In the intricate mosaic of Civilization VI, few rulers intertwine spiritual zeal and imperial ambition as masterfully as Basil II of Byzantium. His civilization’s design unleashes a potent blend of faith-fueled warfare, forging a gameplay rhythm that is both thrilling and tactically rich. While traditional domination victories are well within reach, the true artistry of a Basil II campaign lies in achieving religious domination—not through gentle proselytizing, but by unleashing a relentless crusade of divine conquest. This guide offers a deep dive into the strategies and mechanics that make this path possible, drawing insights from seasoned players and competitive experts to help you wield Byzantium’s holy fire with precision and power.
The Byzantine Mandate: Understanding Basil II’s Strengths
At the heart of Byzantium’s power lies a set of interconnected abilities that reward an aggressive, expansionist playstyle. A successful Basil II player must understand how these abilities synergize to create a snowball effect of religious and military conquest.
Taxis: The Engine of Holy War
Byzantium’s civilization ability, Taxis, is the cornerstone of their religious domination strategy. It provides two critical bonuses:
- +3 Combat Strength for Religious and Military Units: This bonus is applied for each Holy City converted to Byzantium’s religion, including their own. This is a powerful, stacking bonus that can turn even basic units into formidable foes. Analysis on forums shows that with just a few converted Holy Cities, Byzantine units can overwhelm technologically superior opponents.
- Religion Spread on Unit Defeat: When a Byzantine unit defeats an enemy, it exerts a burst of religious pressure on nearby cities. This is the primary mechanism for spreading your faith, turning every battle into a conversion opportunity. A popular strategy is to “farm” enemy units near their cities, converting them without ever sending an Apostle.
Porphyrogénnētos: The City-Cracker
Basil II’s leader ability, Porphyrogénnētos, allows his Light and Heavy Cavalry units to deal full damage to cities that follow his religion. This completely bypasses the normal damage reduction from city walls, turning your cavalry into mobile siege weapons. Many professional gamers suggest that this ability is what makes Byzantium a top-tier domination civilization, but it is equally crucial for a religious victory, as it allows you to quickly eliminate rival religious centers.
The Hippodrome and the Tagma: A Free, Powerful Army
Byzantium’s unique district, the Hippodrome, and unique unit, the Tagma, are what truly set them apart.
- The Hippodrome: Replacing the Entertainment Complex, the Hippodrome is cheaper to build and provides a crucial +3 Amenities. More importantly, it grants a free Heavy Cavalry unit upon completion, and another for each of its buildings. According to the player community, this is the key to building a massive, early-game army without crippling your economy.
- The Tagma: This unique Heavy Cavalry unit replaces the Knight but is unlocked earlier with the Divine Right civic. It also has a +4 Combat Strength aura for adjacent units, effectively acting as a mobile Great General. This makes the Tagma not just a powerful unit in its own right, but a force multiplier for your entire army.
The Dromon: Early Naval Dominance
The Dromon, a replacement for the Quadrireme, gives Byzantium a significant early-game naval advantage. With increased range and +10 combat strength against units, the Dromon can dominate the seas, protecting your coastlines and projecting your power abroad. For the purposes of a religious victory, the Dromon is an excellent tool for spreading your faith to coastal cities by defeating enemy naval units.
The Early Game: Laying the Foundation of Faith (Ancient to Classical Era)
The success of a Basil II religious domination game is determined in the first 50 turns. Your primary objective is to found a religion and establish the economic and military infrastructure to support your future holy wars.
Securing a Great Prophet
Founding a religion is non-negotiable. Without it, all of Byzantium’s abilities are useless.
- Opening Moves: The standard Scout -> Slinger -> Settler opening is generally effective. However, your first research priority must be Astrology.
- Holy Site Construction: As soon as Astrology is complete, build a Holy Site in your capital. If you have a high-production capital, you may even consider building it before a Settler.
- Holy Site Prayers: If you are in a competitive game with many other faith-focused civilizations, do not hesitate to run the Holy Site Prayers project to secure your Great Prophet. The bonus Great Prophet points from the Holy Site will give you an edge, but it is not a guarantee.
Choosing Your Beliefs: Fueling the War Machine
Your choice of religious beliefs should be tailored to support your military-centric strategy.
- Founder Belief: There are several viable options here. Tithe (+1 Gold for every 4 followers) is a strong choice, as it will provide a steady stream of income to support your armies. World Church (+1 Culture for every 4 followers in other civilizations) is another excellent option, helping you to accelerate your progress through the civics tree.
- Follower Belief: Crusade is the undisputed best choice for Byzantium. The +10 Combat Strength bonus for your units in foreign cities that follow your religion is the linchpin of your entire strategy. It is so critical that many professional gamers suggest restarting the game if you are unable to secure it.
- Worship Belief: The choice of worship belief is more flexible. Stupas provide a valuable +1 Amenity, which can help to keep your cities happy during long periods of war. Jesuit Education is another strong contender, allowing you to purchase Campus and Theater Square buildings with Faith, which can be a powerful way to keep your science and culture output competitive.
