What if, after achieving a hard-fought victory in Civilization 6, the game offered a “New Game+” mode? Imagine a scenario where, as a reward for your previous triumph, you could begin a new game with a single technology already unlocked. This seemingly small advantage could radically reshape the opening turns of the game, catapulting your civilization down a specific strategic path from the very first turn. Analysis on forums shows that such a feature would be a game-changer, allowing for hyper-specialized strategies and a fresh approach to the familiar rhythm of the early game. This guide delves into the strategic implications of this hypothetical “New Game+” mode, analyzing which technology would provide the most significant advantage for each victory type, according to community consensus and expert player analysis.
The Strategic Calculus of a Free Technology
The first few dozen turns of a game of Civilization 6 are a delicate dance of exploration, expansion, and exploitation. Your initial technology choices dictate your early priorities, shaping your empire’s development for the rest of the game. A free technology would not just be a time-saver; it would be a strategic sledgehammer, allowing you to bypass a crucial early-game hurdle and immediately pursue a more advanced strategy. Many professional gamers suggest that the most powerful choices would be technologies that unlock a key district, a powerful military unit, or a unique wonder, allowing you to snowball your advantage before other civilizations have even finished researching their first tech.
Domination Victory: The Art of the Early Rush
For players who believe that the best defense is a good offense, a Domination Victory is the ultimate goal. A free technology in a “New Game+” scenario would be a massive boon for an early-game military rush, allowing you to field powerful units while your opponents are still building their first scout.
The Case for Archery
According to the player community, Archery is the undisputed king of early-game military technologies. Starting with Archery would be a game-changer for a domination-focused player.
- Immediate Archer Production: The ability to produce Archers from turn one is a massive advantage. Archers are the backbone of any early-game army, capable of attacking enemy units and cities from a safe distance. A small force of Archers, supported by a few Warriors, can conquer a nearby city-state or even an unprepared rival civilization before they have a chance to build walls.
- Defensive Security: Even if you don’t plan an immediate rush, starting with Archery provides a significant defensive advantage. Archers are incredibly effective at defending against barbarian incursions and deterring early aggression from other civilizations, allowing you to focus on expanding your empire without fear of being overrun.
- Early Warfare Synergy: Many professional gamers suggest that an early war can be a powerful engine for growth. Conquering a rival’s capital early in the game not only eliminates a competitor but also provides you with a second city, a significant boost to your science, culture, and production. Starting with Archery makes this strategy not just viable, but incredibly powerful.
The Argument for Animal Husbandry
While Archery is a popular choice, analysis on forums shows that Animal Husbandry could be an equally devastating opening for a Domination Victory, particularly for civilizations with a cavalry focus.
- Unlocking the Horseman Rush: Animal Husbandry reveals horses on the map, a crucial strategic resource for cavalry units. Starting with this technology would allow you to immediately see where horses are located and plan your expansion accordingly. The goal would be a lightning-fast Horseman rush, overwhelming an opponent with a swarm of fast-moving, hard-hitting units.
- Early Scouting and Expansion: Horses aren’t just for combat. The ability to produce Horsemen early on gives you a powerful scouting unit, capable of exploring the map much faster than a traditional scout. This allows you to quickly locate other civilizations, natural wonders, and lucrative city-state quests.
- Civilization-Specific Strategies: For civilizations like Scythia or Mongolia, starting with Animal Husbandry would be a dream come true. These civilizations have powerful unique abilities and units tied to cavalry, and a free Animal Husbandry tech would allow them to unleash their full potential from the very beginning of the game.
The Dark Horse: Bronze Working
A less obvious but still potent choice for a domination-focused “New Game+” is Bronze Working.
- Securing Strategic Resources: Bronze Working reveals Iron on the map, a vital resource for producing Swordsmen, one of the most powerful early-game melee units. Knowing where the iron is from turn one allows you to plan your city placement to secure this crucial resource.
- Unlocking the Encampment: This technology also unlocks the Encampment district, the heart of any military-focused empire. An early Encampment provides Great General points, boosts production of military units, and allows for the construction of barracks, further enhancing your military capabilities.
- A Balanced Approach: While not as immediately aggressive as Archery or Animal Husbandry, starting with Bronze Working provides a more balanced approach to domination. It allows you to build a strong foundation for a powerful mid-game army, capable of conquering even well-defended cities.
Science Victory: A Head Start in the Race to the Stars
A Science Victory requires a relentless focus on technological advancement. A free technology in a “New Game+” scenario would provide a crucial head start in the race to the stars, allowing you to build a scientific engine that will leave other civilizations in the dust.
The Obvious Choice: Writing
The consensus among the player community is that Writing is the premier choice for a science-focused “New Game+”.
- The Power of the Campus: Writing unlocks the Campus district, the single most important district for a Science Victory. The ability to build a Campus from turn one is a massive advantage, allowing you to start generating science points long before your rivals.
- Early Great Scientist Points: A Campus also generates Great Scientist points, and securing an early Great Scientist can provide a significant boost to your research. Many professional gamers suggest that an early Great Scientist can be the key to a successful science game.
- A Foundation for Future Tech: Writing is a gateway technology, unlocking a host of other important early-game techs. Starting with Writing allows you to quickly progress through the tech tree, securing key technologies like Mathematics and Education long before your opponents.
