Making the jump to Deity difficulty in Civilization VI can feel like hitting a brick wall. One minute you’re cruising, and the next you’re just trying to survive. Barbarians seem to operate with a hive mind, your neighbors are all eyeing your land, and the AI is just rocketing ahead in every category from the moment the game starts. It’s enough to make you want to rage-quit.
If you’ve been there, stuck in a loop of reloading saves or just giving up in frustration, I get it. I was there too. But I realized that the key to winning on Deity wasn’t about perfecting my old strategies—it was about throwing them out completely. The habits that win you games on Emperor are the same ones that will get you killed now.
So, let’s reframe how you approach the game. I’m not going to give you a list of vague tips. I’m going to share a concrete framework that took me from barely surviving to actually dominating on the highest difficulty. It’s time to start your real Deity education.
Tip 1: The Spartan Start – How to Survive the First 50 Turns
The first 50 turns on Deity are brutal. The AI isn’t just getting a head start; it feels like they’re cheating. They start with extra units, extra cities, and massive bonuses to everything they do. You are, in every sense, the underdog. Your goal here isn’t to keep up. It’s to build a defensive shell so you can live through their initial surge and plan your comeback.
Your Unbreakable Build Order
The first few things you build are the most critical decisions of the entire game. This isn’t the time for creative expression. There’s an optimal build order that works, and you should stick to it.
- Scout: Always build a Scout first. The information you get is priceless. You have to map your surroundings, find tribal villages for those early boosts, and, most importantly, see who your neighbors are. Finding out you’re next to an aggressive leader like Montezuma versus a peaceful one like Canada changes everything. This intel is your first line of defense.
- Slinger: Your second build has to be a Slinger. Not another Scout, not a Monument, not a Builder. The Slinger is your key to survival because it’s one step away from becoming an Archer, which is the most powerful and important unit in the early game.
- Slinger/Warrior: Next, build another Slinger, then a Warrior. By about turn 25, you want a small army of two Slingers and your starting Warrior. This is your insurance policy against a surprise war or a barbarian rush.
Stop Fearing Barbarians, Start Farming Them
Barbarian scouts on Deity are a nightmare. If one sees your city, it runs back to its camp, and soon you’ll have a horde at your door. Your first military job is to kill those scouts before they can snitch.
But when you do have to fight them, see it as a gift. You need to kill a unit with a Slinger to trigger the eureka for Archery—the most important tech boost in the early game. Hunt down a barbarian to get it. As soon as you unlock Archery, spend the gold to upgrade your Slingers to Archers. An army of just three Archers can fend off almost any early attack. Plus, killing barbs gives your units promotions and clearing their camps gives you gold and era score.
First Contact Protocol
How you handle meeting other civs is critical.
- Send a Delegation, Instantly: The turn you meet a new leader, spend the 25 gold to send a delegation. It’s a small price to pay for a relationship boost that can prevent a war.
- Keep Your Capital a Secret: If a neighbor asks for the location of your capital, always say no. Giving them that information is like putting a target on your back.
- Sell Your Luxuries: The second you get your first luxury resource improved, find a faraway civilization and sell it to them. They’ll often pay around 300 gold for it early on. That cash is a game-changer. Use it to buy a Builder, a Settler, or to upgrade your Slingers.
If by turn 50 you’re still alive with a small army and have explored the area, you’ve won the first phase. You’ll be way behind, but you have what you need to start fighting back.
Tip 2: The Calculated Onslaught – Punching Back with an Early War
On lower difficulties, you can win by building tall and focusing on a few great cities. On Deity, that’s a death sentence. The AI’s bonuses are so huge that if you leave them alone, you’ll never catch up. You can’t out-build them. You have to cut them down. An early war isn’t a choice, it’s a comeback mechanic.
How to Choose Your First Victim
Don’t just attack randomly. Your first war needs to be a smart, calculated strike against the right target. As you explore, you should be sizing up your neighbors.
- Who’s Close? Your target needs to be nearby. Long-distance wars are a drain and leave you vulnerable.
- What’s the Terrain? Attacking a civ in the mountains or jungle is a nightmare. You want to fight on open ground where your Archers can do their work.
- Are They a Bully? Picking a fight with an early-game warmonger like Shaka is asking for trouble. Look for a neighbor with weaker unique units or one whose strengths are in the late game, like India or the Kongo.
The Art of the “Settler Snatch”
The AI starts with two extra Settlers and sends them out right away. This is your single best opportunity. Park your army between your capital and your target. The moment you see an enemy Settler with few or no escorts, declare a surprise war and take it.
Capturing a Settler is the biggest power swing you can get. You just got a free city and denied them one at the same time. The diplomatic penalty for a surprise war is worth it this early. Don’t even hesitate.
How to Win a Deity War
When you do attack, you have to win with tactics, not brute force.
- Your Army: You need Archers. An army of 3-4 Archers and 2-3 Warriors is perfect. The Warriors are your frontline; their job is to stand there, take damage, and protect your Archers. The Archers do all the real killing from a distance. Don’t ever attack a city with a Warrior unless its health is already gone.
- Positioning is Everything: Use the terrain to your advantage. Put your Archers on hills or behind rivers. Let the enemy come to you and die trying to cross the terrain to reach your units.