England’s vast amount of leaders available in Civilization VI has been expanded with the edition of the Rulers of England pack. One of these lovely rulers is Queen Victoria, in an Age of Steam variation that favors technology and exploration! Serving as one of the simplistic options, Victoria will depend upon her country’s wits, and her ability to expand quickly. For a proper build using Queen Victoria in her Age of Steam persona, you will need to focus on your culture, technology, and military dominance. Don’t be afraid to settle in as many cities as possible across the world; reenacting the great colonial era.
Despite not having many special units or unique infrastructure, Queen Victoria’s Age of Steam variation does have one powerful advantage. England is in the midst of industrialization, so she gets some of the highest production bonuses. Together with her lands’ bonus strategic resources, she’ll always be prepared for conflict. Because Victoria became more self-sufficient as a nation than Elizabeth I, she can use her naval power more leniently. Thus, her trading values are just as strong as her counterparts; however, she holds more weight.
Leader Basics – Victoria Age of Steam
Unlike most of her other counterparts, Victoria in her Age of Steam specialization is better equipped for isolated growth and colonial expansion. Having the option of a maritime expedition makes her unique as she doesn’t need to depend on it openly. This allows her nation to take advantage of their natural resources making her not only more valuable as a trading partner but as a self-sufficient empire! Building large cities with good defensive structures allows Victoria to take advantage of the natural landscape of England. Luckily, as a leader with specific bonuses in such a generalized thing as production, Victoria easily becomes the queen of all trades!
Leader Ability – Age of Steam
Acting as one of the most potent abilities for any civilization, Age of Steam is incredibly powerful for city building. For every industrial zone built in a city, you’ll gain ten percent production on all works. Additionally, you gain two extra production points for all strategic resources; making your cities develop quickly. These bonuses to production make it essential for Victoria to build up her cities; allowing for rapid production of resources, manpower, and wonders in the late game! These bonuses also mean that the weakness of leaders like Elizabeth I becomes less apparent as the over-priced English Sea Dog can be quickly produced. The result is a fleet that is quickly produced and better managed!
Leader Strategy – Colonial Self-Sufficiency
As a leader with exclusive production bonuses, Victoria’s Age of Steam can be cultivated through research and civics. It is quintessential that you build your culture and science points up as much as possible to match your production gains. Otherwise, you run the risk of bottlenecking your progress by running out of public works. Remember that Victoria is a production factory that can overwhelm the world with her goods and forces! By producing as many high-tech ships and forces as possible, you can maintain the defenses of these hyper-accelerated cities as their growth will increase with your research.
Welcome Victoria, Age of Steam!
Leaders’ religion – Protestantism
Like most of England’s later rulers, Victoria is staunchly Protestant. Though religion does not truly affect the gameplay of a leader as far as what their basic choice is, her industrial bonuses can apply greatly here. By building as many community halls as possible, Victoria can secure her income through religion and civic gains. It can’t be overlooked that the hyper-expansion of cities can be made even greater through the expansion of faith in your cities. Fortunately, with your bonuses in production, it is easy for England to corner the religious market in Europe!
Leader Agenda – Industrial Revolution
Perhaps it’s no surprise that Victoria’s Age of Steam persona enjoys other like-minded industrialists like herself. To this end, she gets along with nations that are good at rapid expansion while also trying to stay away from those who are bad at developing. She is more than likely to trade research and material with those who can offer equal returns. That being said, Victoria has a problem, seeing those below her nation as potential colonies for the taking. Thus, her allies are often technologically superior or have larger cities than her enemies. Nestling herself in the powers of the world so long as she’s able.
Special units – Rapid Deployment
While Victoria’s Age of Steam edition may not have a specialized unit for herself, she does have strong production bonuses. The result is a natural rapid deployment of normal forces, as well as her nation’s own specialty; the Sea Dog. To this end, she is able to produce large armies that are technologically advanced with a strong sense of independence. This makes her ideal as both an ally and a policeman of the world as she needs little in the way of help to fill the role. This, coupled with the ability to capture enemy vessels allows Victoria to spearhead campaigns to stop global threats!
Civilization VI Rulers of England Pass
Country Basics – England
In the hands of Victoria, England becomes a colonial powerhouse focused on the power of industrial production. The once great need for trading becomes minimal now, as you take the role of the world’s civilizer. For better, or for worse, you will need to capture as many colonies as possible by making small cities and conquering micronations. Trailblazing the English path through history, Victoria mixes culture, science, and large-scale warfare in order to conquer her enemies. Whether it be through exploiting the land or mastering the seas, England is a force that seeks to advance human history into a golden age!
Other Leader Variants
England holds a couple of the strongest queens available to Civilization VI, such as Elizabeth I and Eleanor of Aquitaine. These powerful leaders also include an alternate version of Victoria, in her Age of Empire persona. These generally offer the player more variety from a maritime empire, to a diplomatic nation; to even a colonial ground army. In its current rendition, for Victoria in her Age of Steam edition, it becomes an industrial powerhouse like no other! Thanks to the versatility of England in Civilization VI, there’s no shortage of ways to master the world under its crown!
Country Abilities
England has access to two unique civilization abilities which can help with the hyper-expansion of your cities. The first of these abilities can help with your culture and tourism, being British museums. This ability allows players to have up to six artifacts instead of the normal two. Additionally, it will grant the player two archeologists instead of one when you build an archaeological museum. Museums that are built by the English will automatically be themed, as well as the artifacts they acquire. This can be a great means of income, and should be considered when using Victoria in her Age of Steam persona!
