City-states are one of the essential parts of any Civilization VI experience. These city-states are both the shielding defense of nearby neighbors as well as their trading hubs. Each one of these states will have a different bonus they provide, capable of making your empire stronger. By aligning yourself with these city-states, and becoming their suzerain you can greatly enhance the power of your nation. No matter the play style, and victory you hope to achieve, cities will be a vital source of troops and resources!
Civilization VI prides itself on these city-states as they act as smaller micronations. Each one will resemble a state from history and can produce its own units and districts. These city-states are incredibly powerful in their own right, requiring large militaries or strong diplomacy to conquer. Luckily, through envoys, clever buildings, and a few geographical locations, micronations can be mastered! Remember these nations are powerful, so never attempt to take them on in the beginning, always build your forces up.
City States
City-states are one of the basic non-playable character interactions within Civilization VI. They are microstates that specialize in production, religion, commerce, culture, military, or science. Each of them will have different goals and tactics, being swoon to whatever nation sends envoys to them. It’s important to keep these envoys flowing, and filling as many city-states as possible so you get more bonuses from them. A city-state can hold as many envoys as you want to send to them. It only takes six at the start to maximize bonuses in a nation.
There are multiple actions that a city-state can accomplish, ranging from the simple trade route to being an auxiliary military in waiting. Because of their nature, they make great sources of influence points as well, vital for winning the game. Every city-state can gain influence via envoys and completing quests specific to that city-state. Remember that the more city states you are suzerain of, the more allies you’ll have in a war. City-states under your control will defend your lands and attack nations you are at war with!
Influence points
Influence points are essential to the acquisition of envoys for your empire. In turn, your nation will acquire influence points based on its diplomatic standing in the world. Nations that have better global ties will have more influence points than ones that don’t focus on diplomacy. These influence points are based on the government style you’ve chosen. For this reason, the more advanced the government you have the more influence points you’ll acquire.
The starting government, a chiefdom, will have the ability to produce 100 influence points a turn. Level one governments; oligarchies, autocracies, and classical republics will gain an envoy every hundred points. At this level, you can add social civics to your nation to make envoys and influence points more potent. Dealing with level two governments; monarchies, theocracies, and merchant republics, you’ll get two envoys. These envoys will come every 150 points, and gain two points a turn.
Example of a religious city state in white
At level three, democracies, fascism, and communism allow for three envoys every two hundred points. These governments receive 7 points a turn and are generally much more well-rounded for diplomacy. Finally, at level four, there’s access to corporate libertarianism, digital democracies, and synthetic technocracy. These government styles will receive nine points a turn and four envoys every two hundred and fifty points.
Envoys
Envoys are a powerful method of taking control of city-states without military action. These envoys are political representatives of your nation that with time and numbers can sway politics in a city-state. No matter what form of victory you’re hoping to achieve, envoys can make this process easier through political diplomacy. Each envoy produces an amount of pressure on a city state’s loyalties, attempting to bring them to your control. It’s important to note that the more envoys sent to a location, the better results you’ll have when it comes to bonuses.
The number of envoys sent to a city-state will impact the bonuses received by that city-state. A single envoy will grant a basic amount of advantages towards that city state’s specialization. Three envoys in that location will provide a moderate boost to these advantages. Finally, six envoys grant the maximum bonus available for that city-state in its specialization. When your nation has more envoys than any other nation in a city-state you will be made suzerain!
Technological city states are in blue
Suzerains
One of the best positions your nation can acquire with city-states is the title of Suzerain. This unique title can be acquired by holding majority control over a city state’s political sphere. Achieved by sending at least six envoys to any one city-state, suzerain status grants the player unique options with city-states. The best way to acquire the status of suzerain is to spend as many influence points on nearby cities as possible. Doing quests for city-states can speed this process along further, and will help where loyalty bonuses may not.
Suzerains are capable of enacting a few special things out of a city-state, including defense, and levying troops. A city-state you are suzerain of will immediately come to your nation’s defense during wars, actively attacking nations who oppose you. As well as this useful defense, you may pay gold into nations you are suzerain of to temporarily utilize their militaries. These bonuses allow for constructive increases to your military capabilities, as well as basic defense from undesirable opponents.
City State Quests
Every city-state you come across in Civilization VI will have quests you can accomplish. By doing these quests your nation will build closer ties to city states, as well as gain envoys there. It’s important to note that every city-state will have different quests which may require the creation of a unit or building. Each will mirror the specialization each city-state is, for instance, science may demand a technology be researched. By following these quests your empire will generally be better equipped, and gain passive envoys for your cause. It’s important to follow through with these quests, if you don’t the enemy will!
