Civilization VI: Fastest Religious Victory Civs, Ranked

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

Securing a Religious Victory in Civilization 6 can be surprisingly swift, especially if you're not facing heavy religious competition. Several civilizations excel at generating Faith, rapidly acquiring Holy Sites, and achieving a Religious victory faster than others. While some civs offer more reliable Religious victory paths, these leaders can achieve incredibly fast wins under the right conditions and with a focused Faith strategy.

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 unit), Hippodrome (replaces Entertainment Complex, grants Amenities and a free Heavy Cavalry).

Theodora's Byzantine empire thrives on religious warfare. The Taxis ability provides significant combat and religious boosts for each converted Holy City, while enemy unit kills spread your religion. Hippodromes facilitate rapid conquest across all eras with free Heavy Cavalry. The Culture bonus from Holy Sites accelerates Civic tree progression, allowing for quick access to Theology and Monarchy for more Policy Slots.

Theodora excels at a combined Domination/Religious strategy. Focus on combat encounters to spread your religion, prioritizing the Crusades founding belief for extra combat strength against units of your faith. Convert cities before invading for a rapid religious takeover. Combine military pressure with Missionaries and Apostles for swift Holy City conversions.

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 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 significant boost to Science and Culture alongside Faith, preventing lags in other areas. This allows for early Pantheon and Religion acquisition. Construct Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains and hills for maximum Faith generation. Maximize Bonus and Luxury Resource copies and trade routes for additional Faith. Prioritizing Culture alongside Faith accelerates Civic tree 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's Leader ability is exceptionally powerful. Placing Holy Sites next to rivers generates massive Faith, Housing, and Culture. The Khmer civilization ability provides extra Amenities and Faith from Aqueducts. The Prasat unique building offers substantial Faith and Culture. Prioritize Aqueducts and Wonders like the Great Bath and Hanging Gardens for growth and amenity boosts. Rapid city growth, Faith generation, and high Housing/Amenity caps enable extremely fast Religious victories.

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 extra founding tiles; Tundra tiles grant +1 Faith and +1 Production; units are immune to Blizzards; warring civilizations 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).

Peter's Russia is a formidable all-around civilization, but exceptionally strong for Religious victories. The ability to gain extra tiles when founding cities and the Lavra's expansion mechanic allow for rapid territorial control. The Tundra bonus to Faith and Production, combined with the Dance of the Aurora pantheon, creates an early Faith advantage. Prioritize Settlers with the Magnus promotion to prevent population loss and expand across the Tundra. St. Basil's Cathedral further enhances Tundra tile yields. This combination can lead to incredibly fast Religious victories.