In the world of Civilization 6, while armies clash and wonders rise, a single, well-placed spy can quietly dismantle an enemy’s ambitions from within, winning you the game without firing a shot. Espionage is a secret weapon, but for many, it feels like a murky, underutilized part of the game. I’m going to shine a light into those shadows and help you transform your spies from passive observers into potent agents of change. We’ll go through the eight most impactful spy missions you should be running, giving you a clear, actionable framework to dominate the world of intelligence.
Espionage is a game of calculated risks and huge rewards. It’s more than a dice roll; it’s a strategic layer that can turn the tide. From crippling an economy to derailing scientific progress, the right mission at the right time is a masterstroke. This guide will equip you to not only understand these missions but to execute them with precision. Let’s unravel the secrets, because the age of your intelligence agency starts now.
Siphon Funds: The Workhorse of Your Intelligence Agency
Think of the Siphon Funds mission as the bread and butter of your espionage career. It’s a reliable, repeatable, and low-risk operation targeting an opponent’s Commercial Hub. While other missions seem more dramatic, skipping this one is a rookie mistake. This is your primary tool for leveling up inexperienced spies, giving them the promotions they need to tackle bigger, game-changing assignments.
Core Mechanics and Strategic Value
At its heart, Siphon Funds steals a significant sum of gold for your treasury while directly hurting your opponent’s economy. The gold you get is tied to the city’s gold-per-turn output, so aim for bustling trade hubs. But its true value is as a training ground. A successful Siphon Funds mission gives your spy experience points, paving the way for promotions that make them better at everything else.
Imagine you’ve just unlocked Diplomatic Service and recruited your first spy. Sending this rookie on a high-stakes mission like Disrupt Rocketry is a recipe for disaster. Instead, find a rival with a developed Commercial Hub. By running Siphon Funds, you not only boost your own economy but also give your spy a great chance to earn a promotion. A spy with the “Quartermaster” promotion, for instance, gives a +2 level bonus to all other spies in that city, creating a powerful snowball effect for your entire intelligence network.
Maximizing Success: A Calculated Approach
To maximize your chances, you need a plan. Before launching any mission, always have your spy “Gain Sources” in the target city first. This significantly boosts the success probability of your next missions there for several turns. You can extend this bonus with the “Linguist” promotion, allowing for multiple Siphon Funds attempts or a smooth transition to a more complex operation.
Policy cards are also critical. The “Machiavellianism” card gives you a +50% production bonus for spies and makes all their missions faster. Later, the “Cryptology” card gives your offensive spies another level boost.
Here’s a practical example: You’re playing as Catherine de Medici (Magnificence), so you get an extra spy with a free promotion. You target a rival’s booming economic center. You slot in the “Machiavellianism” policy card and send your new spy. Once they arrive, you have them “Gain Sources.” Now, your Siphon Funds mission has a much higher chance of success. When it works, you pocket a lot of gold, and your spy is one step closer to their next promotion, ready to be specialized for more critical tasks.
Steal Technology: The Great Equalizer
In the race for scientific dominance, falling behind can feel like a death sentence. The Steal Technology mission is your lifeline. Targeting an opponent’s Campus or Industrial Zone, this mission can give you a free technology that they’ve researched but you haven’t. It can be a game-changing boost, launching you into a new era or giving you a vital military or economic edge.
Core Mechanics and Strategic Value
The value of this mission is directly tied to how far ahead your opponent is. The bigger the tech gap, the more impactful the theft. It’s not just about getting a random tech; it’s about strategically targeting a civilization that has something you desperately need. Lagging in naval tech while your coastal neighbor is building powerful fleets? A successful mission could give you the knowledge to build your own navy and defend your shores.
This mission is especially powerful in the mid to late game when the tech tree gets complicated and wrong research choices hurt. Instead of spending dozens of turns on a crucial technology, a spy can deliver it in a fraction of the time. This frees up your own research to focus on other priorities, giving you a huge tempo advantage.
