Character Skills

Character Skills Guide for Sid Meier's Civilization VI

Overview

The term \"Character Skills\" in Civilization VI refers to the unique abilities, units, infrastructure, and improvements granted by each leader and their civilization. This guide covers every base-game leader and those from the expansions (Rise and Fall, Gathering Storm, New Frontier Pass, Leader Pass). Each leader has a Leader Ability (personal trait), a Civilization Ability (shared by all leaders of that civ), a Unique Unit, a Unique Infrastructure (district, building, or improvement), and an Agenda (AI behavior or player goal). Additionally, some leaders have unique improvements or special mechanics. Below is a complete breakdown, with detailed descriptions, recommended strategies, synergies, and build tips.

Complete Leader List (All Playable Characters)

Detailed Leader Ability Breakdown (Selected Examples)

#### Teddy Roosevelt (Bull Moose) – America

• Leader Ability (Bull Moose): Breathtaking tiles (4+ Appeal) adjacent to Mountains or Wonders yield +1 Science and +1 Culture. This encourages settling near natural wonders and mountainous areas. Plant Woods to increase Appeal.


• Unique Unit: P-51 Mustang (Fighter) – High combat strength, range 8, +5 Combat Strength vs bombers.


• Unique Infrastructure: Film Studio (Entertainment Complex building) – Doubles Tourism from movies and provides +1 Amenity.


• Agenda: Environmentalist – Likes players with high Appeal; dislikes those who destroy features.


• Recommended Strategy: Prioritize National Parks and Seaside Resorts for massive Culture and Tourism. Use the unique ability to boost Science from Breathtaking tiles to keep up in tech. Build the Eiffel Tower to increase Appeal globally. Synergies with Earth Goddess belief (Faith from Breathtaking tiles) and Conservation civic.


#### Saladin (Sultan) – Arabia

• Leader Ability (Sultan): +1 Science per foreign city following your religion; +10% Science when at war. This rewards spreading your religion aggressively and engaging in warfare.


• Unique Unit: Mamluk (Heavy Cavalry) – Heals every turn, no penalty on pillaging.


• Unique Infrastructure: Madrasa (University replacement) – +1 Science and +1 Faith per turn, cheaper to build.


• Agenda: Ayyubid Dynasty – Likes players who spread their religion; dislikes those who don't.


• Recommended Strategy: Found a religion early (Stonehenge or Holy Site prayer). Use the Madrasa to boost science while maintaining faith. Declare a war of opportunity to gain the +10% Science bonus. Combine with Theocracy government for cheaper religious units and faith-buy armies.


#### Pachacuti – Inca

• Leader Ability (Mit’a): +1 Production per Mountain tile in city; Terrace Farms buildable on Mountains; +1 Food for adjacent Mountains. This turns mountains into production powerhouses.


• Unique Unit: Warak’aq (Slinger replacement) – Range 2, no attack penalty, excellent for defense.


• Unique Infrastructure: Terrace Farm (Unique Improvement) – Yields Food and Production on hills, adjacency to Mountains gives extra Food.


• Agenda: Sapa Inca – Likes players who preserve mountains and forests; dislikes those who remove them.


• Recommended Strategy: Settle near as many Mountains as possible. Build Terrace Farms on hill tiles adjacent to Mountains to grow cities quickly. Use the production from mountains to rush districts and wonders. The Inca can have massive population and production by mid-game. Combine with the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus for extra Great Engineer points.


#### Gorgo – Greece

• Leader Ability (Lady of Sparta): +1 Culture per kill; +1 Wildcard policy slot from Classical Republic. This rewards constant warfare for culture generation.


• Unique Unit: Hoplite (Spearman replacement) – Gains +10 Combat Strength when adjacent to another Hoplite.


• Unique Infrastructure: Acropolis (Theater Square replacement) – +1 Culture per district adjacency, cheaper to build.


• Agenda: Thermopylae – Likes players who have fought wars; dislikes pacifists.


• Recommended Strategy: Declare early war to farm kills for culture. Use Hoplites in tight formations to shred enemies. Build Acropolises for culture generation. Combine with the Oligarchy government for +4 Combat Strength to melee units. The wildcard policy slot from Classical Republic allows flexibility in policies.


#### Tomyris – Scythia

• Leader Ability (Killer of Cyrus): +2 Combat Strength when attacking; +1 Healing per turn for wounded units; +5 Combat Strength against stronger units. This allows continuous aggression with minimal downtime.


• Unique Unit: Saka Horse Archer (Light Cavalry ranged) – Ranged unit that can move after attacking.


• Unique Infrastructure: Kurgan (Unique Improvement) – Yields Gold and Faith.


• Agenda: Mother of the Scythians – Likes players who fight wars; dislikes those who avoid conflict.


• Recommended Strategy: Rush Horseback Riding and train many Saka Horse Archers. Use hit-and-run tactics, healing each turn while attacking. Combine with Great Generals for +2 Movement. The +5 Combat Strength against stronger units helps take out cities. The Kurgan provides early faith for a religion or military purchases.




Synergies and General Tips



• Leader Ability + Unique Unit: Always align your unique unit's era with your leader's strengths. For example, Saladin's Mamluk benefits from war science bonus, while Gorgo's Hoplite synergizes with her culture-from-kills.


• Unique Infrastructure Placement: Many unique districts or improvements have adjacency bonuses (e.g., Acropolis, Hansa, Suguba). Plan your city layout to maximize these.


• Agenda Awareness: AI leaders will react based on their agendas. If you play peacefully, avoid leaders like Gorgo or Tomyris. Use their agendas to your advantage by gifting cities or declaring wars to gain favor.


• Victory Type Specialization:

- Domination: Focus on military civs like Zulu, Macedon, Scythia, Mongolia.
- Science: Use civs with science bonuses like Korea (not listed but in expansion), Maya, Saladin.
- Culture: Leverage civs with tourism bonuses like France, Brazil, Sweden, Bull Moose Teddy.
- Religion: Prioritize Holy Sites and faith bonuses with Russia, Arabia, Khmer, India.

• Governments and Policies: Adapt your government to your leader's strengths. For example, Theocracy for religious civs, Fascism for domination, Democracy for culture.


• Great People: Many leaders gain bonuses from Great People (e.g., Pedro II, Kristina). Build Theater Squares, Campuses, and Holy Sites strategically.

Conclusion

Every leader in Civilization VI offers a distinct playstyle. Mastering their unique abilities, units, and infrastructure is key to victory. This guide has covered all base game and expansion leaders (including those from Rise and Fall, Gathering Storm, and Leader Pass) in a condensed table with detailed examples. Use the table as a quick reference and the detailed breakdown to dive deep into your chosen leader's strategy. Experiment with different leaders to find your favorite playstyle. Remember that no single skill works in isolation; combine your leader's bonuses with good empire management and diplomacy for the best results.