Tomyris of Scythia is a fearsome sight in the early game of Civilization 6. Her relentless tide of horsemen can sweep across the plains, crushing empires before they’ve even had a chance to build their first walls. An early domination victory with Scythia isn’t just a possibility; it’s a near certainty if you play your cards right. This guide will provide a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the Tomyris early domination strategy, drawing on the collective wisdom of the player community and professional gamers.
The Scythian Onslaught: Understanding Tomyris’s Strengths
To master Scythia, you must first understand the powerful synergies of Tomyris’s abilities. These abilities are the engine of your early-game war machine.
- People of the Steppe: This is the cornerstone of Scythian military strategy. Every time you train a light cavalry unit or a Saka Horse Archer, you get a second one for free. This effectively doubles your production of these key units, allowing you to build a massive army in a fraction of the time it would take other civilizations. Analysis on forums shows that this ability is what makes Scythia a top-tier domination civilization.
- Killer of Cyrus: This ability gives your units a +5 combat strength bonus when attacking a wounded enemy. Furthermore, your units heal up to 50 hit points after defeating an enemy unit. This encourages a hyper-aggressive playstyle. You are rewarded for focusing your fire and eliminating enemy units one by one. Many professional gamers suggest that this ability is what allows Scythia to sustain its offensive without needing to pause and heal.
- Saka Horse Archer: The Saka Horse Archer is a unique Classical Era ranged cavalry unit that does not require horses. This is a significant advantage, as it frees you from the constraint of needing a strategic resource to build your primary ranged unit. A popular strategy is to use these units to weaken enemy forces before finishing them off with your melee units.
- Kurgan: This unique improvement provides a steady stream of Faith and Gold. While it may not seem as impactful as the military bonuses, the Kurgan is a crucial part of your economic engine. The extra gold helps to pay for your large army’s maintenance, while the faith can be used to secure a powerful pantheon or even found a religion.
The First 50 Turns: Laying the Foundation for Conquest
The first 50 turns are the most critical for a Scythian early domination victory. Your every move should be geared towards building a powerful military and launching your first offensive as quickly as possible.
Technology and Civics: A Path to War
Your research path should be a direct line to unlocking your key military units.
- Technology: Your first research should be Animal Husbandry. This will reveal horse resources on the map, which you will need for your Horsemen. After that, your next priority is Archery, followed by a beeline to Horseback Riding. This will unlock the Horseman and the Saka Horse Archer, the two units that will form the core of your army. According to the player community, any deviation from this research path will significantly delay your offensive and reduce your chances of success.
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Civics: Your first civic should be Code of Laws, which will unlock your first policy cards. From there, you should aim for Craftsmanship to unlock the Agoge policy card, which provides a +50% production bonus to ancient and classical era melee and ranged units. This is a massive boost to your production and will allow you to churn out units at an incredible rate. After that, your next target is Military Tradition, which unlocks the Maneuver policy card, providing a +50% production bonus to light and heavy cavalry units.
Early Build Order: Forging the War Machine
Your initial build order should be focused on getting your military up and running as quickly as possible.
- Slinger: Your first production should be a Slinger. This will help you to deal with barbarian threats and can be upgraded to an Archer later on.
- Warrior: Your second production should be a Warrior. This will give you some early melee strength and can be used to explore your surroundings.
- Settler: Your third production should be a Settler. You should aim to found your second city as early as possible to increase your production capacity.
- Builder: After your Settler, you should build a Builder. This will allow you to improve your tiles and build Kurgans.
- Mass Horsemen and Saka Horse Archers: Once you have unlocked Horseback Riding, you should switch to mass-producing Horsemen and Saka Horse Archers. Thanks to your “People of the Steppe” ability, you will be getting two of each for the price of one.
The Art of Scythian Warfare: Tactics and Strategies
Your military strategy should be based on a simple but effective principle: overwhelm your opponents with a tide of cavalry.
Unit Composition: The Scythian Horde
Your army should be composed primarily of Horsemen and Saka Horse Archers. A good ratio to aim for is two Horsemen for every one Saka Horse Archer. The Saka Horse Archers are your primary damage dealers. Their high mobility and ranged attack allow them to weaken enemy units from a safe distance. The Horsemen are your finishers. Their high combat strength, combined with the “Killer of Cyrus” ability, makes them incredibly effective at finishing off wounded units.
Combat Tactics: The Dance of Death
Your combat tactics should be a coordinated dance of death, designed to maximize the effectiveness of your units and abilities.
- Initiate with Saka Horse Archers: Always start your attacks with your Saka Horse Archers. Use their superior mobility to get into a good position and then rain down arrows on the enemy units. Your goal is to wound as many units as possible to set them up for your Horsemen.
- Finish with Horsemen: Once the enemy units are wounded, send in your Horsemen to deliver the killing blow. The +5 combat strength bonus from “Killer of Cyrus” will ensure that you can take them down quickly and efficiently.
- Heal and Repeat: After each kill, your units will heal up to 50 hit points. This will allow you to sustain your offensive and continue to press the attack without needing to pause and heal.
- Pillage and Plunder: Don’t be afraid to pillage enemy improvements and districts. This will provide you with a significant boost to your economy and can help to cripple your opponent’s production. Analysis on forums shows that pillaging is a key part of the Scythian strategy and can often be the difference between victory and defeat.
Mid-Game Transition: From Conqueror to Emperor
While Scythia’s early game is incredibly powerful, you can’t rely on your initial rush to win the game on its own. As the game progresses, your opponents will start to build walls and unlock more advanced units, which will make your cavalry rush less effective. To maintain your momentum, you will need to transition your strategy to a more balanced approach.
Technology and Civics: The Path to Empire
Your mid-game research should be focused on unlocking siege units and more advanced cavalry.
- Technology: Your first priority should be to research Engineering, which will unlock the Catapult. This will allow you to deal with walled cities. After that, you should aim for Stirrups, which will unlock the Knight, a powerful heavy cavalry unit.
- Civics: Your mid-game civic choices should be focused on strengthening your economy and your military. Military Training will unlock the Armory, which provides a production bonus to all military units. Guilds will unlock the Commercial Hub, which will provide a significant boost to your gold income.
Governors and City-States: Forging Alliances
Your choice of governors and city-states can have a significant impact on your mid-game success.
- Governors: Victor is an excellent choice for your first governor. His abilities are all focused on strengthening your military and making your cities more defensible. Magnus is another good choice, as his abilities can help to boost your production and your trade income.
- City-States: You should prioritize becoming the suzerain of militaristic city-states. Their unique units can be a valuable addition to your army. City-states that provide bonuses to production or gold are also good choices.
The Unstoppable Horde
Tomyris of Scythia is a force to be reckoned with in Civilization 6. Her powerful early game abilities, combined with a relentless cavalry rush, can crush even the most well-defended empires. By following the strategies outlined in this guide, you can unleash the full potential of the Scythian horde and achieve a swift and decisive domination victory. The key is to be aggressive, to be relentless, and to never give your opponents a moment to breathe. The world is yours for the taking.