Maximizing Success: Precision and Preparation
Just like any high-value operation, preparation is everything. The “Gain Sources” mission is non-negotiable before you try to steal a technology. The risk is higher here than with Siphon Funds, so this first step is even more critical. A captured spy is not only lost but can also cause a major diplomatic incident.
Spy promotions are key. The “Scientist” promotion gives a +2 level bonus for Steal Technology and Sabotage Production missions. Combine this with general promotions like “Ace Driver” (which helps them escape if caught), and you’ve got a highly effective tech thief.
Picture this: You’re going for a Culture Victory, but a rival is close to a Science Victory. They’ve just unlocked a key late-game tech you’re turns away from. You have a spy with the “Scientist” promotion. You send this spy to their most advanced city, have them “Gain Sources,” and then launch the Steal Technology mission. Your chances are now significantly higher. When you succeed, you not only get a valuable technology but also crucial insight into their progress, letting you prepare your defenses.
Disrupt Rocketry: Sabotaging the Stars
Watching a rival assemble their spaceship while you’re still trying to modernize your army can be a nerve-wracking experience. The Disrupt Rocketry mission is your ultimate counter, a direct strike against an opponent’s Spaceport that can bring their space program to a screeching halt. This is proactive defense, letting you snatch victory from what seems like an inevitable scientific defeat.
Core Mechanics and Strategic Value
Disrupt Rocketry is a vital late-game mission. When a rival is about to win a Science Victory, this is often your only hope. A single success can delay them by dozens of turns, buying you precious time to advance your own victory condition or launch a military strike. The mission damages the Spaceport, forcing them to spend valuable production on repairs before they can continue their space race.
The strategic value goes beyond just a delay. It creates a window for you to surge ahead. While your opponent is busy repairing their Spaceport, you can be launching your own final projects, conquering their cities, or spreading your religion across the world.
Maximizing Success: The Right Agent for the Job
Given the high stakes, you can’t afford to send an unprepared spy. This is a job for your most experienced and specialized agents. The “Rocket Scientist” promotion is made for this, providing a massive +4 level bonus to the Disrupt Rocketry mission. This promotion is often the deciding factor between success and a captured spy.
Policy cards also play a huge role in late-game espionage. The “International Space Agency” policy, while mainly for your own space race, also gives a +1 level to all spies. Combine it with the “Cryptology” card, and you can make your agents incredibly effective.
Let’s imagine a tense late-game: Your rival is one project away from winning. You have a master spy with the “Rocket Scientist” promotion and have enacted the “International Space Agency” and “Cryptology” policies. You send your spy to their capital, where the Spaceport is. After a few tense turns of “Gaining Sources,” you launch the mission. With all those bonuses, you have a high probability of success. The mission works, their Spaceport is crippled, and their victory march is stopped. You’ve bought the time you need to secure your own path to glory.
Recruit Partisans: Igniting the Flames of Rebellion
A sprawling empire is powerful, but it’s also vulnerable. The Recruit Partisans mission lets you exploit that vulnerability by turning your opponent’s citizens against them. By targeting a Neighborhood district, this mission spawns rebel units that will pillage districts and improvements, causing chaos from within. This is pure sabotage, a way to bleed your enemy dry without declaring war.
Core Mechanics and Strategic Value
Recruit Partisans is a great way to weaken a rival’s economy and military readiness. The partisan units are a constant headache, forcing your opponent to pull military units back to deal with the internal threat. This is especially effective if you’re planning an invasion. By recruiting partisans in a key border city, you can soften up their defenses and create a diversion for your army.
The mission is even more powerful against civilizations with low amenities or loyalty problems. An unhappy population is easier to incite, and the uprising will be harder for your opponent to handle. This can also be a great way to level the playing field against a runaway leader. A constant stream of partisan attacks will significantly slow them down, giving you a chance to catch up.
