In the grand tapestry of Civilization VI, where leaders rise and fall based on the subtle interplay of their unique abilities, Pericles of Greece stands as a titan of culture. His strength lies in his mastery of diplomacy, leveraging city-state alliances to fuel a cultural machine that can often outpace even the most dedicated wonder-builders. But what if the very foundation of his power was reimagined? What if, instead of a bonus per city-state, Pericles received a culture bonus for every single citizen in his empire? This is not a mere tweak; it is a revolution. A shift from a strategy of external influence to one of internal growth, transforming the Greek playstyle into a relentless engine of cultural dominance. This guide delves deep into the strategic and tactical ramifications of such a change, offering a comprehensive analysis of how to master this hypothetical powerhouse.
The Current State of Pericles: A Diplomat’s Game
To understand the magnitude of this hypothetical change, we must first appreciate the current strategic landscape of Pericles. His ability, “Surrounded by Glory,” provides a 5% culture bonus for each city-state of which he is the Suzerain. This encourages a “wide” playstyle, where the player is incentivized to found many cities to maximize district slots for Acropolises, which in turn generate envoys to secure more city-states. It is a game of external relations, of diplomatic maneuvering and maintaining a delicate web of alliances. While powerful, this strategy is not without its vulnerabilities. A savvy opponent can compete for city-state suzerainty, effectively kneecapping Pericles’ cultural output. A player who neglects their diplomatic game will find Pericles to be a leader with a muted roar.
The “Per Citizen” Revolution: A New Paradigm for Greece
Now, let’s introduce the game-changing hypothetical: a flat +1 culture bonus for every citizen in the empire. This fundamentally alters the core of the Greek strategy. The focus shifts from external diplomacy to internal development. Population growth becomes the single most important metric for success. Every citizen is now a direct contributor to your cultural output, a miniature artist or philosopher in their own right. This change would make Pericles a “tall” civilization’s dream, capable of generating staggering amounts of culture from a handful of densely populated metropolises. The implications are profound, touching every aspect of the game from the first turn to the final victory screen.
Early Game: The Population Boom
With a per-citizen culture bonus, the early game for Pericles becomes a race for population. The traditional Greek opening of scouting for city-states and rushing Political Philosophy to unlock more envoy-generating policy cards is no longer the optimal path. Instead, the focus must be on maximizing food and housing.
- Settlement and City Placement: The ideal starting location for this new Pericles would be one with abundant food resources. Grasslands, floodplains, and access to resources like wheat, rice, and cattle are paramount. When settling new cities, prioritize locations that can support high populations. Access to fresh water is non-negotiable.
- Early Technologies and Civics: The technology path should prioritize Pottery for the Granary, followed by Animal Husbandry and Irrigation to improve food-producing tiles. In the civics tree, Code of Laws is still the first priority, but the subsequent path should beeline to Early Empire to unlock the Colonization policy card, which provides a +50% production bonus towards settlers.
- Early Government and Policies: Once you unlock your first government, the choice between Autocracy and Oligarchy is less about their inherent bonuses and more about the policy cards they allow you to slot. The most crucial early policy card is no longer Diplomatic League, but rather God-King to generate early faith for a pantheon, or Urban Planning for a production boost in all cities. The wildcard slot that Greece gets from “Plato’s Republic” is now even more valuable, allowing for early adoption of policies that boost growth.
- Pantheon Choice: The choice of a pantheon is critical. Goddess of the Harvest is a strong contender, providing food from harvesting resources. However, the undisputed top-tier choice would be Fertility Rites, which provides a passive +10% growth rate in all cities. This pantheon, combined with Pericles’ new ability, would create a snowball effect of population and culture from the very beginning of the game.
Mid Game: The Cultural Juggernaut
As you enter the mid-game, your early-game focus on population growth will begin to pay massive dividends. Your cities will be teeming with citizens, each one contributing to a cultural output that will leave other civilizations in the dust. The challenge now is to manage this growth and translate it into a tangible advantage.
- District Strategy: While the Acropolis is still a powerful and efficient culture district, it is no longer the sole focus of your cultural generation. The raw culture from your population will be so immense that you can afford to be more flexible with your district choices. Commercial Hubs and Harbors become more important, not just for the trade routes and gold they provide, but also for the food they can generate through internal trade routes. Campuses are also crucial to ensure you don’t fall behind in technology while you are rocketing through the civics tree.
- Government and Policies: The choice of government in the mid-game will depend on your specific situation, but the policy cards you slot will be critical. The most powerful policy cards will be those that further boost population growth, housing, and amenities. Cards like Retainers (which provides +1 amenity for cities with a garrisoned unit) and Medina Quarter (which provides +2 housing in cities with at least 3 districts) become top-tier choices.
