1. Prepare Before Declaring War
Research Military Technologies:
Prioritize techs that unlock powerful units. For example, Archery (Archers), Iron Working (Swordsmen), and later Gunpowder (Musketeers).
Establish a Strong Economy:
Ensure your cities generate enough gold to sustain and upgrade your army. Maintain a balance between military production and infrastructure building.
Secure Resources:
Acquire strategic resources like Iron, Horses, and Oil early. Without these, you won’t be able to produce advanced units like Swordsmen or Tanks.
Spy on Your Enemy:
Use spies to gather intelligence on enemy cities. Knowing troop locations and city defenses is crucial.
2. Build a Balanced Army
Diversify Your Units:
Include melee (Swordsmen), ranged (Archers), siege (Catapults), and cavalry units in your army. This ensures flexibility against different threats.
Upgrade Units Regularly:
As you progress, replace older units with more advanced ones. Keep an eye on promotions to improve unit effectiveness.
Naval and Air Support:
If fighting near coasts or later in the game, build a strong navy and develop air units to dominate multiple fronts.
3. Choose the Right Target
Weaker Civilizations:
Target weaker civilizations or those lagging in military power. Use the Military Strength score in the Diplomacy screen to assess opponents.
Strategic Locations:
Focus on capturing cities with valuable resources, wonders, or those located near chokepoints for strategic advantage.
4. Declare War Strategically
Casus Belli:
Use an appropriate Casus Belli (justification for war) to avoid severe diplomatic penalties. For example:\n – Holy War: Declare against civilizations spreading a different religion.\n – Liberation War: Free a city-state or captured city.\n
These minimize the grievances other civilizations have against you.
Timing is Key:
Attack during windows of opportunity, such as when the enemy is engaged in another war or recovering from a previous conflict.
5. Execute the War
Position Your Troops:
Place melee units near the city center to capture it after the defenses fall.\n – Use ranged units and siege equipment (like Catapults or Bombards) to attack from a distance.\n – Keep cavalry units on the flanks for swift strikes against reinforcements or to pillage enemy tiles.\n\n
Focus on Siege:
Target city defenses first. Use siege units to reduce walls and ranged units to weaken garrisons.
Pillage Strategically:
Pillage enemy farms, mines, and districts to disrupt their economy and heal your units. Prioritize science, gold, and production tiles for maximum impact.
Capture Cities Efficiently:
Avoid spreading your forces too thin. Focus on one city at a time, starting with border cities or key locations.
6. Manage Your Empire During War
Happiness and Loyalty:
Ensure cities are happy by managing amenities to prevent rebellions. Use governors like Victor to stabilize newly captured cities.
War Weariness:
Prolonged wars can cause war weariness, reducing amenities. End wars swiftly or shift focus to peace after achieving objectives.
Diplomacy with Other Leaders:
Maintain good relations with other civilizations to avoid being attacked on multiple fronts. Offer gifts or trade deals to keep them neutral.
7. Transition to Peace (Optional)
Negotiate Peace Treaties:
If the war becomes unsustainable, negotiate for peace on favorable terms. Demand gold, resources, or cities in return.
Consolidate Gains:
After the war, focus on rebuilding captured cities and improving infrastructure to integrate them into your empire.
Defensive Preparations:
Strengthen your borders and rebuild your army to deter potential attacks from other civilizations.
8. Achieve Victory
Domination Victory:
To win through domination, you must capture the capital cities of all other civilizations. Prioritize capitals in your war campaigns.\n\n
Strategic Pivot:
If domination becomes unfeasible, use war gains to pursue alternate victories (e.g., Science or Cultural Victory) by investing in infrastructure and research.
By combining careful preparation, strategic execution, and post-war management, you can achieve military dominance and secure victory in Civilization VI. Adapt your strategies based on the map, your opponents, and the game phase for the best results.