Maximizing Success: Fanning the Embers of Discontent
The success of this mission depends heavily on the state of the target city. A city with low amenities and a high population is a perfect target. Before you launch the mission, check the city’s details. If you see negative amenity modifiers, your chances are much higher.
The “Agitator” spy promotion is the key here. It gives a +2 level bonus to the Recruit Partisans mission, making your spy a much more effective rabble-rouser. Combining this with the “Gain Sources” mission is, as always, a smart move.
Imagine you’re in a tense rivalry with a neighbor who has several large cities. You notice one of their key production centers is suffering from low amenities. You have a spy with the “Agitator” promotion. You send them in, have them “Gain Sources,” and then launch the Recruit Partisans mission. The resulting uprising cripples their production, and they’re forced to pull troops back from the border to deal with it. This gives you the perfect opportunity to launch a decisive military strike.
Neutralize Governor: Decapitating the Leadership
Governors are the linchpins of a well-run city, providing powerful bonuses. The Neutralize Governor mission lets you temporarily remove this leadership, leaving the city vulnerable and in disarray. This is a subtle but incredibly effective mission with far-reaching consequences.
Core Mechanics and Strategic Value
When you successfully Neutralize a Governor, they are out of commission for several turns, and all their bonuses are gone. This can be devastating for a city that relies on a specific governor. For example, neutralizing Magnus in a city focused on harvesting will cripple its production. Removing a governor from a newly conquered city can trigger a loyalty crisis, potentially causing the city to rebel and join your empire.
The strategic value here is versatility. You can use it to weaken an economy, disrupt military production, or create an opening for a loyalty flip. It’s especially powerful when used with other forms of pressure, like a nearby army or religious conversion.
Maximizing Success: The Art of Political Assassination
The “Seducer” promotion is your key to political intrigue. It provides a +2 level bonus to the Neutralize Governor mission, greatly increasing your chances. As always, “Gain Sources” is a vital first step.
Policy cards can also help. The “Containment” policy, available with the Ideology civic, reduces the loyalty of all foreign cities by 2. Combined with a neutralized governor, this can create the perfect storm for a loyalty flip.
Consider this: You’re in a cultural war with a rival whose city has several world wonders. This city is their cultural powerhouse, bolstered by a fully promoted Pingala. You have a spy with the “Seducer” promotion. You send them to the city, have them “Gain Sources,” and then launch the Neutralize Governor mission. It succeeds, and Pingala is incapacitated. The city’s culture and science output plummets, and its loyalty starts to drop. You then use your own cultural pressure and the “Containment” policy to push the city into rebellion, eventually flipping it to your side and claiming its valuable wonders.
Fabricate Scandal: The Weapon of Influence
City-states are the unsung heroes of many victories, providing powerful bonuses to their suzerains. The Fabricate Scandal mission is your main tool for manipulating city-state politics, letting you remove rival envoys and secure your own control. This is diplomatic sabotage, a way to dismantle your opponent’s alliances without raising a sword.
Core Mechanics and Strategic Value
A successful Fabricate Scandal mission removes a number of your rivals’ envoys from a target city-state. How many depends on your spy’s level and the mission’s success. This can be a game-changing move, instantly flipping the suzerainty of a critical city-state to you.
The strategic value here is immense. Securing a scientific or military city-state can give you a huge advantage. Fabricate Scandal is often a more direct and effective way to gain influence than just sending your own envoys, especially when a rival has a big lead.
Maximizing Success: The Master of Disinformation
The “Con Artist” promotion is the key to mastering city-state manipulation. It gives a +2 level bonus to the Fabricate Scandal mission, making your spy a much more effective purveyor of disinformation. As with all offensive missions, “Gain Sources” is a must.
The “Containment” policy card can also be a valuable asset here. By reducing the loyalty of all foreign cities, you can make it easier to maintain your suzerainty once you’ve gained it.