- Wonders: With your massive cultural output, you will be able to unlock and build wonders far faster than your opponents. The key is to prioritize wonders that synergize with your population-focused strategy. The Hanging Gardens is an obvious choice, providing a +15% growth bonus in all cities. The Colosseum is another excellent option, providing a significant boost to amenities, which will be crucial for keeping your large populations happy and productive. The Oracle, with its bonus to Great Person generation, is also a strong contender, as you will be generating a large number of Great Writer, Artist, and Musician points from your Acropolises.
Late Game: The Inevitable Culture Victory
By the late game, your empire will be a cultural behemoth. Your cities will be sprawling metropolises with populations in the tens, if not twenties. Your culture-per-turn will be astronomical, allowing you to unlock the entire civics tree and adopt powerful late-game policies with ease. The path to a culture victory is now all but assured.
- Tourism Generation: The final step is to convert your immense cultural output into tourism. This is where the traditional tools of the culture victory come into play. Build Seaside Resorts on coastal tiles, create National Parks in breathtaking landscapes, and use Rock Bands to spread your cultural influence to other civilizations. With your massive culture, you will be able to unlock the technologies and civics required for these tourism-generating improvements far earlier than your opponents.
- Late-Game Wonders: In the late game, focus on wonders that directly boost tourism. The Eiffel Tower is a must-build, providing a bonus to the appeal of all tiles in your empire, which in turn boosts the tourism output of your National Parks and Seaside Resorts. Cristo Redentor is another powerful choice, as it prevents other civilizations from using their religious beliefs to block your tourism.
- The Power of Policy Cards: In the late game, you will have access to a wide range of powerful policy cards that can further accelerate your path to victory. The Online Communities policy card, which provides a +50% tourism output from all sources, is the final nail in the coffin for your opponents.
Strategic Deep Dive: Tall vs. Wide in the New Meta
The hypothetical change to Pericles’ ability would spark a major debate in the Civilization VI community: is it better to play “tall” or “wide”?
- The Case for “Tall”: A “tall” strategy, focusing on a small number of highly populated cities, would be the most direct way to leverage Pericles’ new ability. With a handful of cities, you can focus your resources on maximizing their growth, building all the necessary infrastructure to support massive populations. This strategy would be particularly effective on smaller maps or maps with limited land.
- The Case for “Wide”: While a “tall” strategy is the most obvious choice, a “wide” strategy should not be dismissed. A wide empire, with many cities, would still be able to generate a significant amount of culture from its population. Furthermore, a wide empire would have more district slots for Acropolises, which would still be a valuable source of culture and Great Person points. A wide empire would also have more opportunities to build National Parks and Seaside Resorts, which are crucial for late-game tourism generation.
Ultimately, the optimal strategy would likely be a hybrid approach. A “tall-ish” strategy, with a core of 4-6 highly populated cities and a number of smaller, more specialized cities, would likely be the most effective way to play this new Pericles.
Synergies and Wonders: Building the Perfect Cultural Engine
This new Pericles would have a number of powerful synergies with other game mechanics.
- Religious Beliefs: A religion would be a powerful tool for this new Pericles. The Feed the World belief, which provides extra food from Shrines and Temples, would be a top-tier choice. The Jesuit Education belief, which allows you to purchase Campus and Theater Square buildings with faith, would also be incredibly powerful.
- Wonders: In addition to the wonders already mentioned, there are a number of other wonders that would be particularly effective with this new Pericles. The Great Bath, if you can build it in the early game, would provide a significant boost to your early population growth. The Temple of Artemis, with its bonus to food and housing, would also be a strong choice.
The New World Order: How Other Civilizations Would React
A Pericles with a per-citizen culture bonus would be a terrifying opponent. The AI and human players would need to adapt their strategies to counter this new threat.
- Early Aggression: The most effective way to counter this new Pericles would be to attack him in the early game. By disrupting his early population growth, you can significantly slow down his cultural snowball.
- Competition for Wonders: Another way to counter this new Pericles would be to compete with him for key wonders. By denying him wonders like the Hanging Gardens and the Colosseum, you can limit his ability to support his massive populations.
- The Diplomatic Game: While this new Pericles is less reliant on diplomacy than his current incarnation, the diplomatic game would still be important. By forming alliances with other civilizations, you can isolate Pericles and make it more difficult for him to win a diplomatic victory if his culture victory is somehow thwarted.
Conclusion
A per-citizen culture bonus for Pericles would be a radical and exciting change to the Civilization VI meta. It would transform him from a diplomatic powerhouse into a relentless engine of internal growth. The strategies outlined in this guide provide a roadmap for mastering this hypothetical new leader, from the early game population boom to the late-game culture victory. While this change is purely hypothetical, it serves as a fascinating thought experiment, a testament to the depth and complexity of Civilization VI’s design. It reminds us that even a small change to a single leader’s ability can have a profound impact on the entire game, creating new strategies, new challenges, and new opportunities for players to explore.