Victoria Age of Steam’s abilities
The second ability that England utilizes is called Workshop of the World. This ability is a definitive boost when considering Victoria’s production bonuses. Accumulating two more resources when mining iron and coal, you’ll be able to create massive armies and cities quickly. Additionally, England gains a bonus to production for military engineers. These military engineers gain an additional two building charges to defend your cities! Buildings will also gain additional bonuses when powered, and production is increased in industrial zones by an additional twenty percent. Finally harbor buildings provide additional strategic resource stockpiles allowing for some of the best bonuses in the game!
Unique Units – Sea Dog
The Sea Dog is one of England’s most valuable assets, replacing the Privateer as a method of capturing enemy vessels. It’s only allowed to take enemy ships, not barbarian ones; however, it can be done indiscriminately. Due to their increased damage and movement speed, most troops can’t see them unless they’re right next to them. As a result, they make great ambush attackers who can change the tide of a battle quickly and efficiently. As Victoria in her Age of Steam persona, you’ll be able to amass these fleets quickly if you have enough seaports!
These ships are unlocked by mercantilism and become obsolete after researching telecommunications. Fortunately, they cost 280 production points or 1120 gold; both being easy to acquire when using Victoria! With an upkeep of four, they can get quite pricy to maintain; however, with enough trade or resources, it can be easily justified during expansion. When you have the resources to support them, sea dogs are great for building up navies for far-flung cities or colonies! Their only limitation is that they need ports that can be attacked by opposing naval forces.
Powerful cities to exploit her industrial bonuses
Unique to England, Royal Navy Dockyards are incredibly powerful replacements for the harbor. Unlocked with Celestial Navigation, they both cost less and provide more income bonuses than the standard district. These provide England with additional trade routes for each one that is created, and with the production bonuses of Victoria, you can make your empire rich quickly. These are essential for any play-through as Royal Navy Dockyards will protect your shipping lanes, and make you a valuable member of the trading community. Remember that one of England’s greatest assets is its navy. So long as you reflect on that, you will be able to dominate the game you’re playing!
Location Bonuses (true Start)
England is surrounded by water, so it’s protected from outside nations until they get naval power. Due to this, England will have to maintain its own navy, which will allow it to exploit the sea and expand outward. From one of the corners of Europe, they can act as a trading hub for the world; or a self-sufficient empire in its own right. Granting England a chance to not only defend itself from enemies abroad but also build itself up in peace. With the knowledge of science and culture, England can become a shining lighthouse to the new world; getting there often before anyone else!
Leader Strategy – Industrial Monarch
Victoria’s potency comes from the industrialism that was the Age of Steam. She rides on the seat of change and steers it in the direction of England’s prosperity. For better, or for worse, she will use her technological prowess, and industrial might to overcome her enemies, and leave history remembering the crown that she represents. She may have little in the way of unique forces, but her size and wealth alone will allow her to become a giant on the battlefield or a beacon of the future! In your hands she can both be the torch of enlightenment, and the bonfire of war; in either sense, the flame of industry strives forward, always!
Rulers of England Leader Pass Art
Strengths
It comes as no surprise that one of the most potent aspects of Victoria’s Age of Steam persona is her industrial might. She without a doubt holds the bar for what an industrial bonus should be. Becoming like Germany, or China, she is able to form a classical empire that can withstand the test of time. Massive cities and sprawling forces can be more than just memories. By building powerful trade routes, Victoria surpasses her enemies and enriches the world around her.
Weaknesses
The major weakness of Victoria’s Age of Steam persona is her need to exploit her own resources. For this, she gets a slow start that requires her to play rather defensively while she builds up her capital cities. By building more cities, you are always lowering the initial bonuses of your empire; needing to constantly play a game of two steps back, three steps forward. This fluctuating set of bonuses can be a real gamble at times, especially when compared to some of the more stable civilizations. This can be circumvented by trading, however, it takes away from the overall self-sustainability of the nation itself!
Military Tactics
You get Victoria’s Age of Steam era production bonuses when you run a military force. You’re able to produce troops in high volume, swelling with Sea Dog’s ability to capture enemy ships. If you’re well-defended and armed enough to help your allies, this can be a powerful tool. These industrial bonuses allow Victoria to run the most advanced military in the game, making her the policeman of the world.
Example of Royal Navy Dockyard
Trading/ Politics
Victoria makes for an excellent trader due to her industrialization. These bonuses which help her accumulate extra strategic resources make her a unique wartime supplier, and in peacetime, she can grow nations up quickly. Because she prefers expansion and growth across multiple continents, Victoria can boast a port on every continent quickly and effortlessly. Another boon to her trading and political component is her large standing military which can easily police her supply lines, and keep them free of agitations. All in all, she is capable of maintaining the seas, and exploiting the lands; making her perfect for any trading empire!
Religious Spread
Victoria makes a great religious victory leader since her industrial bonuses favor religious wonders and pantheons. If you have access to at least one other city district, you can get Stonehenge pretty early on. Producing as many gold-gaining traits as you can allows her to run a self-sufficient empire that doesn’t need trade to grow. Spread religion to friendly and enemy nations alike, making sure you have a wide sphere of influence.
-Source: UrsaRyan
Industrial Revolution
Technology-advanced nations have traditionally been regarded as the beacons of society. When a revolution powered by steam and machines comes along, philosophy and culture can only do so much. Have faith in science and in man and his curiosity in the future. The age of steam paved the way to enlightenment; one bellowing engine at a time! Protecting its allies, and decimating its foes one nation at a time in order to cement itself in history!
