What if the cyclical nature of history in Civilization 6 was shattered? Imagine a timeline where your civilization doesn’t just experience fleeting Golden Ages, but exists in a perpetual state of heroic achievement. This isn’t a standard game mode; it’s a theoretical scenario that pushes strategic planning to its absolute limits. In this guide, we explore the immense potential and complex challenges of a game where every era is a Heroic Age.
A Heroic Age, for the uninitiated, is a supercharged Golden Age. It grants a civilization the immense advantage of selecting three powerful Dedication bonuses simultaneously, instead of the usual one. The player community widely agrees that a well-timed Heroic Age can be a game-changer. But what happens when this extraordinary state becomes the norm?
This guide delves into the strategic ramifications of an eternal Heroic Age, analyzing how it would reshape the pursuit of every victory condition. We will explore the most potent Dedication combinations and how they can be leveraged to create an unstoppable civilization.
The Mechanics of a Perpetual Heroic Age
Before we dive into strategy, it’s crucial to understand the mechanics. In a standard game, a Heroic Age is a reward for pulling your civilization out of a Dark Age and into a Golden Age. It’s a testament to your resilience. Our hypothetical scenario removes the “boom and bust” cycle of ages. From the Classical Era onward, your civilization is locked into a Heroic Age.
This means three Dedication bonuses are active in every single era. The strategic depth of this is staggering. Analysis on forums shows that players often struggle to choose just one Dedication. With three, the potential for synergistic combinations is enormous.
Era-by-Era Dedication Strategies
Let’s break down the strategic choices era by era, highlighting the most powerful combinations for different victory paths.
Classical & Medieval Eras: The Foundation of an Empire
The first two eras are about establishing a strong foundation. A popular strategy is to focus on expansion and infrastructure.
The “Monumental Expansion” Combination:
- Monumentality: This is the cornerstone of early-game dominance. The ability to purchase Settlers and Builders with Faith is, according to many professional gamers, the strongest early-game bonus available. It allows for explosive expansion without sacrificing production.
- Free Inquiry: This Dedication provides a significant boost to your scientific output. The extra Science from Commercial Hub and Harbor adjacency bonuses, combined with faster Eurekas, will propel you ahead in the tech tree.
- Pen, Brush, and Voice: This rounds out your early-game development by boosting your Culture. The +1 Culture per specialty district is a simple but effective way to accelerate your progress through the Civics tree, unlocking crucial policies and governments.
With this combination, your civilization will be a sprawling, technologically advanced, and culturally sophisticated empire by the end of the Medieval Era. You’ll have more cities, a stronger military, and a more developed infrastructure than any of your rivals.
Renaissance & Industrial Eras: Specialization and Dominance
By the Renaissance, your empire is established. Now it’s time to specialize and press your advantage. The choice of Dedications will depend heavily on your chosen victory condition.
For a Science Victory:
- Heartbeat of Steam: This is a must-have for any aspiring scientific powerhouse. The +10% Production towards Industrial and later wonders is crucial for securing game-winning projects like the Oxford University and the Royal Society. The added Production from Campus adjacency is a welcome bonus.
- Free Inquiry: The continued boost to Science from this Dedication is invaluable. The synergy with Heartbeat of Steam creates a feedback loop of scientific and industrial progress.
- Reform the Coinage: A strong economy is essential for a Science Victory. The extra Gold from international Trade Routes will fund your research and allow you to purchase key buildings and units.
For a Domination Victory:
- To Arms!: This Dedication is the engine of your war machine. The ability to form Corps and Armies much earlier than your opponents is a massive advantage. The +5 Combat Strength for these units makes them virtually unstoppable.
- Crusade: If you have a strong faith-based economy, this Dedication is a powerful tool for conquest. The +10 Combat Strength bonus in foreign cities that follow your Religion is devastating.
- Reform the Coinage: War is expensive. The extra Gold from this Dedication will keep your armies supplied and your empire solvent.
For a Culture Victory:
- Pen, Brush, and Voice: This remains a core Dedication for a Culture Victory. The extra Culture is essential for unlocking key Civics and wonders.
- Wish You Were Here: This is where your Tourism output really takes off. The +50% Tourism from World Wonders and +100% from National Parks is a game-changer.
- Exodus of the Evangelists: A strong Religion can be a powerful tool for a Culture Victory. The ability to spread your Religion more effectively will generate Tourism and help you secure religious wonders.
Modern, Atomic, & Information Eras: The Final Push
The late game is all about executing your victory plan. Your choice of Dedications will be highly specialized and focused on the final push.
For a Science Victory:
- Sky and Stars: This is the ultimate late-game Science Dedication. The free Eurekas for key technologies will shave turns off your research time, and the extra XP for air units will help you defend your spaceports.
- Heartbeat of Steam: The Production bonus from this Dedication remains crucial for completing the final space race projects.
- Bodyguard of Lies: Espionage becomes increasingly important in the late game. The ability to steal tech boosts and sabotage your rivals’ space programs can be the difference between victory and defeat.
For a Domination Victory:
- To Arms!: The continued combat bonus for your Corps and Armies is essential for late-game warfare.
- Bodyguard of Lies: Late-game wars are often won with information. The ability to gain diplomatic visibility and steal your opponents’ secrets is a powerful advantage.
- Automated Workforce: The extra Production from this Dedication will help you build and maintain a massive, technologically advanced army.
For a Culture Victory:
- Wish You Were Here: This remains the cornerstone of your Tourism strategy.
- Online Communities: In the Information Era, this Dedication is a must-have. The +50% Tourism to all cities with an internet connection is a massive boost.
- Cultural Hegemony: This Dedication provides a powerful late-game boost to your Culture and Tourism output. The extra Great Work slots and the Tourism bonus from Great Works of Writing are invaluable.
The Downside of Perpetual Heroism
While a perpetual Heroic Age sounds like a dream scenario, it’s not without its challenges. The constant pressure to leverage three powerful bonuses can be overwhelming. It requires a level of strategic foresight and planning that is far beyond what is needed in a standard game.
Furthermore, the game’s AI is not designed to handle this scenario. In a single-player game, a human player with a perpetual Heroic Age would likely steamroll the competition. The real challenge would be in a multiplayer setting, where all players have the same advantage.
A New Level of Strategic Depth
The “What If: Every Era Was a Heroic Age?” scenario transforms Civilization 6 into a game of unparalleled strategic depth. It forces players to think about Dedication combinations in a whole new way, creating opportunities for incredibly powerful synergies. While it may not be a balanced game mode, it’s a fascinating thought experiment that highlights the intricate design of the game’s Ages and Dedications system. The player community’s analysis of individual Dedications provides a strong foundation for exploring this hypothetical, and it’s clear that the strategic possibilities are virtually endless. This scenario is a testament to the enduring appeal of Civilization 6 and its ability to inspire creative and strategic thinking.