embassy – Trade Routes with more advanced civilizations grant +1 Science and +1 Culture per 3 Technologies or Civics they lead by.

Civilization Ability: Mother Russia – +5 city tiles on founding; Tundra tiles grant +1 Faith and +1 Production; units are immune to Blizzards; 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 versatile civilization, but Peter shines in Religious victories. His ability boosts Science and Culture from Trade Routes. Russia's ability provides extra tiles, Faith, and Production on Tundra. The Lavra allows for aggressive expansion.

Winning Strategy: Utilize Tundra's Faith and Production bonuses. The Dance of the Aurora Pantheon further enhances Tundra yields. Use Settlers (with the Magnus promotion) to expand widely across Tundra. Lavras enable rapid expansion and Faith generation. Build St. Basil's Cathedral for additional Tundra bonuses. Employ Builders to exploit new resources unlocked by expansion. Peter can achieve incredibly fast Religious victories with effective Tundra utilization and Lavra expansion.