The Mapuche, led by the indomitable Lautaro, are a force to be reckoned with in Civilization VI. Often underestimated, their unique abilities offer a powerful and flexible path to victory, particularly through Domination and Loyalty pressure. This guide will provide a detailed analysis of Mapuche strategies, offering actionable advice to leverage their strengths and conquer the world.
Understanding the Mapuche: A Civilization Forged in Resistance
The core of the Mapuche strategy revolves around their unique ability, Toqui. This ability grants a significant bonus to cities with an established Governor: +5% to both Culture and Production. Furthermore, units trained in a city with a governor gain 25% more combat experience. These bonuses are tripled in cities that you’ve conquered, making the Mapuche incredibly effective at turning captured territory into productive powerhouses.
This ability is further enhanced by the loyalty pressure it exerts. Your cities within nine tiles of one of your Governors gain +4 loyalty per turn, making it easier to maintain control over your expanding empire and exert pressure on neighboring civilizations.
Lautaro’s Swift Hawk: The Golden Age Slayer
Lautaro’s leader ability, Swift Hawk, is what truly defines the Mapuche’s aggressive potential. His units gain a +10 combat strength bonus when fighting against civilizations in a Golden or Heroic Age. This ability turns a potential disadvantage into a powerful offensive tool. When your opponents are at their strongest, so are you.
But the true genius of Swift Hawk lies in its psychological warfare component. When a Mapuche unit defeats an enemy unit within their city’s borders, that city loses 20 loyalty. This penalty doubles to a staggering 40 loyalty if the enemy is in a Golden or Heroic Age. Pillaging a tile in an enemy city also reduces its loyalty by 5. This makes Lautaro a master of flipping cities without a single siege unit.
The Malón Raider: A Unique Unit for Pillage and Plunder
The Mapuche’s unique unit, the Malón Raider, is a Renaissance Era light cavalry unit that perfectly complements their hit-and-run tactics. With a respectable melee strength of 55 and 4 movement points, the Malón Raider is a formidable foe. It also gains a +5 combat strength bonus when fighting within four tiles of friendly territory, making it an excellent defensive unit as well.
What makes the Malón Raider truly special is its pillaging ability. Pillaging tiles costs only one movement point instead of the usual three, allowing you to cripple an enemy’s infrastructure and economy with lightning speed.
Chemamull: The Culture of the Land
The Chemamull is the Mapuche’s unique tile improvement. It can be built by Builders on tiles with Breathtaking appeal and provides Culture equal to 75% of the tile’s appeal. After researching the Flight technology, it also generates Tourism. While not directly related to their domination-focused abilities, the Chemamull provides a valuable source of Culture, helping you to unlock key civics and government policies that will support your military campaigns.
The Path to Domination: A Step-by-Step Guide
The Mapuche are a versatile civilization, but their true strength lies in a well-executed Domination victory. Here’s a breakdown of how to achieve it, era by era.
Ancient Era: Laying the Foundation
Your primary focus in the Ancient Era should be on expansion and building a strong military.
- Early Exploration: Send your initial warriors out to explore the surrounding area, looking for tribal villages, natural wonders, and potential city locations.
- City Placement: Settle your first few cities in locations with good production and access to strategic resources. Prioritize locations with hills and forests for production, and look for luxury resources to keep your population happy.
- Military Production: Build a strong early army of Slingers and Warriors. Your goal is to be able to defend yourself against early aggression and to be in a position to go on the offensive when the time is right.
- Early Governor: Your first Governor is crucial. Appoint one as soon as possible to start reaping the benefits of the Toqui ability. Magnus, with his provision promotion, is an excellent first choice to boost your production of settlers and military units.
Classical and Medieval Eras: The Art of the Counter-Attack
This is where the Mapuche begin to shine. Your goal is to bait your opponents into a Golden Age, then turn their strength against them.
- The Waiting Game: Focus on building up your infrastructure and military. Don’t be too aggressive early on. Let your opponents expand and grow.
- The Golden Age Trigger: Keep a close eye on your opponents’ era score. When you see a civilization approaching a Golden Age, it’s time to prepare for war.
- The Swift Hawk Strikes: Once your opponent enters a Golden Age, declare war. Your units will now have a +10 combat strength bonus, giving you a significant advantage.
- Loyalty Pressure: Focus your attacks on units within your opponent’s city borders. Every victory will chip away at their loyalty, making their cities ripe for the taking.
- Pillage and Plunder: Use your Malón Raiders to pillage everything in sight. This will not only cripple your opponent’s economy but also further reduce their loyalty.
Renaissance and Industrial Eras: The Malón Raider Offensive
The Renaissance Era brings the Malón Raider, your key to victory.
- Mass Malón Raiders: Build a large force of Malón Raiders. Their speed and pillaging ability make them the perfect unit for hit-and-run attacks.
- Combined Arms: Support your Malón Raiders with siege units like Bombards and Artillery. This will allow you to take down city walls quickly and efficiently.
- The Loyalty Cascade: By this point, your constant pressure should be causing a loyalty cascade in your opponent’s empire. Cities will begin to flip to your side without you ever having to conquer them.
- Conquered Cities: Once you capture a city, immediately assign a Governor to it. This will triple the bonus from your Toqui ability, turning your newly acquired territory into a production powerhouse.
Modern and Atomic Eras: The Final Push
By the Modern Era, you should be in a dominant position.
- Technological Superiority: Use your production advantage to build a technologically advanced army. Modern Armor and XCOM Squads will be your key units.
- Global Domination: Systematically eliminate the remaining civilizations. Your superior military and production will make you an unstoppable force.
- The Loyalty Game: Even in the late game, don’t forget about loyalty. Use spies and rock bands to further destabilize your opponents’ empires.
The Art of Loyalty Flipping: A Deeper Dive
Lautaro’s ability to flip cities through loyalty pressure is one of his most powerful weapons. Here’s how to master it:
- The Perfect Storm: The ideal scenario for loyalty flipping is an opponent in a Golden Age with a city on the border of your empire.
- The Slow Burn: Even if you can’t flip a city in a single war, the constant loyalty pressure will take its toll. Over time, you can wear down an opponent’s loyalty and make their cities vulnerable.
- The Governor’s Role: Your Governors are essential for loyalty flipping. Their presence not only boosts your own loyalty but also puts pressure on your opponents.
- The Bread and Circuses Project: Don’t underestimate the power of the Bread and Circuses project. It can be a powerful tool for flipping cities, especially when combined with Lautaro’s abilities.
Conclusion: The Unstoppable Force of the Mapuche
The Mapuche under Lautaro are a civilization that rewards patience, planning, and a willingness to exploit your opponent’s strengths. By mastering the art of the counter-attack and the subtle power of loyalty pressure, you can build an unstoppable empire and achieve a decisive Domination victory. The world will learn to fear the sound of the Malón Raider’s approach, and the sight of their cities turning against them.