In the grand theater of Civilization VI, where empires rise and fall on the whispers of diplomacy and the clash of armies, the ultimate currency is information. A declaration of friendship is a public affair, a denouncement a global proclamation. But what if the most powerful diplomatic tool was one wielded in absolute secrecy? This guide explores a concept that has long been the subject of community discussion and strategic desire: the “Secret Pact.” While not a formal feature in the game, the strategic implications of such a mechanic are vast. We will dissect how a theoretical Secret Pact could function, the immense advantages it would offer, the dire risks involved, and how players can approximate this strategy using the existing tools in Civilization VI.
The Anatomy of a Secret Pact
Before diving into the strategic employment of a Secret Pact, it’s crucial to define what it would entail. Community analysis on forums suggests a Secret Pact would be a formal, yet hidden, agreement between two or more civilizations, with its terms and existence concealed from all other players. Unlike a public Defensive Pact or Alliance, a Secret Pact would have its own unique set of rules and potential outcomes.
Key Characteristics of a Secret Pact:
- Clandestine Formation: The pact would be initiated and accepted through a new, secure diplomatic channel, perhaps requiring a certain level of diplomatic visibility or the presence of a spy in the target capital. The agreement would not appear in the global diplomatic state, leaving other leaders completely unaware.
- Customizable Objectives: A popular strategy would involve defining specific, shared objectives. These could range from a coordinated surprise war against a mutual rival to a secret technology sharing agreement or a pact to manipulate the World Congress.
- Triggers and Activations: The pact could lie dormant until a specific trigger event occurs. For example, a “Secret Joint War Pact” might activate only when the target civilization declares war on one of the pact members, or when one of the members initiates a specific espionage mission.
- High Risk, High Reward: The discovery of a Secret Pact would need to carry severe diplomatic penalties. The civilization that exposes the pact could gain a significant diplomatic advantage, while the members of the pact would suffer massive grievances and a global loss of trust.
The Strategic Genius of a Secret Pact
The ability to form a Secret Pact would fundamentally reshape the diplomatic landscape of Civilization VI. It would introduce a new layer of intrigue and strategic depth, rewarding players who can master the art of deception and long-term planning.
Orchestrating the Perfect Surprise War
The most devastating application of a Secret Pact is the orchestration of a multi-front surprise war. Analysis on forums shows that players already attempt to coordinate attacks, but the lack of a formal secret agreement makes these efforts clumsy and unreliable.
- The Setup: Imagine two civilizations, on opposite sides of a powerful, expansionist rival. Publicly, they maintain neutral or even friendly relations with the target. Secretly, they have forged a pact to dismantle their common enemy. They spend decades building up their military forces, positioning units just outside the target’s borders, all while maintaining a facade of peace.
- The Execution: On a pre-arranged turn, both civilizations declare a surprise war simultaneously. The target, who may have been preparing for a single-front conflict, suddenly finds their empire under assault from multiple directions. Their armies are divided, their cities are besieged, and their economy is thrown into chaos.
- The Advantage: This strategy, if successful, would be far more effective than a standard Joint War. A Joint War requires a public denouncement, which telegraphs your intentions and gives the target time to prepare. A Secret Pact allows for a true surprise, a “bolt from the blue” that can cripple even the most powerful civilization.
Manipulating the World Congress
The World Congress is a battlefield of its own, where diplomatic favor and carefully timed votes can change the course of the game. A Secret Pact could be a powerful tool for manipulating its outcomes.
- Bloc Voting: Two or three civilizations in a Secret Pact could agree to pool their diplomatic favor and vote as a single bloc. This would allow them to pass favorable resolutions, such as sanctioning a rival or boosting their own economies, or to block resolutions that would harm them.
- Strategic Aid Requests: A popular strategy is to use the World Congress to request aid for a “disaster.” A civilization in a Secret Pact could intentionally trigger a minor, manageable disaster in one of their own cities, and then use their combined diplomatic favor to win the aid request, effectively funneling a massive amount of gold from the rest of the world into their own coffers.
Economic and Technological Subterfuge
A Secret Pact wouldn’t have to be purely militaristic. It could also be a tool for economic and technological domination.
- Secret Research Agreements: While the game has a formal Research Alliance, a Secret Pact could allow for a more targeted and clandestine form of technological cooperation. Two civilizations could agree to secretly share the benefits of a specific technology or civic, giving them a sudden and unexpected advantage over their rivals.
