Hojo Tokimune stands as one of the most versatile leaders in Civilization VI. Analysis on forums shows that his unique combination of abilities allows for a flexible playstyle that can pivot between cultural, domination, and religious victories with remarkable ease. While many leaders excel in a single area, Tokimune’s strengths are multifaceted, making Japan a powerhouse in the hands of a strategic player. This guide will break down the intricate strategies and nuances of playing as Hojo Tokimune, providing a comprehensive roadmap to victory.
The Divine Wind: Understanding Hojo Tokimune’s Abilities
To master Japan, one must first understand the core mechanics that drive its success. Hojo Tokimune’s abilities are not just a collection of disparate bonuses; they are a synergistic toolkit that, when used correctly, can create an unstoppable force.
- Leader Ability: Divine Wind: This ability is the cornerstone of Japan’s military and coastal presence. It provides a +5 combat strength bonus for land units on coastal tiles and naval units in shallow water. Furthermore, it halves the production time for Holy Sites, Theater Squares, and Encampments. According to the player community, this ability alone makes Japan a top-tier choice for maps with significant coastlines.
- Civilization Ability: Meiji Restoration: This ability is what makes Japan’s district planning so unique and powerful. Districts receive a +1 adjacency bonus for each adjacent district, instead of the standard +0.5. This seemingly small change has a massive impact on gameplay, encouraging a dense, clustered approach to city-building.
- Unique Unit: Samurai: The Samurai replaces the Man-at-Arms and comes with a game-changing promotion: they do not suffer combat penalties when damaged. This makes them incredibly resilient and allows them to maintain their offensive capabilities even when on the brink of defeat.
- Unique Building: Electronics Factory: Replacing the standard Factory, the Electronics Factory provides a production bonus to all cities within a 6-tile radius and, after researching the Electricity technology, also generates culture. This unique building is a late-game powerhouse that can fuel both production and cultural ambitions.
Early Game Strategy: Forging the Foundation of an Empire
The early game for Hojo Tokimune is all about laying the groundwork for a powerful mid-game surge. Many professional gamers suggest that the first 100 turns are critical for setting up the district clusters and coastal cities that will define your empire.
Settlement and Exploration
Your starting bias is coastal, and you should embrace it. Settle your first city directly on the coast to take immediate advantage of the Divine Wind ability. Your initial exploration should focus on mapping out the coastline, identifying optimal locations for future cities, and locating any nearby city-states or rival civilizations. A popular strategy is to prioritize settling cities in close proximity to each other, typically within 4-6 tiles. This will allow you to create the dense district clusters that are the hallmark of a successful Japan game.
Early Tech and Civics
Your early tech path should beeline towards Astrology if you are planning a religious game, or Bronze Working for an early military push. The half-price Holy Sites from Divine Wind make a religious strategy incredibly viable, and securing an early religion can provide a significant advantage. For civics, Craftsmanship is a priority to unlock the Agoge policy card, which provides a +50% production bonus towards ancient and classical era melee and ranged units. This is essential for building an early military to defend your borders and clear out barbarian camps.
Barbarians and Early Military
With the Divine Wind bonus, your warriors and slingers are more than capable of handling barbarian threats along the coast. Use this advantage to your benefit, farming barbarians for experience and era score. Building an early Encampment is also a wise move, as the reduced production cost allows you to start generating Great General points sooner than most other civilizations.
District Placement and Adjacency Bonuses
The Meiji Restoration is where Japan truly shines. The ability to get a +1 adjacency bonus from each adjacent district transforms city planning into a puzzle with immense rewards.
The Diamond and the Hexagon
Analysis on forums shows that the most effective way to maximize adjacency bonuses is to plan your districts in specific patterns. The “diamond” formation, where four districts are placed in a 2×2 square, is a simple yet effective way to generate a +3 bonus for each district. However, the ultimate goal is the “hexagon,” where a central district is surrounded by six other districts, resulting in a massive +6 bonus.
Prioritizing Districts
The districts you prioritize will depend on your chosen victory condition.
- Cultural Victory: With half-price Theater Squares, a cultural victory is a natural fit for Japan. Cluster your Theater Squares with Entertainment Complexes and Wonders to create a cultural powerhouse.
- Domination Victory: Encampments are not only cheaper to build but also contribute to the adjacency bonuses of your other districts. A well-placed Encampment can provide a defensive anchor for your city while also boosting the science or gold output of your adjacent districts.
