Germany, under the steadfast leadership of Frederick Barbarossa, stands as one of the most formidable industrial powerhouses in Civilization VI. Many professional gamers suggest that Germany’s unique abilities, when leveraged correctly, create an unstoppable force capable of achieving any victory type, but it truly excels at Production and Domination. This guide will provide a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the strategies and tactics required to lead Germany to a glorious victory.
The Might of the Holy Roman Emperor: Germany’s Core Mechanics
Analysis on forums shows that understanding Germany’s unique abilities is the first step towards mastering this civilization. Each ability synergizes with the others to create a well-oiled machine of production and military might.
Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa’s leader ability, Holy Roman Emperor, provides two significant advantages:
- An additional military policy slot in all governments: This is a game-changing ability that provides incredible flexibility. According to the player community, this extra slot allows you to maintain crucial military production or combat bonus cards without sacrificing economic or diplomatic policies.
- +7 combat strength when fighting city-states and their units: This bonus makes conquering city-states a highly viable and often profitable early-game strategy. A popular strategy is to use this ability to expand your empire without having to build settlers.
Free Imperial Cities
Germany’s civilization ability, Free Imperial Cities, allows each city to build one more specialty district than its population would normally allow. This is a massive advantage in the early game, enabling you to specialize your cities and accelerate their development.
Hansa
The Hansa is Germany’s unique replacement for the Industrial Zone. It is cheaper to build and receives a +2 production bonus for each adjacent Commercial Hub, in addition to the standard adjacency bonuses from mines and quarries. The Hansa is the cornerstone of Germany’s production-focused gameplay, and its placement is critical to your success.
U-Boat
The U-Boat is Germany’s unique replacement for the Submarine. It is cheaper to produce, has +1 Sight, and gains +10 Combat Strength in ocean tiles. Crucially, it does not require oil, giving you a significant naval advantage in the late game.
Forging the Empire: Early Game Strategy (Turns 1-100)
The early game is all about laying the foundation for your industrial empire. Your primary goals are to expand your territory, plan your cities for optimal Hansa placement, and leverage your early military advantages.
Initial Build Order
A popular strategy for the early game is to prioritize expansion and defense. A typical build order for your capital would be:
- Scout: Essential for exploring your surroundings, finding tribal villages, and identifying prime locations for new cities.
- Slinger: Provides basic defense against barbarians and can be upgraded to a powerful Archer.
- Settler: Begin building your first settler as soon as your capital reaches a population of two or three.
City Placement: The Hanseatic League
Your city placement is the most critical decision you will make in the early game. The goal is to create a “Hanseatic League” of cities that can support a network of highly productive Hansas.
- Settle in Clusters: Place your cities relatively close to each other, often in a diamond or triangular formation. This allows you to maximize the adjacency bonuses for your Hansas by placing them next to multiple Commercial Hubs from different cities.
- Prioritize Rivers: Settling near rivers provides fresh water and allows for the construction of Aqueducts and Dams, which further boost Hansa adjacency.
- Use Map Tacks: Plan your districts for multiple cities in advance to visualize and perfect your adjacency bonuses.
Conquering City-States
Frederick Barbarossa’s +7 combat bonus against city-states is a powerful tool for early expansion. A small force of warriors and archers is often sufficient to conquer a nearby city-state, providing you with a well-developed city without the need to build a settler.
The Industrial Revolution: Mid Game Strategy (Turns 100-200)
The mid-game is where Germany truly begins to shine. Your focus will shift to building up your industrial infrastructure and translating your production advantage into military might.
The Hansa-Commercial Hub Nexus
The cornerstone of your mid-game strategy is the Hansa-Commercial Hub nexus. By this point, you should have unlocked the Apprenticeship technology, allowing you to build Hansas.
- District Priority: Prioritize building Hansas in all your cities. Pair them with Commercial Hubs to activate their primary bonus and to fund your growing empire.
- Infrastructure: Research technologies for Aqueducts and Dams. Placing these next to your Hansas will further amplify your production output.