Imagine you’re competing for a crucial military city-state that would give you a powerful unique unit. Your rival has a big envoy lead. You have a spy with the “Con Artist” promotion. You send them to the city-state, have them “Gain Sources,” and then launch the Fabricate Scandal mission. It’s a resounding success, and a large number of your rival’s envoys are removed. You are now the suzerain, and you can start producing its powerful unique unit, turning the tide of a war in your favor.
Listening Post: The All-Seeing Eye
In Civilization 6, information is power. The Listening Post mission is your key to unlocking it, giving you a significant boost in diplomatic visibility over a target civilization. This is a foundational mission, a way to gain a crucial intelligence advantage that informs all of your strategic decisions.
Core Mechanics and Strategic Value
A successful Listening Post increases your diplomatic visibility level. This gives you a wealth of information, from their hidden agendas and relationships to their military strength and tech progress. This information is invaluable. Knowing a rival is planning a surprise war gives you time to prepare. Knowing their research priorities helps you anticipate their next move.
The strategic value extends beyond just intelligence. A higher level of diplomatic visibility also gives you a combat strength bonus against that civilization. This can be a significant advantage in any military conflict, tipping the scales in closely contested battles.
Maximizing Success: The Silent Observer
Listening Post is a relatively low-risk mission, but you can still enhance its effectiveness. While no specific promotions directly boost it, a higher-level spy will have a better chance of success. It’s often a good idea to run a few Siphon Funds missions to level up your spy before assigning them to a long-term Listening Post role.
The “Linguist” promotion, which makes all spy missions faster, can be particularly useful here. It will help your spy establish a higher level of visibility more quickly, giving you a faster intelligence advantage.
Consider this: You’re entering the mid-game and you’re unsure about a powerful, expansionist neighbor. You have a new spy. You send them to their capital and assign them to a Listening Post mission. Over the next several turns, your visibility level increases. You learn they are secretly planning a military buildup and have a negative opinion of you. Armed with this knowledge, you can preemptively bolster your defenses and prepare for their inevitable attack, turning a potential disaster into a strategic victory.
Breach Dam: Unleashing the Deluge
The Breach Dam mission is one of the most spectacular and destructive acts of sabotage in the game. By targeting a Dam district, this mission unleashes a devastating flood that can pillage tiles, damage districts, and cripple a city’s infrastructure. This is pure chaos, a way to bring a thriving metropolis to its knees.
Core Mechanics and Strategic Value
A successful Breach Dam has a devastating impact. The flood will pillage a wide swath of tiles along the river, destroying farms, mines, and other improvements. It can also damage adjacent districts, forcing your opponent to spend valuable production on repairs. This can be a crippling blow to a city’s economy and production.
The strategic value is highest against a city that has heavily invested in its riverfront. A city with numerous high-yield farms or valuable districts along the river is a prime target. This mission can also be a powerful prelude to an invasion. By crippling a city’s infrastructure and production, you can make it much easier to conquer.
Maximizing Success: The Master of Catastrophe
As a high-impact, high-risk mission, Breach Dam requires a skilled and well-prepared spy. While no specific promotion boosts this mission, a higher-level spy has a better chance of success. It’s essential to level up your spy with Siphon Funds or other lower-risk missions before attempting this.
The “Ace Driver” promotion, which increases the chance of escape if caught, is a particularly valuable asset for this dangerous task. The consequences of failure can be severe, so reducing the risk of capture is a top priority.
Imagine you’re at war with a rival who has a heavily fortified city on a river. This city is their main production center, surrounded by highly developed farms. You have a master spy with the “Ace Driver” promotion. You send them to the city, have them “Gain Sources,” and then launch the Breach Dam mission. It succeeds, and a massive flood sweeps through the river valley, pillaging their farms and damaging their districts. The city’s production is crippled, and its defenses are weakened. You then launch your military assault, and the once-mighty city falls with ease.
Conclusion: The Shadow War as a Pathway to Victory
Mastering espionage in Civilization