- Market Manipulation: Members of a Secret Pact could coordinate their trade deals to manipulate the global market. They could, for example, agree to embargo a specific luxury resource, driving up its price, and then sell their own stockpiles for a massive profit.
The Perilous Risks of a Secret Pact
While the advantages of a Secret Pact are undeniable, the risks would be equally immense. The discovery of such a pact would need to trigger a diplomatic firestorm, turning the perpetrators into global pariahs.
The Threat of Espionage
The most likely way for a Secret Pact to be exposed is through espionage. A well-placed spy in a capital city could uncover the details of the agreement, instantly revealing it to the world.
- The Diplomatic Fallout: The moment a Secret Pact is exposed, the members would suffer a massive grievance penalty with every other civilization in the game. Their diplomatic relationships would shatter, trade deals would be canceled, and they would likely face a global coalition against them.
- The Counter-Intelligence Game: This would make the counter-intelligence game even more crucial. Players in a Secret Pact would need to invest heavily in counter-spies and security measures to protect their secrets. The risk of discovery would add a thrilling layer of tension to every decision.
The Danger of Betrayal
What if the greatest threat to a Secret Pact came not from outside, but from within? A member of the pact could choose to betray their allies, revealing the pact to the world in exchange for a diplomatic advantage.
- The Ultimate Backstab: A civilization could enter into a Secret Pact with the sole intention of betraying it at the most opportune moment. They could wait until their “allies” have committed their armies to a joint war, and then declare war on them, catching them completely off guard.
- The Trust Dilemma: This would create a fascinating trust dilemma. Can you truly trust your secret ally, or are they simply waiting for the right moment to stab you in the back? This would make the choice of a pact partner a critical decision, based on a careful analysis of their personality, their long-term goals, and their past behavior.
Approximating a Secret Pact in the Current Game
While a formal Secret Pact mechanic does not exist in Civilization VI, many professional gamers suggest that its principles can be approximated through clever use of the existing diplomatic tools.
The Informal Agreement
The simplest way to simulate a Secret Pact is through an informal, out-of-game agreement with another player in a multiplayer match. This requires a high level of trust, but it can be incredibly effective.
- Coordinated Actions: Players can use private chat channels to coordinate their actions, planning surprise wars, manipulating the World Congress, and sharing information, all without the knowledge of the other players.
- The Gentleman’s Agreement: This method relies on a “gentleman’s agreement” that both players will honor their commitments. The risk of betrayal is always present, which adds a similar layer of tension to a formal Secret Pact.
The Art of the Joint War
The Joint War mechanic, while public, can be used to achieve a similar effect to a secret war pact if executed with precision and timing.
- The Slow Burn: Instead of a sudden denouncement and immediate war declaration, players can spend time building up a casus belli against a target. This can be done by provoking the target into making aggressive moves, or by using spies to fabricate grievances.
- The Coordinated Declaration: Once a casus belli is established, two or more players can coordinate their war declarations to occur on the same turn. While not a true surprise, it can still overwhelm a target who is not prepared for a multi-front conflict.
The Secret Societies Game Mode
The Secret Societies game mode is the closest the game comes to a formal secret alliance. Joining a Secret Society provides powerful, unique bonuses that are hidden from other players until a certain level of influence is reached.
- The Sanguine Pact: A player who has joined the Sanguine Pact can build a powerful army of vampires, a fact that will be unknown to their rivals until the vampires appear on the battlefield. This can create a powerful surprise advantage.
- The Owls of Minerva: The Owls of Minerva provide extra spies and economic policy slots, allowing a player to build a secret espionage and economic advantage over their rivals.
Conclusion: A New Era of Diplomatic Intrigue
The concept of a Secret Pact, while not a formal mechanic in Civilization VI, represents a fascinating and strategically deep addition to the game’s diplomatic landscape. It would introduce a new level of intrigue, deception, and long-term planning, rewarding players who can master the art of the clandestine agreement. By understanding the potential mechanics, advantages, and risks of a Secret Pact, and by using the existing tools in the game to approximate its effects, players can elevate their diplomatic game to a whole new level. The world of Civilization VI is already a complex web of alliances and rivalries. The addition of a Secret Pact would turn it into a true wilderness of mirrors, where nothing is as it seems, and the most powerful weapon is the one your enemies never see coming.