Government and Policies
- Government: The Oligarchy government is an excellent choice for the early to mid-game, providing a bonus to unit combat experience. As you transition towards a more developed empire, the Merchant Republic can be beneficial for its economic policy slots and bonuses to trade.
- Policy Cards: Your extra military policy slot is a significant advantage. You can use it for cards that boost production, such as Craftsmen, without sacrificing other economic policies.
Building a Standing Army
With your production booming, you can now build and maintain a large and technologically advanced army. Focus on a mix of melee, ranged, and cavalry units. The extra military policy slot will allow you to use powerful production cards like Veterancy to speed up the creation of your army.
The Blitzkrieg: Late Game Strategy (Turns 200+)
The late game is when your meticulous planning and industrial might culminate in a swift and decisive path to victory. Your focus will be on overwhelming your opponents with a technologically advanced military.
Air and Land Superiority
Your high production capacity allows you to mass-produce powerful late-game units like Bombers and Tanks. Researching Flight as quickly as possible is a high priority. A fleet of bombers can devastate enemy cities, making them easy to capture with a follow-up ground assault.
U-Boat Dominance
On naval maps, your U-Boats will be a formidable force. Their lower production cost and lack of an oil requirement mean you can field a large submarine fleet before your opponents can effectively counter it. Use them to raid enemy coastlines, sink their navies, and control the seas.
Combined Arms Tactics
The true power of your late-game military lies in the coordinated assault of your land, air, and naval forces.
- Naval Blockade and Reconnaissance: Begin your assault by deploying your U-Boats. Establish a naval blockade around your target’s coastal cities, sinking any enemy ships that try to intervene.
- Air Campaign: With the seas secured, begin your air campaign. Focus your initial bombing runs on taking out any anti-air defenses. Once those are eliminated, systematically reduce the city’s health.
- Ground Assault: With the city’s defenses shattered, move in your ground forces to capture the city.
Wonders and Great People: Fueling the War Machine
Germany’s exceptional production capacity makes it uniquely suited to build wonders that might be out of reach for other civilizations.
Essential Wonders
- Terracotta Army: Granting a promotion level to all current military units provides an immediate and massive power spike.
- Alhambra: The extra military policy slot from this wonder is a game-changer, and it stacks with Germany’s inherent bonus.
- Brandenburg Gate: A later-game wonder that is perfect for producing elite armies.
- Ruhr Valley: This wonder can turn a city with well-placed Hansas and mines into a military production hub.
Crucial Great People
- Great Generals: Prioritize Great Generals to gain a consistent edge in battles.
- Great Admirals: On maps with significant naval warfare, Great Admirals are as crucial as their land-based counterparts.
- Great Engineers: These individuals can significantly speed up the construction of wonders and districts, or provide direct production bonuses.
Matchups and Counters: Know Your Enemy
Understanding how to play against other civilizations as Germany, and how to counter common strategies, is crucial for success.
Favorable Matchups
- City-States: Germany is explicitly designed to conquer city-states.
- Civilizations with a weak early game: Any civilization that cannot apply significant early pressure will struggle to compete with Germany’s mid-game industrial boom.
Unfavorable Matchups
- Early Aggression Civilizations: The best way to defeat Germany is to attack before they can establish their powerful Hansa and Commercial Hub combinations. Civilizations with strong, early unique units like the Aztecs, Sumeria, and Nubia are particularly dangerous.
- Hungary: Hungary’s abilities are in direct conflict with Germany’s, creating a direct clash over a resource Germany wants to conquer.
General Counter-Strategies
- Pillage Their Districts: A key strategy is to use light cavalry or other fast units to pillage their Hansas and Commercial Hubs.
- Apply Early Pressure: Do not let a German player expand and build their cities uncontested.
- Leverage Espionage: In the mid to late game, spies are highly effective against Germany.
By following this guide, you will be well on your way to leading Germany to a decisive domination victory. Your industrial might will be the engine of your conquest, and your military will be the hammer that forges your empire.