The Strategic Alternative: Pottery
While Writing is the most direct path to a science victory, some players argue that Pottery could be a more strategic choice in a “New Game+” scenario.
- Unlocking the Granary: Pottery unlocks the Granary, a crucial early-game building for city growth. A larger population means more citizens to work tiles and more districts you can build, including Campuses.
- A Faster Path to Writing: Pottery is the prerequisite for Writing. By starting with Pottery, you can immediately begin researching Writing, effectively getting a head start on your head start.
- A More Balanced Opening: Starting with Pottery provides a more balanced opening than a pure Writing rush. It allows you to focus on growing your cities and building a strong economic foundation before committing to a full-blown science focus.
The Production Powerhouse: Mining
Analysis on forums shows that a strong production base is just as important as a high science output for a Science Victory. For this reason, Mining is a surprisingly strong contender for the best starting tech.
- Boosting Production: Mining allows you to clear forests for a quick infusion of production, and it unlocks the Mine improvement, which is essential for boosting the production of your cities.
- Unlocking Key Districts: Mining is a prerequisite for many other important technologies, including Bronze Working (which unlocks the Encampment for defense) and Masonry (which unlocks walls and the Pyramids wonder).
- A Long-Term Investment: While not as immediately flashy as Writing, starting with Mining is a long-term investment in your empire’s productive capacity. A strong production base will be crucial in the late game when you need to build the expensive Spaceport and its associated projects.
Culture Victory: Painting the World with Your Influence
A Culture Victory is a game of influence, of creating a civilization so vibrant and appealing that it becomes the envy of the world. A free technology in a “New Game+” scenario would allow you to start building your cultural engine from the very first turn.
The Faith-Fueled Engine: Astrology
Surprisingly, the most popular choice for a culture-focused “New Game+” is not a culture-generating technology, but a faith-generating one: Astrology.
- The Power of Religion: Astrology unlocks the Holy Site district, the key to founding a religion. A religion can be a powerful engine for a Culture Victory, providing a host of beliefs that boost tourism, culture, and faith generation.
- Early Pantheon and Religion: Starting with Astrology would allow you to build a Holy Site on turn one, all but guaranteeing you an early Pantheon and a Great Prophet. This would allow you to found one of the first religions in the game, giving you your pick of the most powerful religious beliefs.
- Fueling Late-Game Tourism: A strong faith income is crucial for a Culture Victory, as it allows you to purchase Naturalists to create National Parks and Rock Bands to generate massive amounts of tourism.
The Great Works Gambit: Writing
For a more direct approach to a Culture Victory, Writing is an excellent choice.
- Unlocking the Theater Square: While Writing is primarily known for unlocking the Campus, it is also a prerequisite for Drama and Poetry, the civic that unlocks the Theater Square district.
- Early Great Writers: A Theater Square generates Great Writer points, and an early Great Writer can provide you with a valuable Great Work of Writing, a crucial source of early-game tourism.
- A Balanced Approach: Starting with Writing provides a balanced approach to a Culture Victory, allowing you to build a strong foundation in both science and culture.
The Wonder-Builder’s Dream: Masonry
Analysis on forums shows that wonders are a powerful source of tourism, and for this reason, Masonry is a strong contender for the best starting tech for a Culture Victory.
- Unlocking Early Wonders: Masonry unlocks several powerful early-game wonders, including the Pyramids and Stonehenge. The Pyramids provide a free builder and a boost to the yields of all of your builders, while Stonehenge grants you a free Great Prophet.
- A Foundation for Future Wonders: Masonry is a prerequisite for many other technologies that unlock wonders, such as Construction (which unlocks the Colosseum) and Engineering (which unlocks the Forbidden City).
- A Tourism Powerhouse: Many wonders provide a significant boost to tourism, and a “New Game+” that starts with Masonry would allow you to get a head start on building these powerful cultural landmarks.
Religious Victory: Spreading the Good Word
A Religious Victory is a battle for the hearts and minds of the world’s population. A free technology in a “New Game+” scenario would give you a massive advantage in the race to found and spread your religion.
The Only Choice: Astrology
For a Religious Victory, there is really only one choice for a “New Game+” technology: Astrology.
- The Key to Religion: As with a Culture Victory, Astrology is the key to founding a religion. It unlocks the Holy Site district and the Stonehenge wonder, the two primary ways to generate a Great Prophet.
- A Guaranteed Religion: Starting with Astrology would all but guarantee that you found one of the first religions in the game, giving you your pick of the most powerful religious beliefs.
- A Head Start on the Great Prophet Race: The race to found a religion is a competitive one, and starting with Astrology would give you an insurmountable lead. You could have a Holy Site built and a Shrine on the way before other civilizations have even finished researching their first technology.
Conclusion: A New Era of Strategy
The hypothetical “New Game+” mode, allowing a player to start with a single technology from a previous victory, would fundamentally alter the strategic landscape of Civilization 6. The early game would become a crucible of hyper-specialized strategies, with players leveraging their initial advantage to pursue their chosen victory condition with a singular focus. While the community may debate the finer points of which technology is truly “best,” one thing is certain: this “New Game+” would breathe new life into the game, offering a fresh and exciting challenge for even the most seasoned veterans. It would be a testament to the enduring appeal of Civilization 6, a game that continues to inspire strategic thinking and “what if” scenarios in the minds of its players.