- Religious Victory: The reduced cost of Holy Sites makes a religious victory a very strong option. A popular strategy is to cluster your Holy Sites with your Government Plaza and other districts to create a faith-generating engine.
The Government Plaza: The Heart of Your Empire
The Government Plaza is a critical component of any Japanese city plan. It provides a +1 adjacency bonus to all adjacent districts, which, when combined with the Meiji Restoration, can lead to some truly staggering yields. Placing your Government Plaza in the center of a district cluster is a powerful move that will pay dividends throughout the game.
Mid-Game Transition: The Samurai Rush and Beyond
The mid-game is where Hojo Tokimune can truly begin to assert his dominance. The arrival of the Samurai marks a significant power spike, and a well-timed military campaign can cripple your opponents.
The Samurai Rush
The Samurai’s ability to fight at full strength even when damaged makes them one of the most formidable units in the medieval era. A popular strategy is to time a “Samurai rush” to coincide with the unlocking of the Military Tactics technology. Upgrade your existing warriors and swordsmen into Samurai and launch a swift and decisive attack on a neighboring civilization. The goal is not necessarily to conquer their entire empire, but to capture a few key cities and weaken them for the rest of the game.
Naval Dominance
Don’t neglect your navy. The Divine Wind bonus makes your galleys and quadriremes incredibly powerful in shallow water. Use your navy to control the seas, pillage enemy coastal tiles, and support your land-based attacks. On maps with a lot of water, a strong navy is not just an option; it’s a necessity.
Economic and Scientific Growth
Even if you are pursuing a domination victory, it’s important to continue to develop your economy and science. Your clustered districts should be generating significant yields, allowing you to keep pace with other civilizations in terms of technology and wealth. The Electronics Factory will come online in the late game, providing a massive production boost that will be essential for building a modern military.
Late Game Dominance: From Samurai to Satellites
As you transition into the late game, the nature of your strategy will shift. The Samurai will become obsolete, but the strong foundation you’ve built in the early and mid-game will allow you to pivot to a variety of victory conditions.
Cultural Victory
If you’ve been building a network of high-yield Theater Squares, the late game is the time to push for a cultural victory. The culture generated by your Electronics Factories will help you unlock key civics and wonders, while your strong production base will allow you to build the wonders that are essential for a cultural victory, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Sydney Opera House.
Domination Victory
For a domination victory, your late-game strategy will revolve around leveraging your production advantage to build a modern military. The Electronics Factory will allow you to churn out tanks, bombers, and battleships at an alarming rate. Your coastal cities will continue to provide a defensive advantage, and your powerful navy will allow you to project your power across the globe.
Scientific Victory
While not the most obvious path for Japan, a scientific victory is certainly achievable. Your clustered Campuses, especially when combined with the Rationalism policy card, can generate a significant amount of science. The production bonus from your Electronics Factories will be invaluable for building the spaceports and completing the space race projects.
Wonder Selection: Building a Legacy
Wonders are an important part of any successful Civilization VI strategy, and for Japan, they can be particularly powerful.
- Early Game: The Oracle is a fantastic early-game wonder for any civilization, but for Japan, it’s particularly synergistic. The extra Great Person points will help you secure the Great Writers, Artists, and Musicians you need for a cultural victory.
- Mid Game: The Colosseum is a must-build for any civilization that is building a wide empire, and for Japan, it’s even better. The amenities it provides will help you keep your closely packed cities happy and productive. The Terracotta Army is another excellent choice, especially if you are planning a Samurai rush.
- Late Game: For a cultural victory, the Bolshoi Theatre, Broadway, and Sydney Opera House are all essential. For a domination victory, the Ruhr Valley will provide a massive production boost that will allow you to build a modern military.
Conclusion: The Versatile Warrior
Hojo Tokimune is a leader who rewards careful planning and strategic thinking. His abilities are not as straightforward as some other leaders, but in the hands of a skilled player, they can be incredibly powerful. Whether you choose to conquer the world with your Samurai, build a cultural empire that is the envy of the world, or spread your religion to the far corners of the globe, Hojo Tokimune provides you with the tools you need to succeed. The key is to embrace the versatility of the Japanese civilization, to plan your cities with care, and to strike at the opportune moment. The player community agrees that with the right strategy, Hojo Tokimune is a force to be reckoned with.