Quick Links
Securing a Religious Victory in Civilization 6 can be surprisingly swift, especially if you're the only one pursuing a religious path. Many Civ 6 civilizations prioritize Faith, but some excel at achieving this victory faster than others. These top Faith civs generate Faith rapidly, conquer Holy Sites efficiently, and are ideally suited for quick Religious victories. While others might offer more reliable paths, these leaders can achieve a fast win under the right conditions and with a focused Faith strategy.
Theodora - Byzantine
Conquer and Convert with Ease
Theodora Leader Ability: Metanoia – Holy Sites gain Culture equal to their adjacency bonus. Farms gain +1 Faith from Hippodromes and Holy Sites.
Byzantine Civ Ability: Taxis – +3 Combat and Religious Strength for each converted Holy City (including Byzantium). Killing a unit spreads your religion to the controlling civilization or city-state.
Unique Units: Dromon (Classical ranged unit), Hippodrome (replaces Entertainment Complex; grants Amenities and a free Heavy Cavalry upon completion and for each building within).
Theodora, leading the Byzantine civilization, emphasizes religious warfare to spread her faith. The Byzantine ability boosts Combat and Religious Strength for every converted Holy City, and killing enemy units spreads your religion.
The Hippodrome facilitates rapid conquest across all eras, providing free Heavy Cavalry as you build within the district. Theodora's Holy Site Culture bonus accelerates Civic tree progression; prioritize Theology and Monarchy for quick Policy Slots.
Theodora excels at a combined Domination and Religious strategy. You don't need to conquer every civilization; simply engage in combat and defeat units to spread your religion.
The Crusades founding belief provides extra combat strength against units of your religion. Convert outlying cities before invading; your religious influence will persist, units of your religion will inflict more damage, and spread your religion upon death. Combine this with Missionaries and Apostles for rapid Holy City conversions.
Menelik II - Ethiopia
Hill Settlements for Faith, Culture, and Science
Menelik II 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.
Ethiopia Civ Ability: Aksumite Legacy – All 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 unit), Rock-Hewn Church (gains +1 Faith per adjacent Mountain or Hills tile; provides Tourism from Faith after Flight; spreads +1 Appeal).
Menelik II is simpler than he appears. He gains extra Faith from multiple copies of non-strategic resources and from trading with resource-rich cities.
His Leader ability is key to rapid Religious victories. Found cities on Hills to gain Science and Culture alongside Faith, preventing lags in these areas. This allows you to focus on Faith buildings early on.
Build Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains and hills for maximum Faith. Maximize Bonus and Luxury Resources, trade with resource-rich civilizations, and settle on Hills for balanced growth. Prioritizing Culture alongside Faith accelerates Civic tree progression and boosts religious influence.
Jayavarman VII - Khmer
River-Side Holy Sites for Massive Faith Gains
Jayavarman VII 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.
Khmer Civ 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 Cultural victories with Relic acquisition, but is particularly strong for Religious victories.
His Leader ability is powerful: Holy Sites near rivers generate massive Faith, provide Housing, and trigger Culture Bombs. Aqueducts provide Amenities and Faith per citizen. The Prasat provides significant Faith and boosts Culture.
Prioritize Holy Sites near rivers, build Aqueducts, and utilize Wonders like the Great Bath and Hanging Gardens for growth and amenity boosts. Continuously produce Apostles and Missionaries to rapidly convert Holy Cities.
Peter - Russia
Tundra Faith Bonuses and the Dance of the Aurora
Peter Leader Ability: The Grand Embassy – Trade Routes with more advanced civilizations grant +1 Science and +1 Culture for every 3 Technologies or Civics they are ahead of Russia.
Russia Civ Ability: Mother Russia – Gain 5 extra tiles when founding a city. Tundra tiles grant +1 Faith and +1 Production. Units are immune to Blizzard; enemy civilizations suffer double penalties in Russian territory.
Unique Units: Cossack (Industrial Era), Lavra (replaces Holy Site; expands by 2 tiles in the nearest city when a Great Person is spent there).
Russia is a powerful civilization capable of any victory type. Peter is exceptionally strong for Religious Victories.
His Leader ability boosts Science and Culture from Trade Routes, but his civilization ability is key. Founding cities grants extra tiles, and Tundra tiles provide extra Faith and Production.
The Lavra expands city borders when Great People are spent there. Combine this with the Dance of the Aurora pantheon for increased Tundra yields. Use Settlers with the Magnus promotion to expand across Tundra. By the time you have your fourth city and a Lavra, your Faith output will significantly surpass others. Build Holy Sites, St. Basil's Cathedral, and Builders to exploit expanded resources.
Peter enables some of the fastest Religious victories. Maximizing Tundra improvements and utilizing Lavras generates overwhelming Faith output.
