Saladin (otherwise Al-Nasir Salah) was Egypt’s first sultan who established the Ayubid Dynasty during the 12th century. This leader defeated various Crusader states in the Middle East, capturing the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Saladin Vizier is one of the two leaders of Arabia in Civilization 6. This is a very strong religious leader who also offers significant bonuses and infrastructure for increasing science output. Religion and science go together when playing with the Civilization 6 Saladin leader.
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Saladin’s Bonuses: Righteousness of the Faith and Last Prophet
Righteousness of the Faith is the Civilization 6 Saladin leader bonus. This bonus makes it 90 percent cheaper to purchase the worship building for Arabia in Civilization 6 when playing with Saladin Vizier. Plus, that worship building also gives cities that include it a 10% culture, faith, and science output increase.
A worship building
The Last Prophet is the civ ability for Arabia in Civilization 6. This civ ability automatically gives Saladin the last great prophet when the second-to-last one is claimed by another civilization. Arabia also gains +1 science for every foreign city converted to its national religion.
Saladin’s Unique Unit: Mamluk
Mamluk is a unique Medieval Era cavalry unit for Arabia in Civilization 6. This unit has a melee attack rating of 50, the same as the standard Knight it replaces. The difference is that the Mamluk unit automatically heals at the end of each turn, even after moving or attacking. This enables the Mamluk to regenerate anywhere between 5-20 HP. You’ll receive a maximum of 20 HP replenishment for units in city centers and a minimum of five HP in enemy territory.
Saladin’s Unique Infrastructure: Madrasa
Madrasa is a unique science building you can build when playing with the Civilization 6 Saladin leader. This unique building increases science output by +5, which is one higher than the University it replaces. It also has a faith bonus that equals its district’s Campus adjacency bonus.
The Madrasa building
How to Win With the Civilization 6 Saladin Leader
Religion is primarily the name of the game when playing with the Civilization 6 Saladin leader. He’s the only leader for which founding a religion is guaranteed, thanks to his Righteousness of the Faith bonus. The 10 percent faith output bonus for cities with worship buildings is also invaluable for securing Religious Victory. So, it makes good sense to go for a Religious Victory with Saladin of Arabia in Civilization 6.
Although you’re guaranteed a religion with the Civilization 6 Saladin Vizier leader, it’s always best to establish one ASAP when playing for Religious Victory. So, don’t delay building Holy Sites and Shrines during the early game. Unlock the Astrology technology for Holy Sites and Mysticism civic for the Revelation policy card as soon as you can. Select the Revelation policy card to increase your great prophet points for founding a religion before rival civilizations to give you a head start in the religious game.
The religion screen
You’ll also amass faith points for selecting a pantheon belief sooner rather than later with more Holy Sites. If your cities have or are near many jungle tiles, select Sacred Path to give your jungles a +1-faith bonus. Alternatively, select Divine Spark to increase your great prophet points needed for founding a religion. Divine Spark will also give you a +1 great scientist point bonus for your Campus districts, which makes it a good pantheon for players seeking the Science Victory.
You can then benefit from Arabia’s other bonuses after establishing a religion. Recruit Missionary and Apostle units with faith to spread your religion and increase science output at the same time. Build more Holy Sites to which you can add worship buildings that will be much cheaper when playing with the Civilization 6 Saladin leader. Note that you must select the worship belief for your religion to build tier-three worship buildings at Holy Sites.
An Apostle unit
Alternatively, you can go down an altogether different scientific route after establishing a religion with Arabia. If playing more for a scientific victory, prioritize building Campus districts first and Holy Sites second. You can then build more of the unique Madrasa buildings to boost your science output and recruit more scientific great people. Add worship buildings to your Holy Sites to further boost science in your cities, particularly those that include Campus districts.
The world rankings sidebar
Your faith output can come in handy for scientific victories in three ways when playing with the Civilization 6 Saladin Vizier leader. You can use them to purchase Apostles for converting cities or purchasing tier three worship buildings that will increase your science output. Alternatively, spend your faith on recruiting more scientific great people with patronage. Scientists like Einstein, Hypatia, and Newton are three of the best great people to snap up with faith. Your Madrasa buildings will receive a +4-science output boost with Einstein activated.
Saladin of Arabia doesn’t offer any specific military bonuses beyond his unique unit, which is something all civilizations have. However, higher science output is very important for securing a Domination Victory. So, Saladin is a solid choice for players seeking the militaristic victory condition in that respect. Focus on boosting your science output with the Righteousness of the Faith and Last Prophet bonuses so you can smash rival civilizations with your more advanced military technology.
The Civilization 6 Saladin leader of Arabia holds a religious and scientific appeal few others can match. He’s among the best leaders in the game for winning scientific and religious victories with a unique playstyle. So, this leader is recommended for players seeking divine inspiration.