- Enhancer Belief: Religious Colonization (settlers start with your religion) is a solid choice for rapidly expanding your faith into new territories. Holy Order (Apostles and Missionaries are 30% cheaper) can also be useful for supplementing your military conversions with traditional religious units.
The Mid-Game: The “Tagma Bomb” and the First Crusade (Medieval to Renaissance Era)
This is where the Byzantine war machine truly comes online. The “Tagma Bomb” is a well-known and devastatingly effective strategy that will provide you with a massive, free army of your unique Tagma units.
Executing the “Tagma Bomb”
The “Tagma Bomb” requires careful planning and timing, but the payoff is immense.
- Unlock the Hippodrome: As you approach the Medieval Era, prioritize the Games and Recreation civic to unlock the Hippodrome.
- Pre-build Hippodromes: In as many cities as you can, begin construction on the Hippodrome. The key is to leave each one with a single turn of production remaining.
- Rush to Divine Right: Your next priority is the Divine Right civic, which unlocks the Tagma. Focus your culture output on reaching this civic as quickly as possible.
- The Detonation: The turn before you unlock Divine Right, switch all of your cities back to completing their Hippodromes. The result will be a massive, instant army of powerful, maintenance-free Tagma units.
Launching the First Crusade
With your Tagma army at the ready, it is time to begin your holy war.
- Choosing Your Target: Your first target should be a civilization that is either a direct religious competitor or is geographically positioned to be a stepping stone to other civilizations.
- The Art of Conversion by Combat: Do not simply rush your Tagmas at the enemy’s cities. Instead, focus on defeating their military units. Each kill will spread your religion to their nearby cities. A popular strategy is to “bait” enemy units into attacking you on favorable terrain, allowing you to systematically dismantle their army and convert their cities at the same time.
- The Porphyrogénnētos Payoff: Once a city has been converted to your religion, your Tagmas can attack it at full strength. The city’s walls will melt away, allowing you to capture it with ease.
- Targeting Holy Cities: Your primary targets should always be enemy Holy Cities. Each one you convert will grant a permanent +3 Combat Strength bonus to all of your units, creating a snowball effect that will make your army unstoppable.
The Late Game: Consolidating Your Faith and Achieving Victory (Renaissance Era and Beyond)
By the late game, your religious and military power should be overwhelming. Your focus now shifts to systematically converting the remaining civilizations and closing out the game.
The Inevitable Snowball
The beauty of the Basil II strategy is its self-reinforcing nature.
- The Gameplay Loop: The core gameplay loop of convert-by-combat and conquer-the-converted will continue to be effective throughout the game. As your army grows in strength from the Taxis bonus, you will be able to take on even the most technologically advanced civilizations.
- Managing Your Empire: With the Hippodrome providing ample amenities and your faith providing gold and culture, you should be able to maintain a large, happy, and productive empire.
- Supplementing with Traditional Religious Units: While your military will be doing the heavy lifting, do not neglect to produce Apostles and Missionaries. They can be used to convert cities that are far from the front lines or to defend your own cities from rival religious units.
Closing Out the Game
There are two primary paths to victory in the late game:
- Religious Victory: As you wage your holy wars, you will naturally be spreading your religion across the globe. You may find that you are on the verge of a religious victory without even trying. If this is the case, you can use your faith to purchase additional Apostles and Missionaries to convert the remaining civilizations.
- Domination Victory: If you are more inclined towards a military victory, you can continue to use your unstoppable army to conquer the world. The end result is the same: the triumph of Byzantium.
Advanced Strategies and Considerations
Beyond the core strategy, there are several advanced tactics that can further enhance your chances of success.
- Theocracy Government: The Theocracy government, unlocked with the Divine Right civic, is the ideal choice for Byzantium. The ability to purchase land units with Faith is a powerful synergy with your religious economy.
- Great People: Several Great People can be particularly valuable for Byzantium. Great Generals will further enhance the combat strength of your armies, while Great Prophets can be used to found new religions if you are playing on a larger map with many religious civilizations.
- Wonder Construction: While not essential, several Wonders can be beneficial. The Mahabodhi Temple grants two free Apostles, which can be a significant boost to your early religious pressure. The Hagia Sophia allows your religious units to spread an extra time, which can be useful for both offense and defense.
Conclusion
Basil II offers one of the most unique and rewarding gameplay experiences in Civilization 6. By embracing the synergy between faith and steel, you can build an unstoppable holy war machine that will sweep across the globe, leaving a trail of converted cities and defeated armies in its wake. The path to a religious domination victory with Byzantium is a challenging but ultimately satisfying one, requiring careful planning, strategic execution, and a willingness to embrace the full might of the Byzantine Empire. The player community and professional gamers alike agree that a well-played Basil II is a force to be reckoned with, a testament to the power of a leader who can command both the heavens and the earth.