What if the very anger of the world against you was the forge that built your empire? In the grand strategy of Civilization 6, Australia’s Prime Minister John Curtin is a leader defined by his reaction to aggression. His “Citadel of Civilization” ability grants a monumental +100% production bonus for ten turns when another civilization declares war on him or when he liberates a city. It’s a powerful, if situational, bonus. But imagine a scenario where this bonus wasn’t a simple on/off switch. What if Curtin’s production bonus scaled directly with the number of grievances the world held against him? This single change would transform Australia from a potent defensive civilization into a global provocateur, mastering the art of international outrage for industrial gain. This guide explores the strategic depths of such a hypothetical change, offering a detailed analysis of how to weaponize diplomacy and turn global condemnation into an engine of progress.
The Art of the Provocateur: Grievance-Fueled Industrialization
Under this hypothetical change, your primary goal shifts from simply defending to actively managing and escalating international grievances. The more the world despises you, the stronger your industrial output becomes. This creates a fascinating gameplay loop where diplomatic slights and aggressive posturing are no longer just means to an end, but the very fuel for your civilization’s growth.
Calibrating Outrage: A Sliding Scale of Production
The core of this strategy lies in understanding how to generate grievances without prematurely triggering a war you’re not ready for. The ideal scenario is to maintain a high level of grievances with multiple civilizations, keeping them perpetually on the brink of declaring war, but never quite pushing them over the edge until you are prepared to reap the rewards.
Early Game Grievances:
- Aggressive Settling: Forward-settling, or placing new cities close to another civilization’s borders, is a classic way to generate grievances. Under this new paradigm, you would intentionally seek out these contentious city locations. The key is to settle just close enough to annoy, but not so close that you trigger an immediate declaration of war.
- Religious Friction: Founding a religion and actively converting the cities of other civilizations is a surefire way to rack up grievances. Sending apostles and missionaries into foreign lands becomes not just a path to a religious victory, but a direct investment in your industrial capacity.
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- Denouncements: While a simple denouncement generates a small number of grievances, it’s a low-risk way to begin the process of antagonizing a neighbor. A well-timed denouncement can be the first step in a long-term strategy of manufactured outrage.
Mid-Game Escalation:
- Spycraft and Sabotage: Espionage offers a more subtle, yet highly effective, means of generating grievances. Successfully siphoning gold, stealing tech boosts, or sabotaging industrial zones and spaceports will not only set your rivals back but also steadily increase their animosity towards you.
- City-State Competition: Competing for suzerainty over city-states can be another source of friction. If another civilization has invested heavily in a particular city-state, actively working to flip its allegiance will generate a significant number of grievances.
- Betrayals and Broken Promises: Making a promise to another leader, such as not settling near their borders or not converting their cities, and then intentionally breaking that promise is a powerful tool for generating grievances. This tactic should be used with caution, as it can have long-term diplomatic repercussions, but the potential production bonus may be well worth the cost.
The Boiling Point: Triggering the Production Surge
Once you have carefully cultivated a high level of grievances with one or more civilizations, the next step is to trigger the declaration of war that will activate your production bonus. This requires a delicate touch; you want them to declare war on you, not the other way around.
Tipping the Scales:
- Military Posturing: Moving a large number of military units to the border of a civilization that already has high grievances against you can be the final push they need to declare war. The AI will interpret this as a sign of aggression, and if they feel they have a military advantage, they are likely to strike first.
- The Final Insult: A well-timed denouncement or the conversion of a particularly important city can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. The key is to understand the personality of the AI leader you are dealing with; some are more prone to aggression than others.
The Industrial Explosion: Maximizing the 10-Turn Window
Once the declaration of war comes, the clock starts ticking. You have ten turns of +100% production (or more, depending on the number of grievances) to transform your civilization. This is where careful planning and preparation pay off.
A Nation on Overdrive: What to Build
The beauty of this scaled production bonus is its flexibility. The sheer industrial power you can unleash allows you to pivot your strategy on a dime, responding to the needs of the moment with unparalleled speed.
Military Production:
- The Great Wall of… Units: The most obvious use of the production bonus is to rapidly build a defensive army. If you’ve been intentionally provoking your neighbors, you’ll need it. The bonus allows you to churn out units at an astonishing rate, turning a seemingly vulnerable border into an impenetrable fortress in a matter of turns.
- Advanced Warfare: The production bonus can also be used to leapfrog your opponents in military technology. If you’ve just unlocked a powerful new unit, such as knights, frigates, or artillery, the bonus allows you to upgrade your existing units and produce new ones in a single, massive wave.
Infrastructure and Wonders:
- Wonder-Spamming: Many wonders are powerful but have high production costs. The grievance-fueled production bonus turns these into easily attainable goals. A well-timed war can allow you to snatch multiple wonders from under the noses of your rivals.
- District Development: The bonus can be used to rapidly build up the infrastructure of your cities. Completing districts, buildings, and city projects in a fraction of the usual time can provide a massive long-term boost to your civilization’s science, culture, and gold output.
The Liberation Gambit:
Don’t forget the second trigger for Curtin’s ability: liberating a city. This adds another layer of strategic depth to the grievance-fueled production bonus.
- The “Hero” Play: You can intentionally allow a rival to capture a city-state or a city from another civilization, only to swoop in and liberate it. This not only grants you the production bonus but also generates a massive amount of diplomatic favor and can make you the suzerain of the liberated city-state.
- Farming Liberations: A more advanced, and cheesy, strategy is to “farm” liberations. This involves allowing a city to fall to a rival, then recapturing and liberating it to repeatedly trigger the production bonus. This is a high-risk, high-reward strategy that can lead to a near-permanent state of enhanced production.
The Diplomatic Fallout: Managing a World of Enemies
A strategy built on intentionally angering the world is not without its risks. You will be a pariah on the world stage, with few, if any, allies. This requires a different approach to diplomacy, one that embraces isolation and self-reliance.
The Rogue State: Thriving in Isolation
- Embrace the Inevitable: Accept that you will not be winning any friends. Focus on building a civilization that is self-sufficient and capable of defending itself against multiple threats.
- The Power of the Defensive Pact: While you may not have many friends, a defensive pact with another civilization can be a powerful deterrent. If another civilization declares war on you, your ally will be drawn into the conflict, potentially turning the tide in your favor.
- The World Congress: The World Congress can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you will likely be the target of many negative resolutions. On the other hand, you can use your diplomatic favor to vote for resolutions that benefit you, such as those that grant extra production for certain types of units or buildings.
The Sweet Symphony of Outrage
The hypothetical scaling of John Curtin’s production bonus with grievances would create a truly unique and engaging gameplay experience. It would transform Australia into a civilization that thrives on conflict, a nation that turns the world’s anger into a source of immense power. This strategy would require a masterful understanding of the game’s grievance mechanics, a willingness to embrace a high-risk, high-reward playstyle, and the strategic foresight to turn a world of enemies into a stepping stone to victory. It’s a tantalizing “what if” that highlights the intricate beauty of Civilization 6’s design, where a single change can ripple through the entire game, creating new and exciting strategic possibilities.