Multiple city states
Types of City States
Civilization VI has innovated the method of interacting with city-states by introducing unique specializations. Each will be quintessential for your nation’s jump-start toward victory, but some are more useful than others. For instance, if you are running a religious victory, focusing on culture and religious centers will assist you more than science and military ventures. The city states you try to bring to your side should have bonuses you’ll need, or make up for something you’re lacking.
Cultural States
Cultural city-states can be a great way to increase your nation’s development. As most districts and religious prospects come from culture, they can be essential for diplomatic victory. These city-states often produce cultural points for any city or capital with a theater district. In these cases, the more suzerains you get, the more potent these cultural bonuses become. If players have the Ethiopia pack for Civilization VI, cultural city-states gain additional cultural points per turn. Using cultural city-states in the late game can assist greatly with the number of diplomatic victory points made available. Especially with broadcasting stations, art and archaeological museums, and amphitheaters, these centers are made highly exploitative.
Scientific States
Scientific city-states are notable for the fact they act in much the same way as cultural or religious bonuses. They are, in a way, essential for all victories that require military forces, buildings, and sea travel. Science at its root in Civilization VI, can make all the difference in how other nations view you. Make the most of these city-states using campus districts in your major cities and capitals. Universities and research labs can be mixed with consulates to make the most of these scientific States. In the late game, these scientific states are ideal for manifesting some of the more complex technologies like giant death robots or nukes.
City states have dark borders
Religious States
Religious city-states are ideal for economic and religious victories. They are, in essence, small money-making machines that will also build up your faith points. Religious cities are especially potent since they are capable of producing missionaries and gurus. It should be noted that of all city-states, religious ones will produce the least military units for levying. Faith points can be maximized by using holy site districts, and shrines. Temples and chancellery buildings will be ideal if you have the Ethiopian pack, making these city-states religious powerhouses for your empire.
Trading States
One of the most lucrative city-states a nation can acquire is trade specializing. Economic city-states are not only some of the most potent for any form of victory, but often amass large armies. These city-states can be exceedingly rare, but when snatched up directly provide gold per turn for your nation. Commercial hubs and trading routes can maximize these city states, providing extra gold for trade routes to them. Shipyards, harbors, lighthouses, and markets are capable of making these economic hubs even more powerful. The Ethiopian pack adds relatively high bonuses as a nation can see as much as fifty gold a turn from a city-state!
Industrial States
Some states focus more on their general production than anything else, making them perfect for any empire. Like the trading States, these production-based cities are capable of greatly increasing your nation’s advancement. Taking them will provide you with production bonuses in any city or capital with a workshop. These bonuses can decrease the time needed to build wonders, districts, and buildings making them perfect for any victory type. Factories can enhance these bonuses when powered by electricity, making your empire grow with lightning speed! The Ethiopia pack adds more bonuses to industrialization for each additional district you have, favoring larger cities.
Cultural city states appear purple
Military States
When conquering the world needs a firm hand, military City States can prove a strong gauntlet. There’s little that can be said outside of the fact these city-states provide massive amounts of units to levy. Besides levying their units, these city-states increase the production of military forces developed in cities with barracks. It’s important to note these military city states are incredibly powerful and should not be attacked. They are usually quite defensible and are incredibly powerful allies. City-states with a military specialization grant even more production bonuses to units with the Ethiopia pack. Military academies, armories, and consulates can maximize the bonuses made by these city-states.
Maritime States
City-states that specialize in maritime activities are a source of naval ships and food. They make especially potent allies when dealing with island nations, and can scout along quite nicely. They grant unique bonuses to food production with harbors and seaports making them useful for any waterfront nation. Levying their ships can make for a great fleet amassed quickly with little cost to your own forces. These are one of the rarest and underdeveloped city-states in Civilization VI, but can be fruitful towards empire growth! Unfortunately, there are no bonuses from the Ethiopia pack associated with this city-state.
Obtaining City States
There are two ways to acquire a city-state for your own use. The first is to violently take it via military action. Something sure to take a long time and require massive amounts of resources. The second option is to use envoys to become suzerains of the city-state. This second option takes time but reaps the most benefits of a city-state. Early on, taking city-states by force will prove to be a massive challenge, but not impossible. Furthermore, the use of envoys with proper civics can increase the overall economic strength of your empire. Remember that peace and prosperity will win a city-state quicker than threats and war!
-Source VanBradley
City State Supremacy
The power of city-states comes from their unique bonuses and defensive nature! Even the weakest state can change the course of a battle with their added ante in a war. Remember that no matter what victory style you wish to accomplish, there are city-states capable of helping you achieve it! Finally, like all parts of Civilization VI, remember they can turn on you as quickly as they did their enemies. No matter who you choose, and how you want to win, use city-states to crush your enemies!
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