Along with the vintage features of the franchise, Firaxis Games’ Civilization VI introduces a number of innovative new concepts and also upgrades some of the series’ core mechanics. It does not matter whether you are an aspiring builder or a fearless veteran of war. There is something of interest for everyone in this game. That said, all the new innovations mean that even players experienced with the Civilization franchise might need some help in the initial stages of the game.
In Civilization VI, your decisions early on in the game (especially in the first hundred turns or so) have a major impact on how well you fare in the later stages of your civilization. One of the most important key concepts you need to master is to prepare yourself to win wars early on in the game. It is important for you to invest in the military as soon as possible and develop strategies for handling conflicts.
We have with us a brand new guide that will help you with this in Civilization VI!
Table of Contents
Understanding the Concept of Wars in Civilization VI
In Civilization VI, starting a war is not about simply launching an assault on a foreign army or city. You will have to declare war against them first and make some important decisions after that. The first option you have is to declare a surprise war – one without any reason except for pure conquest. Unsurprisingly, these kinds of wars come with the price of a hefty warmonger penalty. As a result, you are going to go down in the eyes of other civilizations.
If you are a bit more prudent, you will eventually receive a fair reason for declaring war. You will find a certain “Casus Belli” option in the diplomacy menu, where you will see all formal war declarations. “Declare Formal War” is the most straightforward one. You can use it if you have condemned the civilization in the previous five turns (that is, made your displeasure apparent to them). Once again, you will have to put up with a heavy penalty for doing this.
You will face much lesser punishment if you go with more specific and reactive declarations of war. In case your religions are facing off, you can initiate a holy war and receive only half the penalties overdue. When you declare a war of Liberation, you will have to reclaim a captured city. This comes with no penalties whatsoever. If you are an aspiring conqueror, though, you might have to go with formal wars in the early stages of the game.
Handling Barbarians in Civilization VI
Unlike previous entries in the franchise, where they were just a minor annoyance, Barbarians are serious opponents in Civilization 6. Now possessing Spearmen in place of ordinary Warriors, they will prowl around your map, turning up from camps and going around everywhere along with their Scouts. However, unlike normal civilizations, they are seeking violence, death, and enslavement instead of resources, land, or friendships.
If their Scouts notice a city or weak-looking unit, such as a Builder, they will report it at their camp. This will result in a vicious force of Barbarians turning up sooner than you can expect. They will launch a serious attack and quite possibly imprison the weaker unit. Therefore, make sure you kill the Scouts before they manage to make it safely home. Keep in mind, though, that Barbarians are not merely bearers of brainless brawn. They know which fights to choose and which ones to avoid. An isolated unit of Barbarians will not launch an onslaught on a random city unless it is sure that it can win the battle. It is not yet known what exact mechanism they use to determine their target, though.
If you happen to notice a Barbarian, you should do your best to slay it immediately, even if it does not pose any immediate danger if you come across their camps, which generally keep multiplying and concealing large treasure chests, lay waste to them as well. This will prevent these evil enemies from returning with allies to create trouble. Additionally, it can also help you achieve a good reputation among other civilizations and city-states.
Planning out your Battle Strategy
You will notice that combat in Civilization VI features both the battle techniques of Civilization V and specific features of stacked armies from earlier entries in the franchise. Generally, units are only able to take up vacant tiles, and therefore, there are no stacks of concern. However, sometimes military units join forces with a supporting group, such as a Builder or Settler, in the same tile and don the role of escorts. Likewise, infantry joining forces with siege towers and anti-aircraft guns will be able to overlook city walls during sieges and neutralizing attacks by the air force.
Your strategy should be based on the unit’s visible health and attack rating, and aptly matching their strengths and weaknesses in regard to each other. However, you also need to pay special attention to the landscape of the battlefield. For example, hills possess a defense modifier of +3 and thus are ideal tiles to take a stand. However, they are not ideal for launching attacks. On the other hand, marshes possess a modifier of -2. This means you are in big trouble if you get captured by opponents when trying to make your way through them.
Additional Suggestions
In order to capture a city, you will have to get the right to its vulnerable center. That also happens to be, as you would expect, the most heavily guarded part of the city. Expect to face thick walls and a formidable battalion, at the very least. You will first have to take down these defenses before you can start depleting the city’s health bar. However, certain units like the siege tower can bypass these defenses. They can even aid other groups by avoiding the same.
If you feel that conquering the city is not possible, you can still ravage its farms, mines and other bountiful areas. This will cause your adversary civilization severe losses in terms of wealth and resources.
Apart from this, be very careful when dealing with nearby civilizations that are linked to powerful units associated with the Ancient Era, like the Aztecs, Egypt, Greece, and Sumeria. They have the potential to blitz you with truly terrible attacks that will overwhelm you.
That is it for now. We hope our guide helps you understand more about the concept of wars and get off to a solid start in Civilization VI. If you loved this, check out our PC tips and tricks, Games, iPhone Tips and Tricks, and Android Tips and Tricks for more. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to participate in our $150 giveaway contest. Likewise, if you have any queries or feedback, do comment down below with your name and e-mail ID. Happy gaming.