Top Civs for Quickest Religious Victory in Civilization VI, Ranked

Pursuing a Religious Victory in Civilization VI is often one of the quickest routes to success, depending on how many other players are focusing on Religion. Several civilizations in the game emphasize Faith over other yields, but some excel at achieving this victory condition far faster than others. These top Faith-based civilizations can generate Faith at incredible speeds, dominate rival Holy Sites, and typically secure a Religious Victory sooner rather than later. While other civs may achieve Religion victories more consistently, these leaders can accomplish it swiftly under optimal conditions and when prioritizing Faith-centric strategies.

Theodora - Byzantine

Leader Ability: Metanoia

• Holy Sites produce Culture equal to their Adjacency Bonus. Farms gain +1 Faith from Hippodromes and Holy Sites.

Civilization Ability: Taxis

• All units gain +3 Combat and Religious Strength for every Holy City you've converted, including Byzantium. Whenever you kill an enemy unit, your Religion spreads to their associated Civilization or City-State.

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

Theodora, the Byzantine leader, focuses heavily on religious warfare to propagate her faith. The Byzantine civilization ability enhances Combat and Religious Strength for every Holy City you convert, and spreading your Religion becomes easier upon defeating enemy units. The Hippodrome enables swift conquests throughout the ages by providing free Heavy Cavalry units as you develop these districts.

Theodora’s bonus for Culture generation from Holy Sites accelerates your progress through the Civics tree. Rushing Theology and Monarchy civics will quickly expand your Policy Slots. Theodora excels in combining Domination and Religious strategies—conquer enemies strategically, engage in combat, and watch your Religion spread effortlessly.

Select the Crusades founding belief for enhanced combat strength against units following your Religion. Convert outlying cities first, then invade. Your religious influence will persist within the city, weakening enemy units of your faith and further spreading your Religion upon their demise. Combine regular Missionary efforts with strategic kills to convert Holy Cities rapidly.

Menelik II - Ethiopia

Leader Ability: Council of Ministers

• Cities founded on Hills gain Science and Culture output equal to 15% of their Faith output. All units gain +4 Combat Strength on Hills.

Civilization Ability: Aksumite Legacy

• All Resource Improvements receive +1 Faith for each copy. International Trade Routes grant +0.5 Faith for every resource in the origin city. Archaeologists and Museums can be purchased with Faith.

Unique Units: Oromo Cavalry (Medieval Light Cavalry Unit), Rock-Hewn Church (provides extra +1 Faith for every adjacent Mountain or Hills tile, generates Tourism after Flight, spreads +1 Appeal to surroundings).

Menelik II appears deceptively simple but is highly effective at securing a Religious Victory. As Ethiopia’s leader, he earns additional Faith from multiple copies of non-strategic resources and benefits from trading with cities rich in Luxury Resources.

Found all your cities on Hills to enjoy 15% of your Faith output as Science and Culture. This ensures you prioritize Faith without sacrificing Culture or Science output. As Menelik II, acquiring your first Pantheon and Religion becomes straightforward since you can focus entirely on Faith-generating structures.

Construct Rock-Hewn Churches beside Mountains, ideally surrounded by Hills or Mountain tiles, to maximize Faith bonuses. Focus on obtaining multiple copies of Bonus and Luxury Resources, trade with civs possessing abundant resources, and settle on Hills to maintain balanced growth.

If you incorporate Culture alongside Faith as a secondary objective, you’ll swiftly advance through the Civic tree and unlock Policies that enhance your Religious influence earlier than other civs.

Jayavarman VII - Khmer

Leader Ability: Monasteries of the King

• Holy Sites grant Food equal to their Adjacency Bonus, gain +2 Adjacency from Rivers, +2 Housing if built next to a River, and trigger a Culture Bomb.

Civilization Ability: Grand Barays

• Aqueducts provide +1 Amenity and +1 Faith for each Citizen in the city. Farms gain +2 Food if placed next to an Aqueduct and +1 Faith next to a Holy Site.

Unique Units: Domrey (Medieval Siege Unit), Prasat (+6 Faith, Relic slot, extra Housing, Culture, and Food with certain beliefs). +0.5 Culture for every Citizen.

As Khmer’s leader, Jayavarman VII shines at earning both Cultural and Religious victories. However, his prowess in securing rapid Religion victories stands out.

Civ VI players might overlook the potency of his Leader ability—if you position a Holy Site next to a River (a common starting bias for Khmer), it generates immense Faith, adds Housing, and triggers a Culture Bomb. Additionally, Khmer aqueducts grant Amenities and Faith for each citizen, while the Prasat building delivers significant Faith and Culture boosts.

In practice, Jayavarman VII achieves exceptionally fast Religion victories through rapid city growth, massive Faith accumulation, and high Housing and Amenity caps that enable larger city populations.

Position all your Holy Sites next to rivers, prioritize Aqueduct construction, and seize Wonders like the Great Bath and The Hanging Gardens to boost growth and mitigate river-side drawbacks.

Throughout the remainder of the game, focus on expanding your Holy Sites and producing Apostles or Missionaries to convert rival Holy Cities swiftly and peacefully.

Peter - Russia

Leader Ability: The Grand Embassy

• Trade Routes with other civilizations grant +1 Science and +1 Culture for every 3 Technologies or Civics they are ahead of Russia.

Civilization Ability: Mother Russia

• Gain 5 extra tiles when founding a city. Tundra tiles grant +1 Faith and +1 Production. Units are immune to Blizzard, while civilizations at war with Russia suffer double penalties inside Russian territory.

Unique Units: Cossack (Industrial Era), Lavra (replaces Holy District, expands by 2 tiles in the nearest city whenever you spend a Great Person there).

Peter, the Russian leader, is among the strongest civs in Civ VI, capable of winning any victory type. Describing him as a generalist would undersell his dominance—he’s the undisputed best Religious Victory civ.

With Peter as your leader, Russia offers extra Science and Culture when establishing Trade Routes with civilizations ahead of you on the Technology or Civic tracks. However, Russia’s true strength lies in its civilization ability.

When playing as Russia, you gain additional tiles when founding a city and access the Lavra, a replacement for the Holy District. Spending a Great Person in a city with a Lavra extends your borders by two tiles. Coupled with Russia’s Faith and Production bonuses for Tundra tiles, this makes land grabs effortless.

Start with a bias toward Tundra zones, allowing immediate access to the Faith and Production benefits these tiles provide. Rush the Dance of the Aurora pantheon to amplify yields from Tundra tiles, then deploy Settlers (with the Magnus promotion preventing Population loss) to expand widely across the Tundra.

By the time you establish your fourth city and install a Lavra there, your Faith output should surpass all rivals. Continue expanding Holy Sites, acquire St Basil’s Cathedral for additional Tundra bonuses, and deploy Builders to exploit newly acquired resources.

Peter enables some of the fastest Religious Victories achievable in Civ VI. Maximizing Tundra tile improvements and leveraging Lavras effectively will ensure your Faith output secures an early win.